Few would deny that parents and teachers should expose children to a wide range of toys and play activities. But what the Swedes are now doing in some of their classrooms goes far beyond encouraging children to experiment with different toys and play styles—they are requiring it. And toy companies who resist the gender neutrality mandate face official censure. Is this kind of social engineering worth it? Is it even ethical?

思考题1：

What is author’s attitude towards some toy companies in Sweden?

(A) skeptical (B) biased (C) sympathetic (D) critical

思考题2：

Which of the following would the author prefer to agree?

A) Children should not be exposed to many toys and activities.

B) Swedes should not encouge children to experiment with different toys.

C) Toy companies should not resist the gender neutrality mandate.

D) Children should not be forced to experience different toys.

词汇突破：

1.expose使暴露于;揭露

2.go far beyond 远远超过

3.resist抵抗

4.neutrality中立

5.mandate命令;指令

6.censure责难

7.ethical道德的

句：

Few would deny that parents and teachers should expose children to a wide range of toys and play activities.

切分：

1. Few would deny…

2. that parents and teachers should expose children to a wide range of toys and play activities.

参考译文：家长和老师应该让孩子大范围地接触各种玩具和游戏，很少人会否定这点。

第二句：

But what the Swedes are now doing in some of their classrooms goes far beyond encouraging children to experiment with different toys and play styles—they are requiring it.

切分：

1. But what the Swedes are now doing in some of their classrooms goes far beyond

encouraging children to experiment with different toys and play styles

2. they are requiring it

参考译文：但瑞典人在一些教室的所为已经超出了鼓励的范畴，他们在命令孩子尝试不同玩具和游戏风格。

第三句：

And toy companies who resist the gender neutrality mandate face official censure.

切分：

1. And toy companies…face official censure

2. who resist the gender neutrality mandate

参考译文：抵制性别中立指令的玩具公司将面临官 方谴责。

第四句：

Is this kind of social engineering worth it? Is it even ethical?

参考译文：这种社会工程值得么?它甚至是道德的么?

思考题1：

题干问的是对玩具公司的态度，不是问对瑞典监管机构的看法!

监管机构要求玩具公司出品性别中立的玩具，如果不按规定来就要，审查玩具公司。

作者就发问了：

这种社会工程值得么?它甚至是道德的么?

所以对监管机构的看法是：skeptical

而对玩具公司只能是同情了!

你们定位定错了吧!!!

题干问的是对玩具公司的态度，不是问对瑞典监管机构的看法!

定位!定位!定位!

What is author’s attitude towards some toy companies in Sweden?

(A) skeptical (B) less ethical (C) sympathetic (D) critical

提示：

Skeptical 和critical 的方向是一样的都是反对;

区别在于，skeptical 是以疑问的方式来反对。

Critical是以明确的方式反对。

但到现在为止真题中都没有考过这个两个词辨析，选其中一个。一般都不同时出现，出现了就是都不对。

(我们去看2020 的真题就知道了。)

思考题2：

Which of the following would the author prefer to agree?

A) Children should not be exposed to many toys and activities.

B) Swedes should not encouge children to experiment with different toys.

C) Toy companies should not resist the gender neutrality mandate.

D) Children should not be forced to experience different toys and play styles.

(孩子不应该不要求去体验各种玩具和玩耍方式)

这样思考题的答案就是：D!

我们可以鼓励孩子去体验不同的玩耍方式，但是不能要求啊!

C选项就更不对了，作者是同情公司的。即使公司抵制，作者也没有觉得不应该啊。

现在明白了吧!不明白就好好看一下。你肯定行的!

文章背景：

女孩玩芭比，男孩玩飞机。玩具市场一直遵循这种性别分明的营销路线。但近日瑞典的监管机构公开责难北欧最 大的玩具厂商Top-Toy，指责其广告宣传极其狭隘、落后于时代。瑞典在对性别平等的追求上屡放大招，做法彻透深入，引人注目。几年前，一个女性政党提议立法要求男性坐着小解;2004年则提议收“男人税”，让每个男人都为男性作为整体对女性所受的暴力和伤害做出经济补偿;2012年更是正式提出用中性代词代替“他”或“她”。大西洋月刊的作者认为，男孩和女孩的不同源于生理，他们有不同的兴趣和需求，只有极端且持续的行为修正才可能大幅地改变他们的本能喜好。指责玩具公司性别歧视，有失公允。不同不意味着不能平等。我们无需把性别或生理角色视作唯 一的命运，毕竟人类不同于蚂蚁，是一个依靠才能进行社会分工的群体。但我们也不应将性别偏好视作需要大力拯救的顽疾。“喜欢粉色”和“独立女性”并行不悖。