| Level | Topic | Speakers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | Clothing | Man – Woman | 01:35 |
Pre-Listening Exercise
What kinds of clothes do you wear to school or work? Where do you buy your clothes? Do you ever buy used clothing?
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- Everyone should try to dress in style.
- What you wear shows who you are.
- Expensive clothes look better than cheap clothes.
- It’s okay to wear the same clothes many times.
- School uniforms make life easier for students.
- People should always dress for the weather, not fashion.
- You feel more confident when you dress well.
- Fashion is more important for young people than for adults.
- Some clothing styles never go out of fashion.
- It’s wrong to judge people by their clothes.
Idioms
“on the spur of the moment” = without planning or preparation
“I decided to go to the party on the spur of the moment, so I threw on some clothes and left.”
“be decked out” = be dressed in formal clothes for nice occasions
“She was decked out in a beautiful dress, and everyone was surprised.”
Listening Exercise
Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)
Vocabulary and Sample Sentences
Here are some words that appear in the recording:
- rest (noun): what is left over after everything else has been used, eaten, etc.
– Wow. Your suitcase is already full of shirts and shoes. What are you going to do with the rest of your clothing? - room (noun): space
– Do you have any room in your backpack for a couple more books? - pack (verb): fill a suitcase, box, or another container
– You’d better start packing your bags tonight so we don’t have to rush out the door tomorrow. - rain cats and dogs (idiom): rain very hard
– Last night, I was walking home from work when it began raining cats and dogs. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my umbrella with me. - pick up (phrasal verb): buy something
– Could you pick up some white socks from the store on your way home from work? - formal occasion (noun): an important event where people wear special clothing and behave politely
– I sometimes rent a tuxedo for formal occasions. I don’t want to buy one that I will only wear once every few years. - on the spur of the moment (idiom): without planning or preparation
– She always makes decisions on the spur of the moment, so you never know what she’s planning. - slacks (noun): good-quality pants
– You don’t have to wear a suit to the event, but you might want to wear a pair of nice slacks and a conservative tie. - make sense (idiom): have a clear meaning or a sensible explanation
– It makes sense to ask teachers to wear a nice shirt and tie to work. - be decked out (idiom): dressed in formal clothes for special occasions
– Everyone was shocked when my brother came to the barbecue decked out in a white tuxedo. Then, we realized he came to propose to his girlfriend.
Vocabulary Practice
Do the vocabulary quizzes using the words from the conversation for more practice:
Post-Listening Exercise
What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying clothing in a regular store as compared with purchasing something over the internet? What have been your experiences in doing both?
Online Investigation
What people wear can say something about a person’s personality, style, interests, and at times, employment situation, and dressing appropriately for different circumstances can be important. For each of the following situations below, decide on what clothing (shirt, shoes, tie, dress, uniform, etc.) would be appropriate and think about the reasons.
- school or work
- at a nice restaurant
- to a park
- to the home of close friends
Then, use the internet to find the items of clothing, determine the cost of each, and compare what you find online to what you might find in a local clothing store in your area.