单选题
There seems never to have been a civilization
without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown. They probably came
about just to give children something to do. In the ancient
world, as in today, most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girls with
another. In societies where social roles are rigidly determined, boys pattern
their play after the activities of their fathers and girls after the tasks of
their mothers. This is true because boys and girls are being prepared, even in
play to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world.
What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they
changed over the centuries but how much they have remained the same. The changes
have been mostly in terms of craftsmanship, mechanics and technology. It is the
universality of toys with regard to their development in all parts of the world
and their persistence to the present that is amazing. In Egypt, the America,
China, Japan and among the Arctic pole, generally the same kinds of toys
appeared. Variations depended on local customs and ways of life because toys
imitate their surroundings. Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons,
toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles. Because toys can be
generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been subject to
technological leaps that characterize inventions for adult use. The progress
from the wheel to the ox cart to the automobile is a direct line of ascent(进步).
The progress from a rattle (波浪鼓) used by a baby in 3000 B. C. to one used by an
infant to day, however, is not characterized by inventiveness. Each rattle is
the product of the artistic tastes of the times and subject to the limitations
of available materials.
单选题
The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those
that girls play with is that ______.
A. their social roles are rigidly determined
B. most boys would like to follow their fathers' professions
C. boys like to play with their fathers while girls with their mothers
D. they like challenging activities
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】解析：选项A是本问题的根本原因，而选项B只是选项A的结果，选项C、D在文中未曾提及。
单选题
One aspect of "the universality of toys" lies in the fact that ______.
A. technological advances have greatly improved the durability of toys
B. the improvement of craftsmanship in making toys depends on the efforts of
universities
C. the exploration of the universe has led to the creation of new kinds of
toys
D. the basic characteristics of toys are the same over the world