Questions46-55arebasedonthefollowingpassage.
BeautyandBodyImageintheMedia
A.Imagesoffemalebodiesareeverywhere.Women—andtheirbodyparts--selleverythingfromfoodtocars.Popularfilmandtelevisionactressesarebecomingyounger,tallerandthinner.Somehaveevenbeenknowntofaintonthesetfromlackoffood.Women'smagazinesarefull&articlesurgingthatiftheycanjustlosethoselasttwentypounds,they'llhaveitall—theperfectmarriage,lovingchildren,greatsex,andarewardingcareer
B.Whyarcstandardsofbeautybeingimposedonwomen,themajorityofwhomarenaturallylargerandmorematurethananyofthemodels?Theroots,someanalystssay,areeconomic.Bypresentinganidealdifficulttoachieveandmaintain,thecosmeticanddietproductindustriesarcassuredofgrowthandprofits.Andit'snoaccidentthatyouthisincreasinglypromoted,alongwiththinness,asanessentialcriterionofbeauty.Ifnotallwomenneedtoloseweight,forsurethey'reallaging,saystheQuebecActionNetworkforWomen'sHealthinits2001report.And,accordingtotheindustry,ageisadisasterthatneedstobedealtwith.
C.Thestakesarehuge.Ontheonehand,womenwhoareinsecureabouttheirbodiesarcmorelikelytobuybeautyproducts,newclothes,anddietaids.Itisestimatedthatthedietindustryaloneisworthanywherebetween40to100billion(U.S..ayearsellingtemporaryweightloss(90%to95%ofdietersregainthelostweight..Ontheotherhand,researchindicatesthatexposuretoimagesofthin,young,air-brushedfemalebodiesislinkedtodepression,lossofself-esteemandthedevelopmentofunhealthyeatinghabitsinwomenandgirls.
D.TheAmericanresearchgroupAnorexiaNervosa&RelatedEatingDisorders,Inc.saysthatoneoutofeveryfourcollege-agedwomenusesunhealthymethodsofweightcontrol--includingfasting,skippingmeals,excessiveexercise,laxative(泻药.abuse,andself-inducedvomiting.Thepressuretobethinisalsoaffectingyounggirls:theCanadianWomen'sHealthNetworkwarnsthatweightcontrolmeasuresarenowbeingtakenbygirlsasyoungas5and6.Americanstatisticsaresimilar.Severalstudies,suchasoneconductedbyMarikaTiggemannandLevinaClarkin2006titled"AppearanceCulturein9-to12-Year-OldGirls:MediaandPeerInfluencesonBodyDissatisfaction,"indicatethatnearlyhalfofallpreadolescentgirlswishtobethinner,andasaresulthaveengagedinadietorareawareoftheconceptofdieting.In2003,Teenmagazinereportedthat35percentofgirls6to12yearsoldhavebeenonatleastonediet,andthat50to70percentofnormalweightgirlsbelievetheyareoverweight.Overallresearchindicatesthat90%ofwomenaredissatisfiedwiththeirappearanceinsomeway.MediaactivistJeanKilbourneconcludesthat,"Womenaresoldtothedietindustrybythemagazineswereadandthetelevisionprogramswewatch,almostallofwhichmakeusfeelanxiousaboutourweight."
E.Perhapsthemostdisturbingisthefactthatmediaimagesoffemalebeautyareunattainableforallbutaverysmallnumberofwomen.ResearchersgeneratingacomputermodelofawomanwithBarbie-dollproportions,forexample,foundthatherbackwouldbetooweaktosupporttheweightofherupperbody,andherbodywouldbetoonarrowtocontainmorethanhalfaliverandafewcentimetersofbowel.Arealwomanbuiltthatwaywouldsufferfromchronicdiarrhea(慢性腹泻.andeventuallydiefrommalnutrition.JillBarad,PresidentofMattel(whichmanufacturesBarbie.,estimatedthat99%ofgirlsaged3to10yearsoldownatleastoneBarbiedoll.Still,thenumberofreallifewomenandgirlswhoseekasimilarlyunderweightbodyisepidemic,andtheycansufferequallydevastatinghealthconsequences.In2006itwasestimatedthatupto450,000Canadianwomenwereaffectedbyaneatingdisorder.
