[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-486628-105":59,"doc-detail-486628-en":131},{"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":124,"head_meta":126,"extra_data":128,"updated_unix":130},105,"en","where-superstitions-come-from-solve-each-problem","Where Superstitions Come From - Solve Each Problem","","A reading passage explains why people avoid certain actions by linking everyday images to long-standing beliefs about luck and bad luck. It covers ladders and triangles, standing under a ladder, fears about breaking mirrors and seven years of trouble, and practices like knocking on wood or hanging a horseshoe above a door. The text also explains how science and psychology support the persistence of superstitions through feelings of control and selective remembering.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@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/486628/",{"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/486628.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"CatatanPagi","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-02","2026-09-30",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",11,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What is a superstition according to the passage?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"A superstition is a belief that doing one thing will bring good or bad luck.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"How does forgetting influence belief in lucky charms?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"People remember the times a charm seemed to work and forget the times it did not, so the charm gets the credit.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"Why did some people avoid standing under a ladder?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"Some believed it could lead to bad luck, including the idea that a ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle shape, and that a paint can could be dropped on their head.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},486628,1791298777,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":34,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"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 rule that keeps people safe on busy sidewalks\u003Cbr>B. A story that grown-ups tell to frighten children\u003Cbr>C. A holiday celebrated in many different countries\u003Cbr>D. A belief that doing one thing will bring good or bad luck |  |  |  |  | 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 the times a charm worked and forget the times it did not\u003Cbr>D. We remember only the charms that other people used |  |  |  |  | 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. A worker might need to climb down quickly\u003Cbr>C. A paint can could be dropped on your head\u003Cbr>D. The triangle shape could block the sidewalk |  |  |  |  | 7.  \u003Cbr>8.  \u003Cbr>9.  \u003Cbr>10.   |  |  |  |  |  |\n| 4) According to scientists, why do people keep believing in superstitions?\u003Cbr>A. They are cheaper than buying a real lucky charm\u003Cbr>B. They are taught in schools all around the world\u003Cbr>C. They are proven to change the outcome of games\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. With the ends pointing down, like a rainbow\u003Cbr>B. With the ends pointing up, like a cup\u003Cbr>C. Beside a mirror, like a picture frame\u003Cbr>D. Flat against the door, like a plate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |\n| 6) Why did some people think walking under a ladder was unlucky?\u003Cbr>A. The ladder was often used by workers who feared bad luck\u003Cbr>B. The ladder reminded them of a broken mirror's shape\u003Cbr>C. The leaning ladder","cbCaijOYVk7gqDmB","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaijOYVk7gqDmB","pdf",98410,"English","# Where Superstitions Come From\n## Reading Questions (1-10)","[{\"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\":\"How does forgetting influence belief in lucky charms?\",\"answer\":\"People remember the times a charm seemed to work and forget the times it did not, so the charm gets the credit.\"},{\"question\":\"Why did some people avoid standing under a ladder?\",\"answer\":\"Some believed it could lead to bad luck, including the idea that a ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle shape, and that a paint can could be dropped on their head.\"}]","Where Superstitions Come From - Solve Each Problem | PDF",1790806796,18]