阅读理解

　　In every little girl's toy box．there might be a Barbie Doll．Barbie is 50 years old this, year．It was designed(设计)in 1959 by an American businesswoman named Ruth Handler．She and her husband Elliott started the toy company Mattel．She named the new doll after their daughter Barbara．The first Barbie Doll appeared at the toy fair(交易会)New York on March 9th, 1959．This date is used as Barbie's birthday．

　　Mattel sold three hundred thousand Barbie Dolls in the first year at a price of three dollars．Today, a fifty-year-old Barbie in good condition might cost more than twenty-seven thousand dollars．Mattel says 90％ of the girls in the United States aged from three to ten own at least one Barbie Doll．And girls aged three to six own an average(平均)of about twelve．

　　When Mattel created Barbie Dolls half a century ago, they never thought this doll would become a legend．Now Barbie Dolls are famous all over the world．They are sold in one hundred and fifty countries, and every second three Barbie Dolls are sold around the world．

完形填空

　　Alicia was a young woman who liked to exercise for her health．In fact, she walked five kilometers before 　　1　　 every morning, and went swimming once a week at the swimming pool．She didn’t smoke and never 　　2　　．She didn’t eat chocolate．She didn’t eat sweet and

　　fatty food, 　　3　　．She weighted herself every day．

　　One day Alicia was on her daily walk when she saw a 　　4　　 sitting in a rocking chair under a tree．He looked very old and his hair was white．He looked thin and weak, and his hands were shaking, 　　5　　 he looked very happy．

　　He smiled at her and said, “Good morning! Lovely day, isn’t it?”

　　He had a wide smile 　　6　　 his face, and his eyes shone with happiness．But Alicia saw that he did not have teeth．

　　“Good morning!” replied Alicia．“Yes, it is a lovely day．”

　　Alicia thought he 　　7　　 very old and wise．She thought he must be at least 90 years old! She decided to ask him about the 　　8　　 of a happy old age．”

　　“I hope you don’t 　　9　　 me asking,” she said, “but what is your secret for being so happy at your age? I hope I can look as happy as you do 　　10　　 I am your age．”

　　The man in the rocking chair said, “My secret for 　　11　　? I smoke twenty packets of cigarettes every week, and drink three bottles of wine every day．I eat hamburgers and chocolates whenever I want．I never eat vegetables．I never walk anywhere and I never play sports．I sit at home every day．”

　　Alicia was 　　12　　．She didn’t expect the man to give her an answer like that．She wondered how the man got to be so old when he did 　　13　　 wrong．She thought he should be 　　14　　 and unhappy．Perhaps she was wrong．Maybe, she thought, people could live a long happy life 　　15　　 eating well or doing lots of exercise．

　　“How old are you?” she asked．

　　“It’s my birthday today,” said the man．“I’m forty-seven!”