國中英語基測出現過 at 的考題。

Which would you give a boy for his birthday, a toy truck or a doll? If you choose the truck, well, you’re not alone. Most people think that some toys are for boys and some are for girls. We might pick building toys for boys and kitchen toys for girls. But why do we do this? Are boys and girls really born with different interests in toys?

No, they are not. Children start to show different interests in toys at age three, but only because at this time, they begin to learn about gender and to follow what others of their gender do. If you give a girl kitchen toys, she will think they are girls’ toys because she sees other girls playing with them. But if you give a girl a toy car and show her a group of girls who are playing with cars, she’ll play with the toy car and think it is a girls’ toy. This “watch and follow” habit often becomes a rule for both boys and girls in choosing the “right” toys.

However, this rule can be bad for children. Different toys teach children different things. Dolls help with their early language use, and building toys are good for learning math and science. By playing with different toys, children can find out what they are interested in or what they are good at. If they only play one kind of toy, they may lose this important chance. They may also get a wrong idea about what boys or girls are able to do. Some doctors worry that children may use the same kind of thinking when they look for jobs in the future. If they do, they may miss something more important than just getting a chance to play with different toys. They may miss many, perhaps better, chances in life.

gender 性別
1.
What idea does Jesse Cohen talk about in the reading?
Parents should give their children the right toys for their age.
Children should learn about their gender from playing with toys.
Not all kinds of toys are helpful for children’s learning.
We should not let gender decide which toys children can play with.
2.
In the third paragraph, why does Jesse Cohen think “this rule can be bad for children”?
paragraph 段落
Children may miss the chance to find out what they really like.
Children may have the wrong idea about following rules.
Children may not be able to learn from playing with toys.
Children may not want to share their toys with others.
3.
In the reading, after Jesse Cohen talks about an idea, he often gives an example to make it clear. Below are four of the sentences in the third paragraph. Which is used as an example?
“However, this rule can be bad for children.”
“Some doctors worry that children may use the same kind of thinking when they look for jobs in the future.”
“If they do, they may miss something more important than just getting a chance to play with different toys.”
“Dolls help with their early language use, and building toys are good for learning math and science.”