Departamento de Línguas

11º Ano | Inglês

PROVA ESCRITA | novembro | Ano Letivo 2020/2021

Reading

Read the following text carefully and answer the questions on it.

The Colour of Fashion

How do fashion trends begin? Some people assume fashion ideas come straight from designers
or from large companies like LVMH (owner of luxury brands like Louis Vuitton). Other believe trends
are born on the streets in the form of fashionable individuals. In fact, these designers and well-dressed
people, whether they know it or not, are partly influenced by an association that is little-known outside
5the fashion industry – the Colour Marketing Group (CMG).
The sole responsibility of CMG is to decide the “hot” colours for the future. This global
association is made up of more than 1,100 contributors who research and predict colour trends. The data
developed by CMG is so influential that it affects not only fashion. Industries like design and
architecture or car manufacturers are also involved, as they need to know what the “in” colours are for
10their products, like wall paint and new cars. Stylist and colour expert Kate Smith says that she thinks of
CMG as “an invaluable resource when it comes to understanding the direction for design and colour for
years to come.”
CMG’s members are always collecting data, information, and samples that will help inform them
about future trends. Participating designers consider many aspects of culture when surveying colour
15trends, such as films, music, travel, politics, and the economy. Members of CMG then meet for
conferences to compile their findings into a report that designers can use as a guide for future seasons’
fashion. These reports are used by textile manufacturers, where designers and artists create fabrics and
materials that feature the predicted tones. Fashion designers then attend fabric conventions to consider
the direction they will take with their designs in the upcoming seasons.
20 CMG is not the only group of its kind, however, and other colour analysts have come to different
conclusions about which colours will be popular in coming years. In 2012, CMG declared Boyz-N-
Berry, a bold purple, to be its “Colour of the Year”. In contrast, CMG’s main competitor Pantone
selected Tangerine Tango as its top colour for 2012. A strong red-orange colour, Tangerine Tango was
chosen for its energy and strength at a time when economy was down, and many people wanted to cheer
25up and feel more optimistic. “There’s an element of encouragement with orange”, said Leatrice
Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute. “It’s building on the ideas of courage and
action that we want to move on to better things.”
Of course, colour forecasts are not always perfect. As the great difference between Boyz-N-Berry
and Tangerine Tango suggests, predicting colour and fashion trends may be more of an art than a
30science. Designers may have advice and direction from organizations that study colour, but they still
need to use their own intuition when deciding which advice to follow. In the end, consumer purchases
dictate the trends that will stick and it’s hard to predict how people will act two years in the future.
Fashion blogger Peter Lappin has pointed to some surveys that claim US fashion retailers lose as
much as $200 billion dollars a year because of sales forecast errors. This problem could result from a
35number of factors: perhaps designers focused on the wrong trends or there wasn’t enough promotion of
the trend. Maybe retailers made bad decisions with regard to the trends and styles they were presented
with. As Lappin admits, “nobody knows for sure what’s going to happen tomorrow, whether it’s in
economics, politics, or fashion.” But next time you notice an abundance of a certain colour on the
catwalk or on the streets, you’ll know it’s down to decisions made years in advance by organizations
40like CMG.
1. Say if the following sentences are True or False. Correct the false ones.
1.1 – CMG is involved in many things outside of just predicting colour trends. False.
The only responsibility that this company has is to decide which colours will be trendy in the future.
1.2 – CMG contributors collect colour trend data by attending fabric conventions. False.
The members are constantly gathering data, considering social and cultural aspects. Then they get
together in conventions to compile their findings.
1.3 – Textile manufacturers present the new tendencies concerning colours to fashion designers. True.
1.4 – Fabric conventions are attended by consumers to see the latest colour and fashion trends. False.
The conventions are attended by fashion designers.
1.5 – Ultimately, customers are the ones who decide the trends that will last. True.
1.6 – According to Peter Lappin, American retailers lose money because designers often follow the
advice they get from colour organizations. False. There are many factors that contribute to the loss of
money: designers may have focused on the wrong trend or they may have failed the promotion of the
trend.
1.7 – Colour tendencies are decided at least a year in advance. True.

