Part C

Task 1

Read the text “Second-hand is grand”. Match the headings (A-H) with the paragraphs (1-6).

Write the letters in the boxes. Use each letter only once.

There are two headings you do not need. One heading (F) is already matched.

A	Upcycling ideas
B	Becoming a non-profit-shop owner
C	Demanding but necessary changes
D	Political support for Shannon’s ideas
E	An alternative to swapping
F	Educating people nationwide
G	Consequences of overproduction of clothing
H	The meaning of charity shops

1
2
3
4	F
5
6

5 Punkte

Task 2

Answer the questions using information from the text. Short answers are enough. There is an example (0) at the beginning.

(0) What did Shannon like doing back home? shopping clothes every weekend

(1) Where did Shannon use to keep all the things for the swap events?

______________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

(2) Why does the local government help people to host swapping events? Name one reason.

______________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

(3) For what kinds of events do people rent clothes? Name one.

______________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

(4) How can unwearable clothing be reused?

______________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

(5) What does Shannon see as her most difficult task?

______________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

5 Punkte

Task 3

Give the line(s) of the sentence in the text where you find the following information. There is an example (0) at the beginning.

(0)	We must consider the consequences of buying lots of outfits.	line(s)
(1)	You can take second-hand garments to the organisation.	3-5
(2)	Customers can select clothing in person or online.
(3)	Shannon’s team gives valuable garments to charity.
(4)	They give lessons nationwide about fixing one’s wardrobe.
(5)	The importance of projects like this will increase.

5 Punkte

Task 4

The following words have various meanings. Which of the meanings below is the one used in the text? Write the correct number in the box. There is an example (0) at the beginning.

(0) CYCLE (line 7)

1	round or course
2	pedal-powered vehicle
3	series of events
4	ride a bicycle

(1) ISSUE (line 10)

1	one of regular series of newspapers
2	important topic
3	making known
4	produce

(2) SPACE (line 15)

1	area beyond the earth’s atmosphere
2	period of time
3	area that is empty or available
4	part of a page that is empty

(3) JUST (line 32)

1	fair
2	only
3	simply
4	exactly

(4) HOST (line 44)

1	person who invites guests
2	organise an event
3	introduce a TV programme
4	store a website on a computer

(5) SPREAD (line 58)

1	soft layer
2	soft food that you put on bread
3	make known to more and more people
4	cover a large area

5 Punkte

20 Punkte

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Second-hand is grand

1. Shannon was on holiday in Africa when she saw something shocking: enormous piles

of old clothes next to a river, spilling into the water. This sight deeply upset her. Back in

Ireland, she enjoyed buying new clothes every weekend. But after seeing the waste in

Africa, she realised that fast fashion was creating a serious problem, and that people

needed to think more carefully about their shopping habits. Fast fashion means that

companies produce large amounts of cheap clothing very quickly. People buy these

clothes, wear them for a short time, and then throw them away. This cycle generates a

significant amount of waste and harms the environment. Fast fashion is everywhere.

Shops in Ireland are filled with inexpensive clothes, especially during festive seasons like

Halloween and Christmas. Environmentalists warn that this issue is “the world’s greatest

environmental disaster.”

2. Motivated by her concerns, Shannon decided to leave her job in marketing and to focus

her attention on sustainability. She started by organising a clothes-swap event in her

neighbourhood which was so successful that she arranged more of them. Her parents

were very understanding and allowed her to use some space in their garage for storage.

This idea grew and now, a decade later, Shannon has a shop in Dublin where people can

rent, exchange, or buy second-hand outfits. She has become the leading figure in a

campaign to fight waste in which she encourages people to swap, reuse, repair, and

repurpose clothes instead of buying new ones. Her slogan is, “second-hand is grand.”

People can bring their used clothes to Shannon’s shop. She and her team sort the items

into three groups: clothes in very good condition, clothes that need some care, and clothes

that are no longer wearable. If people bring in items, they receive tokens, which they can

then exchange for other clothes in the shop that they would like. The better the condition

of the clothes, the more tokens they get. In Dublin, swapping clothes has become so

popular that everyone can borrow a free ‘swap kit’¹ for community events. The city council

supports this initiative because it benefits both the environment and the social life of the

community.

