Why is 13 considered unlucky? Here are 13 reasons.

1. There were 13 people at the Last Supper. It’s said that Judas Iscariot — the one who betrayed Jesus — was the 13th man to take his place at the table.

2. Similarly, there’s a Norse legend that has 12 gods sitting down to a banquet when the 13th (uninvited) god, Loki, shows up. Loki killed one of the other gods, which led to events that eventually resulted in Ragnarok — the death of a bunch of gods, a slew of natural disasters, and the eradication of everything on earth save for two human survivors. There’s a lot more to the story than that, but you get the general idea.

3. Let’s go back to Christianity for a moment. Many Christians believe that Jesus was crucified on Friday. Researchers, however, believe that it wasn’t a case of Friday the 13th lore – it was possibly something like Friday, April 3, 33 A.D. But that doesn’t mean the 13th is off the hook. Many Christians also believe that the Cain and Abel debacle took place on that date.

4. Traditionally, there used to be 13 steps leading up the gallows. There’s also a legend that a hangman’s noose traditionally contained 13 turns, but it’s actually more like eight.

5. Apollo 13 is the only unsuccessful moon mission (intended to get men on the moon, anyway) thus far. An oxygen tank exploded and the survival of the astronauts on board was pretty touch-and-go for several days, but they did all come home safely in the end (but you already knew that).

6. There was a mass arrest and execution of the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307.

7. According to Mr. Krabs on Spongebob Squarepants, there are 13 dirty words. Squidward must be a George Carlin fan, because he responded that he thought there were only seven. “Not if you’re a sailor,”Mr. Krabs replied.

8. Although a coven is now just considered to be any group of witches (or vampires, if you’re into a certain young adult series about sparkly supernaturals), it was once believed that a coven was made up of exactly 13 members.

9. There’s an old superstition that says if you have 13 letters in your name, you’re bound to have the devil’s luck.Silly, yes, but slightly more convincing when you consider that Charles Manson, Jack the Ripper, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all contain 13 letters (I know, I know, what about their middle names?).

10 Kids officially become teenagers at the age of 13 and we all know that’s a scary phase.

11. Innumerology, the number 12 is considered to be the representation of perfection and completion. It stands to reason, then, that trying to improve upon perfection by adding a digit is a very bad idea indeed — your greed will be rewarded with bad luck.

12. Inthe late 1800s, there was a group called The Thirteen Club. Their purpose was to debunk the legend that seating 13 people at a table would result in the death of one of them in the year to follow. They met on the 13th of the month and had dinner. 13 people were sitting at a table, and to make matters worse, they purposely spilled salt on the table without throwing it over their shoulders. The horror! They also fined members who showed up late — 13 cents, of course. Members of the club included five U.S. presidents: Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and Chester A. Arthur. I’m not sure if it’s worth noting that two of these presidents were shot — one fatally, of course — but I’ll mention it anyway. And, if you’re keeping track, Chester A. Arthur only became president because he was vice when Garfield was assassinated.

13. Friday, October 13, 1972, was a bad day in the history of aviation. That’s the day that Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 infamously crashed in the Andes, killing 29 people. On the exact same day, 174 people were killed when a Soviet Aeroflot crashed in a lake about a kilometer from the runway.

To counter all of this undue hatred of the poor number 13, I’ll give you one reason to love it: a baker’s dozen. Mmm, extra doughnut. 

Number 5. It isn’t really bright yellow. Mustard seeds themselves don’t yield that vibrant hue when crushed and blended into a paste. The visual appeal comes from the addition of turmeric.

Number 4. Canada is the mustard seed capital of the world. Each year, the nation produces roughly 225,000 metric tons of the stuff. That accounts for far more than half of the global supply.

Number 3. There’s a mustard museum. It’s called the National Mustard Museum and is located in Middleton, Wisconsin. The institution devoted to the great condiment is open daily, admission-free, and boasts, “the world’s largest mustard collection.”

Number 2. There was once an official mustard maker for the papacy. Pope John Paul XXII, apparently a huge fan of the food, established the position in the early 14th century.

Number 1. Mustard is the overwhelming favorite topping for hot dogs. In a recent survey commissioned by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, 71% of respondents said it’s a go-to for them, making it the highest-ranking condiment in that category.

Which fact about mustard most surprises you?

Which condiment is it? Read the definitions and answer the question.

