Wearing ties (领带) was originally (最初) the mark of Britain’s most powerful classes, which made the tie itself a symbol of power and respect. And that led it to be adopted(采用) by a much larger group－the business group.
You cannot wear a tie if you work with machinery (机械). So wearing a tie became a sign that you were a man who used your brain to make a living, rather than your hands. It showed you were serious. It showed you were a professional (专业人员). It meant that everyone who wanted a job in business had to wear one. It was just impossible to take seriously a man who didn’t wear a piece of colored silk around his neck.
This is how millions of people came to be wearing ties across the world. They are part of the uniform (制服) of business.
“Ties offer a point of indifference,” says John Milne, head of the British Guide of Tie Makers, “They give a chance to say something about their own personality.”
So if you happen to meet a man with a very brightly colored tie, there is a good chance that he is the office jobber. There is also a good chance that he will be wearing brightly colored socks.
Is there a future for ties? The signs are not promising. Tie wearing seems to be rare among the new brands of entrepreneurs (创业者) in the Internet and new technology Industries. Many political leaders, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, now go without ties. This shows they are men of the people－but not the people wearing ties.
It was common for men across the western world to wear hats as part of their business uniform up until around 1960. That changed with the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency of the United States. Kennedy never wore a hat－in fact his nickname was “hatless Jack”. Seeing that the most powerful man in the world did not have to wear a hat, millions of other men decided that they did not have to, either. Hats simply vanished across the Western world. Perhaps “tieless Tony” (former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair) will have the same effect as “hatless Jack”.
56.In Britain, ties were first used as a sign to show a person’s .
A. personality B. social position C. wearing style D. favorite hobby
57.The underlined word “vanished” in this passage may mean .
A. sold B. washed C. appeared D. disappeared
58.The writer may hold the opinion that .
A. Blair is the best leader in the world
B. Kennedy is the best leader in the world
C. millions of people will go to work without a tie
D. people will wear hats instead of ties
59Which of the following statements is TURE according to the passage?
A. If you are a professional, you can’t wear a tie in Britain.
B. The tie will become more fashionable and popular in the future.
C. It was the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency of the United States that changed the fact that wearing hats as part of their business uniform.
D. Men across the western world didn’t wear hats as part of their business uniform until around 1960.
60..From the last paragraph we know that ___________.
Wearing ties remains very popular with powerful men in the world.
It is possible that wearing ties will not be fashionable in the future.
Wearing ties shows a man’s social identification, so it is likely that people, especially men around the world still will have to follow this fashion.
It will be inconvenient for people to wear ties and hats at work.
第三部分：阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节：阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并把答案写在答题卷上。（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）
Bamboo is one of the nature’s most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist recorded one bamboo plant that grew almost 1.5 meters in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe. There are more than 1,000 kinds of bamboo that grow around the world on both mountains and plains(平原).
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.
Many Asian countries have been using bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for building new buildings. As a matter of fact, the cables (绳索) that hold up the hanging bridge across the Min River in Sichuan are made of bamboo. The bridge has been in use for more than 1,000 years, and is still holding strong.
In Africa, engineers are teaching poor farmers how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap ways to find water because they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water. It seems that bamboo is one of the best things they can use. Bamboo pipes and drills (钻) can help to make the poor thirsty fields to be watered.
41.How is bamboo like grass?
A. It is thin and easy to cut. B. It grows everywhere.
C. It grows quickly after its cut short. D. It is short and green.
42.The sentence “while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across.” means “Some other bamboo plants may grow to be very _______.”
A. short B. strong C. thick D. tall
43.From the text we know ______.
A. most people call bamboo plant trees
B. a bamboo plant may grow 4.5 meters in three days
C. the bamboo plant changes its colors when it grows
D. a bridge held by bamboo cable was built thousands of years ago
44.Why did the engineers teach the poor farmers in Africa to make use of bamboo?
A. Because it is cheap. B. Because it is colorful.
C. Because it drills fast. D. Because it is used by Asians.
45.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. There are many different kinds of bamboo with different colors.
B. Cables made of bamboo can last for over a thousand years.
C. Bamboo can be used for buildings, bridges and watering projects(工程).
D. Bamboo plants are able to grow well in any part of the world.
第三节：语法填空（共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分）
阅读下面短文，根据上下文填入适当的词语，或使用括号中的词语的适当形式填空，并将答案填写在答卷标号为41~50的相应位置。
Long ago the Emperor decided to hold a swimming race between 13 different animals. The order in which they finished would decide the order of their 41 (appear) in the Chinese calendar. All the animals lined up on the river bank and 42 (give) the task of getting to the opposite shore. The cat wondered how he would get across 43 he was afraid of water. The ox worried how he would cross 44 his poor eyesight. The calculating rat suggested that he and the cat 45 (jump) onto the ox's back and guide him across. The ox, steady and hard-working, did not notice the two animals on his back. In the meanwhile, the rat ran behind the unsuspecting cat and pushed 46 into the water. As the ox came ashore, the rat jumped off and finished the race first. 47 the rat got the first year 48 (name) after him and the ox got the second year. 49 the lazy pig reached the finish line in 12th place the race was over and he was awarded the final place on the calendar. From that day the cat, 50 never finished and lost his place on the calendar, became the enemy of the rat.
Wait for a few minutes, your watch____ now.
A. will be repaired B. has been repaired C. is being repaired D. has repaired
. No one knows when exactly the lake _____.
A. took its place B. came into being C. happened D. came over
–-We want to sit at the table near the window.
---I am sorry, but it ___ already.
A. took B. takes C. has been taken D. is taking
