1 . During the COVID-19 pandemic (疫情), US citizen Elizabeth Hulanick has turned to toys from her childhood to deal with worry and stress. She started bringing Lego toys to work to build things out of the colorful blocks with her colleagues. She also started playing with Silly Putty, a toy made of special rubbery material that changes colors. She said it brought her comfort.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many adults turned to toys to recall feelings from their childhood. The stresses from the worldwide health crisis only made that trend grow.
Many toy makers see adults’ interest in toys as a durable thing, even after the pandemic fully ends. This so-called “kid-adult” market is a big part of the toy industry. The market is the second-fastest-growing group after customers aged 12 to 17.
Some toy companies are creating new products, services and websites designed for adults. For example, Mattel’s American Girl Cafe recently added alcoholic drinks to their menu after seeing adults show up without children. American Girl makes popular, costly dolls. Last year, the company Build-a-Bear started a website called Bear Cave for customers aged 18 and over. Products include a toy rabbit holding a bottle of wine. Even the fast-food restaurant McDonald’s is marketing to toy-loving adults. It started its adult Happy Meals in October. McDonald’s President and CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company sold half its supply of collectible toys in the first four days of the special deal. The Lego Group has been increasing its products for adults since 2020. It now has 100 toys designed for adult customers. Among the most popular toys for adults are Star Wars and Harry Potter-linked Lego sets.
Genevieve Cruz is senior director at Lego. She said, “The pandemic certainly served as a catalyst (催化剂) for this trend as adults found themselves stuck at home with nothing else to do and a lot of time on their hands. We do believe the trend goes beyond the pandemic.”
1. What’s the author’s main purpose in mentioning Elizabeth Hulanick in paragraph 1?| A．To recommend a fun way to handle stress. |
| B．To prove the benefits of playing with toys. |
| C．To introduce the topic to be discussed in the text. |
| D．To show the popularity of toys among US adults. |
| A．Long-lasting. | B．Far-reaching. |
| C．Time-consuming. | D．Brand-new. |
| A．They keep improving service quality. |
| B．They aim more products at grown-ups. |
| C．Their marketing direction remains unchanged. |
| D．Their adult toys sell better than child ones. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Doubtful. | C．Optimistic. | D．Tolerant. |
