They wear the latest fashions with the most up­to­date accessories(配饰)．Yet these are not girls in their teens or twenties but women in their sixties and seventies. A generation which would once only wear old­fashioned clothes is now favouring the same high street looks worn by those half their age.

    Professor Julia Twigg，a social policy expert，said，“Women over 75 are now shopping for clothes more often than they did when they were young in the 1960s.In the 1960s buying a coat for a woman was a serious matter. It was an expensive item that they would purchase only every three or four years—now you can pick one up at the supermarket whenever you wish to. Fashion is a lot cheaper and people get tired of things more quickly.”

    Professor Twigg analysed family expenditure(支出)data and found that while the percentage of spending on clothes and shoes by women had stayed around the same—at 5 or 6 per cent of spending—the amount of clothes bought had risen sharply.

    The professor said.“Clothes are now 70 per cent cheaper than they were in the 1960s because of the huge expansion of production in the Far East. In the 1960s Leeds was the heart of the British fashion industry and that was where most of the clothes came from，but now almost all of our clothes are sourced elsewhere. Everyone is buying more clothes but in general we are not spending more money on them.”

    Angela Barnard，who runs her own fashion business in London，said older women were much more affected by celebrity(名流)style than in previous years.

She said，“When people see stars such as Judi Dench and Helen Mirren looking attractive and fashionable in their sixties，they want to follow them. Older women are much more aware of celebrities. There's also the boom in TV programmes showing people how they can change their look，and many of my older customers do yoga to stay in shape well in their fifties. When I started my business a few years ago，my older customers tended to be very rich，but now they are what I would call ordinary women. My own mother is 61 and she wears the latest fashions in a way she would never have done ten years ago.”

— Good indeed. It _____ many problems we have come across in our study.

    The Fitting-in of Suzy Khan

    The first time I saw Suzy Khan, I knew I had to help her. She was really small for her age of 12. The boy in my class often1about her and laughed their heads off. She would open a book, pretending to read, with tears dropping on the open page.

    All I knew was that she was an orphan(孤儿) from Africa. She had just been adopted by a family in town who2that the best way for her to learn American ways of life was to be with American kids. I looked down at this 3girl and promised myself that somehow I would help her.

    But how could I help her4in with us? There had to be a5

    One day, when I went into the classroom, I saw that Suzy had6her geography book to a picture of a train, and in her notebook, she had made a(n)7copy.

    I was surprised and thought that she could do something in the coming 8show. So, I took her to see the art teacher, Miss Parker, and showed her what Suzy had 9"Why, it's wonderful," said Miss Parker, who then showed us a poster she had painted10the talent show. "I need more of these, but I just don't have enough11Could you help me, Suzy?"

    On the day of the talent show, Suzy's12were everywhere—all over the hall and all over the school, each one different.

    "And finally," said Mr. Brown, the schoolmaster, at the end of the show, "we have a(n)13award. I'm sure you've all noticed the wonderful posters." Everyone nodded. "One of our own students14them."

    I could hear everyone whispering. "Who in our school could draw15well?"

    Mr. Brown waited a while before saying, "16this student worked so hard on the posters, she deserves a17 too. Our mystery(神秘) artist is our new student—Suzy Khan!"

    Mr. Brown thanked her for all the wonderful posters and gave her a professional artist's set. "Thank you," she cried.

    I18 at that time when I was looking at her excited face, she'd probably never19anything in her whole life.

    Everyone started to20their hands. Suzy Khan gave them a shy smile and the applause was deafening. I knew then Suzy was going to be all right.