1 . The Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week held in Ethiopia in November attracted over 5,000 visitors. Though the number is not extremely high, the continent is becoming a new global fashion leader, according to a UNESCO report.

Although most African fashion businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises (企业), the report identified a growing number of high-fashion brands concentrated in key markets on the continent. What makes African fashion unique is its authenticity (真实性), according to Kenyan designer Aulga Nato. “If you check most fashion houses elsewhere in the world, they have done so much that they have less creativity in what they are putting out now. Africa, on the other hand, is rich in cloth. We are huge cotton growers, and we are rich in every single way. That’s our fashion,” she explained.

Africa is a major producer of raw materials (原材料) for the fashion industry, with 37 out of 54 African countries producing cotton and textile exports from the continent averaging $15.5 billion (about 110.2 billion yuan) a year. The continent also has a huge animal population from which it sources animal skins. However, there’s a huge shortage of chemicals to make the materials needed to treat the leather (皮革) from animals used in the clothing industry. And the continent still faces challenges related to the movement of people.

Despite these challenges, African designers are giving their best to their work and leading the world in sustainable fashion and practices. African governments have also taken measures to help designers in achieving their aims. It seems that their efforts have paid off. After checking clothing exhibits at a fashion event, Ghanaian exhibitor Solomon Dodoo noticed that every single cloth is unique and there are no two pieces of cloth that look alike.

1. What makes Africa have an unusual fashion?

A．Its increasing tourism.	B．Its huge cotton production.
C．A report from the UNESCO.	D．The authenticity of its fashion.

2. What challenge does African fashion face?

A．A great need for animal skins.

B．Lack of chemicals for treating leather.

C．The development of cotton production.

D．Shortage of creativity among designers.

3. Why do African designers overcome challenges successfully?

A．They are supported by African governments.

B．They abandon unique and sustainable fashion.

C．They lead the world in the clothing industry.

D．They check clothing exhibits at a fashion event.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．African Fashion is Popular in the World

B．African Designers Face Difficulties in Fashion

C．African Countries Have Materials for the Fashion Industry

D．Africa’s Advantages Promote Its Fashion Industry’s Success

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the man praise?

A．The woman’s dress.

B．The woman’s bag.

C．The woman’s shoes.

2. How does the woman keep up with fashion?

A．By watching fashion shows.

B．By following the fashion trend.

C．By getting help from a designer.

3. Where does the woman usually buy dress?

A．At the supermarket.

B．At the tailor’s.

C．On the Internet.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Recently, you may have noticed some new trends in the fashion industry, from “dopamine (多巴胺) dressing” to “tomato girl”. Now, it is the perfect time     1     (try) something new with the “Maillard style” that’s getting popular on social media.

The term “Maillard” originally refers to the Maillard     2     (react). This phenomenon is well-known in Western cuisine. It describes a chemical change that produces flavor chemicals and browning in foods such as toast and steak, as     3     (note) by BBC Science Focus.

    4     (similar), Maillard-inspired fashion creates clothes     5     show different kinds of brown, like rich reddish-browns, warm yellow-browns, and delicate off-whites(米色). This makes     6     easier for people to think of the rich tastes food brings,     7     (create) pleasant emotions in their brains.

    8     (compare) to the bright colors of “dopamine dressing” and the fresh “tomato girl” look, the dark earth colors that Maillard style uses reflect the autumn season and give people a     9     (comfort) feeling.

The style has also become     10     hit among many famous brands. At fashion shows showing off their new autumn products, brands like Miu Miu, Hermes, and Miuccia Prada have all presented Mailard-themed clothes one after another.

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。

1. What is usually the first requirement for being a model?

A．Being thin.

B．Being lovely.

C．Being unique.

2. What does Victoria’s Secret decide to do?

A．Hire plus-size models.

B．Lower their standards.

C．Dismiss skinny models.

3. What is the problem caused by products only in small sizes?

A．They destroy girls’ ideal life.

B．They create body shame in girls.

C．They increase boys’ individuality.

4. What career opportunities do plus-size models have now?

A．To act in films and TV shows.

B．To sell products as saleswomen.

C．To appear in many magazines.

5 . When it’s time for a wardrobe makeover (形象改造), who’s the best person to give you some advice? You’ll probably turn to your friend for some feedback and fashion tips — they know you best and can offer an honest opinion about which colours don’t match and which outfit makes you look pretty.

