Toy Trends - Unit 2

C1 Advanced · Open Cloze · Ready for C1 Advanced 4th Edition, Macmillan Education

For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.

The original lifelike figure designed specifically with boys (0) ___ mind was GI Joe®. Its inventor, Stanley Weston, had noted the demand amongst young girls (1) ___ Barbie®, the first doll in the US to look like a woman (2) ___ than a baby. Weston hoped that a male figure dressed in military clothing would create just (3) ___ much interest amongst boys. Being careful (4) ___ to use the term 'doll', he pitched his idea to toy company Hasbro as an outfitted action figure. (5) ___ having no backstory and no enemies to fight, GI Joe® was immediately popular when released in 1964. Other toy manufacturers were quick (6) ___ follow Hasbro's example, creating figures of screen and comic book heroes or villains, such as Batman or storm troopers from Star Wars. Since then, film companies have sometimes seen greater profit from licensing action figures than from the corresponding movie, Harry Potter being (7) ___ such example. However, a recent downturn in sales may suggest that action figures are no (8) ___ holding young consumers' attention, perhaps as they shift their focus to video games.

Toy Trends

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