20 Questions | Spelling | Dictation
READING:
High-heel shoes are popular with many women worldwide. A new study shows that wearing them for a long time can permanently injure the body. A team of biomotion researchers from Stanford University did tests on the knees of women who wore flat shoes, shoes with 3.8-cm heels and shoes with 8.9-cm heels. The results show that women who wear high heels risk permanent damage to their knees. High heels put knees in an awkward, bent shape that makes them function like aged or damaged joints. This increases the risk of needing surgery.
A recent survey of 1,200 women shows how popular high heels are. It said 93 per cent of women feel sexier and more feminine when they wore heels, 88 per cent considered themselves more stylish and 77 per cent said heels made them feel slimmer. Many women ignore health warnings, the pain and the discomfort of wearing heels to look and feel good. A British doctor said he often treats women with problems caused by wearing heels. He said heels put the feet at a strange angle, which increases pressure on the knees by 25 per cent. This puts a lot of stress on the kneecaps.
This page has all the levels, listening and reading for this lesson.
← Back to the high heels lesson.