[originaltext]M: Shanika, thanks for joining us today!W: My pleasure.M: First

M: Shanika, thanks for joining us today!
W: My pleasure.
M: First of all, I’d like to ask you, what’s the traditional clothing of Sri Lanka?
W: Well, for women it’s the sari. It’s a long piece of cloth that’s wrapped around your waist and then it goes over your shoulder.
M: Do most women in Sri Lanka wear saris?
W: Most of the older women wear sari every day. The younger women tend to wear dresses or pants or something.
M: Why don’t the younger women wear saris?
W: Well, I guess some of them feel that saris are hot and difficult to walk in because they are long.
M: Sounds like saris are not very practical.
W: Some people feel that way. Also, many younger women think saris are old-fashioned.
M: So younger women want to be more modern.
W: Actually, I shouldn’t say all younger women. It depends on your family history. You see, there are two main groups of people in Sri Lanka: the Sinhalese and Tamils. Then there are some other ethnic groups, like the Sri Lankans, who are part European. The women who are part European tend to wear Western clothing because they have relatives who wear Western clothing. But the women who are Sinhalese or Tamil tend to be more traditional.
M: Because they didn’t have that Western influence?
W: Right!
M: We’ve been talking about what the women wear. How about men? Do they have traditional clothing?
W: The men, I guess, used to wear a sarong. It’s a long piece of cloth that’s wrapped around the waist.
M: You say "used to." Do they wear them anymore?
W: People who live in the countryside still wear sarongs. But in the city, men wear pants and shirts. They only wear sarongs to relax at home.
M: Interesting! Can I switch gears and ask you some personal questions?
W: Sure!
M: Is traditional clothing important to you?
W: It’s funny, because when I was a kid and growing up in Sri Lanka, I didn’t want to wear saris. But now that I’m older, I like to wear them sometimes.
M: Why has your attitude changed, do you think?
W: I guess when you are older you can see the value in it more. When you are younger, you are more interested in being a style, wearing Levis and stuff like that. Now I think about saris as something unique from my culture. It’s nice to have something different to wear, and in the U.S., a sari is really exotic.
M: It certainly is! Well, unfortunately, our time’s up. Thanks for talking with us, Shanika.
W: You are welcome.
1. What’s the main topic of this conversation?
2. Why don’t the young women wear Saris in Sri Lanka according to Shanika?
3. According to the conversation, what affects the way people dress in Sri Lanka?
4. What can we learn about men’s clothing in Sri Lanka?
5. Why has the woman’s attitude towards clothing changed?