A
There is no clear relationship between clowns and fast food. Yet everyone blindly accepts Ronald McDonald, one of the most famous clowns in the world, as the mascot (吉祥物) of McDonald's. This is partly because Ronald has held the role for over 50 years. I'd say some people hardly consider him as a clown, considering the behavior that clowns are generally known for.
But what inspired McDonald's to make a clown the face of their fast food company? Funnily enough, it was another clown: Bozo.
Bozo the Clown was the star of several television shows during the 1950s to 1970s. At that time, advertising manager Barry Klein worked with The Bozo Show in Washington, D．C. and he had a local McDonald's franchise (经销权), so he talked McDonald's into running ads during the show, the Baltimore Sun reported.
Unfortunately, the show was stopped in 1963, but Klein saw a chance to make use of Bozo's popularity. Klein brought the actor who had played Bozo, Willard Scott, onto the project, and soon the clown came to life. His nose was a McDonald's cup and his hat was a food tray (托盘). He was Ronald McDonald, the HamburgerHappy Clown. Then, McDonald's managers employed Michael Polakovs, a famous clown, to give the character an improvement. The result was the look we all know today.
According to Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation, the only fictional (虚构的) character more famous than Ronald McDonald is Santa Claus. But in the eyes of McDonald's, Ronald has the same level of childhood wonder — the jolly old elf (圣诞老人)．
【语篇解读】 本文是一篇说明文。本文主要讲述了McDonald's小丑吉祥物的来历。
1．According to the author, why would people hardly consider Ronald McDonald as a clown?
A．He doesn't look like a clown.
B．He is the mascot of McDonald's.
C．He has just begun to hold the role.
D．He doesn't perform traditional tricks.
答案与解析：D 细节理解题。根据第一段的“I'd say some people hardly consider him as a clown, considering the behavior that clows are generally known for.”可知，作者认为人们很少把Ronald McDonald视为小丑，是因为他不表演小丑的传统把戏。
2．What did Barry Klein persuade McDonald's to do during the 1950s to l970s?
A．To invite Bozo to the company.
B．To post ads on the Baltimore Sun.
C．To run ads during a television show.
D．To give him a local McDonald's franchise.
答案与解析：C 细节理解题。根据第三段的“... so he talked McDonald's into runningads during the show...”可知，在二十世纪五十年代到七十年代，Barry Klein建议McDonald's在一个有名的电视节目中投放广告。
3．What might be the best title for the text?
A．The Development of McDonald's.
B．Why Does McDonald's Develop so Fast?
C．The Background of McDonald's Mascot.
D．How Did McDonald's Choose Its Mascot?
答案与解析：C 主旨大意题。根据全文的内容可知，本文主要讲述了McDonald's小丑吉祥物的来历。
