Dog Translation Products Coming to U. S.

A Japanese toy maker declares that they have developed a gadget that translates dog barks into human language and plans to begin selling the gadget——under the name of Bowlingual——in U. S. pet stores and gift shops this summer.

Tokyo-based Takara Co. Ltd. says about 300, 000 of the dog translator gadgets have been sold since it was on sale in Japan late last year. It is forecasting far bigger sales once an English language translation for dogs comes to America in August. The United States is home to about 67 million dogs, more than six times the number in Japan.

"We know that the Americans love their dogs so much, so we don't think they will mind spending $ 120 on this product," the Takara marketing manager said during an interview at a recent pet products conference in Atlanta.

Regarded as one of the coolest inventions of 2002 by Time magazine, Bowlingual is made up of a 3 - inch long wireless microphone that is fastened to a dog collar and sends out sounds to a small console (控制台) that is connected to a database (数据库). The console divides each bark into six emotional types——happiness, sadness, disappointment, anger, threat and desire——and shows common phrases, such as "You're ticking me off," that fit the dog's emotional state.

Takara says it has spent millions of dollars developing the gadget in cooperation with famous sound experts and animal behaviorists.

One thing that does appear certain is that the markets for animal translation products will likely remain a dog's world since Takara has no plans to develop a similar gadget for cats. "They are too unpredictable (反复无常) , " the marketing manager said.

1.This passage mainly tells us that Bowlingual ___________.

A. was invented in Japan 　　　　　　　 B. has developed quickly

C. will be sold in America 　　　　　　 D. sells well for its price

2.The underlined word "they" in the last paragraph refers to ___________.

A. markets 　　　B. products 　　　 C. plans 　　 　　D. cats

3.When was this passage most probably published?

A. In the winter of 2002. 　　　　　　B. In the spring of 2003.

C. In the summer of 2002. 　　　　　 D. In the autumn of 2003.

4.From the passage, we can see that Takara Co. Ltd. is ___________ the sale of its new product.

A. proud of 　　　　　 　　　　　　B. satisfied with

C. confident of 　　　　　　　　　　D. worried about

 

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 is 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 Americas, China, Japan and among the Arctic （北极的） peoples, 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 oxcart to the automobile is a direct line of ascent （进步）． The progress from a rattle used by a baby in 3,000 BC to one used by an infant today, 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．
【小题1】Which is a major factor leading to the different variations of toys?

A．Scientific advances and technological progress

B．Different local customs and lifestyles of different peoples

C．Craftsmanship, mechanics, and technology

D．The artistic tastes of the times and the limitations of available materials

【小题2】Why do boys and girls play with different kinds of toys?

A．Because they are intended for different social roles and responsibilities．

B．Because boys like to invent and girls imitate．

C．Because boys play with their fathers while girls their mothers．

D．Because they will take up different jobs when they grow up．

【小题3】One amazing aspect about the “universality of toys” is______．

A．They appeared all over the world almost at the same time in history．

B．They have not changed except in craftsmanship, mechanics, and technology．

C．Having existed for thousands of years, toys are still found all over the world today．

D．They are a kind of art form, which has been promoted by inventiveness．

A Japanese toy maker declares that they have developed a gadget that translates dog barks into human language and plans to begin selling the gadget——under the name of Bowlingual——in U. S. pet stores and gift shops this summer.
Tokyo-based Takara Co. Ltd. says about 300, 000 of the dog translator gadgets have been sold since it was on sale in Japan late last year. It is forecasting far bigger sales once an English language translation for dogs comes to America in August. The United States is home to about 67 million dogs, more than six times the number in Japan.
"We know that the Americans love their dogs so much, so we don't think they will mind spending $ 120 on this product, " the Takara marketing manager said during an interview at a recent pet products conference in Atlanta.
Regarded as one of the coolest inventions of 2002 by Time magazine, Bowlingual is made up of a 3 - inch long wireless microphone that is fastened to a dog collar and sends out sounds to a small console (控制台) that is connected to a database (数据库). The console divides each bark into six emotional types——happiness, sadness, disappointment, anger, threat and desire——and shows common phrases, such as "You're ticking me off," that fit the dog's emotional state.
Takara says it has spent millions of dollars developing the gadget in cooperation（合作）with famous sound experts and animal behaviorists.
One thing that does appear certain is that the markets for animal translation products will likely remain a dog's world since Takara has no plans to develop a similar gadget for cats. "They are too unpredictable (反复无常) , " the marketing manager said.
【小题1】This passage mainly tells us that Bowlingual ___________.

A．was invented in Japan	B．has developed quickly
C．will be sold in America	D．sells well for its price

【小题2】The underlined word "they" in the last paragraph refers to ___________.

A．markets

B．products

C．plans

D．cats

【小题3】From the passage, we can see that Takara Co. Ltd. is ___________ the sale of its new product.

A．proud of

B．satisfied with

C．confident of

D．worried about

　　 This is the very toy car ________ which he came here the other day.

　　A. by  B. in  C. for  D. on