Many People 'Thank Their Lucky Stars'
2024-04-14
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1Now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2Looking up at a star-filled night sky can be one of the most beautiful sights to see.
3It can fill you with awe and amazement.
4It can also take us away from our worldly troubles and problems.
5A long time ago, people may have looked to the stars for more than inspiration and entertainment.
6Ancient star-gazers may have looked to the stars to find good luck.
7In modern times, people who believe in astrology also look to the stars for guidance and advice on how to improve their lives.
8Stars have served us in many ways throughout human history.
9So, it is not surprising that we have an expression that thanks them.
10When we say, thank your lucky stars, we are expressing gratitude for something.
11We use this expression to show our appreciation for something good in our lives.
12For example, I thank my lucky stars for my health and also a career that I love.
13We often use the expression with the word "should."
14For example: My friend should thank her lucky stars for her amazing brother.
15He has helped her many times over the years.
16This saying means that you should be grateful for your good luck.
17Thanking the stars in ancient times may have been a type of superstition.
18But these days, it simply means we are thankful.
19Let's hear what some of my co-workers thank their lucky stars for.
20First is Dan Friedell:
21I thank my lucky stars for the people who came before me and taught me lessons about life I put into practice today.
22And here is Dorothy Gundy:
23I thank my lucky stars that the rain has stopped and the children can play outdoors.
24Sometimes we use the word "count" in this expression.
25Saying I count my lucky stars doesn't change the meaning.
26For example: I count my lucky stars for my family and friends.
27Now let's hear this expression used in a conversation:
28A: Are you okay? You look terrible.
29B: I rear-ended a garbage truck on my drive over here.
30A: Oh no! Was anyone hurt?
31B: No, thankfully. But I really damaged my car. It's going to cost a lot to fix it.
32A: Well, crashing into the back of a trash truck will do that. What happened?
33B: I dropped a piece of chocolate and looked down for a minute to find it. When I looked up, the trash truck was stopped right in front of me.
34A: Wow. You should count your lucky stars that you weren't seriously injured.
35B: I know! I'm very thankful. And I need to be more careful. But in my defense ... it was really good chocolate.
36We here at VOA Learning English thank our lucky stars for all of our listeners.
37What do you count your lucky stars for? Tell us in the comment section or send us an email at Learningenglish@voanews.com.
38And that's all for this week's Words and Their Stories.
39Until next time, I'm Anna Matteo.
1Now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2Looking up at a star-filled night sky can be one of the most beautiful sights to see. It can fill you with awe and amazement. It can also take us away from our worldly troubles and problems. 3A long time ago, people may have looked to the stars for more than inspiration and entertainment. Ancient star-gazers may have looked to the stars to find good luck. In modern times, people who believe in astrology also look to the stars for guidance and advice on how to improve their lives. 4Stars have served us in many ways throughout human history. So, it is not surprising that we have an expression that thanks them. 5When we say, thank your lucky stars, we are expressing gratitude for something. We use this expression to show our appreciation for something good in our lives. For example, I thank my lucky stars for my health and also a career that I love. 6We often use the expression with the word "should." For example: My friend should thank her lucky stars for her amazing brother. He has helped her many times over the years. 7This saying means that you should be grateful for your good luck. Thanking the stars in ancient times may have been a type of superstition. But these days, it simply means we are thankful. 8Let's hear what some of my co-workers thank their lucky stars for. 9First is Dan Friedell: 10I thank my lucky stars for the people who came before me and taught me lessons about life I put into practice today. 11And here is Dorothy Gundy: 12I thank my lucky stars that the rain has stopped and the children can play outdoors. 13Sometimes we use the word "count" in this expression. Saying I count my lucky stars doesn't change the meaning. For example: I count my lucky stars for my family and friends. 14Now let's hear this expression used in a conversation: 15A: Are you okay? You look terrible. 16B: I rear-ended a garbage truck on my drive over here. 17A: Oh no! Was anyone hurt? 18B: No, thankfully. But I really damaged my car. It's going to cost a lot to fix it. 19A: Well, crashing into the back of a trash truck will do that. What happened? 20B: I dropped a piece of chocolate and looked down for a minute to find it. When I looked up, the trash truck was stopped right in front of me. 21A: Wow. You should count your lucky stars that you weren't seriously injured. 22B: I know! I'm very thankful. And I need to be more careful. But in my defense ... it was really good chocolate. 23We here at VOA Learning English thank our lucky stars for all of our listeners. 24What do you count your lucky stars for? Tell us in the comment section or send us an email at Learningenglish@voanews.com. 25And that's all for this week's Words and Their Stories. 26Until next time, I'm Anna Matteo. 27Anna Matteo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 28_____________________________________________ 29Words in This Story 30awe - n. a feeling of mixed fear, respect, and wonder 31inspiration - n. the act or power of moving the mind or the emotions 32gratitude - n. the state of being grateful : grateful - adj. appreciative of benefits received 33appreciation - n. a feeling or expression of admiration, approval, or gratitude 34superstition - n. a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, or trust in magic 35conversation - n. talking or a talk between two or more people 36We want to hear from you. Do you have a similar expression in your language? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. Our comment policy is here.