1. a condiment consisting of puréed tomatoes, onions, vinegar, sugar, spices

2. a thick creamy dressing consisting of egg yolks beaten with oil and vinegar and seasoned

3. a sauce made from grated horseradish root and vinegar

4. a cold sauce, typically eaten with fish, consisting of mayonnaise mixed with chopped onions, gherkins, and capers

5. a piquant sauce often containing vinegar, tomatoes, sugar, and spices and used for barbecuing meat

Key

1. ketchup

2. mayonnaise

3. horseradish sauce

4. tartar sauce

5. barbecue sauce

2. Beetles taste like apples,wasps like pine nuts, and worms like fried bacon.

3. Of all the words in the English language, the word ‘set’ has the most definitions.

4. What is called a “French kiss” in the English speaking world is known as an “English kiss” in France.

5. “Almost” is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

6. “Rhythm” is the longest English word without a vowel.

7.  In 1386, a pig in France was executed by public hanging for the murder of a child.

8. A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut off.

9. Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.

10. You can’t kill yourself by holding your breath.

11. There is a city called Rome on every continent.

12. Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day.

13. Horatio Nelson, one of England’s most illustrious admirals was throughout his life, never able to find a cure for his sea-sickness.

14. Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people

15. Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, every time you breathe.

16. The elephant is the only mammal that can’t jump.

17. One quarter of the bones in your body, are in your feet.

18. Like fingerprints, everyone’s tongue print is different.

19. The first known transfusion of blood was performed as early as 1667, when Jean-Baptiste, transfused two pints of blood from a sheep to a young man

20. Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails.

21. Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.

22. The present population of 5 billion plus people of the world is predicted to become 15 billion by 2080.

23. Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

24. Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible.

25. Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a “Friday the 13th.”

source: worldenglish.org

Words, words, words…. Which word is it? Do you remember?

1. It has the same pronunciation even if you remove its four last letters.

2. It has the most definitions in English.

3. It’s the longest word in English with all its letters in alphabetical order.

4. It’s is the longest English word without a vowel.

Key

1. queue

2. set

3. almost

4. rhythm

And what about animals?

1. They taste like apples.

2. They taste like pine nuts.

3. They taste like fried bacon.

4. A …… was executed by public hanging for the murder of a child.

5. It can live for weeks with its head cut off.

6. It’s the only mammal that can’t jump.

Key

1. beetles

2. wasps

3. worms

4. pig

5. a cockroach

6. elephant

2. On average a hedgehog‘s heart beats 300 times a minute.

3. More people are killed each year from bees than from snakes.

4. The average lead pencil will draw a line 35 miles (about 56 kilometres) long or write approximately 50,000 English words.

5. More people are allergic to cow’s milk than any other food.

6. Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.

7. The placement of a donkey’s eyes in its head enables it to see all four feet at all times!

8. The six official languages of the United Nations are: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

9. Earth is the only planet not named after a god.

10. It’s against the law to burp, or sneeze in a church in Nebraska, USA.

11. You’re born with 300 bones, but by the time you become an adult, you only have 206.

12. Some worms will eat themselves if they can’t find any food.

13. Dolphins sleep with one eye open.

14. It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

15. The world’s oldest piece of chewing gum is more than 9000 years old.

16. The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.

17. Queen Elizabeth I regarded herself as a paragon of cleanliness. She declared that she bathed once every three months, whether she needed it or not

18. Slugs have 4 noses.

19. Owls are the only birds that can see the colour blue.

20. A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 69 years.

21. A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch (about 53 centimeters) tongue.

22. The average person laughs 10 times a day.

23. An ostrich‘s eye is bigger than its brain.

source: worldenglish.org

Can you match the animals and the facts?

Key:

1. c.

2. e.

3. a.

4. i.

5. g.

6. j.

7. b.

8. f.

9. h.

10. d.

Do you remember the facts? Can you fill in the gaps in the sentences?

1. Coca-Cola would be ……… if colouring weren’t added to it.

2. More people are killed each year from ……..than from snakes.

3. Earth is the only planet not named after a ….. .

4. It is impossible to ……… with your eyes open.

5. The average person laughs ……. a day.

Key: 

1. green

2. bees

3. god

4. sneeze

5. 10 times

The 1980s was a golden era for the action figure, and Transformers were among the most popular. By now, these early fans are all grown up, so there are probably a few things they’ve forgotten – or perhaps never knew – about the incredible toys.

