Unit 3Active reading (1)Background informationFashion is generally divided into subsectors: menswear, womenswear, sportswear and streetwear, hosiery (socks, tights, stockings), formal wear and casual wear. Fashion and the choice of what clothes we buy and wear is influenced by our beliefs, attitudes and personality. But this passage shows that the stock market can also be an influence.Culture pointsThe Californian gold rush (1848–1855) was a period of rapid migration of miners and other workersinto California following the dramatic discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada. It led to the settlement of California.Swinging London is a term that describes fashion and cultural trends in music and the media in mid-1960s Britain, especially London. Icons of the time included the miniskirt, the mini car, the first supermodels like Twiggy (who was famous for being very thin) andfashionable shopping streets for clothes (like Carnaby Street and Kings Road in London).The hippie movement began in the early 1960s in California and spread internationally. Hippies had a reputation for social rebellion (eg with drugs and sexual behaviour) and alternative lifestyles (eg in communes). They tried to find a new way of life which valued peace, individuality, and religious and culturaldiversity. The movement influenced popular music, TV and film, literature and the arts. Hippie fashions included long full skirts, bell-bottomed jeans, home-made and tie-dyed garments, the use of flower designs(which represented peace and love), and influences from non-Western cultures in headscarves, headbands, bracelets and long beaded necklaces.The punk period features fashions that expressed anger against society and included brightly coloured hair, ripped clothes and studded belts.The New Romantics was a youth fashion movement, developed in 1960s in London. It is strongly associatedwith music, which was inspired by historical periods, especially the English Romantic Movement. Fashions had a dramatic, flamboyant look with luscious fabrics, loose shirts with frills and short shirt collars, unfolded,with top buttons unfastened and using monotone colours. Power dressing is a stylish and perhaps expensive way of dressing (usually for business, the professionsor politics) which is intended to give the impression that the person wearing the clothes is assertive and competent, through the use of structured shapes, shoulder pads, smart fabrics, high heels and clean cut stylingin the form of work uniform. Whether wearing particular styles of clothing empowers the wearer or whether newly-empowered people simply wear clothes that reflect their achievements is an open question. Miami Vice was a classic 1980s TV crime drama about two detectives who go undercover to fight drug traffickers. The series – and the 2006 film – was noted for its strong use of music and visual effects; it hasbeen rebroadcast around the world. During the five years of making this TV series the producers explicitly sought the advice of designers (eg Gianni Versace, Hugo Boss) in order to display the latest Europeanfashion trends, with the result that Miami Vice had a significant influence on 1980s men’s fashion in the USAand elsewhere, and even on the 2000s revival (it was called “retro” or “retrospective style”). The clothingstyle of the TV detectives, Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs, had pastel coloured T-shirts and suits, no socks,sunglasses, and an unshaven appearance of a small amount of beard stubble.Heavy metal music is a kind of rock music that developed in the UK and USA in the late 1960s and early1970s, characterized by loudness, speed, distorted amplified sounds and extended guitar solos. Converse is a company which has produced basketball shoes since 1917, especially the Chuck Taylor All Stars trainers (often abbre viated to “Chucks” or “Cons”),named after the basketball player who contributedto the design and was the company’s best salesman. Nike is a leading supplier of sportswear and equipment. This American company started making Nike shoesin 1971. They are named after the Greek winged goddess of victory.The stock market indexes show the performance of the stock market, typically reflecting the rise and fall ofthe shares of large companies, eg the FTSE (also “footsie”) is an index of the top 100 companies lis ted on theLondon stock exchange and the Nikkei 225 is an index of the stock market in Tokyo.Language points1 No history of fashion in the years 1960 to 2010 can overlook or underestimate two constantfactors: the ubiquitous jeans and ... (para 1)The word ubiquitous means present everywhere. Thus the ubiquitous jeans means that jeans can befound everywhere.2 Exactly why women should want to expose more or less oftheir legs during periods of economicboom and bust remains a mystery.An economic boom is a sudden increase in trade, business activity and development in a particulararea or region; an economic bust is a business failure or bankruptcy because of lack of money.The expression economic boom and bust describes cycles in which a boom period of growth, highproduction and rising prices is followed by economic decline, contraction and unemployment before anew cycle.3 Whenever the economic outlook is unsettled ... (para 2) The economic outlook is unsettled means the economy is unstable, that