[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-486629-105":59,"doc-detail-486629-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","where-superstitions-come-from-solve-each-problem-486629","Where Superstitions Come From - Solve Each Problem","","Reading passage and worksheet questions explain how superstitions form and persist in everyday life. The text defines superstition as a belief that actions bring good or bad luck, then connects common beliefs to older explanations and practical reasons, such as why people avoid standing under ladders or fearing broken mirrors. It also describes charms like knocking on wood and hanging horseshoes. The passage concludes with scientific ideas about control, anxiety, selective memory, and reinforcement.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/where-superstitions-come-from-solve-each-problem-486629/486629/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/where-superstitions-come-from-solve-each-problem-486629/486629.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"CatatanPagi","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-31","2026-09-30",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":29},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is a superstition, according to the passage?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"A superstition is a belief that doing one thing will bring good or bad luck.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Why do people keep believing in superstitions today, according to scientists?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Scientists say superstitions make people feel like they have control when they are nervous, and they remember lucky outcomes while forgetting times the charm did not work.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What practical reason does the passage give for not standing under a ladder?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The passage explains that standing under a ladder risks having a paint can dropped on your head.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},486629,1790873453,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":29,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":34,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},962090894170,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","Picture yourself walking down a sidewalk when you spot a tall ladder leaning against a wall. Do you duck under it, or do you step around it instead? Millions of people walk the long way, all because of a superstition, which is a belief that doing one thing will bring good or bad luck. These beliefs are everywhere, and many of them are far older than your great-great-grandparents.  \nThat ladder you avoided actually hides an old story. Long ago, some people said a ladder leaning against a wall made a triangle shape, and they believed  \ntriangles were special, so walking through one seemed like bad luck. Others just knew a plain truth: standing under a ladder is a great way to get a paint can dropped on your head! Sometimes a superstition begins as good common sense before it turns into a spooky rule.  \nCommon sense also hides behind the fear of breaking a mirror. People once believed a mirror held a piece of your spirit, so cracking one meant seven long years of bad luck. Back then, mirrors were made of polished metal or costly glass, so breaking one really was a small disaster for your wallet. No wonder folks wanted to blame bad luck instead of their own clumsy elbows!  \nNot every superstition is about avoiding trouble, though. Have you ever knocked on wood after saying something hopeful? Some people long ago believed helpful spirits lived inside trees, so tapping the wood was a way to say thank you or ask for a little help. Others hung a horseshoe above a door with the ends pointing up, like a cup, so the good luck would not spill out.  \nSo why do smart people keep believing these things today? Scientists say superstitions make us feel like we have control when we are nervous, such as before a big test or game. We also remember the times a lucky charm seemed to work and quietly forget all the times it did not. That means a horseshoe gets the credit and never has to take the blame, which is a pretty good deal for apiece of metal!  \nWhere Superstitions Come From  \nName:  \n\n| Solve each problem.\u003Cbr>Use the article to answer the question.\u003Cbr>1) What is a superstition, according to the passage?\u003Cbr>A. A holiday celebrated in many different countries\u003Cbr>B. A belief that doing one thing will bring good or bad luck\u003Cbr>C. A story that grown-ups tell to frighten children\u003Cbr>D. A rule that keeps people safe on busy sidewalks |  |  |  |  | Answers\u003Cbr>1.  \u003Cbr>2.  \u003Cbr>3.   |  |  |  |  |  |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| 2) How does forgetting affect our belief in lucky charms?\u003Cbr>A. We forget where we first got the lucky charm\u003Cbr>B. We remember every time a charm failed to help us\u003Cbr>C. We remember only the charms that other people used\u003Cbr>D. We remember the times a charm worked and forget the times it did not |  |  |  |  | 4.  \u003Cbr>5.  \u003Cbr>6.   |  |  |  |  |  |\n| 3) What practical reason did the passage give for not standing under a ladder?\u003Cbr>A. The ladder might tip over into the street\u003Cbr>B. The triangle shape could block the sidewalk\u003Cbr>C. A worker might need to climb down quickly\u003Cbr>D. A paint can could be dropped on your head |  |  |  |  | 7.  \u003Cbr>8.  \u003Cbr>9.  \u003Cbr>10.   |  |  |  |  |  |\n| 4) According to scientists, why do people keep believing in superstitions?\u003Cbr>A. They are taught in schools all around the world\u003Cbr>B. They are proven to change the outcome of games\u003Cbr>C. They are cheaper than buying a real lucky charm\u003Cbr>D. They make us feel like we have control when we are nervous |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |\n| 5) How was a horseshoe hung so that good luck would not spill out?\u003Cbr>A. Flat against the door, like a plate\u003Cbr>B. With the ends pointing down, like a rainbow\u003Cbr>C. With the ends pointing up, like a cup\u003Cbr>D. Beside a mirror, like a picture frame |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |\n| 6) Why did some people think walking under a ladder was unlucky?\u003Cbr>A. The leaning ladder made a triangle, which they believed was special\u003Cbr>B. The ladder reminded them of a broken mirror's shape\u003Cbr>C. The lad","cbCaic7jhesgHV38","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaic7jhesgHV38","pdf",98440,"English","# Solve each problem\n## Comprehension questions 1-6\n## Comprehension questions 7-10","[{\"question\":\"What is a superstition, according to the passage?\",\"answer\":\"A superstition is a belief that doing one thing will bring good or bad luck.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do people keep believing in superstitions today, according to scientists?\",\"answer\":\"Scientists say superstitions make people feel like they have control when they are nervous, and they remember lucky outcomes while forgetting times the charm did not work.\"},{\"question\":\"What practical reason does the passage give for not standing under a ladder?\",\"answer\":\"The passage explains that standing under a ladder risks having a paint can dropped on your head.\"}]","Where Superstitions Come From - Solve Each Problem | PDF",1790806799,18]