However for someone like me, who’s not a follower of fashion and has a more practical dress sense, I don’t need help-it’s just jeans or... jeans! But for people who care about their appearance, they can now get some trustworthy advice with the aid of technology.

Of course, using social media is a good way when you are at a loss about fashion, but this—sometimes brings in too much conflicting advice and opinions that are sometimes straightforward! That’s why one woman has developed an app to help women crowdsource advice from stylists in a safe, non-violent communication environment.

Sophia Matveeva’s Style Counsel app allows users to post a photo and receive “yes” or “no” answers from other users, or more detailed advice from fashion stylists and bloggers very quickly. According to Mathew Wall, BBC Technology of Business editor, this is a growing business; with several new apps such as AskAnna, Mallzee and StyleDotMe all offering young women tips on suitable and fashionable clothes to wear.

There’s also a website called EyeFitU which finds clothes to fit your figure. Its chief executive, Isabelle Ohnemus, says there are no international standards in clothes sizes but she explains, “We can set up your size profile in a few seconds with 80% accuracy just knowing your gender, height, weight and age”. This information is used to find clothes that suit your actual shape. And the internet giant, Amazon, has also developed a camera that links to a “style check” function that compares photos and gives its opinion of which outfit is better, based on fit, colour, style and current fashion trends.

But does technology make fashion advice a bit impersonal? Sophia Matveeva admits that women in particular are social creatures and that “AI will never stop us talking to each other. . . girls will always want the approval of the cool girl at school.” But as for me: an app with someone I don’t know could be the place to start with some careful-in-speech fashion tips!

1. What is the problem of asking for fashion advice on social media?

A．No feedback.	B．Dishonest opinions.
C．Too many choices.	D．Contradictory advice.

2. Who are the possible target users of the fashion apps?

A．Cool boys at school.	B．Young women fashion-goers.
C．Fashion stylists and bloggers.	D．People with a practical dress sense.

3. How does the website EyeFitU help users find suitable clothes?

A．By developing a super camera.	B．By assessing current fashion trends.
C．By analyzing users’ basic information.	D．By setting agreed standards for clothes sizes.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Fashion Anxiety	B．New Fashion Trends
C．Wardrobe Decoration.	D．Tech-driven Fashion Advice

6 . When it’s time for a wardrobe makeover (形象改造), who’s the best person to give you some advice? You’ll probably turn to your friend for some feedback and fashion tips — they know you best and can offer an honest opinion about which colours don’t match and which outfit makes you look pretty.

However for someone like me, who’s not a follower of fashion and has a more practical dress sense, I don’t need help-it’s just jeans or... jeans! But for people who care about their appearance, they can now get some trustworthy advice with the aid of technology.

Of course, using social media is a good way when you are at a loss about fashion, but this—sometimes brings in too much conflicting advice and opinions that are sometimes straightforward! That’s why one woman has developed an app to help women crowdsource advice from stylists in a safe, non-violent communication environment.

Sophia Matveeva’s Style Counsel app allows users to post a photo and receive “yes” or “no” answers from other users, or more detailed advice from fashion stylists and bloggers very quickly. According to Mathew Wall, BBC Technology of Business editor, this is a growing business; with several new apps such as AskAnna, Mallzee and StyleDotMe all offering young women tips on suitable and fashionable clothes to wear.

There’s also a website called EyeFitU which finds clothes to fit your figure. Its chief executive, Isabelle Ohnemus, says there are no international standards in clothes sizes but she explains, “We can set up your size profile in a few seconds with 80% accuracy just knowing your gender, height, weight and age”. This information is used to find clothes that suit your actual shape. And the internet giant, Amazon, has also developed a camera that links to a “style check” function that compares photos and gives its opinion of which outfit is better, based on fit, colour, style and current fashion trends.

But does technology make fashion advice a bit impersonal? Sophia Matveeva admits that women in particular are social creatures and that “AI will never stop us talking to each other. . . girls will always want the approval of the cool girl at school.” But as for me: an app with someone I don’t know could be the place to start with some careful-in-speech fashion tips!

1. What is the problem of asking for fashion advice on social media?

A．No feedback.	B．Dishonest opinions.
C．Too many choices.	D．Contradictory advice.

