Today is Friday the 13th of the year. Even though the date is known throughout Western culture as one associated with negative things, it’s really just another Friday on the calendar. There is no scientific evidence to suggest this day has an increased chance of bad occurrences compared with other days. But that doesn’t mean scientists haven’t tried to find any.
In Thomas W. Lawsons 1907 novel, Friday, the thirteenth, a businessman takes advantage of the superstition (迷信) and creates a Wall Street panic on the day. The book was the likely inspiration for a number of scientific examinations of stock market returns on Fridays that fell on the 13th day of the month compared with all other Fridays. In 2001, Brian Lucey, a business professor at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, published his analysis of a few of those studies and found several flaws. The studies had narrow assessments overall, focusing on just a few markets or a single stock exchange. But when he analyzed the data as a whole, Lucey found that internationally, with few exceptions, returns on Friday the 13th were typically just a little higher than returns on other Fridays.
The scientific evidence for cause and effect may not be there, but people may still alter their behavior on Friday the 13th in a way that causes certain things to happen. The way people drive might be different from their usual. But the few studies that have examined traffic accidents haven’t found statistically significant trends to suggest Friday the 13th is more dangerous than other Fridays on the road.
The science is clear: Friday the 13th is a normal day. Yet, people continue to think this is meant to be a bad day. “Psychologically, superstitions arise from the desire to influence external events, decrease anxiety and reduce uncertainty,” said Neil Dagnall, a psychologist at Manchester Metropolitan University. “Besides, I don’t think people know often why they do things.”
8. Why is Friday the 13th usually associated with negativity?
A.The date increases possibility of risks. | B.Scientists have found enough evidence. |
C.Culture has taught people to believe so. | D.Things always go bad or worse on the day. |
9. What did Brian Lucey’s studies focus on?
A.Novels relating to Friday the 13th. | B.Written records of Wall Street panic. |
C.Analysis of successful business cases. | D.Stock market returns on Friday the 13th |
10. In Paragraph 3, the few studies are mentioned to show that____.
A.human fear of Friday the 13h is not necessary |
B.traffic accidents can be avoided on other Fridays |
C.people tend to behave strangely on Friday the 13th |
D.staying at home is recommended on Friday the 13h |
11. What does Neil Dagnall think of superstitions?
A.They can lead to endless human desires. |
B.They can help people to reduce anxiety. |
C.They cause great harm to physical health. |
D.They produce a sense of controlling everything |