Good morning. Now, we’ve been asked to choose an aspect of European clothing or fashion and to talk about its development over time.
I decided to focus on a rather small area of clothing and that’s pockets. I chose pockets for two reasons, really. We all have them – in jeans, jackets, coats, for example – and even though we often carry bags or briefcases as well, nothing is quite as convenient as being able to pop your phone or credit card into your pocket.【Q31】 Yet, I suspect that, other than that, people don’t really think about pockets too much and they’re rather overlooked as a fashion item.
It’s certainly very interesting to go back in time and see how pockets developed for men and women. In the 18th century, fashions were quite different from the way they are now, and pockets were too. If we think about male fashion first … that was the time when suits became popular.【Q32】 Trousers were knee-length only and referred to as ‘breeches’, the waistcoats were short and the jackets were long, but all three garments were lined with material and pockets were sewn into this cloth by whichever tailor the customer used.【Q33】 The wearer could then carry small objects such as pencils or coins on their person and reach them through a gap in the lining. Coat pockets became increasingly decorative on the outside for men who wanted to look stylish, but they were often larger but plainer if the wearer was someone with a profession who needed to carry medical instruments【Q34】 – a doctor or physician, for example.
The development of women’s pockets was a little different. For one thing, they weren’t nearly as visible【Q35】 or as easy to reach as men’s. In the 18th and 19th centuries, women carried numerous possessions on their person and some of these could be worth a lot of money. Women were more vulnerable to theft and wealthy women, in particular, worried constantly about pickpockets. So – what they did was to have a pair of pockets made that were tied together with string.【Q36】 The pockets were made of fabric, which might be recycled cloth if the wearer had little money or something more expensive, such as linen, sometimes featuring very delicate embroidery. Women tied the pockets around their waist 【Q37】so that they hung beneath their clothes. Remember, skirts were long then and there was plenty of room to hide a whole range of small possessions between the layers of petticoats that were commonly worn. They would have an opening in the folds of their skirts through which they could reach whatever they needed, like their perfume.【Q38】 Working women, of course, also needed to carry around items that they might use for whatever job or trade they were involved in, but their pairs of pockets still remained on the inside of their clothing, they just got bigger or longer sometimes reaching down to their knees!
So the tie-on pockets went well into the 19th century and only changed when fashion altered towards the end of that period. That’s when dresses became tighter and less bulky, and the pairs of pockets became very noticeable – they stood out too much and detracted from the woman’s image.【Q39】 Women who had been used to carrying around a range of personal possessions – and still wanted to – needed somewhere to carry these items about their person. That was when small bags, or pouches as they were known, came into fashion and, of course, they inevitably led on to the handbag of more modern times,【Q40】 particularly when fashion removed pockets altogether.
