Sally Mansfield, from TV program "People and clothes"
is interviewing five people. They are talking about their attitudes to
the clothes they wear. At this first step, just listen for general
comprehension, so don't worry if you don't understand every word they
are saying.
MARCIA
JULIAN
JUNG
TIMOTHY
DAWN
The clothes you wear (II)
Now, listen again to Marcia, Julian, Jung, Timothy and Dawn, while you
check their comments with the audio transcriptions.
INTERVIEWER: And how do you feel, Marcia, if you have to wear the same
clothes as everybody else? At school, for instance, did you have to wear
a uniform?
MARCIA: Yes. And I really hated it! But you know it's a bit funny - I
was just thinking about this yesterday - because in a way I suppose I do
wear a uniform now. Li- like in college a lot of my friends wear the
same kind of clothes. Unless I wear clothes like theirs, they'll think
I'm a bit strange. So it's a little bit like a uniform really.
INTERVIEWER: Now Julian, you're getting ready for a party.
JULIAN: That's right.
INTERVIEWER: And what are you going to wear?
JULIAN: I can't decide between these two jackets. If I wear the green
one, it'll go with my new shoes. But if I wear the blue one - my
favourite - I'll only be able to wear these old shoes here.
INTERVIEWER: So clothes are important to you?
JULIAN: Reasonably, yes. But you have to think about other people too.
Like this evening - I can't just go in any old pair of jeans. If people
invite you to a party, they expect you to come properly dressed. So I
have to spend a bit of time thinking about it.
INTERVIEWER: And how do you feel about wearing nice clothes, Jung?
JUNG: I like wearing nice clothes and I like to make myself look nice. I
think this is human nature.
INTERVIEWER: And how did you feel, before the changes when everyone had
to wear all the same clothes?
JUNG: I hated it. But for many, many years I did the same thing. I
looked very different from what I look now. Mm, my hair was cut straight,
you know like what shall I call it, like, er, some women, some older
women still cut their hair straight like, like that, you know. I wore
baggy clothes, baggy pants and baggy jackets, of very dull colour. And
in those days I never dreamt of someday I could wear, say, the colour
I'm wearing now.
INTERVIEWER: And today, Timothy, you're wearing black completely.
TIMOTHY: Completely black. Black tights, black shoes, black shirt and a
black blazer.
INTERVIEWER: How do people react to you?
TIMOTHY: Erm, they're surprised at first sometimes, or else maybe
they'll whisper to one another and point.
INTERVIEWER: And how do you feel if they do that?
TIMOTHY: I really don't care. I'm comfortable with the way I am. If I
see someone talking about me, I'll usually ignore it. I might smile at
them if I'm having a good day.
INTERVIEWER: Now, Dawn, you have a reputation for smart dressing.
DAWN: Yes, but if you're young and you're a girl and you earn a lot of
money, you go and buy lots of clothes. When I was, er, 24, I literally
bought everything I wanted. I didn't even look at the price.
INTERVIEWER: Can I ask how much you spend a year on them?
DAWN: Quite a few thousand pounds.
INTERVIEWER: That's a lot of money.
DAWN: Perhaps. But I like to look good for my job. My real problem is
keeping a balance between what I want to wear at my age and the stuff I
have to.
What are their attitudes
to clothes?
ACTIVITY 55:
Finally, after listening to the five speakers, choose
from the menus what his or her attitude to clothes is, Use each name
only once.
There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. Then
check the answers.
This speaker ...
1.
feels his/her
interest in clothes is natural.
2.
is fond of wearing pale colours.
3.
realises
she/he dresses like the people around her/him.
4.
explains
why he/she has so many clothes.
5.
doesn't
mind what people think of her/his clothes.
6.
respects
other people's attitudes to clothes.
Como Marcia, a mí también me
disgustaba usar el uniforme escolar !!!
En la próxima página Mr. Grammar explicará el uso de las
CONDITIONAL SENTENCES (Part 1) ...