Reading comprehension
Level A2
A. Pre-reading. Think about the following questions:
1. What color is your classroom? Is it a good color for studying?
2. What colors make you feel relaxed?
3. What color of clothes do you usually buy?
B. Read the passage and do the exercises.
SEEING RED
Bright colors stir up active feelings. For example, the color red can cause people to feel excited. In
fact, red can even make a person feel hungrier. Yellow can increase energy. Therefore, a room
with strong red and yellow colors, would be a good place to eat a lot of food quickly. On the other
hand, darker colors, like blue and green, are peaceful. The color blue can help people calm down.
So, a blue room can be a good place to study, since people can concentrate more easily. However,
it is easier to nod off in a blue room than in a red one.
The colors of clothes can also affect feelings. Black and deep-blue clothes can produce a sense of
strength and seriousness. Therefore, a person in black suit can seem like a leader more easily than
one wearing white. If a person is wearing a dark suit and a red tie, he or she may seem both
powerful and energetic. Perhaps this is why many politicians and business people wear dark suits
with red ties. Brown and green clothes can produce a sense of confidence, which means it may
seem easier to trust a person wearing such colors. Therefore, many people choose to wear green or
brown clothes for meetings or interviews.
Choice of color, for rooms as well as clothes, is not simply about appearance.
Exercise 1. Choose the best answer for each question.
1. What is the main idea of this reading?
A. Colors are important B. Managers should wear black.
C. Colors can affect feelings D. People do not see colors well.
2. Where would red and yellow be most useful?
A. in an office B. in a health club
C. in a department store D. in a fast food restaurant
3. According to the reading, what would be the best color for a bedroom?
A. blue B. yellow
C. grey D. brown
4. According to the reading, green clothes would be most useful for which person?
A. a professor B. someone looking for a job
C. a manager of a large department D. a doctor
5. Why would a president wear a black suit?
A. to seem powerful B. to scare people
C. to make people feel relaxed D. to look better in pictures
Exercise 2. Vocabulary review - Choose the best word or phrase to fill in the blank.
1. You would never guess from his …………………..that he is rich.
A. appearance B. confidence C. fortune D. wealth
2. The General Manager is the most ………………….woman in our company.
A. energy B. large C. powerful D. strong
3. Many ………………… work in city and state governments before working at the national
level.
A. business people B. heirs C. inventors D.
politicians
4. This medicine may …………………… side effects in some patients.
A. concentrate B. produce C. stir up D. trust
5. The ……………….. I get when I am at the lake is very peaceful.
A. belief B. feeling C. reason D. person.
6. White pants seem to be very …………….this year.
A. active B. peaceful C. popular D. strong
7. Please close the curtains. The sunlight is too…………………
A. bright B. enormous C. ordinary D.
serious
8. The movie starts at midnight. If it is boring, I might………………
A. stir up B. nod off C. calm down D. feel excited
C. Discussion. Work in pair and answer these questions:
1. What color do you like? Why?
2. What happens if you see the color you hate?
3. Do you think our favourite colour can show our personality?