2. Find in the first four paragraphs of the text the synonyms of these words.
2.1 – directly (paragraph 1) “straight”
2.2 – somewhat (paragraph 1) “partly”
2.3 – because (paragraph 2) “as”
2.4 – though (paragraph 4) “however”
2.5 – audacious (paragraph 4) “bold”
2.6 - guidance (paragraph 5) “advice” / “direction”
2.7 - profusion (paragraph 6) “abundance”

3. Answer the questions, using your own words.

3.1 – Describe how colour trends are created in the fashion industry.
Colour trends begin with companies such as CMG or Pantone. Their contributers collect data,
considering many social and cultural aspects. Then, they compile their findings in a conference and
create a report that designes can use as a guide. Afterwards, textile manufacturers create fabrics and
materials featuring the predicted tones. Finally, fashion designers attend conventions and they decide the
direction they will take in future seasons.
3.2 - Explain the meaning of the following expression: “predicting colour and fashion trends may be
more of an art than a science.”

The sentence means that the process of choosing the colours that will be trendy in the future is not an
exact science. There are many things that can be done exactly the same way every year, but, in the end
the outcome may not be successful. Furtermore, in order to choose the colour you have to take into
consideration data that is not exact and highly subjective. In the end, the consumer has the last word,
and the customers decide if the tone will last or not.

Use of English
4 – Put each verb in brackets into the present simple or present continuous.
4.1 – A: Why are you smelling ( you / smell) the soap?
B: It smells (smell) lovely. It’s like roses!
4.2 – How much does the bag of apples weigh (the bag of apples / weigh) today?
4.3 – I am enjoying (enjoy) every bit of this meal.
4.4 – That famous opera singer is appearing (appear) at the opera house tonight.
4.5 – Again! He is always doing (always/ do) that! It drives me crazy.
4.6 – More and more people are going (go) to university these days.
4.7 – I’m sorry but I don’t understand (not / understand) what you mean. Can you explain, please?
4.8 – Do you recognise (you / recognise) me now without the mask?

5 – Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
5.1- Sarah can’t imagine living (live) there. She loves the city.
5.2 – Do you fancy meeting (meet) at the park?
5.3 – Please promise to stay (stay) here.
5.4 – She keeps forgetting (forget) to close the door. It’s very dangerous!
5.5 – Roy can’t stand waiting (wait) for people.
5.6 – I’d prefer to go (go) by bus.
5.7 – Let’s stop talking (talk) about this now. We haver so many other things to discuss!
5.8 – We tried to switch (switch) the computer on and off again, but it didn’t help.
5.9 – I don’t remember closing (close) the door. Did I close it or not?
5.10 – Dear passengers, we regret to inform (inform) you that our flight is quite delayed.

6 - Fill in the gaps with the correct word(s) from the list. (You don’t need all.)
aggressive / bob / broad / chic / elegant / far / Goths / handsome / innovative / lazy / Mods /overweight /
piercing / pointy / punk / retro / short / shouldered / sighted /slim / streetwise / stubborn / sun / tanned /
tattoos / trim / unattractive /

6.1 – Handsome men are more common to be seen in fashion magazines. They are usually broad -
shouldered and always tall.
6.2 – Somehow I managed to convince my mother to get a peircing in my ear. I can’t wait!
6.3 – John is a bit lazy! He always sleeps till late at the weekend.
6.4 – I don’t like the retro /punk (?)/ look. It is old-fashioned. I prefer looking elegant and chic /
innovative and always follow the latest trend.
6.5 – He always seems to be distracted while crossing the street. He’s not streetwise at all. And to make
matters worse, he is pretty short-sighted. He can’t see anything that is far away from him.
6.6 – Back in the 1960s, my mum had a bob. She wore her hair really short and in the same length. She
followed the Mods, and was a huge fan of The Who!
6.7 – Last summer holidays, I went to the beach. I got really sun - tanned.

Writing

7 – “It’s difficult to be a young person in the 21st century. Not only do we have pressure placed on us to
do well at school, but there’s peer pressure and, on top of this, everywhere we turn we’re overwhelmed
with messages about how we should look. It’s not surprising then that many of us see no harm in
altering the way we look through plastic surgery, tattoes, etc.”
What do you think? In 150-180 words, write an opinion essay on the above statement.

Cotações:

1. 7x6 = 42 4. 9x2=18
2. 7x4 = 28 5. 10x2=20
3.1. 15 6. 12x1=12
3.2. 15 7. 50