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.

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