War against skinny mannequins

Thousands of Spanish women are to be invited to undergo “body scans” so that shop-window mannequins will better reflect the real female form. The Health Ministry is sending out invitations to 8,500 women between the ages of 12 and 70, drawn randomly from the electoral roll.

The findings will also be used to design clothes that fit women better, as Spain breaks new ground in trying to combat eating disorders by promoting a healthier body image for girls.

The country’s largest fashion retailers have signed up to the initiative. Chains such as Zara, Mango, Bershka and Massimo Dutti have agreed to get rid of skinny mannequins of sizes less than a European 38 – a 10 in Uk terms. “The idea is that the mannequins should not falsify reality, that they should be within the range of measurements of Spanish women”, explained Domingo Roibás, a spokesman for the ministry. Elena Salgado, the Health Minister, said: “It is unreasonable for a modern and advanced society to establish beauty stereotypes that are far removed from reality. It’s everyone’s commitment that beauty and health go hand-in-hand”.

It is not just the central Government that is taking up issues important to women. The Madrid regional government, controlled by the opposition conservative Popular Party, took the first step last year by banning very skinny models from its Cibeles fashion show.

Many Spanish women said yesterday that the ubiquitous mannequins did influence the way they thought about their bodies. “It’s a good measure”, said Maria José, a stylish woman entering Zara on Gran Via, Madrid’s main shopping street. “Hopefully it will stop our girls from thinking they need to be a size 34 to be normal”

Pressed by the Government, Spanish companies have also agreed to include size 46 clothing in their normal, rather than outsize ranges. They will also work to standardise sizes, which can vary widely between shops.

READING COMPREHENSION

Add TRUE or FALSE and copy the evidence from the text to support your answer. NO marks are given for only true or false.

1.    Spain is taking the initiative in trying to promote a healthier body image for girls in order to combat eating disorders.

• TRUE (paragraph 2) “Spain breaks new ground in trying to combat eating disorders by promoting a healthier body image for girls”

2.    Fashion chains don’t agree to take away skinny mannequins from shop windows.

• FALSE (paragraph 3) “Chains such as Zara, Mango, Bershka and Massimo Dutti have agreed to get rid of skinny mannequins of sizes less than a European 38 – a 10 in Uk terms” 

3.    Many Spanish women believe mannequins in the windows affect the way they think about their bodies.

• TRUE (paragraph 5) “Many Spanish women said yesterday that the ubiquitous mannequins did influence the way they thought about their bodies” 

4.    Standard sizes can change very little between shops.      

• FALSE (paragraph 6) “They will also work to standardise sizes, which can vary widely between shops”

LEXICON

Find words or phrases in the text that mean the same as these given.

1.    arbitrarily, without a definite plan: randomly (paragraph 1)

2.    to be the right shape and size for somebody: fit (paragraph 2)

3.    responsibility, duty: commitment (paragraph 3)

4.    smart, elegant: stylish (paragraph 5)

PHONETICS

Find words in the text with the following phonemes.

1.    bus (two words)
undergo, country, up,etc

2.   father (one word)
the, that, they, rather, etc

3.    beer (one word)

between, eating, agreed, street, etc

USE OF ENGLISH

Rewrite the following sentences starting with the words given.

1.    This is not the first time I attended a fashion show 

• I’m used  to attending a fashion show.

2.  He really likes fashion clothes 

• He’s very fond of fashion clothes.

3.   We left before the end of the show.   

• The show hadn’t ended when we left.

4.    Someone should advise her about the importance of having a healthy diet. 

• She should be advised about the importance of having a healthy diet.

5.    People say that Camilo José Cela was given important prizes.

• Camilo José Cela is said to have been given important prizes.

6. Make a question for the underlined word.

•  It took me 20 minutes to correct each exam.   

• How long did you take to correct each exam?

+EXÁMENES RESUELTOS