Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 18 to 22.
The secondhand clothing movement is clearly here to stay. Much of the old stigma has disappeared. Where wearing used garments was once associated with a certain degree of embarrassment, public attitudes have, fortunately, evolved, and admitting that your outfit is pre-owned (18)__________.
This transformation has not occurred by chance. Prominent figures in the fashion world increasingly treat vintage pieces with the same respect as newly produced luxury goods, a shift (19)__________. Ethical concerns have also played a role, as consumers have become more aware of environmental damage and the exploitation of garment workers. (20)__________. The resale market has expanded into a varied ecosystem in which shoppers can find everything from inexpensive retro items to luxury accessories once considered unattainable.
Despite its growing appeal, the movement is not without contradictions. The ease with which people can now purchase preloved clothing online risks encouraging patterns of consumption similar to those associated with fast fashion. (21)__________, especially when low prices reduce the hesitation that might otherwise accompany an unnecessary purchase. Critics therefore warn that the global trade in secondhand clothing can sometimes function as an informal waste-management system for the fashion industry, (22)__________.
Question 18:
A. which is now more of a self-conscious boast than a thing to conceal
B. is now more of a self-conscious boast than something to conceal
C. by becoming less embarrassing than people once used to think
D. more of a self-conscious point of pride than a source of shame
