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第一篇

Is the Tie a Necessity?

Ties,or neckties,have been asymbol of politeness and elegance in Britain for
centuries.But the casual Prime Minister Tony Blair has problems with them.Reports
suggest that even the civil servants maystop wearing ties.So,are the famously formal
British really going to abandon the neckties?
Maybe.Last week,the UK's Cabinet Secretary Andrew Turnbull openly welcomed a
tieless era.He hinted that civi!servants would soon be free of the costliest 12 inches of
fabric that most men ever buy in their lives.
In fact,Blair showed this attitude when he had his first guests to a cocktail party.Many
of them were celebrities（知名人士）without ties, which would have been unimaginable even
in the recent past.
For some more conservative British,the tie is a must for proper appearance.Earlier,
Labor leader Jim Callaghan said he would have died rather than have his children seen in
public without a tie.For people like Callaghan,the tie was a sign of being complete,of
showing respect.Men were supposed to wear a tie when going to church,to work in the
office,to a party-almost every social occasion.
But today,people have begun to accept a casual style even for formal occasions.
The origin of the tie is tricky.It started as something called simply a"band".The term
could mean anything around a man's neck.It appeared in finer ways in the 1630s.
Frenchmen showed a love of this particular fashion statement. Their neckwear（颈饰）
impressed Charles II , the king of England who was exiled（流放）to France at that time.
When he returned to England in 1660,he brought this new fashion item along with him.
It wasn't,however,until the late 18^th century that fancy young men introduced a more
colorful,flowing piece of cloth that eventually became known as the tie.Then,clubs,
military institutions and schools began to use colored and patterned ties to indicate the
wearer's membership in the late 1gth century.After that,the tie became a necessary item of
clothing for British gentlemen.
But now,even gentlemen are getting tired of ties.Anyway,the day feels a bit easier
when you wake up without having to decide which tie suits you and your mood.

Why does Blair sometimes show up in a formal event without a tie?
A:Because he wants to make a show.
B: Because he wants to attract attention.
C: Because ties are costly.
D:Because he wants to live in a casual way.