2. Who are the possible target users of the fashion apps?

A．Cool boys at school.	B．Young women fashion-goers.
C．Fashion stylists and bloggers.	D．People with a practical dress sense.

3. How does the website EyeFitU help users find suitable clothes?

A．By developing a super camera.	B．By assessing current fashion trends.
C．By analyzing users’ basic information.	D．By setting agreed standards for clothes sizes.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Fashion Anxiety	B．New Fashion Trends
C．Wardrobe Decoration.	D．Tech-driven Fashion Advice

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where is the magazine?

A．On the sofa.

B．On the desk.

C．On the kitchen table.

2. What does the woman advise the man to do?

A．Wait until she finishes the magazine.

B．Buy a copy of the magazine.

C．Read the magazine online.

3. How much will the magazine probably cost next month?

A．£3.

B．£4.

C．£5.

4. What does the man say about the woman?

A．She is addicted to Cosmo.

B．She is a big fan of Martin Scorsese.

C．She likes the film The Departed very much.

8 . “Few articles change owners more frequently than clothes. They travel downwards from grade to grade in the social scale with remarkable regularity,” wrote the journalist Adolphe Smith in 1877 as he traced a coat’s journey in the last century: cleaned, repaired and resold repeatedly; cut down into a smaller item; eventually recycled into new fabric. But with the improvement in people’s living standards, that model is mind-boggling in the era of fast fashion. The average British customer buys four items a month. And it is reported that 350,000 tonnes of used but still wearable clothes go to landfills in the UK each year.

Yet the gradual revival of the second-hand trade has gathered pace in the past few years. At fashion website Asos, sales of vintage clothes (古董衫) have risen by 92%. Clothing was once worn out of necessity, and now it is simply a way of life. Busy families sell used items on eBay, teenagers trade on Depop and some fashion people offer designer labels on Vestiaire Collective. Strikingly, it has become big enough business that mainstream retailers (零售商) want a slice of the action.

For some buyers and sellers, the switch to the second-hand is born of financial difficulties. Only a few have become worried about the impact of their shopping habit on the planet. But the shift is only a partial solution. Some people worry that some mainstream brands may “greenwash” — using second-hand goods to improve their image, rather than engaging more seriously with sustainability.

However, the biggest concern may be that people keep buying because they know they can resell goods, still chasing the pleasure of the next purchase but with an eased conscience (愧疚). Boohoo, a powerful fast fashion company, has seen sales and profits rise, despite concerns about environmental problems in its supply chain that led to an investigation last year.

A new Netflix series, Worn Stories, documents the emotional meanings that clothes can have: Each old item is full of memories. Actually, a handbag from a grandmother and a scarf passed on by a father are both valuable for us. A love of style is not a bad or an unimportant thing. But a committed relationship is better than a quick flash. Can we learn to appreciate our own old clothes as well as others’?

1. What does the word “mind-boggling” underlined in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Unbelievable.

B．Popular.

C．Reasonable.

D．Influential.

2. With the business mentioned in paragraph 2, the author wants to show _______.

A．old clothes are more popular than new pieces

B．the online second-hand markets are booming

C．the fashion world begins to favor vintage clothes

D．many clothing brands are innovative in their new products

3. How does the second-hand trade impact people according to paragraph 4?

A．It makes people feel free to pursue fast fashion.

B．It makes people more cautious about their budgets.

C．It encourages people to choose eco-friendly clothes.

D．It pushes people to be more engaged with sustainability.

4. Which of the following views does Worn Stories advocate?

A．Old items have lost favor with the public.

B．Old items are worthy of being long cherished.

C．Older generations attach great importance to old items.

D．Older generations care about the quality of their clothes.

9 . Helen Uffner has dressed Broadway, Hollywood and TV shows for more than 40 years. But high-rise developers and Amazon distribution centers are making it impossible to store her extraordinary vintage (古董衫) collection.

Helen Uffner began her love with old clothes as a young teenager, troubling her father, who worried that people would think he could not afford proper clothes for his daughter. With the prospect of a career in period fashion lacking promise, she joined a management consultancy after college. But soon she decided to monetize (把……转换成货币) her passion.

Over the next 40 years, Helen Uffner established a celebrated business renting out vintage clothes. Initially, she ran the business out of her apartment. By the late 1990s, she moved to a 6.000-square-foot space in the clothing district.