1. RONALD REAGAN HELPED MAKE THEM POSSIBLE.

President Ronald Reagan’s policy of deregulation extended to American television, and the repercussion for kids’ TV opened up a new frontier for toymakers. Historically, children’s programs had been prohibited from promoting products due to the FCC’s concerns that commercial elements would compromise the integrity of the content onscreen. As a result of Reagan’s media deregulations in the mid-1980s, toy company Hasbro and Japanese toymaker Takara (now TakaraTomy) were suddenly free to launch a venture like Transformers: An action figure line that coexisted with a cartoon series about its characters, encouraging the purchase of as many of its products as possible.

2. MANY TRANSFORMERS FIGURE MOLDS WERE BORROWED FROM OTHER TOY LINES.

Prior to the inception of the American Transformers franchise, the Japanese toy company Takara had undertaken two less successful action figure ventures called Diaclone and Microman in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. The company teamed with Hasbro to repurpose a number of Diaclone and Microman figure models for the American Transformers banner, including several early Autobot cars that were originally Diaclone toys and a Microman handgun that became Megatron.

3. SEVERAL CHARACTERS WERE INSPIRED BY FAMOUS POP CULTURE FIGURES.

Comic book writer and artist Bob Budiansky, the mind behind many of the Transformers characters, made a habit of embedding pop culture references within the names and designs of his robot creations.

The leader of the villainous Decepticons, Megatron, initially bore the moniker Gun Robo-P38 U.N.C.L.E., an obvious nod to the 1960s TV series. The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’s fellow villain Shockwave, a hyper-rational Decepticon, owed personality traits to Star Trek hero Mr. Spock.

The least likely namesake of the bunch belonged to Autobot medic Ratchet, who Budiasky confirmed was named after the antagonist from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Louise Fletcher’s Nurse Ratched.

4. HASBRO EMPLOYED GRADE INFLATION FOR ITS “TECH SPECS.”

The first league of Transformers toys were assigned and packaged with numeric grades, known as “tech specs,” assessing the battle worthiness of the character in question. Tech specs would evaluate such attributes as strength, speed, intelligence, courage, and endurance with a grade between 1 and 10. Budiansky created the tech specs, and he later said, “Drawing from my knowledge of comic books, science fiction, and my engineering background , I came up with jargon that I hoped would lend a pseudo-scientific, cool-sounding veneer to the characters.”

As time went on, Hasbro began to fear that consumers would be hesitant to purchase toys with middling scores. As such, grades were boosted to bolster the characters’ skill sets.

5. TRANSFORMERS LASTED LONGER INTERNATIONALLY THAN THEY DID IN THE U.S.

As sales began to wane in the United States in the early ‘90s, foreign markets continued to prosper, with the line selling particularly well in Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as Takara’s home country of Japan.

6. THE NAME “BEAST WARS” DIDN’T FLY IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE WORLD.

Turned off by the militant nature of the handle “Beast Wars,” when an offshoot line of animal-themed Transformers launched in 1996, countries like Canada opted for the more peaceful-sounding “Beasties.”

7. HASBRO SWAPPED COLORATION ON TWO TRANSFORMERS.

Early miniature car characters included popular models Bumblebee, a robot that turns into a yellow Volkswagen Beetle, and Cliffjumper, one that transforms into a red Porsche Turbo 924. But because of production limitations, Hasbro made the decision to release the same toy with different colors in order to “make the line look bigger” resulting in a number of red Bumblebees and yellow Cliffjumpers.

8. RUMORS TOLD OF A RARE BLUESTREAK VARIANT.

In contrast to what his name would suggest, the character Bluestreak was released as a red- and silver-colored Transformer figure. Prompted by a visual misrepresentation in early toy catalogues and instruction booklets, franchise fans began to suspect that a blue version of the character was available for purchase. When searches for the toy proved unsuccessful, many assumed that the name-appropriate Bluestreak was a valuable limited edition version of the toy, and poured their energy into finding this variant. So began one of the biggest wild goose chases in the Transformers universe.

9. OPTIMUS PRIME DOES NOT DRINK COCA-COLA.

One version of the Autobot leader elevated product placement to a new level. In 1985, Hasbro generated excitement with a limited edition mail-away version of Optimus Prime. He came complete with a Pepsi label to spruce up his trailer.

10. ONE TRANSFORMERS CHARACTER WAS THE CENTER OF A LEGAL CONFLICT.

Just as many Transformers were repurposed from old Takara models, one was actually the reconfiguration of a separate company’s design. Jetfire, one of the earliest Autobot characters, was derived from the Takatoku-produced line of Super Valkyrie Fighter toys, which looked markedly different from the other Transformers of the era.

