Barbara Millicent Roberts, also called Barbie,     1     (consider) the most successful toy doll in history. She first     2     (appear) in the world of toys about 60 years ago, and has become very popular among little girls.

According to the Mattel Company,     3     created Barbie, 90% of all American girls between 3 and 10 have at least one Barbie at home. However, today there are many dolls competing     4     Barbie on the market. Bratz dolls, for example, look more like today’s pop     5     (star) with lots of makeup and miniskirts. Now Bratz is     6     great challenge to Barbie, as the company offers various clothing, too.

It seems that Barbie is no longer     7     (attract) to older girls. “For younger girls, playing with a Barbie is much fun, but when they get older, they want something more fashionable and modern,” says a shop keeper of a toy store in New York. On the international scene, Barbie remains number one. Although Mattel has been selling fewer Barbies in the United States over the past years, sales in other countries have kept     8     (rise). It is hard     9     (say) how long Barbie will stay on as a celebrity in the world of toy dolls, but     10     (undoubted) 60 is not the age to retire.

Back in my country, when I was a child, I used to go to “market day” with my mother. One day each week, farmers used to bring their fruit and vegetables into the city. They closed one street    1     all cars, and the farmers set up tables for their produce. This outdoor market was a great place to shop. Everything was fresher than produce in grocery stores    2     the farmers brought it in immediately after the harvest. My mother and I always got there early in the morning to get    3    (fresh)produce.

The outdoor market was a wonderful adventure for a small child,     4     was like a festival-full of colours and sounds. There are red tomatoes, yellow lemons, green lettuce, peppers, grapes, onions. The farmers did their own advertising. They all shouted loudly for customers to buy their produce. “Come and buy my beautiful oranges! They’re juicy and delicious and full of vitamins    5     (make)your children healthy and strong!”

Everyone used to argue with the farmers    6     the price of their produce. It was like a wonderful drama in a theatre; the buyers and sellers were the “actors” in this drama. My mother was an expert    7     this. First, she picked the freshest, most attractive tomatoes, for example. Then she asked the price. The seller told her.

“What?” she said. She looked very surprised. “So expensive?”

The seller looked terribly hurt. “My dear lady!” he replied. “I’m a poor, honest farmer. These    8    (be)the cheapest tomatoes on the market!”

They always argued for several minutes before    9    (agree)on a price. My mother took her tomatoes and left.     10     buyer and seller were satisfied. The drama was over.