F.Researchersreportthatwomen'smagazineshavetenandone-halftimesmoreadsandarticlespromotingweightlossthanmen'smagazinesdo,andoverthree-quartersofthecoversofwomen'smagazinesincludeatleastonemessageabouthowtochangeawoman'sbodilyappearance--bydiet,exerciseorcosmeticsurgery.Televisionandmoviesreinforcetheimportanceofathinbodyasameasureofawoman'sworth.CanadianresearcherGregoryFoutsreportsthatoverthree-quartersofthefemalecharactersinTVsituationcomediesareunderweight,andonlyoneintwentyareaboveaverageinsize.Heavieractressestendtoreceivenegativecommentsfrommalecharactersabouttheirbodies("Howaboutwearingasack?".,and80percentofthesenegativecommentsarefollowedbycannedaudiencelaughter.
G.Therehavebeeneffortsinthemagazineindustrytobuck(抵制，反抗.thetrend.ForseveralyearstheQuebecmagazineCoupdePoucehasconsistentlyincludedfull-sizedwomenintheirfashionpagesandChatelainehaspledgednottotouchupphotosandnottoincludemodelslessthan25yearsofage.InMadrid,oneoftheworld'sbiggestfashioncapitals,ultra-thinmodelswerebannedfromtherunwayin2006.FurthermoreSpainhasrecentlyundergoneaprojectwiththeaimtostandardizeclothingsizesthroughusingauniqueprocessinwhichalaserbeamisusedtomeasurereallifewomen'sbodiesinordertofindthemosttreetolifemeasurement.
H.Anotherissueistherepresentationofethnicallydiversewomeninthemedia.A2008studyconductedbyJuanitaCovertandTravisDixontitled"AChangingView:RepresentationandEffectsofthePortrayalofWomenofColorinMainstreamWomen'sMagazines"foundthatalthoughtherewasanincreaseintherepresentationofwomenofc01our,overallwhitewomenwereoverrepresentedinmainstreamwomen'smagazinesfrom1999to2004.
I.Thebarrageofmessagesaboutthinness,dietingandbeautytells"ordinary"womenthattheyarealwaysinneedofadjustment--andthatthefemalebodyisanobjecttobeperfected.JeanKilboumearguesthattheoverwhelmingpresenceofmediaimagesofpainfullythinwomenmeansthatrealwomen'sbodieshavebecomeinvisibleinthemassmedia。Therealtragedy,Kilbourneconcludes,isthatmanywomeninternalizethesestereotypes,andjudgethemselvesbythebeautyindustry'sstandards.Womenlearntocomparethemselvestootherwomen,andtocompetewiththemformaleattention:Thisfocusonbeautyanddesirability"effectivelydestroysanyawarenessandactionthatmighthelptochangethatclimate."
46、AreportinTeenmagazineshowedthat50%to70%girlswithnormalweightthinkthattheyneedtoloseweight.
47、Onthewhole,for6yearswhitewomenhadbeenoccupyingmuchmorespaceinmainstreamwomen'smagazinessince1999.
48、Somenegativeeffectssuchasdepressionandunhealthyeatinghabitsinfemalesarerelatedtotheirbeingexposedtoimagesofthinandyoungfemalebodies.
49、Themassmediahashelpedboostthecosmeticandthedietindustries.
50、Itisreportedthatthereisatleastonemessageaboutthemethodsforwomentochangetheirbodilyappearanceonmorethanthree-quartersofthecoversofwomen'smagazines.
51、Somefilmandtelevisionactressesevenfaintonthesceneduetoeatingtoolittle.
52、Toomuchconcernwithappearancemakesitimpossibletochangesuchabnormaltrend.
53、ResearchersfoundthatarealwomanwithBarbie-dollproportionswouldeventuallydiefrommalnutrition.
54、TheQuebecmagazineCoupdePouceresiststhetrendbyconsistentlyincludingfull-sizedwomenintheirfashionpagesforseveralyears.
55、Accordingtosomeanalysts,thefundamentalreasonofimposingstandardsofbeautyonwomeniseconomic
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