Name Score = /10

no electronic devices, 5 minutes

Weaving it Together: Unit 1 Test

Skimming and Scanning: Scan and skim the reading for the information you need to answer the questions. Do not write complete sentences. You have 5 minutes. When your teacher says that the time is up, hand in this paper. (2 points each = 10 points)

  1. Which 2 animalssymbolize strength and bravery?
  1. Which paragraph number is about a bird called the crow?
  1. Does the crow symbolize death in some cultures?
  1. In Chinese culture, what does a bat symbolize?
  1. Which paragraph number is about plants and trees?

Good and Bad Luck

1From earliest times, humans have tried to make sense of the world around them. They have also attempted to control their environment and their own future. In ancient times, this was often difficult, so they looked to the natural world for assistance. Across cultures, humans have believed that certain animals, plants, or natural events could bring good or bad luck. Although the origin of these beliefs is rooted in the past, many of them continue today.

2Animals played a big part in the lives of early humans, so it is not surprising that they often become part of human belief systems. Animals were often associated with their most obvious characteristics. For example, lions and bears were feared and respected for their strength, so they became symbols of strength and bravery. However, the connection between animals and their meaning is not always so clear and may vary from one culture to another.

3This cross-cultural variation may arise for different reasons. Perhaps the most important reason is that animals have different characteristics. One culture may focus on one characteristic and another culture may focus on a different one. The crow is a good example of this. Crows will eat dead animals. As a result, in some cultures, such as in ancient Rome and in Europe of the Middle Ages, the crow was associated with death and became a symbol of bad luck. However, crows are also very intelligent and are able to survive in difficult situations. The Native American tribe, the Crow, even took their name from the bird and is an example of a culture where crows are a symbol of good luck.

4The bat offers a different reason for cross-cultural variation. Bats fly at night and often carry diseases. In western countries, therefore, they became associated with night, death, and witches. Even today, bats are feared and avoided. In Chinese culture, in contrast, the bat is a symbol of good luck and happiness. In this case, however, the connection is not related to the behavior of bats. Instead, it is related to the sound of the word. The word bat in Chinese sounds very similar to the word for good fortune.

5Animals were not the only symbols of good luck and fortune for ancient people. Some plants were also considered to be lucky. In Europe, for example, the oak tree is a symbol of strength and luck. Historians believe that this belief began when ancient people saw lightning hit oak trees. The trees often burned down and were destroyed, but the nuts from the oak tree—acorns—did not burn. As a result, ancient people believed these acorns could protect them from harm. Acorns became symbols of good luck.

6Some cultures also have customs in which people try to improve their luck. They make wishes in very specific circumstances. In Western culture, people make wishes when they blow out candles on a birthday cake, when they see a rainbow or falling star, or when an eyelash falls to their cheek. In many non-Western cultures, however, making a wish like this is too bold. In those cultures, you should only make a wish if you offer something in return. For example, you might offer fruit, flowers, candles, or promise to change your behavior in the future, as you make the wish.

7All over the world, symbols of good and bad luck remain part of modern life although, as in the case of crows and acorns, many people are unaware of their origins. Even historians differ on how some of them began. However, they do agree that such symbols come from the universally human wish to interpret and control our world.

Name Score = /35

no electronic devices, 55 minutes+ ______/10 = ______/45

Weaving it Together: Unit 1 Test

Multiple choice: Refer to the reading “Good Luck and Bad Luck.” Choose the correct answer for each question. (1 point each)

_____ 1. Where do we get many of our symbols of good and bad luck from?

  1. our ability to control the environment
  2. the natural world
  3. man-made environments

_____2. In which cultures is the crow considered a symbol of good luck?

  1. many Western European cultures
  2. Asian cultures
  3. some Native American cultures

_____3. Why are bats considered to be lucky in Chinese culture?

  1. because bats don’t carry disease
  2. because they behave in a clever and intelligent way
  3. because the word for bat sounds like the word for luck

