How we look and how we appear to others probably worries us more when we are in our teens or early twenties than at any other time in our life. Few of us are content to accept ourselves as we are, and few are brave enough to ignore the trends of fashion. Most fashion magazines or TV advertisements try to persuade us that we should dress in a certain way or behave in a certain manner. If we do, they tell us, we will be able to meet new people with confidence and deal with every situation confidently and without embarrassment. Changing fashion, of course, does not apply just to dress. A barber today does not cut a boy's hair in the same way as he used to, and girls do not make up in the same way as their mothers and grandmothers did. The advertisers show us the latest fashionable styles and we are constantly under pressure to follow the fashion in case our friends think we are odd or dull. What causes fashions to change? Sometimes convenience or practical necessity or just the fancy of an influential person can establish a fashion. Take hats for example. In cold climates, early buildings were cold inside, so people wore hats indoors as well as outside. In recent times, the late President Kennedy caused a depression in the American hat industry by not wearing hats, and more American men followed his example. There is also a cyclical pattern in fashion. In the 1920s in Europe and America, short skirts became fashionable. After World War II, they dropped to ankle length. Then they got shorter and shorter until the miniskirt was in fashion. After a few more years, skirts became longer again. Today, society is much freer and easier than it used to be. It is no longer necessary to dress like everyone else. Within reason, you can dress as you like or do your hair the way you like instead of the way you should because it is the fashion. The popularity of jeans and the "untidy" look seems to be a reaction against the increasingly expensive fashion of the top fashion houses. At the same time, appearance is still... The reason why we are constantly under pressure to follow the fashion is mainly that _ . A) Fashion magazines or TV advertisements show us the latest fashionable styles. B) We can't meet new people and deal with every situation confidently. C) Our friends may think we are strange or out of date. D) We are not content to accept ourselves as we are.
C
Today's parents miss the golden age that their own mothers enjoyed in the 1970s and 1980s, researchers found. Mothers have less time to themselves and feel under greater pressure to _ work and family life than the previous generation. As a result, 88 per cent said they felt guilty about the lack of time they spent with their children. The survey of 1,000 mothers also found that more than a third said they had less time to themselves than their mothers did -- just three hours a week or 26 minutes a day And 64 percent said this was because they felt they 'had' to go out to work, while nearly a third (29 per cent) said they were under constant pressure to be the 'perfect mother', the report found. Other findings showed social network and parenting website were important in proving help and support among female communities Kate Fox, of the Social Issues Research Centre, which conducted the survey for Procter & Gamble, said: "With increasing pressure on mothers to work a 'double shift' -- to be the perfect mother as well as a wage-earner -- support networks are more important than ever It comes as a separate report examining childcare in the leading industrialized nations found that working mothers in Britain spend just 81 minutes a day caring for their children as a "primary activity". Critics say the pressure on women to work long hours, and leave their children in the hands of nurseries or child minders, is putting the well-being of their children at risk. The study also reveals that, despite the fact that more and more modern mothers go out to work, the burden of childcare still falls on them -- even if their husband is not in work A father who is not in work tends to spend just 63 minutes a day looking after his child -- 18 minutes less than a mother who goes out to work. Working fathers spare less than three quarters of an hour with their children. Which of the following statements is True? A) Mothers usually spend three hours looking after their children a day. B) Since more and more modern mothers go out to work, the burden of childcare falls on fathers. C) Child minders are good to the health of the children. D) Mothers spend more time with their children than fathers.
D
Q: High heels were first worn in the 1500s, and were popular with both women and men. Today, high heels are strictly a female fashion that is easily found in stores. High heels are the hit items featured on the runway and are widely worn by celebrities. For instance, in the popular TV drama, Sex and the City, the main character, Carrie, is a lover of high heels that in almost every episode, she purchases a pair of gorgeous 4-inch high heels. Carrie loves the heels so much that she even sets her email address as "shoe girl". This clearly shows how much modern women love high heels. Even though high heels are popular, they are not the most comfortable shoes to wear. In many ways, high heels have already changed the shape of people's lives. Doctors have warned that continuous wear can cause back pain and serious damage to the knees. Though it is yet to be proven, some psychological reports suggest that high heels can lead to mental disorder, as it is stressful to the people who wear high heels, in the sense that they have to bear the pain in every step. According to Mayann Los Russo, chief editor of Footwear News, high heels are desirable because they make people appear taller. She says, "I think it goes back to the idea of pain before beauty." Indeed, some people feel that they always need to look appealing in front of their peers. Still, Dr. Casey Kerrigan, a professor at Harvard Medical School, warns, "It takes a long time to feel the effects. And once you do, it's too late." Despite the damage high heels can do to the feet and legs, they remain popular. Most women accept the pain because they like how they look wearing high heels. It is important that we all understand that we should never hurt ourselves just to please others. From the passage, high heels change people's lives by _ . A) hurting their health B) making them look better C) helping them grow taller D) making their friends happy
A: A
All countries have little known interesting facts about them, including Canada. For example, did you know that although Canada is the second largest county with only 30 million people, making it the 28thlargest in population? Because a large part of Canada is covered with lakes and streams, it has the largest source of fresh water in the world. The US has a lot of automobiles on the road. Canada has more automobiles per person than any other country, with at least one automobile for every 2 people. And in Canada, 100 different languages are spoken. Did you know that the Canadian $1 coin is called the Loonie, named after a bird pictured on the coin? Are there any other animals featured on Canadian coins? Yes. The caribou is displayed on the Canadian quarter. Did you also know that Canada has six time zones? Some of the things we love most in America were created by Canadians. Superman, the chocolate nut bar, basketball, and Ginger Ale were all created by Canadians. Famous inventions that are used by many Americans are credited to Canadians including the walker, used by the elderly or the injured, the common garbage bag, the electric cooking range, and the electric light bulb (even though most people think it was invented by Thomas Edison). To make our lives easier, Canadians invented the instant mashed potatoes, paint rollers, snow blowers, the wireless radio and the zipper . For communication or fun, the Canadians invented the television, walkie-talkies, telephone, and the snowmobile. There are many famous people who were born in Canada, including Pamela Anderson, Shania Twain, Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Tilley. We know from the passage that Canada _ . A) has fewer automobiles on the road than the US B) has more lakes and rivers than any other country C) is a country with a large area and population as well D) has the richest supply of fresh water in the world
D