Practice Listening English Exercises for B1 – Fashion

your own answers

A 3   B 5   C 1   D 4   E 2   F 6

Transcript

1

Oh, this is typical early 60s. That’s when guys started to wear their hair a little longer. And girls wore skirts or dresses. I love the wide belts and the boots that girls used to wear.

2

This must be the 1920s. I love the dresses women wore then – very straight and they came down to just above the knees. And they wore their hair short sometimes with a little wave. Men looked handsome, too, with those wide trousers. They hung out in jazz clubs all the time. What a wild time that was! No wonder they called it the “Roaring Twenties.”

3

This is the late 60s-early 70s, of course. Look at this woman’s long tie-dyed skirt. It’s so colorful. The guys wore jeans and T-shirts with peace signs on them! And all the young people had long hair back then.

4

This must be the 1950s, when boys had their hair slicked back and wore high school letterman jackets and tight jeans. I wonder how they ever got into them – or out of them for that matter. The girls wore sweaters, neck scarves, and wide skirts.

5

Oh, this is the late 70s or early 80s, I think. Both the guy and the girl have punk hairstyles and they’re wearing lots of black leather. But it’s hard to tell when this is exactly because some people still look this way!

6

This has to be around 1910. People dressed very formally back then. Men had suits with long jackets and they usually wore black hats. The women wore long dresses and capes. They looked very elegant.

1 b   2 a   3 a   4 b   5 a   6 a

1 False   2 False   3 True

4 False   5 True   6 True

Transcript

1

A:   I just ran into Mary. Wow! She’s really changed!

B:   Really?

A:   Oh, yeah. She used to look really wild. Remember, with all that big hair and makeup? And that leather jacket?

B:   Sure. I remember.

A:   Well, that’s all gone. Now she wears plain, conservative blouses, and her hair is much neater.

B:   Weird. Do you know why she changed?

A:   Yeah. She just finished college and is looking for a job, so wanted a different look.

2

A:   Beth’s dressing differently these days.

B:   Oh, really?

A:   Yeah. I think it’s a change for the better. She used to wear unflattering suits all the time. They were always too big for her.

B:   Yeah, I thought the same thing.

A:   Now she’s wearing fantastic fitted suits in bright colors. My favorite is her red suit.

B:   So, why the change?

A:   She was on one of those makeover reality shows! They gave her advice on how to dress, and gave her $10,000 to buy new clothes!

3

A:   Have you seen Jake lately?

B:   No. Why?

A:   Well, he’s really changed his look. He used to have that preppy look – you know, the khaki pants and shirts with collars. And short hair.

B:   And now?

A:   Now he’s got long hair, and wears it in a ponytail. And he always wears dark clothes.

B:   Interesting. What made him change?

A:   He got a new job at an Internet company, and the atmosphere there is really casual. Apparently, everyone wears jeans to work every day.

4

A:   David’s really changed the way he looks.

B:   Really?

A:   Yeah. I never thought I’d see him dressing the way he does now – the blue jeans, the gold necklaces … He’s even wearing his shirts unbuttoned.

B:   No way!

A:   It’s true. He used to wear suits and ties all the time, but not anymore.

B:   What happened?

A:   I heard he broke up with his girlfriend.

5

A:   I think Karen looked a lot better before she changed her look.

B:   Hmm. What do you mean?

A:   Well, first of all, she cut her gorgeous long hair. And now she dresses completely differently. She used to always look casual but professional. But now she always wears really conservative suits.

B:   Why did she change?

A:   She had to. She got a big promotion at work, and she meets with clients all the time now.

6

A:   Have you seen Steve Jones since he graduated from college? He looks so different.

B:   Really? How?

A:   He wears a suit and tie every day.

B:   You’re kidding!

A:   I know. It’s strange. In college, he was always wearing his old jeans and a denim shirt. He looked so relaxed all the time.

B:   What made him change?

A:   He got a job at a bank, so he has to look professional.

1 F   2 A   3 D   4 C   5 E   6 B

1 a   2 c   3 c   4 b   5 b   6 b

Transcript

1

I just bought these. Do you like them? They’re imported from Italy, and they’re made of leather. They’ll look great with my new pants. They’re so comfortable to wear. I walked around in them in the store, so I know they won’t hurt my feet. They were a pretty good bargain, too – only $125.

2

What do you think of this? Are the arms long enough? I really need it for work. These days we have to dress up at the office, so I can’t just wear a shirt and tie. It’s made of wool, so it’ll be nice and warm in the winter. It was on sale for $75.

3

This is made of silk, and it was made in China. It’s very light, and I love the way it feels. I have to go to a wedding in San Diego this summer. It can get really hot there, so I wanted something sleeveless. I thought it was a bargain at $200.

4

These will be great for work. They’re made of extra-think denim, and the quality seems good. That’s really important to me. I tore a hole in my last pair the first time I wore them. Working in construction is hard on my clothes. I can’t believe these were only $29.95!

5

Does this look okay on me? It’s not too tight, is it? It’s imported from France and really well-made. I thought the colors were great, and I have a couple of blouses that will go perfectly with it. It’s made of wool, too, so it will be very warm. It wasn’t cheap – $95 – but I know. I’ll wear it all the time.

6

These will be great for running. They were pretty expensive – $115. They’re imported from Korea and look very well-made. They’re really comfortable. And I like these little stripes down the side. I’m going to want to run every day now just so I can wear them!

A:   Oh, I like this black sweater. It’s really nice, isn’t it?

B:   Yeah, it’s great. Is it made of wool?

A:   No, I think it’s made of cotton.

B:   Don’t you already have a couple of black sweaters?

A:   Yeah, I do, but I really like this one.

B:   You wear a lot of black. Why don’t you try on one of these blue sweaters?

A:   Yeah, that’s a nice color. I’ll try it on!