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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 are 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 (北極的) 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 (進步). The progress from a rattle (撥浪鼓) used by a baby in 3000 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.
36. The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those that girls play with is that ________.
A) their social roles are rigidly determined
B) most boys would like to follow their fathers’ professions
C) boys like to play with their fathers while girls with their mothers
D) they like challenging activities
37. One aspect of “the universality of toys” lies in the fact that ________.
A) technological advances have greatly improved the durability of toys
B) the improvement of craftsmanship in making toys depends on the efforts of universities
C) the exploration of the universe had led to the creation of new kinds of toys
D) the basic characteristics of toys are the same the world over
38. Which of the following is the author’s view on the historical development of toys?
A) The craftsmanship in toy-making has remained essentially unchanged.
B) Toys have remained basically the same all through the centuries.
C) The toy industry has witnessed great leaps in technology in recent years.
D) Toys are playing an increasingly important role in shaping a child’s character.
39. Regarded as a kind of art form, toys ________.
A) follow a direct line of ascent
B) also appeal greatly to adults
C) are not characterized by technological progress
D) reflect the pace of social progress
40. The author uses the example of rattle to show that ________.
A) in toy-making there is a continuity in the sue of materials
B) even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technology
C) even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technology
D) even a simple toy can mirror the artistic tastes of the time
