Question

50 years ago Barbie Millicent Roberts first appeared in the world of toys. Barbie, as everyone called her, has become the most successful toy in history. According to Barbie’s parents, the Mattel Company, 90% of all American girls between 3 and 10 have at least one Barbie at home.

In today’s world, however, Barbie is facing an identity crisis. There are many rivals on the market. For example, Bratz dolls, which are very popular among older girls, came to life seven years ago. They look more like today’s pop stars with heavy make-up（浓妆）and fashionable miniskirts. Today Bratz is a challenge for Barbie, because the company offers a wide variety of clothing, too.

It seems that Barbie has lost her appeal to older girls. “For younger girls playing with a Barbie is much fun, but when you get older you want something chic, says Alina Foley, a shop assistant in a New York toy store. Indeed, sales have been going down over the past year, partly because of the world’s economic crisis.

Barbie still has a lot going for her. More and more doll lovers all over the globe have become collectors. They trade Barbies or buy them on eBay. Others look for special and rare Barbie dolls, like Scarlett O’Hara from “Gone with the Wind”.

On the international market, Barbie remains number one. Although Mattel has been selling fewer Barbies in the United States over the past year, sales in other countries have been going up. In January Mattel opened its first Barbie store in Shanghai, where girls can shop, eat or even become their own fashion designer.

Barbie has changed her image many times over the past decades. Originally she worn blond pony tails and had bright red lips. In the 80s she changed to a more colorful new look.

For her 50th birthday Mattel is planning some big events. Fashion designers from all over the world have been called to make new clothes for Barbie. She is also scheduled to be a big star during the New York Fashion Week.

How long will Barbie stay on as a celebrity（名人）in the world of toy dolls? Hard to say, but 50 is definitely not the age to retire.

1.The author mentions Bratz in Paragraph 2 in order to show that __________.

A. even pop stars have their own favorite toy dolls

B. Barbie is facing tough competition on the market

C. clothing plays the key role in the design of toy dolls

D. the toy market has been expanding greatly over the years

2.The underlined word “chic” in Paragraph 3 probably means “__________”.

A. valuableB. scientific

C. complexD. fashionable

3.We can learn from the text that Barbie __________.

A. plays a role in a film directed by Scarlett O’Hara

B. is most popular with girls under the age of ten

C. has rarely changed its image since its birth 50 years ago

D. has long lost its leading position on the market of toy dolls

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A. Barbie Turns Fifty

B. Hottest Toys for Girls

C. Mattel’s Barbie Sales

D. Play with Bratz Toys

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.B

4.A

【解析】

试题分析: 本文讲述诞生五十年的芭比娃娃面对巨大的挑战，虽然美国的销售在下滑但其它国的销售在上升，许多参与到了给芭比娃娃换装的活动中来，但芭比娃娃还会存在多久，这很难说，至少不可能马上退出去。

1.B 细节理解题。根据第二段提到In today’s world, however, Barbie is facing an identity crisis. There are many rivals on the market.芭比面临身份危机，有很多的竞争对手，故选B项。

2.D 猜测词意。根据第三段提到For younger girls playing with a Barbie is much fun, but when you get older you want something chic,对于小的女孩来说，玩芭比娃娃非常有意思但当你长大了，你想要些时尚的东西，故选D项。

3.B 细节理解题。根据第一段提到According to Barbie’s parents, the Mattel Company, 90% of all American girls between 3 and 10 have at least one Barbie at home，有百分之九十的三到十岁的美国女孩会拥有一个芭比娃娃，故选B项，在10岁以下的孩子心中，芭比娃娃还是很受欢迎的。

4.A 文章标题。本文讲述诞生五十年的芭比娃娃面对巨大的挑战，虽然美国的销售在下滑但其它国的销售在上升，许多参与到了给芭比娃娃换装的活动中来，但芭比娃娃还会存在多久，这很难说，至少不可能马上退出去，故A项更能代表文章的主题。

考点：日常生活类阅读。