Play

Play is theprincipal business of childhood,and in recent years research has shown thegreat importance of play in the development of a human being. From earliest

infancy,every childneeds opportunity and the right materials for play,and the main tools of playare toys.Their main func- tion is to suggest,encourage and assist play.To

succeed in this theymust he good toys,which children will play with often,and will come back toagain and again.Therefore it is important to choose suitable toys for different

stages of a child'sdevelopment.

In recent yearsresearch on infant development has shown that the standard a child is likely toreach,within the range of his inherited abilities,is largely determined in thefirst

three years of hislife .So a baby's ability to profit from the right play materials should not beunderestimated.A baby,who is encouraged and stimulated,talked to and shown

things and playedwith,has the best chance of growing up successfully.

In the nextstage,from three to five years old,curiosity knows no bounds.Every type ofsuitable toy should be made available to the child,for trying out,experimentingand

learning,fordiscovering his own particular ability. Bricks and jigsaws（七巧板）and construction toys ;painting,scribbling（涂鸦）and making things;sand and water

play;toys forimaginative and pretending play;the first social games for learning to play andget on with others.

By the third stageof play development—from five to seven or eight years—the child is at school.But for a few more years play is still the best way of learning,at home or at

school.It is easierto see which type of toys the child most enjoys.

Until the age ofseven or eight,play and work mean much the same to a child.But once reading hasbeen mastered,then books and schools become the main source of

learning.Toys arestill interesting and valuable,they lead on to new hobbies,but、their significance has changed—to a child of nine or ten years,toys and games mean,as to

adults,relaxationand fun.The passage ismainly about_______.

A.the importance ofpre-school education

B. the importance ofschooling

C. the role of playin a child's development

D. the choice oftoys for adolescents