This is the year of “Living Coral.” No, there’s not a resurgence◆ of life in the Great Barrier Reef. Living Coral is the color for 2019, at least according to Pantone
Initially a printing company, Pantone standardized color in the 1960s so that companies and designers could ensure the shading◆ on their products would be exact. For instance, instead of just telling the manufacturer to print a green cup holder◆, Starbucks can specify that the exact kind of green it wants is Pantone 3425 C. The company is even able to determine how colors will be affected when they are printed on different materials, such as paper and cotton fabric◆.
Since 2000, the Pantone Color Institute has annually selected a singular◆ hue◆ meant to encapsulate◆ the year. In 2016, however, two colors were chosen as the representative shades of the year. Pantone makes it clear that their color selection isn’t a prediction of what will be popular in the coming year. Rather, it serves as a zeitgeist◆, or a reflection of the times. The selection committee factors in what is trending in fashion and the arts, the mood of the moment, and what is happening in areas such as sports and technology.
The choice of this year’s “animating◆ and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone◆” was heavily influenced by nature, according to Leatrice Eiseman, the executive◆ director of the Color Institute. Not only is there worldwide concern for the environment, but people are also striving to bring natural elements into their technology-driven lives. Eiseman also noted that people are craving “human interaction and social connection” after several turbulent years. Perhaps a splash of Living Coral in our lives will offer us that nurturing feeling we desire.
------------------------------------------------- 1. According to the passage, what did Pantone do in the 1960s?
(A) Made a move from selling paint to specializing in printing.
(B) Created a regulated range of color shading.
(C) Announced the Pantone Color Institute’s first Color of the Year.
(D) Began manufacturing colored cup holders for coffee companies.
------------------------------------------------- 2. What is NOT mentioned as a factor in deciding on Color of the Year?
(A) The way colors are displayed on different fabrics.
(B) Current events in areas such as athletics◆ and technology.
(C) The direction that clothing designers are going in at the moment.
(D) The general feeling of the global population.
------------------------------------------------- 3. What is a reason mentioned in the passage for why Living Coral was chosen for this year?
(A) The selection committee liked this color more than an orange color.
(B) The golden tones signify how much people love glittery◆ objects right now.
(C) There is a global interest in the fate of the natural world.
(D) People are more interested in artificial intelligence◆ than ever.
------------------------------------------------- 4. What does the author suggest in the last sentence of the passage?
(A) More people should go swimming around the Great Barrier Reef while they can.
(B) Pantone’s selected color won’t do anything to change what’s happening in the world.
(C) Adding a bit of the coral color to our everyday life will feed our need for natural elements.
(D) People should display Living Coral to ensure they get what they have always desired.
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