1. Read and translate the text: Are Today's Teenagers Victims of Fashion?

A survey among the 1,300 pupils at Caldicot Comprehensive School, near Newport, Wales shows that teenage girls and boys are deeply affected by the images presented by the fashion industry in magazines.

When we asked whether superslim fashion models influence anorexia - the eating disorder in which people go without food - 100 per cent of our sample replied "Yes".

It's not just our schoolmates who hold these views. We interviewed psychologist Dr Glenn Waller of London's Royal Holloway College, an expert on the influence of fashion on adolescents. He told us that fashion photographs in magazines make a huge impact on young people’s self-image, particularly females aged 13-19.

Young people are guided by media standards while they are looking around for an identity," he said. "Magazines provide ideas and these can affect vulnerable people.”

“If women look at supermodels who are beanpoles, they may imagine that they themselves are fatter than they really are. If the media used a wider range of female shapes it would be better.”

Fortunately, many Caldicot students are not victims of the image-makers. Here’s what some of them said:

“If you are constantly dieting, you can’t enjoy life.”

“Fashion is something kids can control. It is a path many teenagers take to break free and have fun”

“I find nothing attractive about six-foot models who are too stone underweight; they just look ill.”

“Friends shouldn’t write you off for wearing unfashionable clothes; if they do, they aren’t very good friends.”

Exercises on the text

1. Choose six opinions expressed in the article. Find the sentences in the story where they are expressed:

1. True friends don’t expect you to be fashionable.

2. You can’t blame the fashion business for anorexia.

3. Clothes look better on thinner people.

4. Dieting takes the fun out of life.

5. Fashion allows teenagers to feel free and have fun.

6. Fashion models today are getting larger.

7. Images of very thin models may take ordinary women feel fat.

8. Underweight models are unattractive.

9. Pop groups influence teenagers’ ideas about fashion.

2. Do you agree or disagree with each of the statements in ex.1? Do you follow fashion? Why/Why not?

3. Make a presentation of a fashion which you think expresses freedom and fun. Demonstrate it to your groupmates.

Discussion

1. Discuss in pairs: why do you think young people are so interested in fashion?

2. Choose one of the following statements and make a one-minute speech supporting it. You don’t have to agree with it! Make a few notes first.

“You can know a person’s character from their clothes.”

“Clothes are becoming more and more aggressive in style.”

“Fashion has been greatly influenced by sportswear.”

“Young people look as though they are wearing a uniform, they are all so similarly dressed.”

3. Which of these factors are most important when you choose your clothes? Number them from 1 (most important) to 10 (least important). Explain your point of view.

• comfort

• what your friends are wearing

• colour

• cost

• what’s available in the shops

• material

• originality

• if the clothes suit you

• what pop/TV stars are wearing

• fashion magazines

Revision

1. Translate from Russian into English using the vocabulary of the unit:

1. Если бы Джек был здесь, он дал бы ей совет как поступить в этой трудной ситуации.

2. Джеф был довольно-таки неряшливо одет - в полосатую рубашку, которая совершенно ему не шла.

3. Он был лысым, с небритым лицом и смуглой кожей, а шрам на лице и вовсе придавал ему вид пирата.

4. Хотелось бы мне иметь хоть какую-нибудь идею по поводу того, как избавиться от этого неожиданного гостя.

5. Если бы Кэрри влюбилась, у нее на лице было бы написано, что она счастлива.

6. Когда я купила то шикарное платье на молнии, с ажурной строчкой у ворота, для своего выпускного, всей семье до конца месяца пришлось перейти на жесткую экономию.

7. Чтоб поступить в университет, ему пришлось усиленно работать и бросить все посторонние дела.

8. Когда-то из джинсовой ткани шили рабочую одежду. Позже в Америке появилась мода на джинсовую одежду, которая, в свою очередь, была подхвачена всем миром.

9. На твоем месте я бы надела строгий костюм в полоску вместо платья, без всей этой “мишуры”.

10. Он был высоким худощавым парнем и носил мешковатую одежду, чтобы скрыть свою худобу.

11. Пусть Джон произнесет эту речь, к тому же он большой мастер на экспромты.

12. На вашем месте я не вел бы себя так грубо с незнакомыми людьми.

13. Некоторые девушки не могут жить без изысканной одежды известных дизайнеров.

14. Чтобы покорить мужчину своих грез в тот вечер она оделась в шикарное бордовое платье, способное “убить” всех мужчин наповал.

15. Муж не любит мою подругу Джеки, т.к. считает ее излишне жесткой и мужеподобной особой.

Listening

1. In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article you are likely to hear in the article “Models under 16 Banned in London”: models / being under 16 / health certificates / catwalks / eating disorders / diet / weight / height / vomiting / drug tests / recommendations / reports