Have you ever heard some superstitions about birds? Usually, birds are considered bad luck, or even a sign of imminent

Câu hỏi :

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 31 to 35.

    Have you ever heard some superstitions about birds? Usually, birds are considered bad luck, or even a sign of imminent death. For example, all over the world, both crows and ravens have some connection to war, and death. In early times, crows and ravens were thought to accompany the gods of war, or be signs of the gods’ approaching arrival. This idea later changed. Crows in particular were thought to be harbingers of ill fortune or, in some cases, guides to the afterlife. Woe be it to the person who saw a single crow or raven flying overhead, for this was most certainly a portent of death in the near future.

       Interestingly, though potentially bad luck for people individually, the raven is considered to be good luck for the crown of England. So much so, in fact, that a “raven master” is, even today, an actual government position in London. He takes care of the ravens there and also clips their wings, ensuring that these birds can never fly far from the seat of the British government. This way, the kingdom will never fall to ill fortune.

      Another bird that is thought to play a part in forecasting the fortunes of people is the swallow. Depending on how and when it is seen, the swallow can be a harbinger of either good or ill fortune. Perhaps inspired by the swallow’s red-brown breast, Christian people initially related the swallow to the death of Jesus Christ. Thus, people who saw a swallow fly through their house considered it a portent of death. Later, however, farmers began to consider swallows signs of good fortune. Any barn that has swallows living in it is sure to be blessed in the following year. Farmers also have to beware of killing a swallow; that would be certain to end any good luck they might have had.

      Though many people think these superstitions are old wives’ tales, there is actually some evidence to support them. For example, crows and ravens, being scavengers, appear at the aftermath of battles. Thus, large numbers of crows and ravens could be good indications of war in an area. As well, swallows feed on insects that can cause infections in cattle. Thus, a farmer who has many swallows in his barn may actually have healthier animals on his farm. Therefore, the next time you feel inclined to laugh at an old wives’ tale, maybe you had better find out if there is any truth to it first!

What is the main idea of this reading?

A. Birds bring bad luck.

B. Don’t look a crow in the eye.

C. There are many superstitions surrounding birds.

D. Birds are important to English people.

* Đáp án

* Hướng dẫn giải

Đáp án:C

Kiến thức : Đọc hiểu

Giải thích: Nội dung chính của bài đọc là gì?

A. Chim mang lại vận rủi.                                       B. Đừng nhìn vào mắt một con quạ.

C. Có nhiều sự mê tín xoanh quanh các loài chim. D. Chim rất quan trọng đối với người Anh.

Bạn có biết?

Tiếng Anh hay Anh Ngữ (English /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/ ) là một ngôn ngữ German Tây, được nói từ thời thời Trung cổ tại Anh, ngày nay là lingua franca toàn cầu.Từ English bắt nguồn từ Angle, một trong những bộ tộc German đã di cư đến Anh (chính từ "Angle" lại bắt nguồn từ bán đảo Anglia (Angeln) bên biển Balt)

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Tâm sự

Lớp 12 - Năm cuối ở cấp tiểu học, năm học quan trọng nhất trong đời học sinh trải qua bao năm học tập, bao nhiêu kì vọng của người thân xung quanh ta. Những nỗi lo về thi đại học và định hướng tương lai thật là nặng. Hãy tin vào bản thân là mình sẽ làm được rồi tương lai mới chờ đợi các em!

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