26th April

1. According to the speaker, what makes a good life?
2. There are some interesting terms that the speaker uses, let us discuss these:
Tenements
Millennials
Troubled communities
The social ladder
3. Are there any weaknesses in the 75 year study?
4. How would you define happiness?
5. Would you say that you are happy?

Reading Comprehension

Colour Symbolism

1
Why is pink often thought to be a colour for girls and blue a colour for boys? The answer depends mainly on personal experiences and cultural background because colour means different things to different people around the world.

2
The meaning of a certain colour may change depending on your culture. Green is one of these colours. It is an important colour for Muslims and represents paradise. To the Egyptians, green is a holy colour and represents the hope and joy of spring. Meanwhile in Japan, green means long life. It is said that green relaxes the mind and body, relieves pain and has a great healing power. In fact, people who work in green environments have been found to have fewer health problems. The colour green also helps depression. When a bridge in London was painted green, the number of people jumping of the bridge and killing themselves, dropped by 34 percent!

3
For many people red is a favourite colour. It is a colour of love, energy, fire, blood, and war. In many cultures red is connected with money and good luck. In Hindu, Islamic and Chinese cultures red is a traditional colour that brides wear. In China it is also the colour of the Chinese New Year, when houses are decorated in red and children are given money in red envelopes. In addition, many restaurant decorators believe that red makes people feel hungry and customers eat more if red is included in the restaurant décor. Red also catches a person’s eye quickly and is often used in commercial websites to encourage people to make a purchase.

4
Like red and green, blue is another universal colour of water and the sky. In Greece, people believe that wearing blue gives you protection against evil. People who believe this wear a blue necklace or bracelet. Blue like green is another calming colour and it has been found that people sleep better in blue rooms. However, some people suggest that unlike red, blue makes people eat less. So, if you are thinking of losing weight blue plates can help you to do this as we seem to eat less when eating from them.

5
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what colour to decorate your room, think about the colour carefully. Not only may your colour choice mean something different in different cultures, it may also make you or someone nearby, think, feel and react differently.

1. Circle the main idea of the text.
   1.   The effect that colours have on the mind and body of people.
   2.   The different meanings and reactions that people have to certain colours.
   3.   The positive and negative effect of certain colours on people.
2. Circle the main idea of paragraph 2.
   1.   The colour green means hope, joy and good health for many people.
   2.   The importance of the colour green in Japanese and Egyptian cultures.
   3.   The meaning of the colour green in certain cultures and how it affects people.
3. It is a universal belief that pink is a colour for girls and blue for boys. True or False
   1.   True
   2.   False
4. The Japanese think you can live forever if you wear green. True or False
   1.   True
   2.   False
5. It has been seen that green can often help people feel less unhappy. True or False
   1.   True
   2.   False
6. Hindus believe that red is a lucky colour. True or False
   1.   True
   2.   False
7. Blue colour is often used in restaurants decor and commercial websites. True or False
   1.   True
   2.   False
8. Customers can easily see advertisements in red. True or False
   1.   True
   2.   False
9. The Greeks love blue jewellery because it is the colour of the sky. True or False
   1.   True
   2.   False
10. Blue rooms help you sleep better. True or False
    1.   True
    2.   False
11. Write two factors that change the meaning of a certain colour for different people.
    
    
12. Write two ways in which the colour green has a positive effect on your body.
    
    
13. In what two ways is the colour red used in the Chinese New Year?
    
    
14. Which word in paragraph 2 means "to be a picture, example, or sign of something" ?
    1.   means
    2.   relaxes
    3.   represents
    4.   helps
15. Which word in paragraph 5 means "the way of doing things, ideas, and beliefs of a particular society".
    1.   deciding
    2.   carefully
    3.   different
    4.   cultures