3. If swapping is not for you, you can also rent clothes for a small fee. The shop offers a

wide variety, from T-shirts and jeans to clothing for special occasions like birthdays,

weddings, or funerals. Last year, Shannon even added her own wedding dress to the rental

selection. To rent an item, you can either visit the shop or reserve the outfit on the website.

The team will then contact you to arrange a fitting. The items must be returned in just the

same condition as they were received – clean and without any stains or holes. If an item

is damaged, the renter must pay the full retail price. In addition to swapping and renting,

the shop donates high-quality clothes to places where people are in need.

4. Shannon and her team, which includes two part-time workers and several volunteers,

travel across Ireland teaching people how to repair and reuse clothes. Many individuals

are interested in learning these valuable skills, such as sewing buttons, repairing holes, or

shortening trouser legs. Shannon believes that acquiring these skills is not only practical

but also a creative and thoughtful activity. It allows people to focus on something other

than their phones and computers and encourages a different attitude.

5. Shannon’s project has expanded rapidly. What began in a southern suburb of Dublin

has now moved to a larger location in the city centre because of increasing interest. In

addition to running the shop, she and her team host night markets and workshops where

participants can learn how to create their own Halloween costumes or Christmas

decorations from old clothes. They also offer workshops called “pimp your pants”, where

they teach people how to upcycle their wardrobe instead of buying new items. For

example, people learn how to stitch or to add badges to their jeans. If clothing is too

damaged to be worn, it can be transformed into patchwork blankets.

6. Shannon hopes that more people will reconsider their views on second-hand clothing.

In some communities, there is still a belief that wearing pre-owned items suggests you are

poor. Shannon and her team are working to change this way of thinking. Getting people to

visit a swap shop can be the first step in convincing them that this practice is preferable to

buying everything new. This attitude towards sustainability can be transferred from clothing

to many other fields such as electronics and furniture. Shannon is enthusiastic about the

future of her organisation. It is growing rapidly, and she believes it has significant potential

to make a positive impact on the environment. She and her team are dedicated to

spreading this message across Ireland and Great Britain. There is no doubt that politicians

should pass laws that textiles have to be recycled and reused instead of being thrown

away. This would mean that initiatives like Shannon’s will become even more essential.

Nonetheless, she understands that changing people’s habits is a considerable challenge.

But she is optimistic. As the cost of living increases, more individuals will look for ways to

reduce waste and save money. She helps them focus on what they can do to make a

difference: every piece of clothing counts.

¹ swap kit – hier: Set bestehend aus Kleiderbügeln und Kleiderständern zur Präsentation der Tauschkleidung

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Task 1

1	G
2	B
3	E
4	F
5	A
6	C

Task 2

(1) Where did Shannon use to keep all the things for the swap events? (her parents’) garage

(2) Why does the local government help people to host swapping events? Name one reason. (it) benefits the environment / (the) social life (of the community)

(3) For what kinds of events do people rent clothes? Name one. birthdays / weddings / funerals

(4) How can unwearable clothing be reused? (patchwork) blankets

(5) What does Shannon see as her most difficult task? changing people’s habits

Task 3

line(s)
3-5
20
31
34-35
36-37
60

Task 4

(0) CYCLE (line 7)

1	round or course
2	pedal-powered vehicle
3	series of events
4	ride a bicycle

(1) ISSUE (line 10)

1	one of regular series of newspapers
2	important topic
3	making known
4	produce

(2) SPACE (line 15)

1	area beyond the earth’s atmosphere
2	period of time
3	area that is empty or available
4	part of a page that is empty

(3) JUST (line 32)

1	fair
2	only
3	simply
4	exactly

(4) HOST (line 44)

1	person who invites guests
2	organise an event
3	introduce a TV programme
4	store a website on a computer

(5) SPREAD (line 58)

1	soft layer
2	soft food that you put on bread
3	make known to more and more people
4	cover a large area

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