Blue most common eye colour in Britain
Try easier levels of this lesson: Level 0, Level 1 or Level 2.
The reading
Scientists have made a map of the eye colour of people in Britain. They found out that the most common colour is blue. The scientists say that thousands of years ago, all British people's eyes were brown. The researchers found that 48 per cent of British people have blue eyes, 30 per cent of people have green eyes and 22 per cent have brown. The area around Edinburgh in Scotland was the place where most people had blue eyes. Over half (57 per cent) of those in and around Edinburgh have blue eyes. The southwest of England has the fewest blue-eyed people. Just 35 per cent of people living there are blue eyed. The scientists say they do not know why some regions of Britain have a lot of blue-eyed people.
Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)
Alistair Moffat, the lead researcher of the study, said the number of people with blue eyes is increasing because people find them more attractive. This means people with blue eyes are more successful at finding a partner and having children with blue eyes. He compares blue eyes to the tail of a peacock, saying a more colourful tail will get a peacock more mates. Dr Moffat says people are attracted to the sparkle in blue eyes. He said light reacts with blue eyes to give a glitter effect. Darker eyes absorb light so they generally have less sparkle. Another scientist, Hans Eiberg, offers an explanation why blue eyes are popular. He said: "There is something attractive about blue eyes, maybe because they used to be so rare."
Sources:
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2738224/Is-rise-blue-eyes-attractive-Scientists-believe-colour-dominant-like-peacocks-tail.html
- http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/blue-eyes-are-more-common-any-other-colour-britain-1463258
- http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/scots-are-ol-blue-eyes-says-study.25122864
