Dress Down

Dress-down seems to have originated in places where people work through the heat of summer. Dress-down，restricted to Fridays, allows staff to head straight for their out-of-town retreats on Friday evenings without going home to change . But in New York it has now become a week-round state of affairs.

For me ,a manager in the head office of a bank，dress-down is a real headache for two reasons. The first is that it actually requires a new wardrobe（衣柜）. For my male colleagues in the US, it seemed to mean a change from one uniform to another. I basically only own two types of clothes—suits for working in and truly casual clothes for relaxing weekends in the countryside. 

Later in London, I was rather confused to discover that my employers had employers had started summer dress-down. At first, I tried to sidestep it in my suit as usual, but my staff complained that they then felt pressured into doing the same. So, I found myself having to buy “smart casual” clothes specifically to wear to work; a ridiculous expense. Even more annoying is the fact that I still have to prepare a suit in my office in case I’m suddenly called to a meeting, where dress-down is banned.

For the other great inconvenience of dress-down is that it makes it easier than ever to spot when colleagues are going to job interviews . For the rest of the year, it is easy enough to arrange these during the working week，but in the summer when dress-down rules, it’ s a dead giveaway to arrive in smart clothes for such a formal appointment. However, I would normally applaud this state of affairs，as most of my time used to be spent trying to prevent valued employees from moving elsewhere.

1．According to the writer. “dress-down” in New York began as a way of_________.

A．discouraging staff from taking summer holidays

B．showing concern for staff who lived out of town

C．rewarding those employees willing to work in the heat

D．making life easier for staff in the summer months

2．What was the writer’s first reaction to the idea of “dress-down” in her London office?

A．She attempted to ignore it.                   B．She argued against it.

C．She recognized the need for it.             D．She urged her staff to adopt it.

3．The aspect of “dress—down” that most annoys the writer is the fact that         .

A．her clients find it embarrassing             B．not everyone has to conform to it

C．it does not apply on all occasions          D．the clothes themselves do not suit her

4．The writer thinks “dress-down”_________ according to the passage.

A．develops her ability to make a business   B．increases her expense on clothes

C．disturbs her personal life after work       D．damages her interpersonal relationships

5．In which aspect of her work does the writer find “dress-down” an advantage?

A．Employing new members of staff.        B．Monitoring the honesty of her staff.

C．Providing her staff with feedback.       D．Ensuring her staff remain loyal.

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科目：高中英語 來源：2012屆山東省兗州市高三入學(xué)摸底考試（英語） 題型：閱讀理解

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday. This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale（士氣）. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative effect on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
【小題1】 David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict,” because __________.  

A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt
B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance
C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time
D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes
【小題2】David Smith wears casual clothes now, because __________.  
A．they make him feel at ease when working
B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes
C．he looks handsome in casual clothes
D．he no longer works for any company
【小題3】According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE? 
A．Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code.
B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive.
C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees.
D．All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear.
【小題4】 According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?   
A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago.
B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s.
C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers.
D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people.
【小題5】In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned except
__________.    
A．saving employees’ moneyB．making employees more attractive
C．improving employees’ motivationD．making employees happier

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科目：高中英語 來源：2012-2013學(xué)年四川射洪縣射洪中學(xué)高三高考模擬英語卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Being less than perfectly well-dressed in a business setting can result in a feeling of great discomfort that may well require treatment to eliminate (remove). And the sad truth is that “clothing mismatches” on the job can ruin the day of the person who is wearing the inappropriate attire(著裝)—and the people with whom he or she comes in contact.

Offices vary when it comes to dress codes. Some businesses have very high standards for their employees and set strict guidelines for office attire, while others maintain a more relaxed attitude. However, it is always important to remember that no matter what your company’s attitude is regarding what you wear, you are working in a business environment and you should dress properly. Certain items may be more appropriate for evening wear than for a business meeting, just as shorts and a T-shirt are better suited for the beach than for an office environment. Your attire should reflect both your environment and your position. A senior vice president has a different image to maintain than that of a secretary or sales assistant. Like it or not, you will be judged by your personal appearance.

This is never more apparent than on “dress-down days”, when what you wear can say more about you than any business suit ever could. In fact, people will pay more attention to what you wear on dress-down days than on “business professional” days. Thus, when dressing in “business casual” clothes, try to put some good taste into your wardrobe choices, and recognize that the “real” definition of business casual is to dress just one notch(等級) down from what you would normally wear of business-professional attire days.                                                              

Remember, there are borders between your career and our social life. You should dress one way for play and another way when you mean business. Always ask yourself where you are going and how other people will be dressed when you get there. Is the final destination the opera, the beach, or the office? Dress properly and you will discover the truth in the principle that clothes make the man—and the woman. Unless you are sure what to wear, it pays to dress slightly traditionally than the situation demands.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A．How to dress properly in a business setting.

