[originaltext](L)= James Linklater(I)= Interviewer(I): Hello and welcome to o

(L)= James Linklater
(I)= Interviewer
(I): Hello and welcome to our talk show today. In the next few minutes we’re going to be asking whether you’re after value for money when you’re shopping for fashion; or fashion that’s made with values. We’re all after a bargain on the high street. But how often do you stop to consider how some stores seem to stock low-cost/high fashion items quicker and more cheaply than others? Fulfilling our needs for fast fashion means increased production and competition in clothing made in countries with low-wage economies. For example, in a typical British high street there are plenty of bargains to be had. Handbags at ￡3.99, T-shirts for a fiver and shoes for under a tenner — all roughly equivalent to the price of an everyday meal. But how many of the people shopping in the high street have stopped to think about how it’s possible to sell clothes so cheaply? Is it because some companies are turning a blind eye to the exploitation in the countries where these items are made? Today, we are honored to invite James Linklater to our program. James is an expert on ethical shopping from the Ethical Consumer Research Association, who amongst other things produced the magazine ’Ethical Consumer’. James, just tell us what the Ethical Consumer Research Association is.
(L): OK, well the Ethical Consumer Research Association exists to provide information for shoppers, letting them know what the companies are doing behind the brands that they see on the shelves.
(I): So what makes an ethical shopper?
(L): Very broadly speaking, people who are concerned about ethical issues want to know that the product they’re buying hasn’t been made at the expense of the people who are producing it, whether it’s in this country or abroad. They might also be concerned with other kinds of issues: whether the company is involved in armaments, or whether they’re donating money to certain political parties. And that as a shopper, you might not want to give your money to that party so therefore you might not want to buy a product from a company who is supporting a political party that you don’t agree with.
This is the end of Part One of the interview. Questions 1 to 5 are based on what you have just heard.
Question One What do all the consumers pursue on the high street?
Question Two What is the reason for increased competition in clothing industry?
Question Three Which of the following items is mentioned as the cheapest on the high street?
Question Four What does the Ethical Consumer Research Association aim to?
Question Five Which of the following does NOT make an ethical shopper?