Passage 5：

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 a little 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. Strips in Latin means gift. A more common belief is tips were first given in the 18th century England. A popular coffee house equipped each table with a coin box. The label of each box read： “To insure promptness.” Dropping a coin into the box would result in quick service. Also， the first letter of each word is T.I.P. – tip.

In America and Europe it is customary to tip anywhere 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 is good ，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 for 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. Over-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.

21. 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

答案：A

解析：B是免于起诉C是充足的时间D是免于征税，A是责任义务的免除。根据文章对消费的介绍选择A相比较妥帖。

22. 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

答案： B

解析： 细节题，第2段的第四句中A more common belief is tips were first given in the 18th century England其它的选项是错误的

23. Which of the following statements is true？

A） Most people think that tips originated in England.

B） Most people think that tips originated in Rome

C） Today most people decide the size of tips according to their mood.

D） According to the author， the practice of tipping does not have an interesting history

答案： A

解析： 推论题。第2段的。2句是说这个习惯追溯到罗马但是大家普遍认为的是在英国，理由同上。

24. How to understand the sentence “The world is full of big spenders and people who act like big spenders.”？

A） All people in the world have a lot of money.

B） No one in the world has a lot of money.

C） Many people spend a large sum of money every day.

D） The number of people who either have a lot of money or who pretend to be rich is great.

答案： D

解析： A、B明显是错误的！C和文章没有联系，主要是说一些有钱的和貌似有钱的人在消费上面的表现。C不能体现出该要表达的含义。

25. 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） None of the above.

答案： C

解析： vanity是虚荣奢华的含义，后2段主要说。 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是说没有钱人的虚荣！C应该是合适的答案。

学位英语:2014年学位英语考试报名学位英语复习专题/资料下载/真题