Part A: Reading Comprehension

Directions: Read the following text. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)

Text 1

France, which prides itself as the global innovator of fashion, has decided its fashion industry has lost an absolute right to define physical beauty for women. Its lawmakers gave preliminary approval last week to a law that would make it a crime to employ ultra-thin models on runways. The parliament also agreed to ban websites that “incite excessive thinness” by promoting extreme dieting.

Such measures have a couple of uplifting motives. They suggest beauty should not be defined by looks that end up impinging on health. That’s a start. And the ban on ultra-thin models seems to go beyond protecting models from starving themselves to death—as some have done. It tells the fashion industry that it must take responsibility for the signal it sends women, especially teenage girls, about the social tape-measure they must use to determine their individual worth.

The bans, if fully enforced, would suggest to women (and many men) that they should not let others be arbiters of their beauty. And perhaps faintly, they hint that people should look to intangible qualities like character and intellect rather than dieting their way to size zero or wasp-waist physiques.

The French measures, however, rely too much on severe punishment to change a culture that still regards beauty as skin-deep—and bone-showing. Under the law, using a fashion model that does not meet a government-defined index of body mass could result in a $85,000 fine and six months in prison.

The fashion industry knows it has an inherent problem in focusing on material adornment and idealized body types. In Denmark, the United States, and a few other countries, it is trying to set voluntary standards for models and fashion images that rely more on peer pressure for enforcement.

In contrast to France’s actions, Denmark’s fashion industry agreed last month on rules and sanctions regarding the age, health, and other characteristics of models. The newly revised Danish Fashion Ethical Charter clearly states: “We are aware of and take responsibility for the impact the fashion industry has on body ideals, especially on young people.” The charter’s main tool of enforcement is to deny access for designers and modeling agencies to Copenhagen Fashion Week (CFW), which is run by the Danish Fashion Institute. But in general it relies on a name-and-shame method of compliance.

Relying on ethical persuasion rather than law to address the misuse of body ideals may be the best step. Even better would be to help elevate notions of beauty beyond the material standards of a particular industry.

21. According to the first paragraph, what would happen in France?

[A]

Physical beauty would be redefined. 

[B]

New runways would be constructed. 

[C]

Websites about dieting would thrive. 

[D]

The fashion industry would decline. 

22. The phrase “impinging on” (Line 2, Para. 2) is closest in meaning to

[A]

indicating the state of. 

[B]

heightening the value of. 

[C]

losing faith in. 

[D]

doing harm to. 

23. Which of the following is true of the fashion industry?

[A]

The French measures have already failed. 

[B]

Its inherent problems are getting worse. 

[C]

Models are no longer under peer pressure. 

[D]

New standards are being set in Denmark. 

24. A designer is most likely to be rejected by CFW for

[A]

pursuing perfect physical conditions. 

[B]

caring too much about models’ character. 

[C]

showing little concern for health factors. 

[D]

setting a high age threshold for models. 

25. Which of the following may be the best title of the text?

[A]

The Great Threats to the Fashion Industry 

[B]

Just Another Round of Struggle for Beauty 

[C]

A Dilemma for the Starving Models in France 

[D]

A Challenge to the Fashion Industry’s Body Ideals 

Answers & Explanations (答案与深度解析)

试题精解

21. [A] Physical beauty would be redefined.
【解析】细节题。第一段指出，法国时尚界“lost an absolute right to define physical beauty for women”（丧失了定义女性身体美的绝对权利）。随后法案将雇佣过瘦模特设为犯罪。这意味着旧的“极瘦”美学被推翻，美的标准将发生改变，即“重新定义（redefined）”。

22. [D] doing harm to.
【解析】词义题。定位到第二段第二句：beauty should not be defined by looks that end up impinging on health（美不应由最终会“impinge on”健康的外表来定义）。根据下文提到的“饿死自己（starving themselves to death）”可知，这种追求极瘦的外表会极大地损害健康。故选 [D] 损害（doing harm to）。

23. [D] New standards are being set in Denmark.
【解析】细节题。第五段提到：“In Denmark... it is trying to set voluntary standards...”（在丹麦，（时尚界）正试图制定自愿标准）。第六段进一步说明丹麦上个月达成了一系列规则，即《丹麦时尚伦理宪章》。这完全对应 [D] 选项。

24. [C] showing little concern for health factors.
【解析】细节推理题。第六段说明，丹麦伦理宪章的执行工具是“deny access... to CFW”（拒绝其进入哥本哈根时装周），而审查的内容包括模特的“age, health, and other characteristics”。因此，如果不关心健康（showing little concern for health），就会被拒绝。故选 [C]。

25. [D] A Challenge to the Fashion Industry’s Body Ideals
【解析】主旨题。文章前四段讲述法国通过法律手段禁止极瘦模特，后两段讲述丹麦等国通过行业自律改变病态审美。全文核心都在于挑战时尚界长期以来树立的“病态身体理想标准”。故 [D] 是最佳标题。

考研核心句型与长难句

【长难句剖析】

1. 同位语与形容词短语：
"France, which prides itself as the global innovator of fashion, has decided its fashion industry has lost an absolute right to define physical beauty for women."
【解析】which 引导定语从句修饰 France。主句谓语是 has decided，后面引导一个省略 that 的宾语从句。

2. 并列结构与复杂宾语：
"It tells the fashion industry that it must take responsibility for the signal it sends women... about the social tape-measure they must use to determine their individual worth."
【解析】it sends women 是省略了 that 的定语从句修饰 signal；they must use... 是定语从句修饰 tape-measure。意为：时尚界必须对它向女性传递的信号负责，即女性用来衡量自身价值的标准。

3. 比较与选择：
"And perhaps faintly, they hint that people should look to intangible qualities like character and intellect rather than dieting their way to size zero or wasp-waist physiques."
【解析】hint 后接宾语从句。rather than 连接两个对比部分：关注内在品质 vs. 通过节食追求零号身材。