"The Real Cost of Cheap Fashion"

As a result of the 'fast fashion' trend, global clothing production has...

• declined significantly since 2010
• tripled since 2000
• shifted back to the US
• none of the above

Why did the U.S. clothing production begin moving overseas in the 1970s?

• Nations overseas had more consumers to purchase clothing.
• Workers overseas were more skilled at manufacturing clothes.
• Factories overseas had lower labor costs.
• Companies could not find enough American workers to work in clothing factories.

Many companies pledged to improve garment factory conditions in 2013, after

• profits for clothing retailers began to drop suddenly
• garment workers in China and Bangladesh went on strike
• a fire destroyed the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York City
• a clothing factory collapsed in Bangladesh

According to the article, why is the manufacture of polyester clothing bad for the environment?

• growing polyester requires pesticides
• Polyester cannot be reused or recycled
• The material is made from petroleum, and the manufacturing process releases dangerous gases
• None of the above

Which choice best summarizes the article?

• Many low-cost clothes are made by factory workers laboring for low pay and under poor conditions
• American shoppers spend more on clothing than they did in the past
• China's factories are starting to offer safer conditions and higher pay
• About 2 percent of the clothes sold in America were made in America

The article suggests that the fast fashion phenomenon...

• is mostly harmless
• began within the past two decades
• is illeagal in the US and many other countries
• is quickly coming to an end

Which excerpt from the article provides the best evidence for the answer to question 6?

• "Fast fashion also hurts the environment."
• "Fast fashion items may not cost you much at the cash register, but they come with a serious price."
• "Workers often earn just a few dollars a day. Many are women in their teens."
• "Chains...first popularized fast fashion in the early 2000s."

You can reasonably infer from the article that a lot of fast fashion items are...

• quickly discarded
• overpriced by retailers
• made from organic fabrics
• actually very durable