Adding Some Color to Your Life

Look at the world around you. How many colors do you see? The blue of the sky. The green of the trees. The red bricks and white tiles of the buildings. The colors of your clothes, your books, your food. Color is everywhere around us. It plays an important role in our lives.
Each color, for example, has a special meaning. However, sometimes these meanings are different in different cultures. In China, for example yellow is the color of the emperor, but in the West, when people see yellow baby chickens or yellow flowers, they often think of spring. For the Chinese, the color red suggests the wish for good things to happen. It is also the color for Chinese New Year and other celebrations. For Americans, red means love. It is the color for Valentine’s Day, but red and green together are Christmas colors. The Chinese wear white at funerals, but for most Western people, white is for weddings. They would never wear white to a funeral, only black.
Colors can also affect the way we feel and act. In recent years, some researchers have developed theories about the effects of color on our lives. Some of them believe that we can even use color to change our feelings or attitudes.
According to these researchers, for example, light blue can make people feel more patient and loving. If the members of your family are always fighting, you might try adding some of this color to your home. You could paint the walls light blue, for instance. Red, on the other hand, is a color full of energy. If you are always tired, perhaps you could buy yourself a bunch of red roses. If you feel sad or afraid, try wearing something orange. This is the color of courage. Yellow is a color that can help you study better. It represents thinking. So if your mind feels lazy, you might try putting some yellow decorations around your desk.
Of course, these ideas about color are just theories. Some people may take them seriously, and some may think they are meaningless. Others may enjoy trying them out just for fun. Why don’t you give them a try? Whether they work for you or not, at least they will make your life more colorful.
(from Far East English Reader vol.1)

Summery:
Color is everywhere around us and plays an important role in our lives. In different cultures, each color usually has a different meaning. In recent years, researchers claim different color has different effects on our lives.
Color:
Red, pink, orange, yellow, green, white, navyblue, purple, brown, black, gray, beige, indigo, blue.
Idioms and phrased:
1. play a(n) … role:
2. think of:
3. on the other hand