Listen to this NPR programme and fill in the gaps
Back to school teachers have to confront teenagers (1)________ to their (2)_______ summer styles.
The boundary between appropriate and inappropriate school clothing can be a bit (3)________.
Rochelle was late. She (4)_________ down the hall, saying: It's not me, it's my shoes.
Three-inch (5)_____ might slow a person down, but the rest of Rochelle's outfit — a (6)_______ belt buckle, black miniskirt and a (7)_______ purple (8)_____ .
The school had a (9)______/ _____: no (10)_____/ ______, underwear on the inside of your clothes, that sort of thing, but we struggled to (11)___________ it.
Some female teachers decided to (12)_____/ ______/ _______. As a (13)_________, we put bins in our classrooms full of '80s sweaters and (14)_______ from Shakespeare (15)______. If necessary, students could pull out (16)_______ to cover (17)_______/ _______ or (18)_______/________.
The teacher spoke with Rochelle in the hallway. "(19)_________, you are a lovely girl, but that skirt's too short for school."
None of my other teachers had a problem with it.
The teacher explained that they were (20)___________ rules that year and people were still learning the policy.
(21)___________, Rochelle went off to change, and the teacher (22)_________ victory. Rochelle's (23)________ skirts disappeared, then reappeared. Sometimes in (24)_________ her friends wore them too. They (25)_______/ ________ the costume box often. Clothing (26)________ other battles.
On day one, the teacher had chosen her (27)_________ as the most important thing about her and most certainly Rochelle never forgave that (28)___________. The skirt could have been from her favorite aunt. Maybe Rochelle had gained weight and was (29)___________ about its (30)_________.
The teacher remembers that excitement. (31)_________ were cool, but they encouraged her to walk down paths where her (32)_____________ was uncertain.
These days, however, the teacher believes she can (33)______ pride in her students, without first (34)_________ to shame.
KEY
1. clinging (cling to something/ cling on to something: (clung, clung) to be unwilling to get rid of something, or stop doing something. Sp. aferrarse. E.g. Throughout the trial she had clung to the belief that he was innocent. He had one last hope to cling on to. She managed to cling on to life for another couple of years.)
2. skimpy ((of clothes) very small and not covering much of your body. Sp. muy corto. E.g. a skimpy dress)
3. blurry (/ˈblɜːri/ without a clear outline; not clear. Sp. borroso. E.g. blurry, distorted photographs. (Figurative) a blurry policy)
4. wobbled (wobble + adverb/preposition to go in a particular direction while moving from side to side in an unsteady way. Sp. tambalearse. E.g. He wobbled off on his bike.
5. heels
6. glittered (glitter to shine brightly with little flashes of light, like a diamond. E.g. The ceiling of the cathedral glittered with gold. The water glittered in the sunlight.)
7. clingy (/ˈklɪŋi/ also clinging /ˈklɪŋɪŋ/ (of clothes or material) sticking to the body and showing its shape. Sp. ajustado, ceñido. E.g. a clingy top)
8. tee (a T-shirt.)
9. dress code
10. tube tops (North American English) (British English boob tube) a piece of women's clothing that is made of cloth that stretches and covers the chest.
11. enforce (enforce something (on/against somebody/something) to make sure that people obey a particular law or rule. E.g. It's the job of the police to enforce the law.)
12. take the lead (start to act. E.g. If we take the lead in this , others may follow.)
13. deterrent (deterrent (to somebody/something) a thing that makes somebody less likely to do something (= that deters them). E.g. Hopefully his punishment will act as a deterrent to others.)
14. capes
15. skits (a short comedy sketch or piece of humorous writing, especially a parody. E.g. skit on daytime TV programmes)
16. garments (clothes)
17. halter tops (A halter top is a type of sleeveless shirt with the straps being tied behind the neck)
18. peeping thongs (A phenomena that occurs when a lady exposes her thong undergarments purposefully, or not. Also, when the distincitve triangle of a thong shows above a woman's pants with the strings also visible.)
Thong: a pair of women's knickers or men's underpants that has only a very narrow strip of cloth, like a string, at the back. Sp. tanga.
19. Hon (short for honey (as a form of address). E.g. it wouldn’t interest you, hon)
20. tightening (tighten something to make something become stricter. E.g. to tighten security)
21. Reluctantly.
22. claimed (claim something to gain, win or achieve something. E.g. She has finally claimed a place on the team.)
