单选题 The Barbie Dolls
In the mid 1940's, the young ambitious duo Ruth and Elliot Handler, owned a company that made wooden pictures frames. It was in 1945 that Ruth and Elliot Handler joined with their close friend Harold Mattson to form a company that would be known for the most famous and successful doll ever created. This company would be named MATTEL, MATT for Mattson, and EL for Elliot.
In the mid 1950's, while Visiting Switzerland, Ruth Handler purchased a German Lilli doll. Lilli was a shapely, pretty fashion doll first made in 1955. She was originally fashioned after a famous cartoon character in the West German Newsletter, Build. Lilli is the doll that would inspire Ruth Handler to design the Barbie doll. With the help of her technicians and engineers at Mattel, Barbie was born. Ruth then hired Charlotte Johnson, a fashion designer, to create Barbie's wardrobe. It was in 1958 that the patent for Barbie was obtained. This would be a fashion doll unlike any of her time. She would be long limbed, shapely, beautiful, and only 11.5 inches tall. Ruth and Elliot would name their new fashion doll after their own daughter, Barbie.
In 1959, the Barbie doll would make her way to the New York Toy Show and receive a cool reception from the toy buyers.
Barbie has undergone a lot of changes over the years and has managed to keep up with current trends in hairstyles, makeup and clothing. She is a reflection of the history of fashion since her introduction to the toy market.
Barbie has a universal appeal and collectors both young and old enjoy time spent and memories made with their dolls.

单选题 Which of the following statements is NOT true of the Barbie doll?
A. She does not attract young men.
B. She has undergone many changes over the years.
C. She is 11.5 inches tall.
D. She has managed to keep up with fashion.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】该题问的是：下面哪一个有关芭比娃娃的陈述是不符合事实的?选项A说的是：她对年轻人没有吸引力。文章的最后一段是这么说的：芭比娃娃对所有的人都有吸引力，收集者，无论老少，都喜欢和芭比共度时光，享受对她的回忆。
单选题 When Ruth and Elliot Handler were young, they had a strong desire
A. to go to school,
B. to take photos.
C. to make frames.
D. to be highly successful.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】该题问的是：露丝和埃利奥特年轻时在何方面有强烈的欲望?该题实际上是考“ambitious”(有野心的，有抱负的)的意思。“to be highly successful”(能取得很大成功的)跟“ambitious”的意思很接近，因此选项D是最佳答案。
单选题 Who owned MATTEL?
A. Mattson.
B. Elliot.
C. Harold Mattson and Elliot Handler.
D. Harold Mattson, Ruth and Elliot Handler.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】该题问的是：谁拥有MATTEL?第一段第二句是这么洗的：露丝•汉德勒和埃利奥特•汉德勒和他们的好友哈罗德•麦特森合开了一家公司。可见是三人所拥有，因此选项D是正确答案。
单选题 It can be inferred from the second paragraph that Lilli was fashioned after
A. Build.
B. a German doll.
C. a pretty girl.
D. a shapely woman.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】该题问的是：可以从第二段中推出，莉莉是根据什么塑造的?第二段最后一句话是这么说的：她(莉莉)最早是根据《西德时事通讯》中的一个著名的漫画人物—碧尔德塑造的。
单选题 Where did Ruth Handler's inspiration for the design of the Barbie doll come from?
A. Barbie.
B. Lilli.
C. Charlotte Johnson.
D. A fashion designer.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】该题问的是：露丝•汉德勒设计芭比娃娃的灵感是从哪里来的?第三段的第一句话是这么说的：莉莉这个娃娃唤起了露丝·汉德勒设计芭比娃娃的灵感。可见选项B是正确答案。