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

Which excerpt from the article provides the best evidence that fast fashion began in the last 20 years?

• "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

According to the article, what is the definition of fast fashion?

• fashionable clothing that is made as quickly as possible

• clothing that goes out of style very quickly

• fashionable and cheap clothes designed, created, and sold as quickly as possible

According to the article, what might happen if officials in Bangladesh were to dramatically raise the country's minimum wage?

• Companies might move their factories to places where workers earn less.

• Factories in Bangladesh might increase production.

• Millions of jobs might be created in Bangladesh

A factory where people, even children, work long hours for low wages and in dangerous working conditions is called a...