106 學年度學測英文 第 21 題

Shoes are hugely important for protecting our feet, especially in places like Africa, where healthcare provision is limited. Unfortunately, shoes are not always readily available for people living in poverty, 21 shoes that are the right size. Almost as soon as a child receives shoes to wear, he/she is likely to have grown out of them. Then the child has to 22 with shoes that are too small. The Shoe That Grows, created by a charity called Because International, changes all this. It allows children to 23 their shoes’ size as their feet grow.

The innovative footwear resembles a common sandal and is made of leather straps and rubber soles, a material similar to that used in tires. They come 24 two sizes, and can expand in three places. The straps on the heel and toe control the length of the shoe, 25 the two on either side allow for different widths. With this special design, the shoes can “grow” up to five sizes and last for at least five years.