Exercise 4

Read the article written by a fashion journalist, and then answer the questions.
Jaya Faith: fashion journalist Working in fashion is a popular choice for many young people, and
offers a wide variety of different roles. This month, we hear from Jaya Faith, a journalist who writes
about fashion.
It was no surprise to my family and friends that I decided on fashion journalism as a career. Fashion
and clothes have always been important to me. When I was young, I loved seeing what the latest
fashions were and putting new outfits together. Even now, I admit to being slightly obsessed with
recreating what I see in fashion magazines from shows in exotic places like Paris, Milan, London and
New York. But actually, the job’s not only about the clothes we see on the catwalks and in the
magazines. Having a good understanding of the entire process involved in clothes production,
(including consumer habits), is key, and that’s my real strength.
Early in my career, I was employed at a magazine called Fashion First. I was in charge of writing and
publishing the magazine’s newsletter, and this put me in touch with all sorts of people working in
fashion. I quickly discovered it gave me the chance to build some useful relationships, which I still
rely on to this day. I also managed emails from readers, which was fascinating. I could see what
people were interested in, like wanting to know more about the origins of a type of clothing, and that
was something which had also always interested me, right from a young age.
Ever since I left that magazine, my work has involved submitting articles and opinion pieces to
different fashion publications and websites. For some time now, almost everything I write has had a
focus on the environment – that’s pretty much normal now for me and my colleagues. Of course, not
everyone can afford to buy environmentally friendly clothes, but the impression I get very strongly is
that people are keen to make better choices. There are still too many companies that put money first,
and the environment second though. While there are some signs that this will change, the evidence is
that this really doesn’t appear to be happening any time soon, unfortunately.
In general, I’m always impressed by the quality of the clothes I see. Each year, I’m lucky enough to
attend a large number of impressive fashion shows around the world. But I have to admit, one of my
absolute favourites is the show that’s put on by fashion students in my local city college. It’s always
an exciting event, and of course you never know whether you might be seeing an early design from a
future star designer! The students work hard all year to make sure they include some really unusual
clothes, and the large audiences in attendance will be something new to the young designers. They
really add to the whole excitement of the event, and create a great atmosphere.
Because I’ve been in the fashion industry for a while, I think I have something to offer young people
in terms of advice. I’ve therefore become involved in working with college fashion students,
supporting them through their studies. I’ve been telling them about a website I’ve come across, called
Fashion Network. Most of the information on the internet is all about the latest look, or the next
designer, with endless links to amazing bargains. Now, while that’s great and certainly has a place,
what’s generally missing from a lot of sites is information about the reality of the fashion industry. So
Fashion Network is one I recommend they check out!
For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C, and encircle the appropriate choice.
Question 10
Why does Jaya think she is successful at her job?
A She is good at predicting the next fashion trend.
B She has experience of fashion in many different cultures.
C She feels confident when writing about different elements of fashion.

Question 11
Jaya says that working for Fashion First magazine
A improved her communication skills.
B allowed her to make valuable contacts.
C made her think more about where clothes were made.

Question 12
What does Jaya say about the impact of fashion on the environment?
A The fashion industry needs to make faster improvements.
B Fashion journalists need to highlight the problems more effectively.
C Customers need to be more aware of the issues fashion creates.

Question 13
What does ‘They’ in Line 27 refer to?
A young designers
B unusual clothes
C large audiences

Question 14
In the last paragraph, Jaya mentions a website and
A describes her contribution to the site.
B suggests readers use the links it contains.
C explains how it fills a particular gap in knowledge.

Question 15
Jaya is writing this article to
A give an account of her experiences as a fashion journalist.
B explain the steps involved in becoming a fashion journalist.
C describe why fashion journalism is important to the clothes industry.

Exercise 5

You and your family recently took part in a ‘no technology’ challenge. This meant not using any
technology for a week
. Write an email to a friend about this.
In your email, you should:
 explain why you decided to take part in the challenge
 say what you found difficult during the challenge
 Describe how your habits have changed since completing the challenge.
The pictures above may give you some ideas, and you can also use some ideas of your own.
Your email should be between 120 and 160 words long.
You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your email, and up to 6 marks for the language
used.
 Exercise 6

15 You recently went on a school trip. Your teacher has asked you to write a report about the trip and make
suggestions for next year.

Here are some comments from your classmates:

Write a report for your teacher, giving your views.

The comments above may give you some ideas, and you can also use some ideas of your own.

Your report should be between 120 and160 words long.

You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your report, and up to 6 marks for the language used