2. 外语
  3. There are two common explanations for the origin of tipping. The Oxford English Dictionary says tip was seventeenth-century unde

There are two common explanations for the origin of tipping. The Oxford English Dictionary says tip was seventeenth-century unde

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问题 There are two common explanations for the origin of tipping. The Oxford English Dictionary says tip was seventeenth-century underworld slang for "give" -- as in "Tip me your wallet or your life." Opponents of tipping will probably prefer this explanation, since it suggests the practice was originally a form of theft.  A less reputable, but nonetheless charming, explanation is that in Renaissance (文艺复兴时期) coffee-houses, boxes were set near the door, into which customers could drop gratuities (赏钱). These boxes, according to the story, bore the legend "To Insure Promptitude (迅速)," which was ultimately shortened to TIP. Whether it was an enterprising serving woman or a boss with his eye on depressing wages who first thought up the idea, the story does not say.
Tipping became common in England by the middle of the eighteenth century. Because it is not suited to a country without an established servant class, it did not catch on in America until after the Civil War, when former slaveholders suddenly found themselves having to pay the help and when new-rich Northern industrialists adopted the European fashion as part of conspicuous display. By the turn of the century, we had made the custom our own, and the stereotypical American "big tipper" was on his way.
Today, although the lines between protection money, bribery (贿赂), and thanks for services rendered remain as fuzzy as ever, tipping has become universal, not least because, in an increasingly uncertain economy, it provides the growing service class with income that is at least as reliable as wages and that is less subject to tax review. Not surprisingly, government officials are among the few die-hards who still question the tipping system. They have a point too. Tippers International estimates that US workers rake in (迅速取得) about $ 5 billion a year in tips. The taxes on that amount, if all of it were reported, could make the down payment on a hammer for the Pentagon.
选项 A、lawbreakers
B、customers
C、waitresses
D、coffee-house bosses
答案A
解析 上下文理解题。文章第一段第二句指出：《牛津英语词典》的解释是：tip一词是17世纪黑社会的行话，意思是“给”。例如，他们说：“给钱还是给命”。而后面的话更加肯定了我们的理解：“originally a form of theft．．．”由此可见，说这话的应该是犯法者。
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