Take Away English-Must-have Toys 必备的玩具

Which lucky children will get the must-have toys this year?

There are only 12 shopping days until Christmas, and the British public is going present-shopping crazy. But some parents might have left it too late to buy the present their child really wants for Christmas.

Every year there seems to be a certain craze which sweeps across Britain, whether through clever marketing¹ or peer pressure, so that practically every child in the country wants the same thing for Christmas.

Of course, with thousands of parents trying to make their child's Christmas, it's quite easy for the most popular presents to get sold out before everyone can buy one. This leads to parents going to extraordinary lengths to find the desired gift.

In past years, the most favoured toys have included Tracy Island, from the 'Thunderbirds' TV series, and Buzz Lightyear, from the 'Toy Story' film.This years must-have present is the Nintendo Wii, an indication that British children are becoming more and more technologically² savvy³.

Other presents which are expected to top Christmas wish-lists this year are several toys related to TV programmes, such as popular science-fiction series 'Doctor Who', and pre-school sensation 'In the Night Garden', as well as the main character from the 'Transformers' movie.

As parents desperately⁴ search shops and online retailers⁵ for the gifts their children want, some people are cashing in. Those who predicted the trends bought some of the top presents earlier in the year, and can now sell them for great profits on online auction⁶ websites.

Special stock-check websites have been set up to alert parents as soon as a certain item becomes available anywhere. But with so many people signed up it'll still be a race against time to buy the toys before they sell out again.

Some children will inevitably⁷ be disappointed on Christmas morning, but let's hope that the chocolates, Christmas dinner and the many other presents will make up for it.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

shopping days 购物日 peer pressure 同行压力 going to extraordinary lengths 不遗余力的 savvy 有见识的 science-fiction 科幻 cashing in （抓住机会捞一把）赚钱 trends 潮流 auction 拍卖 to alert 通知；提醒 inevitably 难免地

marketing 市场推销 to make 使…成功 must-have 必备的 wish-lists （盼望的）礼物清单 sensation 轰动 predicted 预测的 signed up 登记 stock-check 查看进货 a race against time 和时间赛跑 make up for it 补偿

1 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

2 technologically   

ad.技术上地

参考例句：

• Shanghai is a technologically advanced city. 上海是中国的一个技术先进的城市。
• Many senior managers are technologically illiterate. 许多高级经理都对技术知之甚少。

3 savvy   

v.知道，了解；n.理解能力，机智，悟性；adj.有见识的，懂实际知识的，通情达理的

参考例句：

• She was a pretty savvy woman.她是个见过世面的漂亮女人。
• Where's your savvy?你的常识到哪里去了？

4 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

5 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

6 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

7 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。