阅读理解。
If women are mercilessly exploited (剥削) year after year, they have only themselves to blame, because
they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion. They are always taken
advantage of by the designers and the big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be
put aside because of the change of fashion. When you come to think of it, only a woman is capable of standing
in front of a wardrobe packed full of clothes and announcing sadly that she has nothing to wear.
Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste. Many women spend vast sums
of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women who cannot afford to throw away
clothing in this way, waste hours of their time changing the dresses they have. Skirts are lengthened or
shortened; necklines are lowered or raised, and so on.
No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society. Fashion
designers are rarely concerned with primary things like warmth, comfort and durability (耐用). They're only
interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount
of discomfort, as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn't sometime in his life smiled at
the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, or picking her way through deep snow in high-
heeled shoes.
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, the conclusions to be drawn are obvious. Do
the constantly changing fashions of women's clothes, one wonders, reflect basic qualities of instability (不稳
定)? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers. Do their unchanged styles of dress
reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability? That is for you to decide.
1. Designers and big stores always make money _____. [ ]
A. by mercilessly exploiting women workers in the clothing industry
B. because they are capable of predicting new fashions
C. by constantly changing the fashions in women's clothing
D. because they always improve quality of women's clothing
2. The writer would be less critical (批评) if fashion designers placed more stress on the _____ of clothing. [ ]
A. cost
B. appearance
C. comfort
D. suitability
3. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? [ ]
A. New fashions in clothing are created for the commercial exploitation of women.
B. The constant changes in women's clothing reflect their strength of character.
C. The fashion industry makes an important contribution to society.
D. Fashion designs should not be encouraged since they are only welcomed by women.
4. By saying "the conclusions to be drawn are obvious", the writer means that _____. [ ]
A. women's changeableness in their choice of clothing is often laughed at
B. women are better able to put up with discomfort
C. men are also exploited greatly by fashion designers
D. men are more reasonable in the matter of fashion