is, the economy has problemsand is likely to change suddenly, making people uncertain about what may happen in the future.4 It was given greater respectability when the great French designer, Courrèges, developed it intoan item of high fashion. (para 4)For a while the miniskirt was controversial and not respectable because it showed a large extent of the wearer’s legs, but when Courrèges developed it inParis fashion shows, this gave approval and support, because the miniskirt could be considered an item of high fashion (having high status from a Paris fashion house).5 ... but the predominant colours became olive green and oatmeal. (para 10)Predominant colours refer to the most common colours or those which seem more important orpowerful.6 ... which were described by one commentator as “the prim and proper look is in …” (para 11)A fashion is in when it is a new or current style, or out when it is out-of-date.7 During the whole period, fashion styles have ranged widely, and have usually been sparked off bya desire to identify people as belonging to a particularsub-culture. (para 14)During the whole period, there has been a wide range of different fashion styles, which were usually started by people’s wish to show their identity in a way that would make them distinct from the reset of society.Vocabulary supportThe following are some terms related to clothing that appear in the passage. Understanding of these terms may help with reading comprehension of the passage. Hemline refers to the bottom edge of a dress or skirt. It shows the length of women’s skirts and dresses –thislength changes according to fashion.Denim is a thick cotton cloth that is usually blue and is used especially to make jeans. The name comes from French De Nîmes (“from Nimes”, a cit y in the south France). Such cloth was made both in France and England in the 17th century.The word jeans comes from Genoa. Sailors from the17th-century republic of Genoa worked in France and wore trousers made of a mix of cotton, linen and / or wool which was made near Turin in Italy. Bleached jeans were also fashionable. They had been the fashion of the 17th-century sailors, whose trousers lost their colour when they were washed in sea water and were exposed to the sun. There are various different fits tojeans which include baggy, boot-cut, flares, wide leg, twisted and skinny jeans.Miniskirt is a very short skirt of mid-thigh length.A micro miniskirt is shorter, up to the upper thigh;a midiis a skirt with a moderate length below the knee, perhaps mid-calf length; a maxi is an ankle-length skirt.A pairs of tights is a piece of women’s clothing that tightly covers the feet and legs up to the waist; stockingsonly cover the feet and legs, and are held up with suspenders.Flare is a shape that becomes wider at one end. A flared “bell-bottom” style refers to trousers with flared legs– they get wider towards the foot and the end is even wider, like a bell.A preppy style means wearing classic designer clothes with good fabrics to present a neat, smart, wellbalancedappearance with bright colours and a clean look. Apreppy lifestyle is happy, friendly and sociable, with good manners. The word preppy is an abbreviation of preparatory, which refers to private or boarding schools which are preparation for college, which reflects the style of a preppy look.Chinos are trousers which are a type of light-weight cotton cloth made of chino cloth or twill, a typical formof smart but casual dress.A hood is part of a coat or jacket that covers your head;a hoodie (or hoody) is a jacket or sweat shirt with a hood.Prim clothes are neat, sensible and proper, showing very little of your body. Prim and proper fashions are careful, modest, formal and demure, a respectable style which wouldn’t offend anyone.Lycra is a light cloth made from artificial fibers that stretches and keeps its shape.Loafers are low leather shoes that you slip on and off and do not need to tie.Reading and understanding2 Choose the best answer to the questions.1 What happened on the fashion scene in the 1950s?(a) Blue jeans arrived in Europe and Asia.(This happened and they were worn in Europe and Asia “with huge enthusiasm”.)(b) American youth started wearing jeans.(c) The French started to manufacture jeans.(d) American women started to wear trousers.2 What do women want to do during an economic boom?(a) Show less of their legs.(b) Show more of their legs.(Yes, it seems there is a direct correlation: as the economy booms, hemlines rise.)(c) Buy short skirts.(d) Sell their shares.3 What did the tights help to promote in the 1960s?(a) The French fashion industry.(b) Stockings.(c) The miniskirt.(Yes, because without tights the tops of stockings would show since miniskirts had much higher hemlines.)(d) The Beatles.4 What was popular in the mid-1980s?(a) Clean shaven faces.(b) Long hair.(c) Denim jeans and jackets.(Yes, the passage says “denim remained popular ... heavy metal music fans wore ... jeans and denim jackets.)(d) Short skirts.5 What was fashionable in the 1990s?(a) Designer jeans.(b) Dyed hair and trainers.(Yes, both of these are specifically mentioned for the 1990s.)(c) Tight jeans and short hair.(d) Clothes with bright colours.6 What happened in the fall of 2007?(a) Hemlines anticipated a global crisis.