No one should be forced to wear a uniform under any circumstance. Uniforms are demanding to the human spirit and totally unnecessary in a democratic society. Uniforms tell the world that the person who wears one has no value as an individual but only lives to function as a part of a whole. The individual in a uniform loses all self-worth.
There are those who say that wearing a uniform gives a person a sense of identification with a larger, more important concept. What could be more important than the individual himself? If an organization is so weak that it must rely on cloth and buttons to inspire its members, that organization has no right to continue its existence. Others say that the practice of making persons wear uniforms, say in a school, eliminates all envy and competition in the matter of dress, such that a poor person who cannot afford good-quality clothing is not to be belittled by a wealthy person who wears expensive quality clothing. Those persons conveniently ignore such critical concepts as freedom of choice, motivation, and individuality. If all persons were to wear the same clothing, why would anyone strive to be better? It is only a short step from forcing everyone to drive the same car, have the same type of foods. When this happens, all incentive to improve one’s life is removed. Why would parents bother to work hard so that their children could have a better life than they had when they know that their children are going to be forced to have exactly the same life that they had?
Uniforms also hurt the economy. Right now, billions of dollars are spent on the fashion industry yearly. Thousands of persons are employed in designing, creating and marketing different types of clothing. If everyone were forced to wear uniforms, artistic personnel would be unnecessary. Sales persons would be superfluous as well; why bother to sell the only items that are available? The wearing of uniforms would destroy the fashion industry, which in turn would have a ripple effect on such industries as advertising and promotion. Without advertising, newspapers, magazines, and television would not be able to remain in business. One entire information and entertainment industry would collapse.
26.The author’s primary purpose in writing this passage was to ____. ?
A）plead for the abolishment of uniforms?
B）show that uniforms are not possible in a democratic society?
C）advocate stronger governmental controls on the wearing of uniforms
D）convince the reader that uniforms have more disadvantages than advantages
27.Why does the author discuss forcing everyone to buy the same car or eat the same food? ?
A) To show that freedom of choice is absolute.?
B) To show that the government has interfered too much in the lives of individual.?
C) To suggest what would happen if uniforms became compulsory.?
D) To predict the way the society will be in the next few generations.
28.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the author?
A) The person who wears a uniform has no self-worth.?
B) Wearing a uniform gives a person a sense of identification with a larger concept.?
C) Uniforms will hurt one entire information and entertainment industry.
D) Envy and competition are incentive to improve one’s life. ?
29.The word “superfluous” (Para. 3) most probably means ____. ?
A) indispensable B) available?C) surplus D) supplementary ?
30.The next paragraph in this passage might discuss____.?
A) the positive effects of wearing uniforms?B) more negative effects of wearing uniforms?
C) alternative to wearing uniforms?D) the legal rights of those not wishing to wear uniforms
答案：DCBCB