What is the History of Teddy Bear?Learn the new words:
The lovable teddy bear can be found in various forms all over the world. It shows up primarily in stuffed animal form, but is also found on T-shirts, dresses, posters, lunch boxes, & more. Most people do not know that teddy bears haven’t been around that long. In fact, the teddy bear was invented in the US & Germany almost at the same time during the early 20th century. In November 1902, the US President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was involved in a hunting expedition in Mississippi. He was in the area in order to settle a border dispute between Mississippi & Louisiana. An avid hunter, Roosevelt was disappointed because he couldn’t find any big game to shoot during the hunt. In response, his host caught a black bear cub & tied it to a tree to Roosevelt could kill it. Legend has it that Roosevelt refused to shoot the bear, reasoning that the action would be cruel since the animal was tethered t o a tree & defenseless. After hearing about this incident, artist Clifford Berryman drew a cartoon of Roosevelt & the bear. He then had the cartoon published in the Washington Post. That very same month, Brooklyn store owners Morris & Rose Michtom created a soft bear toy. They dubbed it “Teddy Bear” & placed it in the shop window along with a copy of Berryman’s cartoon. To their surprise, Americans loved the idea & clamoured to buy teddy bears. The original Teddy’s Bear sported (хизуватись) a chubby body, a face shaped like a triangle, & long arms & legs. Soon, the Michtoms grew rich from the proceeds & were able to begin the Ideal Novelty & Toy Company. During the same time period, a disabled German woman named Margarete Steiff owned a soft toy factory in the city of Giengen. Her company included a soft bear in its toy catalogue. Earlier, her nephew Richard had convinced Steiff to add bears to her list of toys. Reportedly, Richard had a fondness for bears & thought they would make a good addition to Steiff’s product list. Steiff began to manufacture soft bears, never realizing how popular they would become. In 1903, she sold 3 000 toy bears to people in the United States. Between 1903 & the start of World War I, millions of bears were purchased from the Steiff toy catalogue. Each bear had a button sewn in the left ear, the toys’ trademark. People in England, the US, & Germany all bought toys from Steiff’s company. No one really knows for sure who should be credited with creating the first stuffed teddy bears, but most people would agree that teddy bears have enjoyed a long life. Their beginnings in the early 20th century paved the way for them to become one of the most popular toys to give a young child. Today, people buy teddy bears in all shapes, sizes, & colours. Despite the yearly influx of high-tech toys, the world’s love affair with the simple teddy bear continues to endure.
1. President Roosevelt went on an expedition to Mississippi to _____ Adiscuss important political questions. B play outdoor games. C kill bears in the area. D help the endangered species. 2. Roosevelt was _____ A a greedy hunter. B a skilled archer. C a cruel killer. D an ardent poacher. 3. The soft toy got its name after _____ A its inventors. B the head of the country. C the name of its owner. D the name of the first manufacturer. 4. The production of the first teddy bear toys _____ A was profitable. B brought good earnings. C gave great income. D was a failure. 5. Where did the toys’ trademark first appear? A In England. B In Germany. C In the USA. D In Canada.
16 Read the text below. Match choices (A-H) to (1-5). There are three choices you do not need to use.
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