题目内容
The Barbie doll first appeared at the toy fair in New York in 1959. Its creator was Ruth Handler, an American businesswoman. She and her husband Elliott along with Harold Matt Matson started the toy company Mattel. She based the design of the new doll on a German doll named Bild Lilli and named her after their daughter Barbara.
The first Barbie wore a black and white swimsuit and had her hair in a ponytail(马尾辫). She looked very grown-up. But any concerns that parents would not want to buy it for little girls were soon proved wrong.
Mattel sold 300,000 Barbie dolls in the first year at a price of three dollars. Today, a fifty-year-old Barbie in good condition might cost more than 27,000 dollars.
Barbie dolls have represented 50 different nationalities and are sold in 150 countries. Mattel says 90% of girls in the United States between the ages of three and ten own at least one Barbie doll. It says girls between the ages of three and six own an average of about 12.
Barbie also faced her share of critics. A well-known example was when women’s education groups objected to a talking Barbie doll that declared, among other things, “Math class is tough!” Mattel agreed to change it. Saudi Arabia has banned Barbie dolls. And a lawmaker in the American state of West Virginia would like to do the same. Last month, he proposed banning sales of Barbie and other dolls that influence girls to put too much importance on physical beauty.
Some people say Barbie is an unhealthy role model for young girls. Robin Gerber disagrees. She wrote a book about Barbie. She points out dolls like scientist Barbie and race car driver Barbie. She says people who criticize Barbie should tell girls the story of the businesswoman who created her. She says Ruth Handler wanted the dolls to help girls think about what they wanted to do with their lives.
【小题1】The first Barbie doll might not be popular among little girls because _______.
A.her hairstyle was out of fashion |
B.her appearance looked much too mature |
C.her way of dressing was against the tradition |
D.physical beauty wasn’t thought to be important |
A.is one of the world’s largest toy companies |
B.is the director of an American toy company |
C.was the woman who originally created Barbie |
D.was a salesman who was good at selling Barbie dolls |
A.pay too much attention to their physical beauty |
B.neglect their schoolwork and inner beauty |
C.prefer physical beauty to inner beauty |
D.waste too much time and money on clothes |
A.shows Barbie dolls have a negative influence on girls |
B.praises a successful person who sells Barbie dolls |
C.expresses her own favorable opinion about Barbie |
D.argues for banning the sales of Barbie dolls |
【小题1】B
【小题1】A
【小题1】A
【小题1】C
解析
I was doing some Christmas shopping in a toy store and decided to look at Barbie dolls for my nieces. A nicely dressed little girl was excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well. As she was looking, a little boy came to the Pokemon toys. He was dressed neatly, but his clothes were obviously old. He was with his father as well, and kept picking up the Pokemon video toys. Each time he picked one up and looked at his father, his father shook his head and said, “No.”
The little girl had chosen her Barbie. However, she stopped and was watching them. Rather dejectedly, the boy had to give up the Pokemon toys and choose something else. The little girl put her Barbie back on the shelf, and ran over to the Pokemon toys. She excitedly picked up one and raced towards the checkout. I picked up my purchases and got in line behind them. Then, much to the little girl’s delight, the little boy and his father got in line behind me. After the toy was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the cashier (收银员) and whispered something in her ear. The casher smiled and put the package under the counter.
I paid for my purchases and was rearranging things when the little boy came up to the cashier. The cashier checked his purchases and said, “Congratulations, you are my hundredth customer today, and you win a prize!” With that, she handed the little boy the Pokemon toys, and he could only stare in surprise. It was exactly what he had wanted!
The little girl and her father had been standing at the doorway during all of this. Then they walked out. As I walked back to my car, I heard the father ask his daughter why she had done that. I’ll never forget what she said to him. “Daddy, didn’t Grandparents want me to buy something that would make me happy?” He said, “Of course they did, honey.” To which the little girl replied, “Well, I just did!”
I feel very shocked to have witnessed the true spirit of Christmas in that toy store, in the form of a little girl who understands more about the meaning of this festival than most adults I know.
【小题1】The underlined word “dejectedly” in the second paragraph probably means _____.
A.delightedly | B.disappointedly | C.excitedly | D.unexpectedly |
A.His father bought him the Poknemon toys. | B.Fortunately, he was the hundredth customer and won the Poknemon toys. | C.The cashier felt sympathy for the little boy and gave him the Poknemon toys. | D.The little girl bought the Poknemon toys for him. |
A.Her Grandparents wanted her to be happy. | B.Making the little boy happy made her happy. | C.The Poknemon toys made her happy. | D.Her Grandparents hoped that she could help others. |
A.the story happened before Christmas. | B.The little boy had not enough money to buy the Poknemon toys. | C.Although the little girl liked the Poknemon toys very much, she gave them to the boy. | D.The author was deeply moved by the behavior of the little girl. |