As the second oldest toy in the world (dolls are first), the yo­yo has a long history. Early yo­yos were made of wood, metal or even terracotta (赤陶土) and decorated with paints. It is made up of two disks connected by a small rod (杆子) between the disks. A piece of string was tied to this rod and the other end was tied to a finger. The disks were rolled up on this string and when released the disk ran up and down this piece of string!

　　The yo­yo has enjoyed many periods of popularity throughout history. The modern history of the yo­yo started with a young man from the Philippines named Pedro Flores. In the 1920s, he moved to the USA and worked at a hotel in California and spent many lunch breaks playing with his toy. He soon drew a crowd with his tricks. He started a company to make the toy, calling it the Flores Yo­Yo Company. This was the first appearance of the name "yo­yo"， which means "come­come" in the native Filipino language.

　　During a business trip to California, Donald F．Duncan, an entrepreneur, saw Flores play yo­yo and found that people watching it liked it very much. A year later he returned and bought the company from Flores, gaining not only a unique (独一无二的) toy, but also the magic name "yo­yo". Duncan made an improvement to the yo­yo. With this improvement, the yo­yo could do a trick called "sleep" for the first time.

　　By 1962, Duncan's company alone sold about 45 million yo­yos in a country with only 40 million kids. In 1946, Duncan moved to Luck, Wisconsin. Luck came to be known as the "yo­yo capital of the world"．

　　 Financial losses and a costly lawsuit (诉讼) to protect the yo­yo trademark from competitors forced the Duncan family out of business in the late 60s. Flambeau Products, which made Duncan's plastic models, bought the company and still owns it today.

　　Section_ⅠWelcome to the unit & Reading - Pre­reading

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　　The Olympic Games

　　Good afternoon, students and teachers. As a member of the International Olympic Committee①， I am delighted② to have been invited to your school to talk to you about the history and significance③ of the Olympic Games. I'll share some interesting facts and stories with you, and then we'll have time for questions.

　　Do you know when the ancient Olympic Games began? It was in the year 776 BC. They were held at Olympia④ in Greece⑤ every four years⑥， for almost 12 centuries, until AD 394.

①committee/kə'mItI/n.委员会