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English Audio Request

maiphuonghaha
445 Words / 1 Recordings / 1 Comments
Note to recorder:

Please read the essay at your normal speed. Thank you!

Topic: There is a popular expression that claims that ‘the clothes make the man.’ This suggests that the clothes a person wears directly influences how that person behaves and is treated by others?

Do you agree or disagree with this idea?

Model essay 1:

There is an old adage that says you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. However, when it comes to clothes, that is precisely what people do every day; they create a cover for themselves and judge others by theirs. This is because one’s clothes are the first impression a person can make on people, and likewise, the clothes worn by others are the first image a person has of them.

This suggests that, beyond the obvious role of protecting the body from the elements, clothes serve other purposes as well: they can identify a person as a member of a particular group; they can ‘announce’ to the world a person’s status, financially or socially; and they can convey a person’s attitude toward many things, including him or herself. To illustrate these functions one can begin by looking at gang members or those who subscribe to a religious institution. Gangs often wear colors to differentiate themselves from other gangs. Mormon males who go on missions often wear plain white shirts and black pants. In terms of one’s place, a wealthy man might wear a high-end suit from Hugo Boss, or a woman may prefer designer brands like Gucci. Those who constantly wear jeans and t-shirts might be said to be carefree, or simply careless, depending on whom you ask.

It can therefore be inferred that the clothes one puts on every day are the result of careful deliberation. A man may choose to put on a suit because he wants to be seen as successful or powerful, and he will likely act the part as best he can. A woman will wear luxury brand high-heeled shoes because she wants to be taller or just more fashionable, and will thus walk with her head held high. There may be other reasons for this, of course, but these too will have their purpose. The young man who wears jeans and t-shirts, for example, will likely wear slacks and a polo shirt when he goes to a job interview, or to meet his girlfriend’s parents for the first time. He will, moreover, act differently because the situation calls for it.

With all this in mind, it may be concluded that clothes do in fact influence people’s decision making and behavior, and that they offer a signal to others. This signal tells those people how to approach people, and consequently, how to behave toward them.

Recordings

Comments

maiphuonghaha
Sept. 18, 2017

Thank you.

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