In this passage, what does 'cut corners' mean?
A shirt that sells for ten dollars may seem a bargain. However, the price on the tag hides several costs. Cheap fabric tends to wear out within a season, so shoppers buy replacements more often. Factories that keep wages low cut corners on safety. And the shirts that are thrown away fill landfills faster than they can break down. Critics of the industry do not ask people to stop buying clothes; they ask them to buy fewer items and to look after what they own. Others reply that people on low incomes have little choice. Both points deserve a hearing, but neither changes the arithmetic of a shirt that must be bought three times.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. do things cheaply and less carefully
Answer: do things cheaply and less carefully. Why not the others: The phrase is figurative and does not refer to geography, fabric or delivery.
- Step 1: The factories keep wages low and are less safe.
- Step 2: 'Cut corners' means doing a job cheaply and less carefully.
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