Instructions: Complete the following colour questionnaire.
Circle the appropriate response.
2. I associate the colour green with: nature envy inexperience money birth
3. I associate the colour blue with: police death water peace sky
4. I associate the colour black with: water death religion evil power maturity
5. I associate the colour white with: death purity nature surrender elegance
6. Make a list of all of the idioms that you know that involve the name of a colour. (example: green with envy, paint the town red) Use a dictionary if necessary.
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7. Which of the following colours are shades of red? crimson mauve scarlet beige
8. What colour makes you feel relaxed? __________________________________________
9. What colour(s) do you associate with your native country? __________________________
$ Reading/Writing Exercise: top
Are tickled pink or blue in the face?
Instructions: Read the following text and answer the comprehension questions.
Did you know that colours influence our moods, determine our buying habits and reflect our personalities? Colours are electromagnetic wave bands of energy. When our eyes interpret colours, they send messages to our brain that results in numerous chemical reactions. These reactions can affect our mood, heart rate and even our brain activity. Throughout the centuries, certain colours have become associated with various ceremonies, institutions and holidays. What you may not know is that these associations often vary from culture to culture. Brides traditionally wear white in North America; whereas, in many of the Asian Pacific countries it is customary that women wear red when they get married.
Our personalities are equated with the colours that we prefer. It is said that individuals who are attracted to yellow, orange and red are optimists who enjoy life and the challenges of leadership. In contrast, it is believed that people who prefer grays and blues tend to be pessimists who feel more at home in small groups than in large crowds. Psychologists report that we select our favourite colour shortly after birth and not later in life as is often believed. There is little doubt that colours can, and do influence our moods. Lighter shades tend to make us feel relaxed, while darker shades create a foreboding and more serious tone. While conducting experiments, psychologists discovered that participants had more difficulty lifting light black boxes than heavy white boxes. In an even more startling experiment, city officials in London, England noticed that there were a significant number of suicides caused by people jumping off a very dark and gloomy bridge over the Thames River. Colour consultants suggested painting the bridge a lighter and “happier” colour. After the bridge was painted a soothing shade of blue, the suicide rate dropped remarkably.
Colour is not only important in our personal lives, but it is also used strategically by businesses and governments to elicit a desired response. In North America, blue is associated with trust and control. This is the colour that adorns police uniforms and American mailboxes. Brown, conveying strength, is used in coffee packaging and in the logos of coffee chains such as Starbucks and Second Cup. Although many parents rebel against this tradition, it is difficult to insulate your children from the toy manufactures’ belief that blue is associated with boys and pink is associated with girls. When you see green used in the marketing for TD Canada Trust, you have to wonder if they are trying to associate their company with money, power or nature? There is no escaping the fact that colour theory influences our lives in many significant ways. A reality that many of us are facing is that the blending of international cultures and the increase in global trade mean that success may be linked to understanding how various colours are interpreted in each culture. It could very well be the difference between being in the red and having a red letter day!
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1. The word “vary” (in the 1st paragraph) is an antonym of:
(a) different
(b) contrast
(c) conform
(d) confirm
2. Which statement would probably be made by an “optimist”?
(a) It’s too difficult we might as well call it a day.
(b) Let’s not do it now, let’s do it tomorrow.
(c) Yes, I know there’s a lot to do, if we keep at it, we should be finished on time.
(d) If I had enough money, I’d hire more people to help finish this project.
3. The expression “feel more at home” (in the 2nd paragraph) means:
(a) to feel comfortable
(b) to remain in your house
(c) to be shy
(d) to have few friends
4. The word “foreboding” (in the 2nd paragraph) could be replaced by:
(a) prediction
(b) gloomy
(c) exciting
(d) challenging
5. In your own words, what does the author mean by the expression “it is difficult to insulate your children” (in the 3rd paragraph)? ____________________________________________________________________________
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6. All of the following statements are true EXCEPT:
(a) Colours play an important role in our lives.
(b) Changing the colour of public buildings and landmarks can save lives.
(c) Cultures often interpret colours differently.
(d) Psychologists had a difficult time carrying the light black boxes.
7. The word “report” (in the 2nd paragraph) is a:
(a) noun
(b) verb
(c) adjective
(d) adverb
If you are interested in finding out more about the importance of colour, you can consult the following resources:
(1) Web of Culture www.webofculture.com/worldsmart/design_colors.asp
(2) Colour Idioms http://www.ojohaven.com/fun/color.idioms.html
(3) Colour Connections www.colorconnections.com
Grammar Exercise: top
Problems with Word Usage
In English, as with any language, there are a number of words that present specific problems in their usage. Becoming aware of these problem words is one way to avoid mistakes due to similarities in sound, spelling or meaning.
Part One
Instructions: Identify and correct the mistakes in the following sentences. Take your time, some of these are very difficult!
1. Kathleen excepted the lovely bouquet of red roses from her adoring fiancé.
2. Green, which is a symbol of nature, is seen on a large amount of advertisements throughout the city.
3. This article has told me a lot of information about the significance of colours in our society.
4. Red has been associated with good luck since many years in China.
5. The blue hats worn by United Nations Peacekeepers are a very unique sign of foreign assistance.
6. Banks often use the colour gold on their signs to indicate their economical worth.
7. Angela borrowed me her beige top to wear to the Dean’s inauguration ceremony.
8. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting buyer, he purchased a Picasso painting that was not real.
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Part Two
Instructions: The following words are often used incorrectly. Write one example sentence for each word illustrating your knowledge of the correct usage.
(1) CITE SIGHT
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(2) LESS FEWER
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(3) RAISE RISE
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(4) CHILDISH CHILDLIKE ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Pronunciation Activity: top
An Ode to the Insanity of Language
Part One
Instructions: Work with your partner and complete the missing words in the poem.
STUDENT A WORKSHEET
English is Tough Stuff
Author Unknown
Dearest creature in creation,
Study English _______.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare _______, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you _______.
A difficult language? Why man alive:
I’d learn to speak it when I was five.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
And your pronunciation's OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Souls but foul, haunt but _______,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then _______, ginger, linger,
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Finally, which rhymes with _______–
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give it up!
English is a difficult language you say?
Why not just call it a _______.
Part Two top
1. Find words in the text that correspond to each of the following definitions:
(a) an arrangement of flowers _____________
(b) your father’s sister ________________
(c) a spice used in cooking and baking ___________
(d) opposite of “dead” ______________
(e) words ending in the same sound ____________
2. So far in your English study, what do you consider to be one of the most difficult English words to pronounce? __________________
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STUDENT B WORKSHEET
English is Tough Stuff
Author Unknown
Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, _______, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat _______dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak.
A difficult language? Why man alive:
I’d learn to speak it when I was five.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and _______are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
And your pronunciation's OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, _______and live.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, _______.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Ear, but _______and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Finally, which rhymes with enough–
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give it up!
English is a difficult _______ you say?
Why not just call it a day.
Part Two top
1. Find words in the text that correspond to each of the following definitions:
(a) an arrangement of flowers _____________
(b) your father’s sister ________________
(c) a spice used in cooking and baking ___________
(d) opposite of “dead” ______________
(e) words ending in the same sound ____________
2. So far in your English study, what do you consider to be one of the most difficult English words to pronounce? __________________