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
听前预测：定位词为 consumers、designers；提示词为小标题 Reason for choice of subject，以及本句的 are、overlooked，此题空白处无法准确预判词性，但内容应搭配本题题干信息以及小标题：选择口袋作为主题的原因。
题目解析：本篇题目总体难度较高。注意强化用词搭配，扩大词汇量。一开始学习雅思的同学可以先放一放这组题。正确率总体达到 75% 或以上再尝试做本组。本题无法准确预判词性，注意从语法上形容词、动词或名词都有可能。本文先提及时装设计，但主题词 pockets 第 3 句才出现。然后就提及小标题：chose pockets for two reasons。注意抓听选择口袋作为主题的原因。先提及一系列并列、选择关系类的信息，如 jeans, jackets, coats 以及 bags or briefcases。注意雅思答案只能填写一个单词、题干又没有给出并列选择关系词时，是不会让考生任选其中的一个词作答的。所以继续听，听到第一个代入很适合的信息：convenient，先待定。继续听，听到逻辑信息的递进：other than that（除此以外），这代表第二个选择口袋作为主题的理由即将出现。继续听，听到 people…overlooked，对应题目中的 overlooked by consumers and designers，从而进一步确认刚刚听到的 convenient 为答案。本题难度较高，主要体现在题干替换、信息后置且词性难以预判。注意结合小标题信息明确诉求，碰到符合内容诉求的信息及时记录。
听前预测：定位词为 Men、18th century；提示词为 wear，此处应填名词，内容应为男性穿戴的服饰。
题目解析：本题定位词 Men 以及 18th century 原词出现，随后抓听穿戴物类型的名词。除了主题词 pockets 外，第一个符合的信息为 suits，填写。注意本题后续信息 Trousers…waistcoats…jackets 为并列关系给出，这 3 个词如果都认识的话就可知道这是西装（三件套）展开后的对象，为干扰信息。听题时注意并列选择类关系的信息是否匹配题干诉求。
听前预测：定位词为 lining、garments；提示词为 A、sewed，此处应填单数辅音开头的名词，内容应为能够做出缝口袋（sewed pockets）这一动作的人。
题目解析：本题较难。整句话的生词导致大部分同学可能无法理解题干信息。若认识 sewed（缝制）一词，预判答案方向为缝口袋的人，那么抓听人物类名词即可。若不认识，便通过语法判断该题答案为单数辅音开头的名词，抓听名词，然后 尝试做题。定位词 garments 原词出现，另一定位词以动词被动态 lined 形式出 现，随后出现唯一搭配题干 sewed（缝）的词汇为 tailor（裁缝）。注意 customer不搭配题干动作，为干扰信息。若本题做题过程中感觉难度较高，注意及时定 位后续内容 wearer 以及 small，不要卡在本题。全局意识优于完成其中一道题。
听前预测：定位词为 Bigger pockets；提示词为 men、type of，此处应填名词，内容搭配修饰男性从属的分类。
题目解析：本题定位词 Bigger 在独白中被替换为 larger，词汇难度不高。注意及时抓听名词，听到 profession（行业，职业）符合诉求，填写。本题题干 type of 根本找不到，因为在独白中被简单替换为冠词 a。注意做题的目标不是找题干，而是看听懂的信息是否能搭配题干表达。注意结合语境、语法积累用词搭配。
听前预测：定位词为 Women；提示词为 were less，此处应填形容词，内容应为男、女式口袋对比的方面。
题目解析：定位词 Women 原词出现后，第一个符合诉求的形容词为 visible（明显的），填写。题干 less…than men’s 被替换为 weren’t nearly as…as men’s。本题核心在于预判词性，以及积累词汇量。
听前预测：定位词为 pairs；提示词为 using、to link，此处应填名词，内容应为能把口袋连起来的东西。
题目解析：定位词 pairs 出现后，抓听名词，听到 string，符合诉求，填写。题干 link 在独白中被替换为 tied together。注意积累词汇。
听前预测：定位词为 skirts、petticoats；提示词为 hung from the women’s，此处应填名词，内容应搭配提示词。
题目解析：本题难度较高。第一，本题与上一题衔接较紧密，特别注意连续出现的组合题后置位的题目，比如第 37、38 题；第二，定位词 skirts 以及 petticoats 皆晚于答案信息出现。注意有个别题目定位信息后置，要时刻抓听预判的信息，碰到合适的搭配的词要及时记录。上一题结束后，抓听名词，听到唯一搭配“悬挂在女性的 ”这一表达的词为 waist（腰部），填写。随后即听到各种题干信 息：hung beneath…skirts…petticoats，进一步确认答案信息。本题难度较高，且与下一题连续，注意继续抓听名词。
听前预测：定位词为 gap；提示词为 Items such as，此处应填名词，内容应为具体物品。
题目解析：定位词 gap 在独白中被替换为 opening（开口），随后抓听物品类名词。除了前文提及的 skirts 以外，只有 perfume 一词适配，填写。题干信息 reach 也原词出现。本题主要难度在于与上两题的衔接较紧密。注意抓到符合预判的信息并及时记录。
听前预测：定位词为上一句的 decades 以及本句的 shape；提示词为 negative effect、of women，此处应填名词，且搭配 of women。
题目解析：本题定位词均进行具象化替换，题干中的 decades 在独白中被替换为 19th century 以及 end of that period。而 shape（造型）在原文中则被展开为 tighter and less bulky（更加紧身，也不那么笨重）。随后听到 woman’s image，image 符 合诉求，填写。其中 of women 在原文中被改变语序替换为 woman’s，negative effect 被替换为较难的短语 detracted from（损害，破坏）。本题答案词音节较短，容易漏听，注意跟读练习，加强语音敏锐度。
听前预测：定位词为 Bags、pouches；提示词为 carried a，此处应填单数辅音开头的名词， 且为女性携带（women carried）的对象。
题目解析：本题定位词 Bags、pouches 原词出现，随后抓听名词，听到 handbag，符合预 判，填写。题干中的 before 在独白中被替换为 led on to。注意在时间顺序上，before 后跟的信息可理解为然后发生的事。本篇知识性强，且背景大部分考生 都不太熟悉，会导致很大的理解障碍。在 18—19 世纪，贵族女性为了防范小偷，将口袋隐藏在其宽大裙摆中。那时女性的裙子繁复而厚重，这样的口袋则 是采取系带式的，挂在女性腰部位置。口袋里放的一些小东西可以从裙褶的一 道开口处够到。但到了 19 世纪，随着女性的裙子变得更为贴身精巧，口袋就显得特别突兀，破坏了女性整体形象。因此，女性转而使用小手袋，随后则产生 了女士手提包。