N.Colours

** COLOURS ** ** Men more attracted to women in red ** A new study suggests that men are more physically attracted to a woman if she wears red clothes. The report from New York’s University of Rochester conducted different experiments to find out the effects of colour on human relationships. Researchers asked more than 100 men to give a score to photographs of women. The men had to rate the women according to how pretty they were, how much the men would like to kiss them, their intelligence and how kind they looked. They also had to provide details of what kind of date they would like to take the women on. The results showed that that the women in the pictures who wore red scored higher and were more likely to be taken on an expensive date. The data showed the colour red made no impact on the scores for intelligence and kindness. The research was carried out by psychology professor Andrew Elliot and his team. He said: “It's fascinating to find that something as [ever-present] as color can be having an effect on our behavior without our awareness.” This is one of the first scientific studies to look at the effects of colour on human behaviour. For most of us, however, it will come as no surprise that red is the colour of love and passion. Look no further than red roses on Valentine’s Day and the popularity of deep red lipsticks. Elliot says men may be genetically programmed to be attracted to females wearing red. He said certain apes also display such behaviour. Women in the study did not rate the pictured females as prettier, neither did they have the chance to rate men wearing different colours.

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 * **What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘red’?**
 * **What do you think of the conclusions of this survey?**
 * **In what other ways do colours affect human relationships?**
 * **Does colour have an effect on your behaviour?**

**2. SYNONYM MATCH:** Match the following synonyms from the article:
 * 1. || suggests || //a.// || rating ||
 * 2 || conducted || //b.// || impact ||
 * 3. || score || //c.// || give ||
 * 4. || provide || //d.// || thinking ||
 * 5. || data || //e.// || particular ||
 * 6. || fascinating || //f.// || argues ||
 * 7. || awareness || //g.// || opportunity ||
 * 8. || effects || //h.// || statistics ||
 * 9. || certain || //i.// || carried out ||
 * 10. || chance || //j.// || interesting ||



**3. PHRASE MATCH:** Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one. combination is possible):
 * 1. || men are more physically || //a.// || on human relationships ||
 * 2 || the effects of colour || //b.// || love and passion ||
 * 3. || men had to rate the women according to || //c.// || an expensive date ||
 * 4. || more likely to be taken on || //d.// || without our awareness ||
 * 5. || the colour red made no impact on the || //e.// || how pretty they were ||
 * 6. || having an effect on our behavior || //f.// || wearing different colours ||
 * 7. || look at the effects of || //g.// || attracted to a woman ||
 * 8. || red is the colour of || //h.// || colour on human behaviour ||
 * 9. || the popularity of deep || //i.// || scores for intelligence ||
 * 10. || the chance to rate men || //j.// || red lipsticks ||




 * Colour ** How important is colour in our lives? According to various studies colour has a major influence on how we feel emotionally and even on our day-to-day performance. For instance, the colour you paint your living room could have an effect on how often you lose your temper in it! (What colour is your living room?) The colour of food packaging is vitally important too. It is carefully considered before marketing the product as certain colours are appetite stimulants whereas others may give the impression that the food tastes bad or is poisonous. So, which colours should we avoid in our living rooms? Well, surprising as it may seem, yellow is not a good choice for the domestic environment. Usually yellow is associated with sunlight and is traditionally a happy, optimistic colour. It can also help you to think clearly. However, according to recent studies, people become irritable and even angry more often in rooms which are yellow than in rooms of other colours. It can also be upsetting for babies, who will cry more often in rooms with yellow colour schemes. Orange is less risky. It can make you feel better by reducing depression. Red, however, traditionally associated with anger, can make us feel irritated and overstimulated if we are exposed to too much of it. Meeting rooms with red colour schemes may promote more argument than agreement! Red is also recognised as being effective in making you hungry which is why restaurants often include red in their colour schemes. Pink might be a good choice for the walls of your living space if you want a calm colour that makes you feel loved and protected, but beware, it can also make you feel lethargic. Some sports teams have been known to paint the walls of the opposing team's dressing room pink in order to drain them of their energy prior to the competition or match. Blue could be a good choice for the walls of your living room if you want a peaceful colour. People perform better in rooms with blue colour schemes so it is a good colour for offices. Believe it or not, weightlifters have been shown to lift heavier weights in blue rooms than rooms of other colours. But the shade of blue is important too – certain shades can seem cold. Dark blue is not recommended if you are prone to depression. As far as food is concerned, blue is an appetite suppressant. Scientists suspect that when hunter-gatherers searched for food they discovered that blue (or blue-ish) foods, such as berries, were poisonous. Perhaps the easiest colour for interior walls is white. It is neutral, it doesn’t clash with anything, it is a good background colour, and it is always in fashion!

**__Quick Quiz:__ //Read the clues below and write the solutions on a piece of paper.//**

1. According to various studies, colour has a major influence on how we feel ............ 2. Certain colours are appetite stimulants whereas others may .............. the impression that the food tastes bad or is poisonous. 3. .............., however, traditionally associated with anger, can make us feel irritated and overstimulated. 4. Some sports teams have been known to paint the walls of the ............... team's dressing room pink. 5. As far as food is concerned, blue is an ................ suppressant. 6. White is ..............., it doesn’t clash with anything, it is a good background colour, and it is always in fashion!


