Recently, "emotional(情感的) spending" has become popular in China. Young people may find 20 yuan for a cup of coffee too expensive, but gladly spend over 200 yuan for a coffee cup soft toy. They care about the emotional value it brings more than its practical use.
A coffee-themed shop in the centre of Shanghai is very popular. There are no coffee drinks here. Instead, the shop sells soft toys looking like products and desserts in a coffee shop. The staff members imitate(模仿) the real food-making process, performing actions like adding sugar and decorating with cream before packing the toys. That brings more fun to the shopping experience.
A report shows that the prices of soft toys have been increasing. Those born between 1990 and 2010 have become the main buyer group in the soft toy market. When work and life bring setbacks(挫折), the touch of these toys can cheer them up.
"Most of us are the only child, and soft toys used to be our childhood companions(同伴). Even as adults, we still like soft toys," said Han Yufei, a 27-year-old woman in Beijing. Han has a panda soft toy which was a birthday gift from her mother when she was seven. It stayed with her during her childhood and teen years, and then followed her to Beijing for university and later to work.
On social media, many young people share how they treat their soft toys as companions in life. They bring them along for meals, work and travel. Some even set up social media accounts(账号) for their toys. Soft toys have won the hearts of young people.
(
1. B
)1. What can people do in the coffee-themed shop?
A. Try different desserts.
B. Buy some soft toys.
C. Enjoy a cup of free coffee.
D. Make coffee by themselves.
(
2. C
)2. Which of the following is TRUE about Han Yufei?
A. She grew up in Beijing.
B. She doesn't like her job.
C. She has owned the panda soft toy for 20 years.
D. She gets a soft toy as a birthday gift every year.
(
3. D
)3. Why do some young people value their soft toys so much?
A. Because they have few friends.
B. Because the toys are very expensive.
C. Because the toys remind them of their friends.
D. Because they see the toys as companions.
(
4. A
)4. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Young hearts warmed by soft toys
B. Success of a coffee-themed store
C. Childhood toys brought back to life
D. High cost of young people's daily lives