Today, if we talk about a color, we only need to use a simple name. For example, “blue” in Chinese is lan. But in ancient China, there were many beautiful names for blue, such as yuebai, qielan and shiqing.
Similar to the color wheel developed by Isaac Newton, ancient Chinese people created colors using the idea of pure (纯) colors and mixed colors. There were five pure colors, including qing (blue), chi (red), yellow, white and black. These basic colors can be put together to produce mixed colors. For example, mixing yellow and blue could make green. Lots of colors came into being (产生) thanks to this.
As for naming, ancient Chinese people paid much attention to the imagination that colors bring. For example, dongfang jibai is a light blue color. The blue color describes what the sky looks like early in the morning. Similarly, the pink color taoyao is used to describe blossoming (开花的) peach trees. The purple color mushanzi describes a sunset covering the mountain.
Do you know a color was not just a color, but a symbol of social status (地位) in ancient China? For example, yellow was long seen as the symbol of authority. Only the leader of the country and his family could use it. During the Tang Dynasty (朝代), officials needed to wear clothes with certain colors. Only officials of the top three grades were allowed to wear purple clothes, while those of the fourth and fifth wore red clothes, the sixth and seventh officials wore green clothes. Blue was for those in the lowest grades.
The colors that the ancients left us can be seen in society today. Nowadays, some TV programs present traditional Chinese colors in clothes and buildings, which excite people’s interest in ancient colors.
【小题1】What does the writer want to tell us in Paragraph 2?| A．Who developed the five pure colors? | B．How did lots of colors come into being? |
| C．What were the mixed colors produced for? | D．How many beautiful names does blue have? |
| A．The sky in early morning. | B．The blossoming peach trees. |
| C．The best imagination of people. | D．The sunset covering the mountain. |
| A．Happiness. | B．Country. | C．Palace. | D．Power. |
| A．Officials in purple>Officials in green>Officials in blue>Officials in red. |
| B．Officials in purple>Officials in red>Officials in blue>Officials in green. |
| C．Officials in purple>Officials in red>Officials in green>Officials in blue. |
| D．Officials in purple>Officials in green>Officials in red>Officials in blue. |
Sometimes, the word “green” means young, fresh and growing. For example, a greenborn is someone who has no experience. In the 15 th century, a greenborn was a young cow or an ox whose borns(角)had not yet developed. A century later, a greenborn was a soldier who had no expericnce in war. By the 18 th century, a greenborn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.
Someone who is good at growing plants is said to have a green thumb(大拇指). The expression comes from the early 20 th century. A person with a green thumb can make plants grow quickly and well. The Green Revolution(绿色革命)is a name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. It was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.
Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling, jealousy(嫉妒). The green eyed monster is not a dangerous animal from outer space. It is an expression used about 400 years ago by the British writer William Shakespeare in his play “Othello”. It describes the unpleasant feeling when someone has something he wants.
In most places in the world, a green light is a signal(信号)to move ahead. In everyday speech, a green light means approval(赞成)to continue with a project.
【小题1】A person with a green thumb____.
| A．is good at growing plants | B．really has a green thumb |
| C．has no experience in war | D．is new in a job |
| A．he sees a dangerous animal | B．he can’t get something |
| C．he reads a sad play | D．his friend gets a prize that he wants |
| A．a green | B．a greenborn | C．the green eyed monster | D．a green light |
| A．Green, the color of grass and trees | B．The stories about the color “green” |
| C．Green, a sign of approval | D．Different meanings of “green” |
You are getting ready to play a football match and you want to win. What color should you wear to help you win? You are getting ready to go to an interview and you want to succeed. What color should you wear to help you succeed? Strange questions, perhaps, but color could be the key to your success. Read on and find out how.
The most popular color in Britain is black. Wearing black makes people feel more confident, but can often make you look unemotional. This may be why people sometimes think that British people don’t want to make a strong impression (印象). Although black is common in Britain, most people agree that in fact blue is the world’s favorite color. The students in school and the people who work in business often wear blue. Wearing blue will show that you are an effective and hard-working person.
Sometimes people mistakenly think that red makes you look strong and successful. However, you will be seen aggressive (好攻击的) if you choose red clothes. New information now says that yellow, not red, is the color of winning. Australia and Brazil are both very successful in the sporting world, and the sports things of both countries are yellow. Strangely enough, athletes who wear yellow glasses during a race can improve their time by up to half a second. Tests show that the yellow color makes them feel positive and energetic and could be the difference between a medal and no medal.
So, next time you have an important event in your life—a race, a match, an exam or an interview—think about you clothes. The color of your clothes can change your life!
【小题1】According to the passage, wearing black in Britain makes people feel ______.
| A．energetic | B．Positive | C．Successful | D．confident |
| A．Sport — red or yellow? |
| B．Race — winning or losing? |
| C．Athletes — success or failure? |
| D．Work and school — black or blue? |
| A．blue is the winning color |
| B．red makes you look strong |
| C．British people like wearing black |
| D．a hard-working person likes wearing yellow. |
| A．change your favorite color |
| B．choose the color of winning |
| C．wear the most popular color |
| D．know other players' favorite color |
Have you ever climbed a tree? When was the last time you took a walk in a park? When you’re busy with schoolwork, it can be hard to find time to spend outdoors. However, this can really be bad for your health. Spending time in nature can do good to their future life.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that more than 450 million people around the world have some kinds of mental disorders (精神失常). But spending time outdoors might be good for them.
According to researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark, children who spend more time outside are less likely (可能性较小) to have mental disorders later in life.
Researchers mapped the number of “green space” around the homes of 1 million Danes (丹麦人) who were born between 1985 and 2003. They compared this data with the risk of developing one of 16 different mental disorders later in life. They found that people who grow up in “green” areas are 55 percent less likely to develop mental disorders after they grow up.
“Having more green space in a special area means there are probably fewer roads and less pollution. This gives people more chances to exercise and communicate with each other. Simply being in a green area can help people relax. All of these can have an influence on mental health,” the lead scientist Kristine Engemann told Science Daily.
【小题1】If children spend more time outside, later in their life they are ________.| A．more likely to have better jobs | B．more likely to become athletes |
| C．less likely to have mental disorders | D．less likely to have good grades |
| A．climb trees every day | B．grow flowers in their homes | C．live in the center of a city | D．spend more time outside |
a. walk on real stone roads
b. do more exercise
c. release stress
d. interact with each other
e. develop mental disorders
| A．abc | B．abe | C．bde | D．bcd |
| A．Researches | B．Homes | C．Danes | D．Mental disorders |
| A．encourage people to spend more time outside |
| B．explain why some people have mental disorders |
| C．describe the damage that is done by mental disorders |
| D．remind people to stay active and interact with others |
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