18．If women are mercilessly exploited year after year，they have only themselves to blame．Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion，they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores．Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion．When you come to think of it，only a woman is capable of standing in front of a wardrobe（衣柜） packed full of clothes and announcing sadly that she has nothing to wear．
Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste．Many women spend vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn．Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way，waste hours of their time altering the dresses they have．Skirts are lengthened or shortened； necklines are lowered or raised，and so on．
No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society．Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital things like warmth，comfort and durability（耐用）．They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort，as long as they look right．There can hardly be a man who hasn't at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day，or delicately picking her way through deep snow in high-heeled shoes．
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion，the conclusions to be drawn are obvious．Do the constantly changing fashions of women's clothes，one wonders，reflect basic qualities of inconstancy and instability？Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers．Do their unchanging styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability？That is for you to decide．
21．To the writer，the fact that women alter their old-fashioned dresses is seen asB．
A．a waste of money
B．a waste of time
C．an expression of taste
D．an expression of creativity
22．The writer would be less critical if fashion designers placed more stress on theC of clothing．
A．cost
B．appearance
C．comfort
D．suitability
23．According to the passage，which of the following statements is TRUE？A
A．New fashions in clothing are created for the commercial exploitation of women．
B．The constant changes in women's clothing reflect their strength of character．
C．The fashion industry makes an important contribution to society．
D．Fashion designs should not be encouraged since they are only welcomed by women．
24．By saying"the conclusions to be drawn are obvious"the writer means thatD．
A．women's inconstancy in their choice of clothing is often laughed at
B．women are better able to put up with discomfort
C．men are also exploited greatly by fashion designers
D．men are more stable and reliable in character．
分析 本文是一篇科教类阅读，属于说明文，作者认为不断变化着的时尚其实质是在故意制造时间和金钱上的浪费，对时尚业是否对社会真正做出重要贡献持完全否定的态度，服装的新潮流是为了在商业上剥削妇女而设的，相比女人，男人能够更理性地审视时尚．
解答 21．B．细节理解题．根据第二段Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste．可知，作者认为不断变化着的时尚其实质是在故意制造时间和金钱上的浪费．故选B．
22．C．推理判断题．根据第三段No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society．Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital things like warmth，comfort and durability（耐用）．可知，作者对时尚业是否对社会真正做出重要贡献持完全否定的态度，如果时尚设计师更强调舒适，作者会少些批判．故选C．
23．A．推理判断题．根据If women are mercilessly exploited year after year，they have only themselves to blame．Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion，they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores以及下文内容可以推测出，服装的新潮流是为了在商业上剥削妇女而设的．故选A．
24．D．推理判断题．根据文章第四Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers．段可知，男人能够更理性地审视时尚．故选D．
点评 本文是一篇科教类阅读，题目涉及多道主旨大意题，细节理解题，推理判断题．做题时学生应仔细阅读原文，把握文章主要内容，联系文章上下文内容并结合所给选项含义，从中选出正确答案，一定要做到有理有据，切忌胡乱猜测．