 * LET'S TALK ABOUT COLOURS **

**...and more... ** to see **pink** **elephants:** **to be drunk**
 * Colour Idioms**
 * **Idiom** || **Meaning** || **Example Sentence** ||
 * **beet red** || dark red (usually to describe face) || My sister's face turned **beet red** when I caught her singing in front of a mirror. ||
 * **black and blue** || bruised and beaten || We found the poor guy **black and blue** near the train tracks. ||
 * **black and white** || straight forward, very clear || The rules we gave the kids were **black and white**. No answering the phone or the door. ||
 * **black out** || faint || I always **black out** at the sight of blood. ||
 * **black sheep** || the odd or bad member of the group || My oldest brother was the **black sheep** in our family. He dropped out of school at fifteen. ||
 * **born with a silver spoon in one's mouth** || born into a rich family || Keiko hasn't worked a day in her life. She was **born with a silver spoon in her mouth**. ||
 * **catch red handed** || catch someone in the act of doing something wrong or illegal || The kids were **caught red handed** stealing chocolate bars. ||
 * **golden opportunity** || the perfect chance || The models' conference was a **golden opportunity** for me to sell my beauty products. ||
 * **grass is always greener on the other side** || you always want what you don't have || I always wanted to go to university, but now I wish I had time to get a job. **Grass is always greener on the other side**. ||
 * **grey area, gray area** || something without a clear rule or answer || Writing personal email in the office is a **grey area** that needs to be discussed at the next meeting. ||
 * **the green light** || permission || The builders were given the **green light** to begin the tower. ||
 * **green with envy** || very jealous || I am **green with envy** over Julio's new wardrobe. ||
 * **(have a) green thumb** || be skillful in the garden || You can tell by her flower garden that Sheila has a **green thumb**. ||
 * **have the blues** || be sad or depressed || I always **have the the blues** during the winter time. ||
 * **in the dark** || unaware || Antoine left his wife **in the dark** about their honeymoon destination until they got to the airport. ||
 * **in the red** || in debt || When we were **in the red** we almost had to sell the house. ||
 * **once in a blue moon** || very rarely || We only go out for dinner **once in a blue moon**. ||
 * **out of the blue** || unexpectedly || I got a phone call from a long lost cousin **out of the blue** last week. ||
 * **red tape** || official or bureaucratic tasks || There is still some **red tape** to deal with in terms of the inheritance. ||
 * **red eye** || an airplane flight that takes off after midnight || I caught the **red eye** so that I would see the sunrise over the mountains. ||
 * **roll out the red carpet** || treat someone like royalty || When relatives come to town my grandmother **rolls out the red carpet**. ||
 * **rose coloured glasses** || unrealistic view || Paula imagines Hollywood with **rose coloured glasses**. ||
 * **see red** || be very angry || I **saw red** when that guy grabbed my sister's purse. ||
 * **tickled pink** || very pleased and appreciative || My mom was **tickled pink** when my father brought roses home for her. ||
 * **true colours** || real self || Suzanne doesn't show her **true colours** when we have guests over. ||
 * **white lie** || an innocent lie to protect another person's feelings || We told Grandma that her cake was delicious, which was actually a **white lie**. ||
 * **with flying colours** || with distinction || I passed my road test with **flying colours**. ||
 * Pink **
 * In the ** **pink** If you are **in the pink**, you are fit, healthy, and happy.

The news of the factory's closing came **out of the blue**. No one was expecting it.
 * Blue **.
 * Out of the blue ** Without any warning, **by surprise**.

I couldn't believe it, but there it was in **black and white**, as clear as it could be. The letter said that I had won a trip to Europe. the **black market** You can go to the bank to change dollars. But if you change money on the **black market**, you often get more money for each dollar.
 * White/Black **
 * White elephant ** If you describe something as a **white elephant**, you mean that it is **a waste of money because it is completely useless**.
 * to show the white feather: ** act as a coward, to show fear (from the belief that a game cock with a white feather in its tail was a poor fighter)
 * white feather: ** a sign of cowardice
 * Black and white ** You say that something is in black and white **when it has been written** or printed, and not just said.
 * in the black ** Theo earns a thousand dollars a week. He doesn't have to worry about having enough money. He's always **in the black**.


 * Red **
 * Red herring ** If you say that something is a **red herring**, you mean that it **is irrelevant** and **takes your attention away from the main subject or problem** you are considering.

a **green belt:** an area of woodlands and fields around a city
 * Green **
 * Green thumb ** If you say that someone has **green thumb** ( **fingers**), you mean that they are **very good at gardening and their plants grow well.**
 * With flying colors ** **With great or total success.**



__**Colour Idioms **__ Example : I saw red = I got very angry 1. I was ......................... with envy = I was very envious <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">2. What's the matter? You look ................... as a sheet = You look very pale <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">3. I was tickled ....................... when I heard the news = I was really happy <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">4. It came out of the ........................... = It was a surprise <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">5. I’m really ..............ed-off about it = I’m really fed up, annoyed about it. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">6. Suddenly she ..........................ed out = Suddenly, she fainted <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">7. He has ............................ fingers = He can grow plants successfully <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">8. It only happens once in a .............. moon = It only happens very occasionally <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">9. This is a .................. opportunity which we mustn't miss = a very good opportunity <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">10. I was in a ........................ funk = I was very scared

//**<span style="color: #ff004a; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> FURTHER PRACTICE **// //**<span style="color: #ff004a; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">AND MORE **// <span style="color: #ff004a; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> **<span style="color: #ff004a; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 360%;"> COLOURS  **