Certain birds are, more often than not, considered bad luck, or even frightening, a sign of impending death. All over the world, both crows and ravens (乌鸦) have some connection with war and death. In early times, crows and ravens were thought to accompany the gods of war, or be signs of their imminent arrival in an area. Later, this belief became more general, and these birds, crows more particularly, were thought to be harbingers (预兆) of ill fortune or, in some cases, guides to the afterlife. Woe be it to the person who saw a single crow or raven flying overhead, for this most certainly was a portent of death in the near future. Interestingly, though potentially bad luck for people individually, the raven is considered to be good luck for the crown of England. So much so, in fact, that a "raven " is even today an actual government position in the Tower of London. He takes care of the ravens there and also clips their wings, ensuring that these birds can never fly far from the seat of the British government. This way, the kingdom will never fall to ill fortune.


Another bird which is also still considered to play a part in people’s fortunes is the swallow. Depending on how and when it is seen, the swallow can be a harbinger of either good-or-ill-fortune. Perhaps inspired by the swallow’s red-brown breast, people initially related the swallow with the death of Christ. Thus, people who saw a swallow fly through their house considered it a portent of death. Later, however, farmers began to consider swallows signs of good fortune, and believed that any barn that has swallow living in it was sure to be blessed in the following year. Farmers also have to beware of killing a swallow; that would be certain to end any good luck they might have had.
Though many people think these superstitions (迷信) are old wives’ tales, there is actually some evidence to support them. For example, crows and ravens, being scavengers, frequent the aftermath of battlefields. Thus, large numbers of crows and ravens were a good indication of war in an area. As well, swallows feed on insects that can cause infection in cattle. Thus, a farmer who has many swallows in his barn may actually have healthier animals on his farm. So, the next time you feel inclined to laugh at an old wives’ tale, you had better find out if there is any truth to it first!
Read the passage carefully and then complete each blank in the summary in a maximum of three words from the passage.
Some people are inclined to believe certain animals can bring good or bad luck. The majority of superstitions about crows and ravens suggest that these birds bring bad luck. People should 1 when they see such birds. It may be that these birds have bad reputations because they are scavengers. Because these birds often 2 terrible s, like battles, people connected them with 3 . There is even an old 4 that says when a single crow flies over your head, 5 is in the near future!