Challenges began in 2006, when the landlord was selling the building and wanted her out. At the same time commercial rents were increasing sharply and the city’s clothing industry had all but disappeared. Eventually, in 2008, Helen Uffner Vintage Clothing moved to Long Island City.

The transition was not easy. But by 2018, Helen Uffner found herself in the same trouble. She ultimately settled into another space only to face the drama all over again —her current building is planned for being tom down to make room for the construction of a high-rise.

While COVID -19 has reduced the price of office leasing (租赁), vast warchouse space of the kind Helen Uffner needs is at a premium because of the demand coming from Amazon and other e-commerce sites.

Now in her 70s, Helen Uffner has found the prospect of moving for a fourth time especially tough. “I have been making the joke that the emperor has no clothes,” Helen Uffner said, “because who will actually dress him.”

1. What is Helen’s father’s attitude toward her passion for old clothes?

A．He feels nervous as her dream will cost a lot.

B．He feels disgraceful(丢脸的)to be a poor father.

C．He feels worried as people may think he couldn’t afford clothes for her.

D．He feels angry as it is a waste of time and money.

2. Why does Helen join a management consultancy after college?

A．To lay the foundation for the pursuit of her ultimate goal.

B．To monetize her passion for the clothing industry.

C．To avoid the possible bad career prospect.

D．To follow in the footsteps of her father.

3. What does the underlined phrase “at a premium” probably mean?

A．Beyond reach.	B．At a lowest point.
C．At the peak.	D．Under guarantee.

4. What does the joke made by Helen in the last paragraph mean?

A．Nobody cares the appearance as survival matters most today.

B．People are too shallow to admit their mistakes for pursuing money.

C．The art-related industry has been ignored in the urban development.

D．Her age kills her passion for the extraordinary vintage collection.

5. The passage can be probably taken from ______

A．A school newspaper.	B．A medical report.
C．A science journal.	D．A fashion magazine.

10 . Have you ever spent a couple of hundred on a video game like Fortnite, where the outfit (服装) you buy is only in the virtual world to be worn by your virtual character? If so, then you can make sense of a new trend in the fashion scene (时尚界的新潮流): The rise of virtual clothing.

For many, the idea of buying virtual clothes is hard to accept. But more and more digital fashion stores are entering into a growing market — not actual clothes but digital outfits that stores just photoshop onto a customer’s photos or videos to be posted onto Instagram and elsewhere. Soon they are likely to become a way to dress your avatar when communicating in online games and meeting places, all maybe while staying in sweat pants at your own home.

27-year-old British influencer Daniella Loftus sees so much potential (潜力) that last month she gave up her job with a fashion consultancy to spend all her time on her website, This Outfit Does Not Exist. Her Instagram shows the potential of virtual clothing.

Isabelle Boemeke, a Brazilian model and influencer, is already a buyer of digital outfits. Online, she is known as Isodope. She is crazy about virtual clothing. “I wanted to do something very eye-catching. If my videos featured me wearing a T-shirt and jeans, they wouldn’t have the same attraction,” Boemeke said. “I do not have much social ability and I love expressing myself in different ways through virtual clothing.”

That’s the demand (需求), so the supply is coming fast. Outfits on digital fashion store DRESSX range from $25 hats to strange jellyfish-like dresses for hundreds of dollars. “Every brand (品牌) in the future will be on board with digital fashion,” said DRESSX co-founder Daria Shapovalova. Its own research said 15% of customers were doing so for Instagram posts, and almost a quarter found it satisfied their need for new clothing.

1. The main purpose of paragraph 2 is to        .

A．introduce the growth of digital fashion	B．stress the importance of the virtual world
C．explain why virtual clothes are easy to make	D．discuss whether it is necessary to dress avatars

2. What did Daniella Loftus do?

A．She quit her part-time job.	B．She gave up her online avatars.
C．She started to work in a new field.	D．She followed her dream as a buyer.

3. How did Isabelle Boemeke feel about virtual clothing?

A．It would be the same as any other daily outfit.	B．It was expressive and attractive.
C．It was creative and expensive.	D．It would soon be out of date.

4. What does the author want to say about digital fashion in the last paragraph?

A．It will be as popular as traditional fashion.	B．It has been greatly accepted by the public.
C．It hardly meets people’s present needs.	D．It has a big potential market.