The lingerie giant Triumph International has developed a bra that is designed to help prevent global warming. This means women can keep warm and environmentally conscious, although the vote is out on how stylish they might look. The bra is a fluffy and somewhat bulky contraption consisting of reusable gel pads that can be heated in a microwave. The size of the eco-bra may not conform to most ladies’ expectations of chic and sleek, but may well please women who prefer that extra bit of padding. Triumph unveiled the bra in Japan as part of a “Warm Biz” campaign to reduce the need for heating. “Warm Biz” is a pun on Junichiro Koizumi’s “Cool Biz” policy whereby businessmen ditched neckties to reduce air-conditioner use and greenhouse gas emissions.

A spokesperson for Triumph Japan said: “We hope this will not only help prevent global warming but also provide a little fashion chic to the office.” The bra is currently only in white and has matching shorts. It comes with a boa-like attachment that is meant to keep one’s neck warm and has a small, red, chili pepper-shaped pendant dangling from the front. Unfortunately, the heated lingerie set is still at the post-prototype stage of development and will not be hitting the stores any time soon. The bra maker will instead use the technology to develop a range of warm and eco-friendly clothing. Triumph senses a consumer readiness for greater functionality in fashion and a willingness to don attire that makes a statement and helps save the planet.

WARM-UPS

1. UNDERWEAR: In pairs / groups, talk about underwear. Are you interested in underwear? Do you spend a lot of money on underwear? Is it fashionable? What do you look for or think about when buying socks, lingerie and other undergarments? How has the kind of underwear you wear changed over the years?

2. ECO-FASHION: What do you think of the concept of eco-fashion or eco-clothing? In pairs / groups, discuss how the following items of clothing could be made more eco-friendly. Would you buy and wear clothes containing the ideas you talked about?

Bra Shoes Necktie Baseball cap

Suit Watch Perfume T-shirt

3. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.

Lingerie / giants / bras / keeping warm / looking stylish / microwaves / chic / heating /businessmen / neckties / greenhouses / offices / chili / eco-friendly clothes

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

4. BRA: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word “bra”. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

5. SAVE ENERGY: What can we do to save energy in our everyday lives and thus reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions? Discuss this with your partner(s). Focus on these areas:

Having breakfast Commuting or going to school Keeping warm or cool My hobby

Cooking At home in the evening A letter to the government Studying English

6. ECO-CLOTHING OPINIONS: How far do you agree or disagree with these opinions? Talk about them with your partner(s).

1. All clothes should be eco-friendly.
2. We should recycle our clothes instead of throwing them away.
3. Leather should be banned – it is very bad for the environment.
4. All winter clothing should be solar heated to eliminate the need for heating oil.
5. Clothes should be the natural color of their fabrics to avoid polluting dyes.
6. People should be fined for wearing environmentally unfriendly clothes.
7. Wearing eco-friendly clothes will have a minimal impact on the environment.
8. Eco-friendly clothes should carry “Warm Biz” and “Cool Biz” logos.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	A bra that was described in the Kyoto Protocol has been developed.	T / F
b.	The bra contains gel pads that need to be heated in a microwave.	T / F
c.	The bras are ultra thin and ultra light.	T / F
d.	Japan’s businessmen ditched neckties to reduce air-conditioner use.	T / F
e.	The maker hopes the bras will bring fashion chic to offices.	T / F
f.	The bras have a heated scarf-like attachment to warm one’s neck.	T / F
g.	The bras will soon be on sale in colder countries around the world.	T / F
h.	Consumers are ready to don attire that will help save the planet.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.	giant	wear
b.	bulky	discarded
c.	contraption	hanging
d.	ditched	scarf
e.	emissions	gizmo
f.	boa	clothing
g.	dangling	cumbersome
h.	readiness	behemoth
i.	don	inclination
j.	attire	discharges

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

a.	a bra that is designed	on how stylish they might look
b.	the vote is out	functionality in fashion
c.	a fluffy and somewhat	expectations of chic and sleek
d.	conform to most ladies’	to help prevent global warming
e.	businessmen ditched neckties to	attire that makes a statement
f.	provide a little fashion	bulky contraption
g.	a boa-like attachment that is	chic to the office
h.	at the post-prototype	reduce air-conditioner use
i.	a consumer readiness for greater	meant to keep one’s neck warm
j.	a willingness to don	stage of development

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words in the column on the right into the gaps in the text.