(Yes, this is what happened, which was unusual according to the previous correlation that hemlines followed the economic situation rather than proceeding or anticipating it.)(b) Women’s skirts got shorter.(c) There was a crisis on the stock market.(d) Designers began to lose touch with reality.3 Match the photos with the sentences from the passage. Photo 1 (a) Photo 2 (d) Photo 3 (g)Photo 4 (b) Photo 5 (e) Photo 6 (f) Photo 7 (c) Photo 1: 1960sPhoto 4: mid-1960s and early 1970sPhoto 3: 1970s, the period of punkPhoto 2: mid-1980sPhoto 5: late 1980sPhoto 7: 1990sPhoto 6: 2001Dealing with unfamiliar words4 Match the words in the box with their definitions. Teaching tipsAsk a pair of students to present the answers: student A reads the definition, B gives the answers. Ask them to speak clearly and to show confidence.1 able to be seen (visible)2 to think or guess that something is smaller, less important etc than it really is (underestimate)3 very brave and determined (courageous)4 an urgent, difficult or dangerous situation (crisis)5 the most common or greatest in number or amount (predominant)6 new and different in a way that might offend or upset some people (daring)5 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 4.Teaching tipsThis time, to go over the answers, T reads the text but pauses before each gap. The class should quicklycall out the correct answer – in the correct form –then T reads on.At a time of global (1) crisis, when stock markets are falling across the world, we should never(2) underestimate the ability of fashion designers to surprise us by bringing sunshine into people’s lives, and avoiding the (3) predominant trend of gloom and pessimism. This is certainly true of the fashion industry in Brazil. In 2009, when the effects of the financial situation were (4) visible almost everywhere,top designers launched a (5) daring new collectioncombining high hemlines, low necklines, and lots of colour. As one commentator wrote, “You can call it a (6) courageous d ecision if you like, but it’s also a question of Brazilians doing what comes naturally to them.”6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box.Teaching tipsThis time, to go over the answers, T chooses a pair. Student A reads the sentences and pauses before each gap, Student B gives the correct answer in the appropriate form. Encourage the pair to speak normally.1 If we don’t act soon, the situation will get worse. (deteriorate)2 I’m afraid my trousers got torn when I tried to climb over that fence. (ripped)3 You need thick pieces of material on your knees and elbows if you go rollerblading. (pads)4 Access to the show is limited to journalists with press passes. (restricted)5 The Dow Jones list of stocks and shares fell another 40 points yesterday. (index)6 That was the most worrying piece of news I’d heard in a long time. (unsettling)7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.1 Is a ubiquitous item of clothing something you can find(a) everywhere, or (b) only in restricted circles?2 Does bust refers to (a) economic growth, or (b) financial failure?3 If a fashion item is sold exclusively in boutiques, can you find it (a) in department stores too, or (b) in no other shops apart from boutiques?4 Is a backlash a (a) strong, or (b) weak reaction to something?5 Does a glamorous person looks (a) attractive, or (b) unattractive?6 If you are lavish with your money, do you (a) spend money with care, or (b) spend money verygenerously?7 If you bleach a pair of jeans, do you (a) add, or (b) remove its colour?8 Is a woman who is prim and proper is more likely to wear(a) a micro miniskirt, or (b) a knee-lengthskirt?9 If a model is skinny, is she (a) very thin, or (b) overweight?Reading and interpreting8 Look at the passage and find the formal equivalents of the following sentences. Identify the formal features in the original versions.1 Historians writing about fashion between 1960 and 2010 always refer to two constant factors.No history of fashion in the years 1960 to 2010 can overlook or underestimate two constant factors.2 ... young people bought them and wore them enthusiastically as they recognized them as a symbol ofthe young, informal American way of life.... they were bought and worn with huge enthusiasm by young people and recognized as a symbol of the young, informal American way of life.3 Many people have noticed the close correlation between the length of women’s skirts and the economy. It has often been noted that there is a precise correlation, with only a few exceptions, between the lengthof women’s skirts and the economy.4 Hemlines rise and fall with the stock market.As the stock market rises, so do hemlines, and when it falls, so do they.5 Nobody really knows why women want to show more or less of their legs during periods of economicboom and bust.Exactly why women should want to expose more or less of their legs during periods of economic boomand bust remains a mystery.6 The development of tights, instead of stockings, contributed to the international success of the miniskirt.But it would not have achieved such international currency without the development of tights, instead of stockings, because the rise in hemlines meant the stocking tops would be visible.Active reading (2)Eco-jewellery: sea glassBackground informationThis is an article from Times Online of 27th September, 2008, by Anna Shepard, a journalist who writes acolumn