Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank. The power of colour in branding
Take five colours: red, black, blue, green and purple. How do they make you feel? It’s a question of supreme significance to designers and marketers. British fashion designer Wayne Hemingway explored this topic about the psychology of colour in branding. Do you agree with him? Or do you think the meaning of colour depends on the culture you live in?
Red is, of course, considered auspicious(吉利的) in China. But he points out that it’s a powerful colour【小题1】you go, with some serious scientific credentials. Studies have indicated that red “raises blood pressure”, and claim that it stands out from other colours【小题2】 its long wavelength. Hemingway says it appears to be “coming towards you”, and so is useful for emergency and alarm signs, and also for conveying “urgency” in general. That’s why he thinks red sale posters seem to yell at us: “Quick, buy it now!”
Black has a different sense. In the West it’s associated with death, but that hasn’t stopped it【小题3】(become) a prestigious and mysterious colour. Hemingway says it’s the colour of luxury brands: things like “glossy black limousines” and “designer watches” are often black. He says “it’s very powerful and sophisticated when【小题4】(use) as a primary colour in branding”.
Blue, by contrast, is cool and tranquil. The colour is a constant presence in our lives, says Hemingway, being the colour of the sky and the sea. That gives it【小题5】air of reliability, which makes it a firm choice with “banks and corporations”. Hemingway says this is also why emergency services often choose the colour. A blue uniform【小题6】, for example, indicate “the cool competence of a nurse”.
Green is, unsurprisingly, the colour of nature and the environment. Marketers understand that giving a product green packaging creates the impression【小题7】it is environmentally friendly. But savvy customers are also aware of this—and now think twice【小题8】blindly swallowing environmental claims. Hemingway also says that green is the colour of growth and movement: it’s used to indicate “go” on traffic lights.
Finally, we have purple, which is associated with valuable things. In the past, purple dye was expensive because it was very difficult to produce, and it became the colour【小题9】(wear)by royalty in many Western countries. These days, companies still use purple to make their product seem more exclusive,【小题10】they’ re selling chocolate or cigarettes.
