Leaving a tip in a restaurant has become a custom in most countries．The word“tip”came from the Latin word“Gratis”, meaning free．Tips are defined as small gifts of money for service in addition to the payment due．
Believe it or not, the practice of tipping has an interesting history．The custom can be traced back to the Roman era．The Romans were the first civilization to use coins．It is possible that the word“tip”came from the word stipend．Stipend in Latin means gift．A more common belief is tips were first given in 18th century England．A popular coffee house equipped each table with a coin box．The label on each box read,“To Insure Promptness”．Dropping a coin into the box would result in quick service．Also, the first letter of each word spells T．I．P．-tip．
In America and Europe it is customary to tip anything from 10% to 20%．Taxi drivers, waiters in restaurants, waitresses in lounges, hotel boys, doormen, and disco coat check girls, all expect a little something．People working at these jobs usually receive a low basic salary, Tips are quite necessary to supplement their income．Today most people decide the size of tip according to the quality of the service．If the service and food are not satisfactory, a small tip or possibly no tip will be left．For excellent food and service most people are quite happy to leave a tip．
The world is full of big spenders and people who act like big spenders．Surprisingly, rich people are not“big tippers”unless entertaining guests．It is no use showing off if nobody is there to watch, right?Many throw money around like water to impress a group of friends out an evening“on the town”．People who usually cannot afford it are the biggest tippers in front of their friends．It is all part of the show to prove a certain level of social success．Nobody wants to look cheap, stingy, or poor in front of their friends．Or tipping also gives some satisfaction just to see the waiter’s reaction．
For, whatever reason, tipping will continue to be practiced in most countries．Tipping does have its place in our modern society．It will also remain a somewhat personal expression of gratitude．
(1)
What may be the reason why people working in service trades are poorly paid?
[ ]
A．
That the employers know that employees will be tipped．
B．
That their jobs are easy ones．
C．
That they don’t work hard．
D．
None of the above．
(2)
What is the meaning of the word“Gratis”according to the passage?
[ ]
A．
free of obligation
B．
free of charge
C．
plenty in time
D．
free from tax
(3)
When were tips first given in England?
[ ]
A．
In the 17th century．
B．
In the 18th century．
C．
In the 19th century．
D．
In the 20th century．
(4)
Why are people who cannot afford tipping the biggest tippers in front of their friends?
[ ]
A．
Because they have a lot of money．
B．
Because they sympathize with taxi drivers, waiters in restaurants, waitresses in lounges and disco coat check girls, etc．
C．
Because of their vanity．
D．
Because they want to get excellent service next time．
‘How lucky you are to be a doctor…’ Anyone who’s a doctor is right out of luck, I thought．Anyone who’s studying medicine should have his head examined．
You may think I want to change my job．Well, at the moment I do．As one of my friends says－even doctors have a few friends－it’s all experience．Experience!I don’t need such experience．I need a warm, comfortable, undisturbed bed all my own．I need it badly．I need all telephones to be thrown down the nearest well, that’s what I need．
All these thoughts fly round my head as I drive my Mini(微型汽车)through the foggy streets of East London at 3∶45 a．m．on a December morning．I am a ministering angel in a Mini with a heavy coat and a bag of medicines．As I speed down Lea Bridge in the dark at this horrible morning hour, the heater first blowing hot then cold, my back aching from the car-seat, I do not feel like a ministering angel．I wish I were on the beach in southern France．Call me a bad doctor if you like．Call me what you will．But don’t call me at half past three on a December morning for an ear-ache that you have had for two weeks．
Of course, being a doctor isn’t really all bad．We do have our moments．Once in a while people are ill, once in a while you can help, once in a while you get given a cup of tea and rock-hard cake at two o’clock in the morning－then you worry if you have done everything．But all too often ‘everything’ is a repetitious rule: look, listen, feel, tap．Pills, infection(注射), phone, ambulance(救护车), away to the next．
And then there is always the cool, warm voice of the girl on the switchboard of the emergency bed service who will get your patient into hospital for you－the pleasant voice that comes to you as you stand in the cold, dark, smelly, dirty telephone box somewhere in a dangerous section of town．Oh, it has its moments, this life does．
(1)
According to the sentence“Anyone who’s studying medicine should have his head examined,”we know that ________．
[ ]
A．
a medical student should have a very good memory
B．
a doctor must be mentally strong so that he can meet any difficult situation
C．
the writer thinks that those who want to be doctors are crazy
D．
to be a doctor is a challenge for people’s mental health
(2)
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
[ ]
A．
The writer wishes he could have a quiet, undisturbed night in bed at home．
B．
One of his friends says that being a doctor helps one gain all sorts of experience．
C．
He hates the telephone as a modern means of communication．
D．
He is not happy with the small and uncomfortable car he is driving．
(3)
The statement“We do have our moments”could best be replaced by“________”．
[ ]
A．
we doctors are called at a moment’s notice to see people who need medical treatment
B．
usually we are glad that we can do something to help the sick
C．
sometimes we find people are thankful for our help
D．
there are chances that doctors find their work rewarding and satisfying
(4)
From the whole passage we know that the writer ________．
[ ]
A．
is a bad doctor, unwilling to make a house call during the night-time
B．
is so dissatisfied with his job that he wishes to find a new one
C．
is satisfied with his job but he hates to be called out unnecessarily
D．
thinks a doctor can enjoy certain special rights whether he felt lucky or not
全优冲刺100分系列答案
英才点津系列答案