第二十三期 3 (3/6)-英语听力

[00:00.05]There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, [00:04.56]but when and how they developed is unknown. [00:07.60]They probably came about just to give children something to do. [00:11.76]In the ancient world, as in today's world, [00:15.07]most boys played with some form of toy and most girls with another. [00:20.26]In societies where social roles are rigidly determined, [00:23.81]boys imitate their play after the activities of their fathers [00:27.61]and girls after the tasks of their mothers. [00:30.64]Boys and girls are being prepared, even in play, [00:34.29]to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world. [00:38.62]What is remarkable about the history of toys, [00:41.31]is not how they changed over the centuries,but how they remained the same. [00:46.24]Changes have come mostly in terms of craftsmanship, mechanics, and technology. [00:51.42]Generally the same kinds of toys appeared around the world. [00:55.68]Variations depended on local customs and ways of life because toys imitate their surroundings. [01:02.22]Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles. [01:10.33]Toys can be regarded as an art form, [01:12.94]as they have not been subjected to technological leaps that characterize inventions for adult use. [01:19.07]The progress from the wheel to the oxcart to the automobile is a direct line of way up. [01:24.79]The progress from a doll used by a baby in 3000 BC to one used by an infant today, [01:31.75]however, is not characterized by invention. [01:35.10]Each doll is the product of the artistic tastes of the times [01:38.69]and subject to the limitations of available materials.