PAU MOCK EXAM Reading Comprehension

Fast fashion
First there was fast food. Now we have fast fashion. Cheap, disposable clothing has become
hugely popular on our high streets but our passion for value fashion is turning into an ecological
disaster. In the West we buy an average of 35 kg of textiles per person per year. This is mostly
clothing and much of it will be thrown out within 12 months, with a small part being recycled or
donated to charity, but the rest simply chucked in the bin. This adds up to millions of tonnes of
discarded clothes every year, the bulk of which goes directly into waste landfill sites.

A recent Government report in the UK criticised retailers for encouraging consumers “to dispose
of clothes which have only been worn a few times in favour of buying new, cheap garments
which themselves will also go out of fashion and be discarded within a matter of months.”
Indeed, in the last five years, garment prices have fallen by an average of 10 per cent while the
rate of buying has accelerated. Meanwhile the fashion industry has managed to avoid green
criticism whereas other sectors like food or electronics have faced new legislation and
regulations. In the EU, for example, it is now illegal to dispose of many household electrical
goods like washing machines in landfill sites. And when the UK analysed the impact of different
materials on landfills they found that all this discarded clothing translated into 3 million tonnes of
carbon dioxide emissions per year.

So what can we do to cut back on the environmental impact of fashion? One thing we can do is
to donate more clothes to charity when we’ve finished with them and in turn be more willing to
buy second hand. Another thing we can do is go back to repairing clothes just like our
grandparents. Only 2 per cent of the total we spend on garments per year is used for repairs or
lengthening their lifespan. Buying clothes which are more expensive also helps. One of the
biggest problems is that the fall in prices has been accompanied by a corresponding fall in
fabric quality meaning that cheap clothes don’t last very long and need to be thrown away after
a few washes.

Whether or not we choose to follow this advice, it is becoming increasingly evident that fast
cheap fashion is not sustainable. Labour costs are increasing, cotton and polyester are
becoming more expensive, as are the costs of shipping and airfreight from the countries where
cheap clothes are made. Fast fashion will almost certainly slow down.

PART ONE: QUESTIONS

Choose the correct answer according to the text. Only one is correct. 0.5 points for each
correct answer. Look at the example.

Example:
0. The text is about…
a) the price of clothes.
b) how clothes are made.
c) shopping habits and their consequences. 
d) where clothes come from.

1. What is fast fashion?

a) Clothing which is biodegradable.
b) Inexpensive clothing that is thrown away soon after being bought.
c) Clothing which travels from one country to another.
d) Environmentally friendly clothing.

2. How much clothing do we throw away every year?

a) 35 kg per person.
b) More and more.
c) 2 per cent of what we buy.
d) Millions of tonnes.
3. The UK Government thinks fast fashion…
a) is good for the economy.
b) will be made illegal in the EU.
c) is bad for the environment.
d) has decreased by 10%.

4. How will buying clothes which are more expensive help the environment?
a) Because they last longer than cheap ones.
b) Because they use less cotton and polyester.
c) Because you pay more tax.
d) Because they need to be repaired more often.

5. According to the text, fast fashion is…

a) unsustainable.
b) getting faster.
c) expensive.
d) good for charities.

6. Why are clothes cheaper now than 5 years ago?

a) Because people don’t buy as much.
b) Because shipping costs have fallen.
c) Because there are no environmental laws for the fashion industry.
d) Because the quality is not as good.

7. Fast fashion has not been effected by…

a) labour costs.
b) new laws.
c) fabric quality.
d) the cost of petroleum.

8. According to the text, which of these is true?

a) You can throw anything in a landfill site.
b) Consumers don’t like fast fashion.
c) The UK Government thinks shops should encourage people to buy more.
d) We don’t spend much money on repairing our clothes.