Brain power

To find more about the way that your mind works, try this test. Read the questions and write “T” next to the statements which are true for you.

Blue 1. I learn more from the radio or a cassette than from TV. 2. I’m good at learning foreign languages. 3. I like doing crossword puzzles and playing word games. 4. I love writing long letters to friends. 5. I can sometimes hear words in my head before I speak or write.	Green 1. I’m good with maps and I don’t often get lost. 2. I dream in colour. 3. I’d rather watch music videos than listen to CDs. 4. I’m good at choosing clothes that coordinate. 5. I love painting, drawing or photography.
Red 1. I’m good at mental arithmetic. 2. I often beat my friends at card games. 3. I can quickly tell if someone isn’t telling the truth. 4. I’m skeptical about things like ghosts. 5. I like to find out how things work.	Purple 1. People often ask me for advice. 2. I feel comfortable in a crowd. 3. I dislike spending time on my own. 4. I’m good at solving other people’s problems. 5. I’ve got an address book full of friends’ telephone numbers.

To find out more about your brain power, look at the colour that has most “true” statements. Most people are good at more than one area.

Blue: Your mind is good with languages. You love telling stories, writing and reading. You learn best from tapes, books and debates.

Red: You have a logical mind. You love science and maths. You learn a lot from experimenting and investigating things.

Green: You’ve got a visual mind. You think in pictures as well as words. You’re good at art and design. You learn best using video, magazines or CDs.

Purple: You’ve got great social skills. You like organizing and advising people. You like when there are other people around to discuss things with.

Stress and anger

Every day you read in newspapers, books and magazines that it is important to avoid stress. Stress can kill, they say. Stay calm. Be relaxed. Slow down. Don’t work so hard. Unfortunately, this is difficult. There are always money problems and family problems. Our cities are full of traffic and noise. Stressful situations seem to be everywhere.

When people are under stress they react in different ways. Some people find it difficult to stay calm and often become tense. Little things, like a baby crying, can make them irritated. They get very annoyed if they have to wait just a few minutes too long in a shop or a restaurant. These people are usually very moody. One minute they are fine and the next they can be really angry – absolutely furious.

Other people seem to stay calm almost all the time, and rarely get angry. For example, if they are caught in bad traffic, they don’t get frustrated. They sit calmly in their cars, telling themselves that there is nothing they can do about the situation. These people are not moody at all. They don’t change from the moment to moment, but always seem to be in control of their emotions.

Some doctors give names to these two personality types: Type A people and Type B people. Type As work very hard, worry a lot, and are often bad-tempered. Type Bs are the opposite. They don’t worry. Work is not so important to them and they don’t get angry easily. They like to relax a lot and have fun. These doctors say it is better for your health and your heart if you are a Type B person. So what are you? Type A or B?