called “Eco-worrier”. She speaks on the radio and TV about green issues and has published a book, How Green Are My Wellies: Small Steps and Giant Leaps to Green Living with Style. She likes the idea ofrecycling glass from the sea to make jewellery. Culture pointsLiberty has been a well-known department store in central London since 1875, selling fashions, cosmetics,luxury brand accessories and gifts.Cape Town is the city with the second largest population in South Africa. It has a famous harbour and notable landmarks like the Table Mountain ad Cape Point.Seaham Beach is near Sunderland and Durham, in the north of England. It has a centuries-old tradition of glass-making, notably in the 19th-century Victorian era when workers dumped left-over glass into the sea. Multi-coloured sea glass can be found there. Language points1 ... sidling up and down in the surf ... (para 1)To sidle means to move slowly in a particular direction,usually because you are nervous or do not wantto be noticed. Cowen moves slowly on the beach, looking for sea glass, going up and down in the wavesof the sea as they move and fall onto the beach.2 ... I’ve burnt my shoulders ... (para 1)She has been walking on the beach for hours in the sun, so her shoulders are red and sore from too muchsun (sunburnt).3 There is no hard and fast rule ... (para 3)There is no fixed rule. The process can change.4 ... but she works mostly to commission ... (para 5)People ask her to produce specific work (pieces of sea glass jewelry), for which they will pay. She is commissioned to do this.5 ... a huge glass cabinet that preside over her studio. (para 5)To preside over something means to be in a position of power while important events or changes aretaking place. Here, this is a metaphor to show the central position of the cabinet in the studio.6 The creation of sea glass is a form of recycling, but more than that, it is an example of naturecompensating for man’s folly. (para 8)People were foolish – they behave in a stupid and careless way to throw glass rubbish into the sea. But nature has compensated for this by slowly making the glass into beautiful pieces.7 Although no one considered the consequences of hurling glass into the sea … (para 10)To hurl means to throw something using a lot of force; to chuck means to throw something, but not necessarily with force (to chuck something away or to chuck something out usually refers to throughaway unwanted objects or rubbish); to dump means to get rid of something or place it somewherecarelessly, not necessarily throwing it –but dumping rubbish can be the same as throwing it away, probably in the wrong place.8 Today’s responsible attitude to its disposal, revolving around recycling where possible, is vastlysuperior, but it signals the end of the sea-glass era. (para 10) Today, people have a more responsible attitude to waste disposal and glass is usually recycled – this is very much better than throwing glass into the sea.However, this responsible attitude sends a message that there will be no sea glass in the future.9 Its eco-credentials lend sea glass further appeal … (para 12)Its eco-credentials refers to the ecological background of the sea glass. That because sea glass was thrownaway as rubbish, but it is now being recycled as jewellery it is qualified to have a good environmental reputation.10 Gold’s murky reputation for damaging the environment in the extraction process and the diamondindustry’s poor human rights record play into the hands of designers who have chosen to workwith a material that puts a waste product to use. (para 12) Getting gold from the earth and separating it from other metals often damages the environment. And italso involves dishonest activities, so gold extraction has a “murky’ reputation”. The diamond industry also has a poor reputation because many workers are treated very badly. What people believe about these processes are exactly what designers of sea glassjewellery want to avoid, so that they gain an advantage in the jewellery market because they recycle materials. Reading and understanding2 Choose the best answer to the questions.1 What happens when Gina Cowen goes looking for glass on a beach?(a) She gets bitten by crabs.(b) She gets burnt.(Yes, she says she burns her shoulders.)(c) She always finds a better piece than the last time.(d) She finds time passes slowly.(No, “she loses her sense of time” means that time passes very quickly so she is not conscious of how it passes.)2 Why is red glass special compared to other types of glass?(a) It’s smoother.(No, sea glass of any colour can be smooth over the years.)(b) It’s probably older.(Yes, Cowen says there is a strong chance that it could be centuries old.)(c) It’s more beautiful.(d) It’s harder to find.3 What does Cowen do with most of the jewellery she makes?(a) She sells it to private customers.(Yes, the passage says “she works mostl y to commission”.)(b) She exhibits it in galleries.(c) She keeps it in her room.(d) She sells it in a London shop.(Well, some of her designs were sold in London Liberty, but she sells most of her designs privately.)4 When did Cowen get interested in sea glass?(a) When she wrote an article about it for a newspaper.(b) When she saw a collection in a glass cabinet.(c) While walking along a beach in South Africa. (Yes, she found some glass there and started a collection.)