If Joan had studied
math/Math/mathematics
hard
when she was in the senior high,
she would/could/should/might __be__(be-V)
a math teacher
rather than an English
teacher now.
READING
(一)If you had lived
in Japan in the 1800s and (had) had sparkling (: twinkling) white
teeth, it probably would have been difficult
for you to find a wife or a husband (: to find a spouse).
Black teeth (複數) were considered
( to be) attractive (: eye-catching)in Japan at that time (:
referring to the years from 1800 to 1899), so people used to (過去經常的習慣+ V原形)dye their
teeth black. During the Tang dynasty in China, a plump woman
was thought to be attractive since more fat on a woman’s body represented
more wealth. That is (to say), the fatter a woman
was, the richer she was thought to be. During the Middle Ages in Europe,
rich people didn’t have a tan. On the contrary (: Contrarily),
their skin was usually quite pale. It was the poor who had darker skin because they had to work outdoors in
the sun. As a consequence, people at that time (: people
living in the Middle Ages) believed that pale (: white) skin was a symbol of
wealth and beauty. They would often cover up their bodies completely (: totally/entirely/wholly)
whenever (: no matter when) they went out to make sure that
their skin stayed as fair as possible.
(二)What would these people of the past think of today’s image of “ideal”
beauty—a skinny, brown-skinned supermodel with bleached white
teeth? They would probably consider this person very ugly. The ideals of beauty are always changing,
especially in different times and cultures. However, one thing always remains
true: People want to be good-looking and attractive. In the past, people
dyed their teeth black, ate a lot to become fat, or covered up their bodies to
remain pale (: white/fair). Nowadays (: Today/Currently), people use more extreme ways to
follow the trends toward “physical perfection.” In many countries, it is
fashionable for people to have dangerous surgery done in order
to change their appearance. For example, some people have fat
removed from their bodies, and others have their eyes changed to make eyes look
bigger. Still other people would rather have a poison called Botox injected into
their faces than have any wrinkles.
Today, being slim is considered beautiful,
so many people would rather starve than gain any “extra” weight. However, being
too skinny is not healthy. Instead of eating a balanced diet,
starving to achieve some “ideal” weight can actually make a person sick. Tanned
skin is also popular these days. Nevertheless, the greater exposure to
the sun people get, the higher risk of cancer they will have.
So, let’s pause and think
for a minute: Is our appearance really that important? According to a survey of
the Maasai tribe in Kenya, the people there
think attractiveness and morality are
connected. In other words, the nicer a person is, the more beautiful he or
she is thought to be. The researcher who carried out the
survey was amazed to learn that 100 percent of the Maasai people were satisfied
with their appearance!
Each person in the world is one of a
kind. Taking pride in your appearance is a way of showing that you like the way
you look and that you have respect for yourself. Next time, when people ask you
if you are satisfied with your appearance, what will your answer be?
—by Toni Jordan
