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Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict（迷）,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled（皱的）.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and a 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 changes from formal to casual office wear have been slow. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their workers 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 workers has really become an everyday thing,” said business adviser Maisly Jones.

Why have so many companies started allowing their workers to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new workers 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 made by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that casual dress improves employee morale. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a side effect on work. Supporters of casual office wear also say 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 tidy and clean 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 is FALSE?

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

B．Comfortable clothes make workers more productive.

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

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

4．According to this passage, which of the following 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 worker's money

B．making workers more attractive

C．improving worker's feeling

D．making workers happier

1．【答案】C

【精析】由文章第一段第二、三句“I was a clothes addict... so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.”可知，David想要一直保持他的衣服干净整洁，因此他称自己是个“衣服迷”。所以选C项。

2．【答案】A

【精析】从文章第一段后半部分“working harder than ever... need to feel comfortable”可知，应选A项。“comfortable”与“at ease”同义。

3．【答案】D

【精析】由文章最后一段第六句“Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a side effect on work.”可知，并非所有雇主（All the employers）赞成穿便服上班，故D项表述错误。

4．【答案】C

【精析】由第二段最后一句“What started out...an everyday thing”可知，“一周一天的额外奖励已经变成了日常的事情”。“extra one-day-a-week”即“dress-down Friday”，而“dress-down Friday”又是雇主给雇员的“benefit”，即“favor”，因此C项正确。

5．【答案】B

【精析】通读最后一段可知选项A（为雇员省钱）、C（提高雇员工作热情）、D（使雇员高兴）在文中均被提及。而B（使雇员更具吸引力）则是对原文的误解，原文是“it's easier for a company to attract new workers”（公司更容易吸引雇员），因此选B项。