Kyoto Protocol heated bra developed

The lingerie ________ Triumph International has developed a bra that is designed to help prevent global warming. This means women can keep warm and environmentally ________, although the vote is ________ on how stylish they might look. The bra is a ________ and somewhat bulky contraption consisting of reusable gel pads that can be heated in a microwave. The size of the eco-bra may not ________ to most ladies’ expectations of chic and ________, but may well please women who prefer that extra bit of ________. Triumph unveiled the bra in Japan as part of a “Warm Biz” campaign to reduce the need for heating. “Warm Biz” is a ________ on Junichiro Koizumi’s “Cool Biz” policy whereby businessmen ditched neckties to reduce air-conditioner use and greenhouse gas emissions.		out pun giant padding fluffy sleek conscious conform
A spokesperson for Triumph Japan said: “We hope this will not only help prevent global warming but also provide a little fashion ________ to the office.” The bra is currently only in white and has ________ shorts. It comes with a boa-like attachment that is meant to keep one’s neck warm and has a small, red, chili pepper-shaped ________ dangling from the front. Unfortunately, the ________ lingerie set is still at the post-prototype stage of development and will not be ________ the stores any time soon. The bra maker will instead use the technology to develop a ________ of warm and eco-friendly clothing. Triumph ________ a consumer readiness for greater functionality in fashion and a willingness to don attire that makes a ________ and helps save the planet.		range matching statement chic heated senses hitting pendant

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Kyoto Protocol heated bra developed

The _________ giant Triumph International has developed a bra that is designed to help prevent global warming. This means women can keep warm and environmentally _________, although the vote is out on how stylish they might look. The bra is a fluffy and somewhat bulky _________ consisting of reusable gel pads that can be heated in a microwave. The size of the eco-bra may not _________ to most ladies’ expectations of chic and _________, but may well please women who prefer that extra bit of padding. Triumph _________ the bra in Japan as part of a “Warm Biz” campaign to reduce the need for heating. “Warm Biz” is a pun on Junichiro Koizumi’s “Cool Biz” policy whereby businessmen _________ neckties to reduce air-conditioner use and greenhouse gas _________.

A spokesperson for Triumph Japan said: “We hope this will not only help _________ global warming but also provide a little fashion chic to the office.” The bra is _________ only in white and has matching shorts. It comes with a ____-_____ attachment that is meant to keep one’s neck warm and has a small, red, chili pepper-shaped pendant _________ from the front. Unfortunately, the heated lingerie set is still at the post-prototype stage of development and will not ___ ______ the stores any time soon. The bra maker will instead use the technology to develop a range of warm and eco-friendly clothing. Triumph senses a consumer _________ for greater functionality in fashion and a willingness to don _________ that makes a statement and helps save the planet.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘fashion’ and ‘chic’.

• Share your findings with your partners.
• Make questions using the words you found.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

• Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the gap fill. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. STUDENT “ECO-FRIENDLY CLOTHES” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about eco-friendly clothes, the environment and fashion.

• Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.
• Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:

designed vote contraption padding pun emissions

chic attachment dangling hitting range don

DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1. Did the headline make you want to read the article?
2. What do you know about the Kyoto Protocol?
3. What do you think of the idea of heated bras?
4. Would you buy heated underwear?
5. How important do you think it is for underwear to be chic and stylish?
6. How do you keep warm in the winter or cool in the summer?
7. What other kinds of eco-clothing could be developed?
8. Do you think people don’t take the idea of eco-friendliness seriously enough?
9. What is more important for you when buying clothes - functionality, style or price?
10. In what ways is the fashion industry harmful to the environment?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1. Did you like reading this article?
2. What do you think about what you read?
3. Are you surprised that there isn’t already a wide range of eco-clothing on sale?
4. Do you think a bra full of heated gel pads will sell well?
5. What do you think of the idea of heated underpants?
6. Do you think Junichiro Koizumi’s “Cool Biz” idea of ditching neckties and jackets should be adopted in all countries?
7. Triumph International said the new bra would “provide a little fashion chic to the office”. Do offices really need chic bras?
8. Would you wear clothes that helped the planet, even though they looked a little strange or silly?
9. Will you now be rethinking your underwear wardrobe?
10. Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

1. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
2. Was there a question you didn’t like?
3. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
4. What did you like talking about?
5. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING

ECO-CLOTHING: You work for a company that specializes in creating eco-friendly clothes. In pairs / groups, design a new item of clothing that is good for the environment. Agree on the following points:

POINTS	REASONS
The item of clothing
A catchy name or slogan
The design
How it helps the environment
A brief idea for the TV commercials
Ideas to make it sell
Materials, sizes, colors, etc
Other

• Change partners and show each other your ideas for your eco-clothing.
• Give each other feedback and advice on how to improve them.
• Present your ideas to the rest of the class.
• In pairs / groups, discuss the presentations and vote on the best ideas. Which ones would you buy?

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information on the Triumph International eco-bra. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

3. KYOTO PROTOCOL LIFE: Make a poster describing ways in which we can live our everyday lives in keeping with the spirit of the Kyoto Protocol. Show your posters to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all think of similar ideas?

4. LETTER: Write a letter to the boss of a clothing company or fashion house. Tell him / her your ideas for eco-clothes. Show what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all write about similar things?

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. F

b. T

c. F

d. T

e. T

f. T

g. F

h. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	giant	behemoth
b.	bulky	cumbersome
c.	contraption	gizmo
d.	ditched	discarded
e.	emissions	discharges
f.	boa	scarf
g.	dangling	hanging
h.	readiness	inclination
i.	don	wear
j.	attire	clothing

PHRASE MATCH:

a.	a bra that is designed	to help prevent global warming
b.	the vote is out	on how stylish they might look
c.	a fluffy and somewhat	bulky contraption
d.	conform to most ladies’	expectations of chic and sleek
e.	businessmen ditched neckties to	reduce air-conditioner use
f.	provide a little fashion	chic to the office
g.	a boa-like attachment that is	meant to keep one’s neck warm
h.	at the post-prototype	stage of development
i.	a consumer readiness for greater	functionality in fashion
j.	a willingness to don	attire that makes a statement

GAP FILL:

Kyoto Protocol heated bra developed

The lingerie giant Triumph International has developed a bra that is designed to help prevent global warming. This means women can keep warm and environmentally conscious, although the vote is out on how stylish they might look. The bra is a fluffy and somewhat bulky contraption consisting of reusable gel pads that can be heated in a microwave. The size of the eco-bra may not conform to most ladies’ expectations of chic and sleek, but may well please women who prefer that extra bit of padding. Triumph unveiled the bra in Japan as part of a “Warm Biz” campaign to reduce the need for heating. “Warm Biz” is a pun on Junichiro Koizumi’s “Cool Biz” policy whereby businessmen ditched neckties to reduce air-conditioner use and greenhouse gas emissions.

A spokesperson for Triumph Japan said: “We hope this will not only help prevent global warming but also provide a little fashion chic to the office.” The bra is currently only in white and has matching shorts. It comes with a boa-like attachment that is meant to keep one’s neck warm and has a small, red, chili pepper-shaped pendant dangling from the front. Unfortunately, the heated lingerie set is still at the post-prototype stage of development and will not be hitting the stores any time soon. The bra maker will instead use the technology to develop a range of warm and eco-friendly clothing. Triumph senses a consumer readiness for greater functionality in fashion and a willingness to don attire that makes a statement and helps save the planet.

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