Reading identifying key information; multiple choice with one text 1 Read the Exam Reminder. Tick the best way to deal with multiple-choice questions. a Read all the questions before looking at the text. b Read each question, locate that information in the text, then read the answer options. c Read the question and all the options, then find the information in the text. Bring more colour into your life 1 Colours have an important role in our society. They can create a certain atmosphere or influence decisions. On a personal level, they affect what we purchase, what clothes we wear and how we decorate the spaces we live in. For this reason, some psychologists want to understand the relationship between colours, our mood and even our personality. Although various shades of the same colour can have a wide range of effects, colour psychology puts them into 10 two main categories. Warm colours such as red, orange and yellow are believed to make people more energetic and enthusiastic, even aggressive sometimes. On the other hand, cool colours like blue, purple and green are associated with feeling calm, but also depressed. Although many psychologists are doubtful of colour psychology, some studies show important evidence in its favour. For example, warm-coloured placebo pills are more effective than cool-coloured ones and areas with blue-coloured streetlights report less crime. 20 Colours are so connected to our well-being that many believe they can be used to treat illnesses. Several ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and the Chinese, practised chromotherapy, or the use of colours, to heal. In this therapy, red is used to improve the flow of blood around the body, while orange is used to heal the lungs and to increase energy levels. Blue is used to treat pain, whereas green provides a calming effect. Most of us have a favourite colour, which tends to 30 be reflected in our choices. According to a study by a famous paint brand, 42% of men and 30% of women prefer blue. The second favourite colours are red and green, followed by orange, brown and purple. In contrast, the least liked colour is yellow, preferred by only 5% of us. 4 Unit 1 Your world Exam REMINDER Identifying key information . With multiple-choice questions, read just the main part of the question first, underlining the key words, . Then find the part of the text that has the . answer. Compare that section to the options to find the correct answer. Colour psychology suggests that there is a link between our favourite colour and our personality. If you like red, for instance, you are more likely to be confident and full of energy, but also quite 40 competitive. Yellow is associated with a love of learning and a need for order, whereas people who love green are often loyal, caring and honest. Those who have blue as their favourite colour feel a need for inner peace and truth. They tend to be more sensible and like to live their lives according to their beliefs. Our taste for colours changes a lot throughout our life. While colour can have a strong influence on how we feel and act, these effects can vary a lot according to personal, cultural and situational factors. 50 Colour psychologists suggest that people shouldn't avoid any particular colour. On the contrary, they claim that, although it's fine to have a favourite colour, we should try to bring at least a small amount of each of the others into our lives, which would favour a better balance. psychologist (n): someone who studies people's minds and behaviour placebo (n): a substance with no chemical effects given to a patient instead of a drug well-being (n): when we are happy or comfortable
