Although today high-heeled and platform shoes are often seen as footwe

Although today high-heeled and platform shoes are often seen as footwear designed simply to make a woman seem more fashionable and appealing, they served a more utilitarian purpose during the Middle Ages. During this time, both men and women would wear detachable wooden platforms in order to protect their shoes from the weather and the grit of the streets. However, in contemporary times, heeled shoes are almost exclusively reserved for women’s footwear, primarily for aesthetic effect. Not only is the foot made to seem more petite and dainty, but the entire appearance of a woman’s body is altered.

In order to maintain her balance, a woman must tense her legs and buttocks, making them to appear more fit and firm. The back is forced in a sinuous arch, and the elongation of the legs makes a woman’s hips sway back and forth in a wider ellipsis. Whereas heels were once used for practical purposes, today they are employed purely for a pleasant aesthetic effect.

Taking this into consideration, we should evaluate why it is that women wear high heels. Is it to increase confidence in one’s sexual appeal? To attract attention from others? Or is it simply to conform to the dress expectations of society at large? The various possible motivations that might cause a woman to wear a high-heeled shoe create a great level of ambiguity as to why the shoe continues to persevere in fashion.

1. This passage is most probably intended to __________.

A. objectively compare the past uses of platform shoes with the current uses of high heels, without casting either in a negative or positive light.
B. praise the use of platform shoes in earlier eras.
C. make people consider the social implications of fashion at large.
D. compare the past uses of platform shoes with the current uses of high heels in order to point out the lack of functionality of the latter.
E. serve as a conclusion for a longer passage about footwear and its interaction with society.

2. According to the author, modern high heels have the effect of

I. causing a woman to appear more aesthetically appealing
II. empowering a woman
III. changing the way a woman engages her muscles

A. I only
B. I and III
C. I and II
D. III only
E. I, II, and III

3. This passage is most probably intended to __________.

A. praise the use of platform shoes in earlier eras.
B. serve as a conclusion for a longer passage about footwear and its interaction with society.
C. make people consider the social implications of fashion at large.
D. compare the past uses of platform shoes with the current uses of high heels in order to point out the lack of functionality of the latter.
E. objectively compare the past uses of platform shoes with the current uses of high heels, without casting either in a negative or positive light.

4. The author’s attitude towards high-heeled shoes today is best characterized as __________.

A. percipient
B. condemning
C. cavalier
D. inquisitive
E. dismissive

5. The author would likely agree with all of the following claims except which one?

A. Today, it is rare to find platform shoes or high heels designed for men.
B. The aesthetic function that high heels serve today is about as useful as the function that platform shoes served during the Middle Ages.
C. High-heeled shoes contribute to princes' ability to engage in both manlike and beastlike behaviors in the objectification of women in modern society.
D. During the middle ages, platform shoes served a functional purpose and were not primarily designed for aesthetic purposes.
E. High-heeled shoes not only change the aesthetic of a woman’s body, but also how she carries herself.