单选题 There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developedis unknown. They probably came about just to five children something to do.
In the ancient world, as is today, most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girlswith another. In societies where social roles are rigidly determined, boys pattern their play afterthe activities of their fathers and girls after the tasks of their mothers. This is true because boys andgirls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adultworld.
What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the cen-turies but how much they have remained the same. The changes have been mostly in terms ofcraftsmanship, mechanics, and technology. It is the universality of toys with regard to their de-velopment in all part of the world and their persistence to the present that is amazing. In Egypt,the Americas, China, Japan and among the Arctic (北极的) peoples, generally the samekinds of toys appeared. Variations depended on local customs and ways of life because toys imitatetheir surroundings. Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animalsand vehicles.
Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been subject totechnological leaps that characterize inventions for adult use. The progress from the wheel to theoxcart to the automobile is a direct line of ascent (进步) .The progress from a rattle (拨浪鼓)used by a baby in 3000 B. C. to one used by an infant today, however, is not characterized byinventiveness. Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of the times and subject to the limita-tions of available materials.
单选题 The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those that girls play with isthat
  • 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] 依据文章第2段第2行。
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 the world over
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 该题可采用排除法，A、B、C项均可根据文章各段相关的信息排除，而D项在文章中多处提及。universality意为“一般性，普遍性，多方面性”。
单选题 Which of the following is the author's view on the historical development of toys?
  • A. The craftsmanship in toy-making has remained essentially unchanged.
  • B. Toys have remained basically the same all through the centuries.
  • C. The toy industry has witnessed great leaps in technology in recent years.
  • D. Toys are playing an increasingly important role in shaping a child' s character.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第3段可知A项不对，C项也不对，而D项本文并无涉及，均排除。
单选题 Regarded as a kind of art form, toys______
  • A. follow a direct line of ascent
  • B. also appeal greatly to adults
  • C. are not characterized by technological progress
  • D. reflect the pace of social progress
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 依据文章最后一段第1～2行。
单选题 The author used the example of a rattle to show that______
  • A. in toy-making there is a continuity in the use of materials
  • B. even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technology
  • C. it often takes a long time to introduce new technology into toy-making
  • D. even a simple toy can mirror the artistic tastes of the time
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 依据文章最后两行。