There seems never to have been a civilization(文明) 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 play with some kinds of toys and most girls with another. In societies where social roles are strictly 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. It is the universality of toys about their development in all parts of the world and their continuing to the present that is amazing. In Egypt, the Americas, China, Japan and among the Arctic peoples, generally the same kinds of toys appeared. 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 (服从于) technological progress that characterizes inventions for adult use. The progress from the wheel to the oxcart to the automobile is a direct line of advancement. The progress from a rattle (拨浪鼓) 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 materials then ready for use. (words: 285 ; time : 5ms)

1. The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those that girls play with is that ________ .

A. their social roles are strictly determined

B. most boys would like to follow their fathers' jobs

C. boys like to play with their fathers while girls with their mothers

D. they like challenging activities.

2. "The universality of toys" lies in the fact that ________ .

A. technological advances have greatly improved the making of toys

B. the improvement of techniques 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 all over the world

3. Regarded as a kind of art form, toys ________.

A. follow a direct line of development

B. also greatly interest adults

C. are not characterized by progress in technology

D. show the pace of social progress

（C）篇

1. A。由原文第二段第二句可知。

2. D。根据文章第三段第一句和第三句可知,玩具的基本的特征变化不大。

3. C。由文章最后一段第一句可知,玩具作为一种艺术形式,不因科技变化而变化。

From age eight to eleven, I attended a primary school in Bath, England. It was a(n)  21  school composed of(由…组成) four classes with about 25 children in each class according to     22 . For the most part, one teacher was responsible for teaching all subjects to the children in their class.  23  , sometimes the headmaster would come in and spend an hour or so,  24  some subject in which he was especially  25 . The headmaster’s name was Mr. Ronald Broackes.  26   he was quite strict about rules within the school, he had a sense of humor and would   27   telling the children small stories that would make us laugh. He was a very fair man and had a great influence on many of the children. In my own   28  , I found that he took a great interest in me and he quickly discovered that I enjoyed   29  . He would often stop me as I was going to class and produce a piece of paper from his pocket, often with a puzzle  30  on it. The puzzles were usually mathematical or logical(逻辑的 ). As time went on, they slowly got more  31 , but I loved them. Not only that, they kindled(点燃)within me a  32  of mathematics and problem-solving that stays with me to this  33  . They also served to show me that intellectual activity was  34   when the correct answers were found, but perhaps more importantly it was great   35  .To this day I can remember Mr. Broackes’ joyous cry of “Well done!” whenever I got a problem  36 .This simple interaction with a man whom I  37   greatly has had a deep effect on my life. I shall forever be grateful for that. Mr. Broackes died just two weeks after the   38   that I had won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Unfortunately, I had no   39   to speak with him before he died. I learnt later that he had heard of my   40   and I will always hope that he realized the deep effect he had made on my life.