Hasbro purchased the model of the figure for the Jetfire character, but the company hit a bit of trouble when Takatoku was bought out in 1984. After this sale, the new holding company, Bandai, opted to rerelease the Super Valkyrie Fighter under its own banner. The Japanese company’s ultimate extension of its reach to America forced Hasbro to abandon use of the design and transition Jetfire into a new character, Skyfire, on the TV series.

11. HASBRO SNAPPED UP AS MANY DESIGNS AS IT COULD.

Transformers weren’t the only popular shape-shifting toys of the mid-‘80s. In an interview with the website TFArchive, Hasbro’s former Senior Vice President of Research and Development reminisced about the company’s efforts to license similar toys before the competition could get to them:

We attempted to keep any other possible transformable robots away from Tonka (Gobots) and the people who were making Voltron (Matchbox). So we purchased a few other products from smaller Japanese companies. 

In addition to Jetfire, other companies had originally created Omega Supreme, Sky Lynx, and the Deluxe Insecticons, among others.

12. GOBOTS ACTUALLY PREDATED TRANSFORMERS IN THE U.S.

Much like Oreos made American cookie fans forget all about the earlier success of Hydrox, Transformers’ dominance of the ‘80s toy market obscures the fact that Tonka’s competing Gobots line actually hit shelves first. At first there was enough room for both lines in the market—in 1984 Tonka sold over $100 million worth of Gobots, while Hasbro shipped $80 million in Transformers. Eventually, Transformers won over American kids so thoroughly that Tonka canceled its Gobots line in 1987.

13. ANOTHER CHARACTER IS NOT ALLOWED IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES.

The first version of Megatron featured a disguised body resembling a Walther P38 handgun. As a result, Megatron has faced his share of legal restrictions, including prohibition from boarding an American airplane. Topping the list, however, is the figure’s inability to enter the Commonwealth of Australia. While it is legal to own a Megatron toy within the borders of the nation, the import of such a figure is in strict violation of Australian law. To help facilitate collectors’ dreams of owning a later version of the figure, the Masterpiece Megatron MP05, a group joined together in 2007 to form Megatron Club, Inc. in order to lobby for legalized Megatron ownership.

14. THE TRANSFORMERS ONCE TEAMED UP WITH SPIDER-MAN.

Alongside the aforementioned Transformers TV series, Marvel Comics launched a series centering on the adventures of the robotic warriors and their human friends. While most of the 80 issues published stuck to the established Transformers universe, a few ventured outside the canon to boost interest in the series.

The third issue, for instance, had the Transformers team up with Marvel’s popular hero Spider-Man in a quest to save Autobots ally Sparkplug Witwicky. Fellow Marvel characters Nick Fury and Dum Dum Dugan made brief appearances in the same comic.

15. IN JAPAN, THE TRANSFORMERS MYTHOLOGY INVOLVED A SERIES OF VERY SENSUAL RADIO PLAYS.

Almost two decades after the initial explosion of the Transformers craze, the Japanese media grabbed at a revival of the franchise’s old glory via a particularly old-fashioned medium: radio drama. In 2006, the radio series Lyrian Moe-tchao pioneered a 38-episode serial titled Transformers: Kiss Players, focusing on both the adventure- and romance-oriented sides of the Transformers’ lives.

Let’s practice some of the words from the text. Use them to fill in the gaps in the sentences.

1. It’s a military zone. You are …………… from entering.

2. They didn’t recognize him because he was …………… as a porter.

3. They carried out the robbery threatening the staff with a …………… .

4. One of his worst personality …………… is jealousy.

5. He was given the prize because he was mistaken for his …………… .

6. They couldn’t advertise alcoholic drinks because of the new …………… .

7. They won several tournaments and championships in the golden …………… of the team.

8. Every day she sat down in front of the TV to watch her favorite …………… .

9. The company …………… its plans due to unexpected problems.

10. The climbers weren’t able to reach the mountain peak despite their …………… .

11. At the end of the story all the …………… characters received their due punishment.

12. His secret love affair had serious …………… on his political career.

Key:

1. prohibited

2. disguised

3. handgun

4. traits

5. namesake

6. restrictions

7. era

8. series

9. abandoned

10. efforts

11. villainous

12. repercussions