【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[听力原文]1-5
Man: Today we begin our series on "Traditional Dress throughout the World". Our journey takes us to the little island nation of Sri Lanka. Shanika DeSilva, a native Sri Lankan now living in the United States, shares some interesting thoughts on traditional dress in her home country.
Man: Shanika, thanks for speaking with us today.
Woman: My pleasure.
Man: First of all, I'd like to ask you what is the traditional clothing in Sri Lanka?
Woman: Well, the traditional clothing for women is a sari, a long piece of cloth that is wrapped around your waist, and then it goes over your shoulder. Most of the older women, like my grandmother, wear a sari every day, all the time. The younger women tend to wear dresses or pants or something.
Man: Why don't the younger women wear saris?
Woman: Well, I guess some of them feel that saris are uncomfortable. I've heard women say that saris are hot and difficult to walk in because they're long. Also, if you're not used to wearing a sari, you might feel afraid that it will come unraveled. It's hard to relax in that situation. Also, many younger women think saris are old-fashioned. When you're younger, you're more interested in being stylish. Saris are great for formal occasions, like weddings, but if you're going out with your friends, you want to be more modern.
Man: So the younger women want to be more modern.
Woman: Actually I shouldn't say all the younger women. It depends a lot on your family history. Yon see there are two main groups of people in Sri Lanka-the Sinhalese and the Tamils. Then there are some other ethnic groups, like the Sri Lankans, who are part European. The women who are part European tend to be more modern. But the women who are Sinhalese or Tamil tend to be more traditional.
Man: Why are the Sinhalese and Tamils more traditional?
Woman: It's their culture. Well, in the past, the Sri Lankans that were part European had relatives who wore Western clothing, so they were used to Western dress. The Sinhalese and Tamils didn't have that.
Man: So you're saying that previous family history can influence the way you dress.
Woman: Yes, I think so.
Man: We've been talking about what women wear. It is said the traditional dress of men in Sri Lanka is sarong, a long piece of cloth that's wrapped around the waist. Do they still wear it?
Woman: People who live in rural areas, in the country, still wear sarongs. But in the city, it's only the politicians who wear them. People who have office jobs in downtown Colombo wear pants and shirts and even ties. They only wear sarongs to relax at home.
Man: Why don't they wear traditional clothes?
Woman: I think, personally, that it's a result of being colonized. You see... Sri Lanka used to be ruled by the British from... er... 1815 to 1948. Since the men were the ones who went to work, they had to adapt to the kind of clothes the British were wearing at work. The women, on the other hand, didn't leave the house, so they hung on to the traditional form of dress.
Man: Interesting! But what about the men who are politicians? You said before that they still wear traditional dress.
Woman: Yeah... I think that's also a result of colonization. You see, after the British left, people wanted to show that they're proud of their culture and their new independence. To show their pride, a lot of politicians who used to wear a suit to work, started to wear a sarong.
Man: So it sounds as if political changes in Sri Lanka have influenced the way politicians dress.
Woman: That's right.
Man: Very interesting! I'm sorry but we have to stop for a break. Stay tuned and we'll be back in a minute.
Question No. 1: According to the dialogue, which of the following reason is true about Sari' s unpopularity among younger women in Sri Lanka?