Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. team up
    • ex. My best friend and my sister teamed up to plan a surprise party for my birthday.
  2. unveil
    • ex. The company unveiled their latest smartphones on Friday.
  3. mixed
    • ex. Reactions to the new ice cream flavor were mixed. Some people loved it, but other people hated it.
  4. style
    • ex. I need some fashion advice. How should I style this hat?
  5. come in
    • ex. The jacket comes in three colors and six different sizes.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Popular fashion brand Balenciaga and shoemaker Crocs teamed up to create a pair of Crocs with high heels. The shoes, called Balenciaga Crocs 2.0, are part of Balenciaga’s Spring 2022 collection. They were unveiled during the brand’s most recent fashion show. The shoes are made of the same material as regular Crocs, but they have Balenciaga’s logo instead of the usual crocodile stamp. Balenciaga Crocs 2.0 are available in two colors, black and green.

Balenciaga Crocs 2.0 received mixed reactions from social media users. Some liked the shoes a lot and were excited to wear them, and one person was happy that the shoes matched her Balenciaga bag. However, other people called the Balenciaga Crocs 2.0 unattractive and hard to style. Some people also said that the $1000 (around ¥110,000) price tag was unreasonable.

This isn’t the first time for Balenciaga and Crocs to work together. In 2017, the two brands teamed up to create an $850 (around ¥94,000) pair of platform shoes. The shoes, which came in yellow and pink, were sold out before they were officially released.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Shoes

  • Would you like to buy the Balenciaga Crocs 2.0? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think $1000 is a reasonable price for shoes? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, how many pairs of shoes should people have (ex. three pairs, 20 pairs)? Why? Discuss.

Fashion

  • Some people say that Crocs are unattractive. Do you agree? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you feel it’s important to always think about how to style your clothes? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, how often should people go shopping for new clothes (ex. every season, once a year)? Why? Discuss.