Part 6

You are going to read an article about fashion. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (37-42). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. 

Back to black

‘Why do you always wear black?’ I’ve remembered this opening line from Chekhov’s The Seagull since I first read it at college. This is because the question could have been directed at me. My obsession with black clothes at that time annoyed my parents enormously. However, I must say that, in spite of being rebellious and often a little melodramatic, I never replied as Masha did in The Seagull: ‘I am in mourning for my life’, although at times I may have thought it!

These days I still often wear black, but for many different reasons. 37 __. Black can do all these things. But what intrigues me is how this colour moved from representing grief or rebellion to becoming the must-have fashion colour in today’s world. At a time when trends and colours come and go, black is a constant, it is always ‘in’. But why? I think the answer lies in the unique power of the colour itself and its many associations. Black always tells others something important about who wears it, far more than any other colour.

Many people, like Masha in The Seagull, associate black with mourning. Looking back in history we can see quite clearly that since Greek and Roman times black clothing has been a symbol of grief and sorrow. 38 __. In Victorian England, widows were forced to dress in black for years. And the Romantic poets in the 19th century, including Byron, Shelley and Keats, adopted the colour as a symbol of isolation, sadness and mystery.

But, through the centuries black has also had other associations. One of these is with protest, standing against what people thought was wrong. Johnny Cash, the legendary country singer, famously wore black to remind people of the injustices he saw in society. Linked to this is the association of black with rebellion. Groups who want to show their distance from the rules and opinions of normal society often choose black as their go-to colour. My grandmother remembers the beatniks in the 1950s who wore black jumpers, berets and thick black-rimmed glasses. 39 __. And who could imagine a biker riding a Harley Davidson wearing a yellow leather jacket?

But it’s when we look at fashion trends that we can see black’s biggest moment. In Victorian times, black was the uniform for servants and shop assistants, but in 1926 the influential fashion magazine, Vogue, had a dress by designer Coco Chanel on its cover. Referred to as the ‘Little Black Dress’, it immediately changed the face of fashion. It was simple, practical and elegant. 40 __. In an instant the LBD (a term which gained a place in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2010) moved black from the shadows to centre stage, where it has remained ever since. And it continues to dominate. 41 __. Retailers clearly want to use the flexibility and timelessness of black to reach a wide market. In terms of fashion, black suits all age groups, all skin types and can be worn for nearly any occasion. No surprise that clothing retailers are profiting from this.

So, whether black is worn to look attractive or efficient, to show sadness or sophistication, to be rebellious or appear important, it is a uniquely powerful colour. 42 __. It is there for those occasions when we either want to fit in or stand out from the crowd. Black will always be ‘the new black’.

A. In addition to this it was both flattering and affordable.
B. In many countries people wore, and still wear it to funerals.
C. This was because a new high-quality black dye became available.
D. For instance, at formal parties I might want to look elegant and sophisticated, or when meeting clients and in work meetings to give an efficient, serious and business-like impression.
E. We may not all be ‘in mourning for our lives,’ like Masha in The Seagull, but there is a strong probability that there is something black and timeless in all our wardrobes.
F. Recent reports of on line clothes sales show that the purchasing of black items has gone up considerably in the last decade.
G. Another example would be, of course, the Goths, whose obsession with black goes beyond clothes to eye make-up, hair and lipstick.

Part 7

You are going to read an article about memorable days. For questions 43 – 52, choose from the sections (A – D). The people may be chosen more than once.

Which writer…

43. shared a memorable moment with a family member? __
44. points out the life-changing nature of a red letter day? __
45. had a red letter day that marked a long-awaited achievement? __
46. gives examples of common memorable days? __
47. clarifies their attitude to a particularly difficult time? __
48. has sensory memories from a red letter day? __
49. recalls potential red letter days that were spoiled by anxiety? __
50. refused to think about the future on a red letter day? __
51. mentions a red letter day that was not overshadowed by the problems that followed? __
52. has kept a souvenir of a red letter day? __

Red letter days

A Amber
It was a really empowering moment. I’d imagined how it might feel, but the reality was much, much more exciting. When you look forward to something so much that you can hardly sleep, there’s the danger that it’s going to be a bit of an anticlimax. This wasn’t. My best friend drove me to the garage to pick it up and I’ll never forget being given the keys. It wasn’t anything special and it certainly didn’t cost a fortune, but it was mine. I think people sometimes underestimate the importance of having a car and the freedom and independence it gives you. It lets you make choices and do things you’ve always wanted to do. That little sports car was rusty and broke down more often than I like to remember, but the day I sat in it for the first time was one of the best days of my life.

B Kush
It had been a challenging month. OK, to be totally honest, I’d hated every minute of it. An endless stream of revision, broken sleep, attacks of nerves and those horrible freeze moments. You know, when you turn over an exam paper and for a moment the words blur and your heart sinks because you can’t remember a thing. I’ve got an old-fashioned wall calendar and I took great pleasure in crossing off each exam as it finished. The final day was circled in red, with LAST ONE! in capitals. It was a literal red letter day! And wow, did I prepare for it. I went into that final exam dressed for celebrating and straight afterwards we all went into town to celebrate our freedom. What an evening. It marked the end of an era. We all put the thought of failure or resits to the very back of our minds and enjoyed the moment. I’ve still got the calendar by the way.

C Katie
It started out as a pretty normal day for me, trying to get my head round a new story plot. I’d been passionate about creative writing since I read my first story book at the age of six. And, it wasn’t as though it was unexpected. I’d been through the whole process from getting my proposal accepted (after a stack of rejections) through to final draft with everything that involved; the writer’s block; the irritation with editorial comments (What did they know?); the self-doubt and so on. But, ripping open the package when it landed on my door mat and holding the book in my hands literally brought tears to my eyes. I can still feel the weight of it and smell those fresh pages and see, in bold and shiny letters, my name under the title. The first of many I’m happy to say, but never ever another moment that could beat that one.

D Alfie
I guess most people would say that their red letter days include things like getting exam results or maybe something like their wedding or the birth of a child. I have to admit that I don’t remember much about my wedding – I was so nervous that things might go wrong! And what I mostly remember about the day my daughter was born was all the worry, because she arrived early and had to go in an incubator. No, for me the red letter day was when my wife and I were allowed to walk out into the hospital grounds with our tiny new baby in my arms for the very first time! We were exhausted but that couldn’t wipe the big smiles off our faces.

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