Colour Through the Ages Reading Answers

Colour Through the Ages

A. The ancient Egyptians have been recorded to have been using colour for cures and ailments. They worshipped the sun, knowing that without light there can be no life. They looked at nature and copied it in many aspects of their lives. The floors of their temples were often green - as the grass which then grew alongside their river, the Nile. Blue was a very important colour for the Egyptians too - the colour of the sky. They built temples for healing and used gems (crystals) through which the sunlight shone. They would have different rooms for different colours. We could perhaps relate our present methods of colour/light therapy to this ancient practice.

During the Middle Ages, Paracelsus reintroduced the knowledge and philosophy of colour using the power of the colour rays along with music and herbs for healing. Unfortunately, the poor man was hounded throughout Europe and ridiculed for his work. Most of his manuscripts were burnt; but today he is acknowledged by many as one of the greatest doctors and healers of his time - a man, it would seem, very much ahead of his time. Not only do we now use colour therapy once again, but his other ideas, using herbs and music in healing, are also reflected in many of the complementary therapies which are now used regularly.

A pioneer in the field of colour, Isaac Newton, published his first controversial paper on colour in 1672, and his work ‘Optics’ forty years later. Newton passed a beam of sunlight through a prism. When the light came out of the prism it was not white but was of seven different colours: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. He referred to the spreading of light into rays as dispersion and the different coloured rays as the spectrum.

Before World War II it was noted that a lot of red was being worn. Red in its most positive is the colour for courage, strength and pioneering spirit, all of which were much needed by the men and women who were fighting that war. However, in the most negative aspect, it is the colour of anger, violence and brutality. As the war was coming to an end, pale blue became a popular colour - an omen of the peace to come perhaps, also giving everyone the healing they must have so badly needed.

We are lucky that we are now all able to choose any colour we like and can buy products of any colour freely. This was not always the case. In times gone by, the pigments used to dye fabrics violet/purple were very expensive and, therefore, only available to the wealthy. For example, the Romans in high office would wear purple robes since this, to them, indicated power, nobility and thus authority.

We are now using colour in positive ways again. Businesses are accepting that their employees may work better given a certain environment, and hospitals and prisons are also becoming aware of the effect that the colour around them can have on patients and prisoners respectively. Paint companies have introduced new colour cards with the therapeutic aspects of colour in mind. Cosmetic companies too have 'colour therapy' ranges included in their products. Colour has a great deal to offer us and can be found all around us in nature. We need to expand our awareness of colour so that we can truly benefit from nature's gifts so that 'colour' becomes a way of life, not just therapy.

Questions 1-6 

The reading passage has six paragraphs, A-F.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-ix, as your answer to each question.

List of Headings

i Symbolising contrasting traits
ii Rejected therapies gaining acceptance
iii The Middle Ages
iv An exclusive colour
v The colour of war
vi Colours from nature
vii Dyeing fabrics
viii Using colours to bring positivity
ix Discovering the components of sunlight

Paragraph A
Paragraph B
Paragraph C
Paragraph D
Paragraph E
Paragraph F

1. Answer: Paragraph A = vi 
Explanation: Paragraph A describes the various ways in which ancient people tried to copy colours from nature and used them and sunlight in their life.

2. Answer: Paragraph B = ii 
Explanation: Paragraph B mentions that in the Middle Ages, Paracelsus used coloured rays, herbs and music for healing, but his ideas were ridiculed, and his manuscripts were burnt. However, now these therapies are used.

3. Answer: Paragraph C = ix 
Explanation: Newton passed a beam of sunlight through a prism. When the light came out of the prism it was not white but was of seven different colours: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet.

4. Answer: Paragraph D = i 
Explanation: Red in its most positive is the colour for courage, strength and pioneering spirit, ... However, in the most negative aspect, it is the colour of anger, violence and brutality … pale blue became a popular colour - an omen of peace …

5. Answer: Paragraph E = iv 
Explanation: In times gone by, the pigments used to dye fabrics violet/purple were very expensive and, therefore, only available to the wealthy. For example, the Romans in high office would wear purple robes since this, to them, indicated power, nobility and thus authority.

6. Answer: Paragraph F = viii 
Explanation: Paragraph F mentions the various positive uses of colours. Businesses, prisons and hospitals are using colours as a therapy for the well being of people.