British women are happy nowadays to wear mini-skirts up until the age of 40, according to research by Debenhams.

    Just 20 years ago, few women would dare to wear a mini-skirt after the age of 33, the store said. “It shows that women now have an increasing confidence in their bodies and are happy to dress accordingly,” it added in a statement. “If this trend continues, there’s no doubt that, within the next decade, women in their mid 40s and early 50s will rightly regard a mini-skirt as an essential pan of their everyday wardrobe.”

    The figures emerged when the store examined the latest age profile of women buying short, 36-cm skirts over the past six months. Their results show that it has jumped from an average age of 36-years-old at the start of millennium ¹ to 40 today. Figures from 1980 showed that on average women stopped buying minis when they reached 33 years old -- a figure unchanged from the mid-1960s.
    The store noted that experts believe that the popularity of intensive gym culture ², providing women with well toned bodies ³ for longer may be the reason The increasing number of British women living on their own may also be a fac tor.

    The Debenhams’ study showed that a modern woman’s love affair with a mini-skin begins at the age of 14 but that she doesn’t buy her first one until the age of 16 Instead, she flouts school roles by rolling up the waistband of the school uniform to give the impression of wearing a mini skirt.

    Skirts get shorter between the ages of 16 and 19, reducing in size from 46 to 36 cm before reaching their shortest, a mere 32 cm, at the age of 23. Skirt .length increases slightly between the ages of 23 and 27, rising to 37 cm, possibly due to girls being in their first stable relationship, with no desire to attract attention, the store said.

    However, it found short skirt suddenly zoom in popularity between the ages of 27 and 34, as those early relationships break down, and new relationships are formed. The move into longer skins begins irreversibly at 40 years old, when 46-cm skins, still slightly above the knee are the norm. From then on, skirt length increases dramatically, falling below the knee for the very first time since school days at the age of 42.

词汇：

millennium [mɪ"lenɪəm] n. 千禧年

gym [dʒɪm] n. 健身房

注释：

1.这里指公元2000年。

2.gym culture:指英国现在流行的去健身房健身的趋势。

3.well toned bodies:指结实而线条良好的体形。

Debenhams could most possibly be____.

A:a fashion magazine B:a lifestyle association C:an expert on trends D:a department store

We did （） to save the little girl’s life.

A:possible everything B:everything possibly C:everything possible D:possibly everything

Advancing technology could possibly make us

A:decisive. B:powerless. C:hesitant. D:mysterious.

Each nation has its own odd character which distinguishes it from others. But the people of the world have more points in which they are all like each other than points in which they are different. One type of person that is common in every country is the one who always tries to do as little as he possibly can and to get as much in return as he can. His opposite, the man who is in the habit of doing more than is strictly necessary and who is ready to accept what is offered in return, is rare everywhere.
Both these types are usually not aware of their character. The man who avoids effort is al ways talking about his "rights". The man who is always doing more than his share talks of "duties": he feels that the individual is in debt to society, and not society to the individual. As a result of their views, neither of these men thinks that he behaves at all strangely.
The man who tries to do as little as he can is always full of excuses: If he had neglected to do something, it was because he had a headache, or the weather was too hot--or too cold--or because he was prevented by bad luck. At first, other people, such as his friends and his employer, generously accept his stories; but soon they realized what kind of person he is. In the long run he deceives only himself. When his friends become cool towards him and he fails to make progress in his job, he is surprised and hurt. He blames everyone and everything except himself. He feels that society is failing in its duties towards him, and that he is being unjustly treated. He soon becomes one of the unsatisfied members of the society he lives in.
If you want something done in a hurry, don’t go to the man who has clearly not much to do. He will probably have a dozen excellent excuses for not being able to help you, much as he tells you he would like to. Go to the busiest man you know, particularly if you are sure that be has not a spare minute in the week. If your work is really important, he will make time for it.

A:tries to accept what is offered B:always tries to do as much as he possibly can C:tries to get as little as he can D:tries to do as little as he possibly can and to get as much in return as he can

It is a terrible illustration of man’s weakness to nature, and the tsunami(海啸)that struck the Japanese coast in March, 2011 has illustrated the difficulty of fighting against natural disasters, even for a prosperous nation.
Totally preventing tsunami-damage is impossible. But there is much that can be done to minimize damage and loss of life. Measures that can be taken include designing solid buildings, and developing early-waming systems, public education programs and evacuation(疏散) strategies. Moreover, the approach of a tsunami is possibly picked up by the sensors of complicated international waming systems.
Countries can use radio and television broadcasts as well as loudspeaker networks to warn the public.
But an early waming system depends on how far the tsunami strikes, if it’s close by, the warning system is not going to be very effective. When people are faced with an unstoppable force like a tsunami the massive waves created by events like underwater earthquakes, the best course of action for them is to get inland and to the higher ground as quickly as possible.

A:The total prevention of tsunamis is possible. B:Rich countries are less affected by tsunamis than poor countries. C:Approaching tsunamis can possibly be picked up by sensors. D:An early warning system is effective when a tsunami is close by.

He believed that this plan could be possibly carried out.

A:feasibly B:favorably C:successfully D:totally

{{B}}第三篇{{/B}}

A:Lack of nutrition in early children can cost developed nations up to three percent of their yearly earnings. B:Poor countries could possibly double their economic growth if they improved nutrition. C:Almost all the world economy was affected by the African malnutrition. D:Natonal economy is the base for individua’s nutrition.

He believed that this plan could be possibly carried out.

A:feasibly B:favorably C:successfully D:totally