新视野大学英语视听说教程 2 Unit 6-12

V. Let’s Talk
The Miniskirt
Mary Quant was a famous dress designer in the 1960s. Her main contribution to fashion history was the miniskirt. During the 1960s many young people were starting to think women could do more in life than be wives and mothers. Clothes became a weapon in the battle between generations. Anything different and daring¹ was soon popular. During this period miniskirts attracted the world’s attention. It was teenagers and very young girls who bought short shirts that displayed their legs. Ms. Quant said that at her fashion shop, young women began demanding shorter and shorter skirts. “If I didn’t make them short enough, the girls that had wonderful legs would take scissors and shorten² the skirts themselves.” She said. Eventually, Ms. Quant’s skirts, which arrived in the United States in the mid-60’s, were reduced to about five inches. In parts of Europe and North America the miniskirt represented loose morals³. Members of the older generation believed good girls would never appear in miniskirts. But in Ms. Quant’s opinion, short skirts worn with heavy pantyhose would make the girl look childlike. Lately, feminists⁴ have come to see mini as a symbol of women’s liberation⁵, as a powerful weapon against the traditional stereotype⁶ of the woman simply as wife and mother.
1.D   2.D   3.A   4.C   5.B
 

1 daring   

adj.大胆的，勇敢的，敢作敢为

参考例句：

• It was a daring attempt but he carried it off.那是个大胆的尝试，而他成功了。
• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。

2 shorten   

vt.弄短，缩小，减少

参考例句：

• Minor accidents can shorten the life of a car.小事故会缩短汽车寿命。
• My dress is too long I must shorten it.我的连衣裙太长了，我得把它截短些。

3 morals   

n. 道德; 名词moral的复数形式

参考例句：

• a self-appointed custodian of public morals 自封的公共道德的卫道士
• We must arm the people against the lowering of our morals. 我们必须武装人们的头脑，以防我们的道德标准降低。

4 feminists   

n.男女平等主义者，女权扩张论者( feminist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Only 16 percent of young women in a 1990 survey considered themselves feminists. 在1990年的一项调查中，只有16%的年轻女性认为自己是女权主义者。 来自辞典例句
• The organization had many enemies, most notably among feminists. 这个组织有许多敌人，特别是在男女平等主义者中。 来自辞典例句

5 liberation   

n.解放，解放运动（为获得平等权利和地位的行为）

参考例句：

• We should help those who are still struggling for liberation.我们应当帮助那些仍在为独立而斗争的人们。
• Many people died during famines every year before liberation.解放前每年有许多人在饥荒中死亡。

6 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。