SPEAKING B

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Smooth Silk
I love wearing silk! It's so smooth and soft. I think it's one of the most expensive
materials in the world. It costs a lot in the stores, and you always have to dry clean it.
You can never iron silk. I like it mainly because of the way it feels on my skin, not
because of the cost.
My mother likes silk too. She has several pieces: 2 robes, pajamas, 3 nightgowns, and of
course, scarves (much more than I have...maybe about 33). I think I learned all about
silk and fashion from her. It's great that we have the same taste. She lets me borrow
things from her all the time.
Today I have a job interview, so I'm wearing a formal grey wool suit with my bright red
silk scarf. My grandmother bought it for me on her vacation trip to China last year. She
knows that I like silk scarves. I already have 16 in different colors and designs. My
favorite is the one that I have from Hubert de Givenchy, the French fashion designer. It
was $105 on sale. I really can't buy anything more than a few scarves right now because
of money, but I am saving to be able to buy a good quality silk jacket for my birthday.
Why is silk so expensive? First of all, the thread itself is very different from wool,
cotton, and synthetic threads. You can feel the difference by touch and it looks different
too. Did you know that it takes about 630 silk cocoons to make a woman's blouse and
110 silk cocoons just to make a man's tie? It's many hours of hard work just to produce
the smallest thing, but you know I believe its beauty is worth it!