The disaster in "The Man in the Water" by Roger Rosenblatt occurred in 1982 when an airplane clipped a Potomac bridge during rush hour and went into the water. The heroic man in the water helped others before he drowned.
Well lets say one might want to stay fit, and loose weight. The temptation of eating junk food like chocolate will lead them away from their goal and add weight instead of loosing it.
A bright red rose is the salient feature of the Old World Monkey, the Mandrill.
I think the meaning of the phrase would be that she sees that food and education doesnt give her the gratification trendy apparel does. im not sure about what the context clues are but this should give you an idea. sorry i couldnt fully answer this.