B．The relationship between career and social life.

C．The differences between professional and casual dress.

D．Dressing codes vary in different situations.

2.Which of the following statements is true?

A．Every company has strict rules regarding office dress.

B．You can wear whatever you like if your company doesn’t have high standards for it.

C．You should dress according to the business setting even when there are no fixed rules.

D．In companies with relaxed rules on office dress, you can’t spot a manager among others.

3.Which statement best describes “dress-down days”?

A．On dress-down days, you can wear whatever you like.

B．People’s clothes on dress-down days don’t receive much attention.

C．We can’t judge a person’s taste by his clothes on dress-down days.

D．People are usually more careful about what they wear on dress-down days.

4.Which of the following is NOT the rule offered in the passage regarding business dress?

A．Remember to ask others for advice when you don’t know what to dress.

B．Think about how other guests will wear if you are invited to a dinner.

C．For a business meeting and a concert, you should dress differently.

D．Dress a bit traditionally if you are not sure what to wear.

 

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科目：高中英語 來源：2012-2013學(xué)年天津市高三第三次月考英語試卷（解析版） 題型：其他題

閱讀下面短文，并根據(jù)題目要求用英語回答問題（請注意問題后的字?jǐn)?shù)要求）。

［1］Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict”. He jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled”. Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and sports shirt to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever”. David says, “And I need to feel comfortable”.

[ 2 ]More and more companies are allowing their office workers to         in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday. This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.

[ 3 ]Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “Many young people don’t want to dress up for work”, says the owner of a software company, “So it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code”. Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employees’ motivation. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative influence on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day”, one person said, “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes”.

1.Why does David Smith wear casual clothes now? (no more than 8 words)

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________________________________________________________________________

2.List three advantages of casual office wear according to the text? (no more than 10 words)

①______________________________________________________________________________

②______________________________________________________________________________

③______________________________________________________________________________

3.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words. (no more than 6 words)

_______________________________________________________________________________

4.What does it mean by a conservative dress code? (no more than 10 words)

_______________________________________________________________________________

5.What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3? (no more than 18 words)

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學(xué)年山東省兗州市高三入學(xué)摸底考試（英語） 題型：閱讀理解

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”

More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday. This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.

Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale（士氣）. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative effect on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”

1. David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict,” because __________.  

A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt

B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance

C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time

D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes

2.David Smith wears casual clothes now, because __________.  

A．they make him feel at ease when working

B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes

C．he looks handsome in casual clothes

D．he no longer works for any company

3.According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE? 

A．Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code.

B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive.

C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees.

D．All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear.

4. According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?   

A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago.

B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s.

C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers.

D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people.

5.In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned except

__________.    

A．saving employees’ money

B．making employees more attractive

C．improving employees’ motivation

D．making employees happier

 

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科目：高中英語 來源：2010-2011學(xué)年山東省青島市第一次統(tǒng)一高考模擬英語卷 題型：閱讀理解

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day． "I was a clothes addict, "he jokes．" I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled．" Today David wears casual clothes – khaki pants and sports shirt – to the office． He hardly ever wears a necktie． "I'm working harder than ever," David says, "and I need to feel comfortable．"

More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work． In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual． In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday． This became known as "dress-down Friday" or "casual Friday．" "What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing．" said business consultant Maisly Jones．

Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code． "A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work," says the owner of a software company, "so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code．" Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes． In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale （士氣）． Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative effect on productivity． Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money． "Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day," one person said． "For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes．"

1.David Smith refers to himself as having been "a clothes addict," because        ．  

A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt

B．he couldn't stand a clean appearance

C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time

D．he didn't want to spend much money on clothes

2.David Smith wears casual clothes now, because        ．  

A．they make him feel at ease when working

B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes

C．he looks handsome in casual clothes

D．he no longer works for any company

3.According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE? 

A．Many employees don't like a conservative dress code．

B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive．

C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees．

D．All the employers in the U．S． are for casual office wear．

4.According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?   

A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago．

B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s．

C．"Dress-down Friday" was first given as a favor from employers．

D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people．

5.In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned except         ．    

A．saving employees' money

B．making employees more attractive

C．improving employees' motivation

D．making employees happier

 

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