You may know the difference between an American accent and a British accent. But do you know what a “posh” (优雅的) British accent is? The difference may be more important than you think.
There are many different accents in the UK, some of them very difficult for foreigners to understand. In the south, many people speak with what is known as a “posh” accent, an accent that makes people think of the British Royal Family and upper-class people in the UK. In this accent, “grass” sounds more like “gr-ar-ss”, and “bath” sounds more like “barth”. Often, British people who take j
obs on TV or elsewhere have to change their own accents and make them “posher” to be accepted.
So, do accents still matter? Last year Alexander Baratta, PhD, from the UK’s University of Manchester spoke about “accentism” – people being tr
eated worse because of how they speak – and compared it to racism, according to The Guardian. In a study, he asked people why they changed their accents and how it made them feel.
It’s not hard to see why they do it – everyone wants to do well in life, and the best way to do that is to “fit in”. Still, there is a price to pay, Baratta said. Facing the world with a voice that is not your own can hurt “your sense of being”. This was shown when a third of those questioned said they were “ashamed” about changing their accents.
What can be done to stop people changing how they sound? Well, times may be changing, too. The Guardian’s leader writer Hugh Muir has a suggestion: “The listener must adapt when needed. The speaker must make themselves understood, whatever accent they choose.”
So as you’re learning English, don’t worry too much about how your accent makes you sound – as long as it’s clear what you’re saying!
12.What is the article mainly about?
A. How we should deal with different accents.
B. Why we should learn a posh British accent.
C. The problem of accentism and ways to deal with it.
D. Why some British people like to change their accents.
13. According to the article, a posh accent reminds people of ______ in the UK.
A. working-class people B. upper-class people
C. poorly-educated people D. fashionable young people
14. We can see from the article that changing their accents ______.
A. made most of the people asked feel posh
B. meant that some of the people asked were treated worse
C. made some of the people asked feel bad about themselves
D. made most of the people asked feel unsure of themselves
15. What are people advised to do with their accents?
A. To make themselves clear in the accent they choose.
B. To warn listeners to accept different accents.
C. To make no 
changes to their accent at all.
D. To adapt their accent to their listeners.