_____4. Why are acorns considered to be a symbol of good luck?

  1. because they can survive forest fires
  2. because they are types of fruit
  3. because they come from big, strong, oak trees

_____5. Which paragraph is about things that people do to bring themselves luck?

  1. paragraph 2
  2. paragraph 4
  3. paragraph 6

_____6. In paragraph 4, what does the word “it” refer to in the phrase: it is related to the sound of the word?

  1. the bat
  2. the connection
  3. the good luck

_____7. What do people in many non-Western cultures do before making a wish?

  1. They do something generous.
  2. They do something bold.
  3. They may look for a falling star or rainbow.

Short Answer: Write your answer clearly as one complete sentence. 3 points maximum.

What is the main idea of the reading “Good Luck and Bad Luck”?

______

Vocabulary Section 1: Choose the correct word to complete each sentence. 1 point each.

ailment / attitude / pace / select / persist
misfortune / omen / sensitive / superstition / contentment
  1. I’ve been suffering from a minor stomach ______for a while. Maybe I should see a doctor.
  1. There are so many choices for classes next quarter! I need to ______the best ones for my major.
  1. You need to keep a positive ______, even when things go wrong.
  1. It’s difficult to keep up with the fast ______of change in the electronics industry.
  1. I get a wonderful feeling of ______when I am surrounded by family during the holidays.
  1. A common ______is that it is unlucky to break a mirror.
  1. The Changs suffered a terrible ______. Their home was destroyed in the earthquake.
  1. The sun came out just before the exam started. Maybe that’s a good ______.
  1. A good mother is ______to her children’s needs and emotions.
  1. The best students ______in their academics, even when their classes are difficult.

Vocabulary Section 2: Matching. Match the vocabulary word with its definition or synonym. (1 point each = 15 points)

1. attitude
2. coincidence
3. contentment
4. pace
5. soothe
6. stimulating
7. subconsciously
8. assign
9. endurance
10. enterprise
11. misfortune
12. omen
13. omitted
14. reputation
15. superstitions /
  1. bad luck
  2. a large, often complicated, project. This word is frequently used in a business context.
  3. removed, taken out
  4. to make someone feel calmer and more relaxed
  5. the feelings or opinions you have about something, especially when this is shown in your behavior
  6. a sign of what will happen in the future
  7. a belief that some objects or actions may cause events to happen, based on old ideas of magic
  8. happiness, satisfaction
  9. A name for yourself, which is formed by the opinion that people have about someone because of what he/she has done in the past
  10. refers to personal feelings or desires that we are not aware of, but which reveal themselves through our actions
  11. the ability to continue doing something difficult over a long period of time. Requires strength.
  12. exciting, energizing
  13. the speed or rate at which you do something
  14. when two things happen at the same time, in the same place, or to the same people in a way that seems surprising or unusual
  15. to give something a particular value

Answer Key – For instructors only!

Skimming and scanning – Instructions for the teacher: Give students page 1 and pages 2-3 (reading) first. Do not give the rest of the test. Time the students (using a visible timer, like on an Internet website that you project for the students, is most fair) and allow 5 minutes for page 1. Then, collect page 1. Students may keep the reading. Hand out the rest of the test and allow 55 minutes for completion.

  1. lions and bears
  2. 3
  3. Yes
  4. Good luck and happiness
  5. 5

Multiple choice

  1. B
  2. C
  3. C
  4. A
  5. C
  6. B
  7. A

Short answer: Something close to:

Different cultures have different interpretations of things that are lucky and unlucky, and what we consider to be lucky and unlucky has historic roots.

Vocab section 1

  1. Ailment
  2. Select
  3. Attitude
  4. Pace
  5. Contentment
  6. Superstition
  7. Misfortune
  8. Omen
  9. Sensitive
  10. Persist

Vocab section 2

  1. E
  2. N
  3. H
  4. M
  5. D
  6. L
  7. J
  8. O
  9. K
  10. B
  11. A
  12. F
  13. C
  14. I
  15. G

1