《考研英语阅读理解100篇 高分版》 Unit 7 - TEXT ONE

Michelle Obama is not a Barbie doll, a shape-shifting Hollywood starlet, a chameleon model or the female equivalent of Justin Bieber. And so, I have reached a saturation point on the small talk about her clothes. Fashion fatigue has set in. I cannot countenance any more breathless, fanzine-style chronicling of her attire. Surely, I cannot be alone.
To be clear, there is still plenty to be written about the first lady and her wardrobe choices. Clothes are part of the historic record Mrs. Obama will leave behind—regardless of whether her husband is reelected. Whoever occupies the East Wing plays an important role in supporting this country's fashion industry. And without question, the inaugural gown remains a cultural touchstone.
Sometimes, Mrs. Obama's clothes convey significant messages about economics, female power, and the potency of the creative spirit. Upon occasion, she has used fashion as silent support of women and minorities, and as a nonverbal rebuke to those who would see the design world as only frivolity and nothing serious. But more often, her clothes are simply lovely frocks, worth admiring in slideshows and picture books, but not worth discussing.
It has been over four years since Mrs. Obama stepped into the role of first lady, but she had already been in the public spotlight on the campaign trail long before that. During that time, she captured the eye of fashion aficionados with her eclectic approach to style, her willingness to indulge in trends and the skill with which she used fashion to help shape her public image.
Here was a first lady who not only took apparent pleasure in clothes, but—with her tall, fit physique—also wore them well. In 2009, when she stood alongside her husband as he took the oath of office, she wore a lemongrass-yellow dress and matching coat by Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo. Hers was a savvy fashion choice, one that spoke of the importance of small businesses, female entrepreneurs, and the immigrant experience. Her inaugural gown was equally filled with subtext. Designed by Jason Wu, who was born in Taipei, Taiwan, it celebrated the next generation of American designers. For a campaign that had been based on hope and change, the dress announced a shifting of the guard within the fashion industry's elite.
Mrs. Obama's lean and sculpted arms were admired, not simply from an aesthetic perspective but because they acknowledged that she was from a generation of post-Title IX women who played sports, lifted weights, and were proud of their athleticism. Whose strong arms also served as emblems of her “Let's Move” campaign to get the country's children exercising and eating more healthily.
For a lot of women in their 30s and beyond, who often felt estranged from the fashion industry, Mrs. Obama provided encouragement and reassurance. They, too, could participate. Fashion, from high end to low, had something to offer them.
All of this was good for fashion and it was good for the American woman's psyche. And indeed, there were times throughout the last four years when Mrs. Obama's clothes seemed to deliver a particularly important message.
1. The fact that fashion fatigue has set in implies that _____.
[A] Michelle Obama isn't a person that follows the crowd
[B] famous stars have overused fashion
[C] Michelle Obama has her unique wisdom towards fashion
[D] many agree to chronicle Michelle Obama's attire as breathless, fanzine-style
2. The wisdom of Mrs. Obama's clothes is embodied in the following ones except _____.
[A] reflection of economics, female power, and the potency of the creative spirit
[B] her rebuke to those who would see the design world as insignificant
[C] her eclectic approach to style
[D] her tall, fit physique
3. The inaugural gown as a cultural touchstone implies that _____.
[A] the inaugural gown is important to the country's fashion industry
[B] the inaugural gown reflects and directs the nation's fashion taste
[C] the inaugural gown is worth admiring
[D] people should follow the taste of the inaugural gown
4. What did Mrs. Obama bring to fashion?
[A] She was always smartly dressed at any occasion.
[B] Her dress announced a shifting of the guard within the fashion industry's elite.
[C] She brought novel and healthy concept to fashion.
[D] She brought real aesthetic perspective to fashion.
5. The best title for this passage is _____.
[A] Mrs. Obama is Leading New Fashion
[B] Mrs. Obama Can Be Said as a Cultural Touchstone
[C] Mrs. Obama: A Novel and Healthy Perspective to Fashion
[D] Mrs. Obama: Where the Fashion Trend is Going?