(d) When she found out about the Victorian glass industry.(No, she found out about this later in Britain.)5 Where does the best sea glass come from?(a) South Africa.(b) Liberty in London.(c) Fiji and Majorca.(Cowen has good sea glass from these islands, but it seems that the best is from British beaches.)(d) Beaches in England.(Yes, Seaham Beach in Britain is her “favourite hunting ground” and her Victorian sea-glass collectionfrom British beaches is “most stunning”, so the implication is that, for Cowen, British beaches are where the best sea glass comes from.)6 Why will sea glass become rarer than diamonds?(a) People will stop making glass.(b) It will eventually be transformed into sand.(c) More and more glass is being recycled.(Yes, this means that old glass is made into new glass instead of being dumped in the sea. As a result,sea glass will become rare.)(d) People will be prepared to pay a lot of money for it.7 What did a 15-year-old girl manage to do?(a) She sold her collection of sea glass on eBay.(b) She sold photographs of her collection of sea glass. (No, she took photos in order to illustrate the collection to help to sell the sea glass –she didn’t sell thephotos.)(c) She sold Cowen some sea glass for more than it was worth.(Yes, the girl sold it on eBay and Cowen says she paid too much for it.)(d) She collected a lot of sea glass on a school trip.8 Why is sea glass more ecological than diamonds and gold?(a) Getting it doesn’t damage the environment. (Yes, the passage refers to serious ecological problems with extracting gold and mining diamonds,whereas because sea glass is waste material collecting and using it is actually clearing up the beach environment.)(b) It can be used for a variety of purposes.(c) It is a naturally occurring product.(No, sea glass does not occur naturally. it is glassthat has been dumped into the sea by people as rubbish.)(d) It can be recycled more easily.Dealing with unfamiliar words3 Match the words in the box with their definitions.1 to become or to make something become active, successful, or popular again (revive)2 very impressive or beautiful (stunning)3 to hang something from something else (suspend)4 a formal agreement to get married (engagement)5 the way that the level of the sea regularly rises and falls during the day (tide)6 to be in charge of something or to be in a position of power (preside)7 the process of getting rid of something (disposal)8 very bright (luminous)4 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in Activity 3.1 To celebrate our engagement we had dinner in the best restaurant in Paris.2 The lamp was suspended from an iron hook in the middle of the ceiling.3 Someone needs to think about the disposal of all thesewaste products.4 I’ve been asked to preside at next week’s m eeting of the recycling committee.5 The luminous object on the table turned out to be made of diamond.6 I could spend hours here, just watching the seagulls flying past and the tides coming in and going out.7 When she walked into the restaurant she was wearing an absolutely stunning diamond necklace.8 The President is likely to propose a stimulus plan that he believes will help revive the US economy.5 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the following words.1 I had a period of time as a volunteer before gettinga job in the jewellery trade. (stint)2 You shouldn’t just throw that rubbish into the river! (chuck)3 It’s sheer stupid and careless behaviour to go on using up the earth’s resources as we are doing. (negligence)4 I looked ca refully at the horizon, but couldn’t see anyone coming towards me. (scoured)5 I think the accident was due to the driver’s lack of care. (folly)6 The removal of minerals from the earth is usually an expensive and dangerous task. (extraction)7 The red kite is one of the most rarely seen birds in the country. (elusive)6 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.1 If someone sidles up to you, are they moving (a) quickly and determinedly, or (b) slowly and casually?2 Is a hard and fast rule (a) fixed, or (b) open to interpretation?3 If someone has good eco-credentials, do they (a) care for the environment, or (b) show no interest in it?4 If something has a murky reputation, is it (a) possibly dishonest or morally wrong, or (b) precious andhighly respected?5 If you play into the hands of someone, do you (a) approve of it, or (b) give them an advantage?6 If you condone someone’s behaviour, do you (a) approve of it, or (b) disapprove of it?7 If you pounce onto something, do you make a (a) quickmovement to get hold of it, or (b) slowmovement to get hold of it?Reading and interpreting7 Check ( ) the writer’s main purpose in writing the passage.To paint a portrait of a woman with unusual passion. (The writer does have this purpose to show Cowen’s strong interest.)To describe the process of making jewellery from sea glass.(This is one purpose although there are not many details about this.)To make people think about the importance of recycling. (Yes, this is a strong point in the passage.)√ A mixture of all three.(Yes, the writer seems to have all the above three purposes here.)8 Find the quotations in the passage which illustrate the ideas:1 why sea glass is special“It has the ability to transform magically from something ordinary to luminous treasure after a stint。
