Best Toys for Kids

From wooden blocks to electronic games, the best toys for kids make their young users think and dream while building useful skills. Of course, They're also tons of fun!

●Educational Toys

Many of the best toys for kids combine learning and fun. The GeoSafari Talking Globe provides interactive geography games in a fun electronic format. It was named to Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys List in 2016. Professor Noggin's History of the United States is a fun and informative card game that made FamilyFun. com's Toy of the Year list.

●Pretend Play

Kids love to pretend, and the best toys for kids can spark their imaginations and lead to hours of fun. The Real Projects Workshop was a grand prize winner in the 2016 FamilyFun.com Toy of the Year awards. With this pretend workshop kids can play with realistic tools while building projects out of foam "wood". Dora's Talking Kitchen won "Girl Toy of the Year" in the 2016 Toy Industry Association Toy of the Year Awards.

●Stuffed（填充的）Animals

Every kid needs a cuddly（可抱的）friend. Kids may ask for stuffed animals based on popular television and movie characters, but teddy bears, stuffed dogs, and other plush figures that haven't appeared on-screen will have long-lasting appeal. For a unique twist on stuffed animals, the Lil' Luvables Fluffy Factory lets kids stuff their own teddy bears. It was a Toy of the Year grand prize winner at FamilyFun.com.

●Games

Games promote cooperation while encouraging everything from memory skills to exercise. Hullabaloo, from the makers of Cranium, won "Best Game" honors in the 2016 Toy Industry Association Toy of the Year Awards. The game gets kids moving and laughing as they follow instructions from the game's audio console.

1.How can kids benefit from the educational toys?

A. They can improve their personalities.

B. They can enjoy geography games.

C. They can be active in doing homework.

D. They can gain knowledge while playing.

2.How many kinds of toys won the grand prize in FamilyFun.com Toy of the Year awards?

A. Only one. B. Two.

C. Three. D. Four.

3.Which toys can develop kids' team spirit?

A. Educational. B. Pretend play.

C. Stuffed animals. D. Games.

4.How can kids play with the toys made by the Lil' Luvables Fluffy Factory?

A. They can stuff the toys by themselves.

B. They can play board games with the toys.

C. They can treat the toys as bears.

D. They can interact with the toys.

I had started a small company several years ago. I worked hard to make it successful. It was a sign-making business. It was a small company, and it was private.

Still, I worked hard building up my business. I did not work only a few hours each day—no banker's hours for me. Instead I spent many hours each day, seven days a week, trying to grow the company. I never cut corners or tried to save on expenses. I made many cold calls. I called on possible buyers from a list of people I had never seen. Such calls were often hard sells.

Sometimes I sold my signs at a loss. I did not make money on my product. When this happened, there were cut backs. I had to use fewer supplies and reduce the number of workers. But after several years, the company broke even. Profits were equal to expenses. And soon after, I began to gain ground. My signs were selling very quickly. They were selling like hotcakes.

I was happy. The company was moving forward and making real progress. It was in the black, not in the red. The company was making money, not losing it.

My friend knew about my business. He is a leader in the sign-making industry—a real big gun, if you know what I mean. He offered to buy my company.

He offered me a ball park estimate of the amount he would pay to buy my company. But I knew his uneducated guess was low. My company was worth much more. That is, he asked his accountant to take a close look at the finances of my company and decide how much it was worth. Then my friend increased his offer.

My friend's official offer was finally given to me in black and white. It was written on paper and more than I ever dreamed. I was finally able to get a break. I made a huge profit on my company, and my friend also got a bang for the buck. He got a successful business for the money he spent.

1.What's the author's attitude towards his business?

A. He worked like a banker.

B. He showed no interest in it.

C. He devoted almost all his time to it.

D. He didn't expect to make money from it.

2.Which of the following matches the author's business?

A. Making neither a loss nor a profit→making money→running at a loss.

B. Making money→running at a loss→making neither a loss nor a profit.

C. Making neither a loss nor a profit→running at a loss→making money.

D. Running at a loss→making neither a loss nor a profit→making money.

3.What did the author think of his friend?

A. A big gun. B. A proud fellow.

C. A selfish guy. D. A stubborn man