ST STEPHEN’S COLLEGE

SECOND TERM MID-TERM TEST (2022-2023)

Subject: S2 English

Name: ____________________ Class: 2_____ Class No.:_____

Group: G1 / G2 / G4 / G5 / G6 / G7 / G8 / G9 (circle one)

Time allowed: 45 minutes

Reading Passage Booklet

Instructions to Students:
1. Write your name, class, class number and circle your group number on this page,
as well as the cover page of the Question-Answer Book.
2. Read the instructions on the Question-Answer Book carefully before the
examination begins.

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Read the following passage and answer the questions for Part A in your Question-Answer Booklet.

Advertising greatly shapes our perceptions of beauty

[1] The world of advertising is designed to look glamorous, with its glossy images of beautiful models
wearing expensive clothes while showing off desirable products. This is what makes advertising so
seductive: it is aspirational and shows us what we greatly desire. Since we are so influenced by
advertisements, how do they shape our perceptions of beauty?

5 [2] Having gorgeous models in advertisements is nothing new, and helps make the featured product more
attractive. Some argue that product sales are dependent on customers feeling that they need a product to
improve themselves. This is why slogans such as L’Oreal Paris’ ‘because you’re worth it’ are so
effective; customers feel that they are investing in themselves.

[3] Beauty products can be divided into two main types: beauty enhancing such as mascara, to improve
10 our appearance, and problem solving, such as moisturiser, to get rid of a problem like wrinkles. Both rely
on a shared understanding of what is attractive; in this case, long dark eyelashes and smooth skin. For
men, the focus is usually on well-sculpted facial hair, or teeth whitening, although the latter is equally
popular with both sexes.

[4] The problem with the constant bombardment of so-called perfect images is that it offers only a single
15 image of beauty. Beauty should not be a box-ticking exercise; in real time, many people are attractive
without looking like supermodels. Not only is this unrepresentative of real life, the beauty ideal
represented by models is also often unattainable. It is not unusual to hear of models developing eating
disorders to maintain their slim figures. It is dangerous to present such an idealistic image. Consumers
ultimately spend a lot of time and money chasing after an unrealistic ideal. This is the aim of the beauty
20 industry, because they need continued sales.

[5] In the age of selfie, we are becoming more self-conscious. Before we share a photo of ourselves on
social media, we often enhance the image first or add a filter, to present the best image of ourselves. Even
so, we are often critical of the result, often wishing we had worn a different outfit or smiled in a different
way. For professional photos, they are always manipulated with photo-editing software to eliminate
25 wrinkles, whiten teeth, widen eyes, and even change the subject’s proportions. One example is creating
an artificial ‘thigh gap’ between a woman’s legs to show how thin they are. While women’s bodies are
made to look slimmer, men may be given a more muscular and toned appearance. Men also face pressure
to look good, though not to the same extent as women.

[6] With the rise of social media, it is increasingly difficult to define advertising. Influential fashion
30 bloggers, Instagrammers and YouTubers are often sponsored to promote products that they supposedly
like using. These influencers usually have tens of thousands of loyal followers, yet their sponsored posts
are not considered advertising, so these posts are not policed in the same way as conventional advertising.
Thus they can easily make untrue claims.

[7] Despite the indisputable problems of advertising, with the right intentions, it can do lots of good.
35 Campaigns celebrating different body shapes and sizes, such as the successful Dove Campaign for Real
Beauty in 2004, can make people feel more comfortable about their own imperfect bodies. If more
companies had followed in Dove’s footsteps, they could have had a greater and more positive impact on
the beauty industry.

[8] Older generations who have grown up without the Internet may be more s keptical of and less
40 affected by the media’s portrayal of beauty, but impressionable young people are vulnerable to the daily
barrage of perfectly airbrushed images. For this reason, advertising should represent a more diverse idea
of beauty. All forms of advertising should also be regulated more strictly and consistently.

END OF READING PASSAGE

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