23. teeny (also teeny-weeny /ˈtiːni/ very small. E.g. a teeny-weeny insect)
24. solidarity
25. dug into (dig dug, dug (+ adverb/preposition) to search in something in order to find an object in something. E.g. I dug around in my bag for a pen.)
26. begot (beget, begot, begot to make something happen. E.g. Violence begets violence.)
27. wardrobe
28. judgement (an opinion that you form about something after thinking about it carefully; the act of making this opinion known to others. E.g. He refused to make a judgement about the situation.)
29. self-conscious (self-conscious (about something) nervous or embarrassed about your appearance or what other people think of you. Sp. cohibido. E.g. He's always been self-conscious about being so short. She was a shy, self-conscious girl.)
30. snugness (very tight or close-fitting)
31. Curves
32. footing (the position of your feet when they are safely on the ground or some other surface. E.g.She lost her footing (= she slipped or lost her balance) and fell backwards into the water. I slipped and struggled to regain my footing.)
33. instil (instil something (in/into somebody) to gradually make somebody feel, think or behave in a particular way over a period of time. Sp. inculcar. E.g. to instil confidence/ discipline/ fear into somebody)
34. resorting (resort to something /rɪˈzɔːt/ to make use of something, especially something bad, as a means of achieving something, often because there is no other possible solution. Sp. recurrir. E.g. They felt obliged to resort to violence. We may have to resort to using untrained staff.)
Transcript
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
Now, for a back-to-school fashion critique. As students return to the classroom, teachers are finding themselves face to face with teenagers clinging to their skimpy summer styles.
Commentator Annmarie Kelly Harbaugh teaches at a high school. As she explains, the boundary between appropriate and inappropriate school clothing can be a bit blurry. And we should say the name of the student she describes has been changed to protect the teen's privacy.
ANNMARIE KELLY HARBAUGH: Rochelle was late. She wobbled down the hall, saying: It's not me, it's my shoes.
I could see how three-inch heels might slow a person down, but the rest of Rochelle's outfit — a glittered belt buckle, black miniskirt and a clingy purple tee — well, that could only be described as fast.
We did have a dress code: no tube tops, underwear on the inside of your clothes, that sort of thing, but we struggled to enforce it. One teacher put it this way: I'm a middle-aged man. I'm just not comfortable talking to a teenage girl about her body.
Hearing this, a few of us female teachers decided to take the lead. School was no place to be sexy. We would simply ask students to change their clothes. As a deterrent, we put bins in our classrooms full of '80s sweaters and capes from Shakespeare skits. If necessary, students could pull out garments to cover halter tops or peeping thongs.
I even rehearsed speeches for that day: Before school, you have one chance to cover your body. If you miss, then it's my turn.
So Rochelle could not sit in third period English looking like Tina Turner. We spoke in the hallway. Hon, you are a lovely girl, but that skirt's too short for school.
None of my other teachers had a problem with it.
I considered this and explained that we were tightening rules this year and people were still learning the policy.
Reluctantly, Rochelle went off to change, and I claimed victory. It was a strange year, though. Rochelle's teeny skirts disappeared, then reappeared. Sometimes in solidarity her friends wore them too. We dug into the costume box often. Clothing begot other battles. I kept Rochelle after class to conference about disrespect or her low grades. We just never connected.
On day one, I had chosen her wardrobe as the most important thing about her. I don't think she ever forgave that judgement. The skirt could have been from her favorite aunt. Maybe Rochelle had gained weight and was self-conscious about its snugness. Or maybe Rochelle was just another teenage girl experimenting with an adult body.
I remember that excitement. Curves were cool, but they encouraged me to walk down paths where my footing was uncertain. It would have been nice to have had an adult, an English teacher maybe, who I could talk to about that.
As a high school teacher, I care about the images my students project, but I care even more about the reasons they are projecting them. When I tell a young woman her clothes are inappropriate, she hears she is inappropriate. That's no way to start a school year or a relationship.
These days, I save the garment box for Shakespeare skits. I can instill pride in my students, without first resorting to shame. I have Rochelle to thank for teaching me that.
NORRIS: Annmarie Kelly Harbaugh teaches English at James Hillhouse High School in New Haven, Connecticut, where today was the first day of school.
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