Q4.
Early film actors started wearing sunglasses not because they were glamorous, but because their eyes hurt.
The lights used on film sets were extremely bright and could be harmful for their eyes. But when film stars
began wearing their sunglasses in public, they quickly became a must- have fashion accessory. Of course
sunglasses aren’t just a fashion statement. The main reason for wearing sunglasses is still to protect your
eyes against UV radiation. But you don’t have to sacrifice style for safety. The choice of frames and lenses
available these days is huge. So you can protect your eyes and still be the coolest person on the beach.
Q5.
Fashion has always been a controversial issue. Young people express themselves through fashion, and
extreme fashion is a way to rebel. In the 1960s, young people started wearing miniskirts, bell-bottomed
pants and flower patterns. Many young people became hippies, and parents despaired when their teenage
sons grew their hair long. Then came the decade of glamorous fashion with gold and silver pants. Disco-
goers wore high-heeled shoes and boots that were almost impossible to walk in. Punk rock also raised its
ugly head during the 70s. Punks had crazy Mohawk haircuts and wore dirty clothes with holes in them.
They attached pins to their clothes and even inserted them through their cheeks and eyebrows. Punks really
knew how to rebel. Now that we’ve entered the 21st century, you can wear whatever you like!
Q6.
People have different reasons for covering themselves with tattoos, piercings, and other kinds of body art.
Some do it because they want to be different. Others want to be part of the current fashion. Ten years ago,
in the West, only motorcycle riders and sailors had tattoos, and people usually only pierced their earlobes.
Today tattooing is very popular, especially amongst the young. People are piercing just about any area of
skin that can have a hole put in it. Ears are pierced from top to bottom, and rings and pins are inserted into
lips, chins, noses, eyebrows, navels and even tongues. Small tattoos have become almost normal. During
working hours they stay hidden on shoulders, upper arms, hips and ankles, waiting to be shown at a
nightclub or a party.
Q7.
Sony changed the way we listen to music in 1979 when it released the first Walkman. Suddenly we could
listen to our favourite music anywhere we liked. Of course small personal radios had been around for a
long time, but the Walkman was different. As Sony says, ‘it provided listeners a personal soundtrack to
their lives’. Technology has come a long way since the days of the original cassette Walkman. In 1984 the
CD Walkman arrived. The MiniDisc Walkman followed in 1992. Then came the MP3 player, and now we
have the Memory Stick Walkman which weighs an amazing 67 grams.