The Smiley Face resurged in the 1990s. This time it was fanned by a legal dispute between Wal-Mart, who uses it to promote its low prices, and Franklin Loufrani, a Frenchman who owns a company called
The Smiley Face resurged in the 1990s. This time it was fanned by a legal dispute between Wal-Mart, who uses it to promote its low prices, and Franklin Loufrani, a Frenchman who owns a company called SmileyWorld. Mr. Loufrani says he created the Smiley Face and has trademarked it around the world. He has been distributing its image in 80 countries since 1971.
Loufrani's actions irked Ball, who felt that such a universal symbol should remain in the public domain in perpetuity. So in a pleasant proactive move, Ball declared in 1999 that the first Friday in October would be "World Smile Day" to promote general kindness and charity toward children in need. Ball died in 2001.
The Worcester exhibit opens on "World Smile Day", Oct. 6. It features a plethora of Smiley Face merchandise—from the original Ball buttons to plastic purses and a toilet seat—and contemporary interpretations by local artists. The exhibit is scheduled to run through Feb. 11.
1. According to the passage, the Worcester Historical Museum ______.
(A) concentrates on the collection of the most famous commercial firsts the city has invented
(B) has composed a comprehensive history of the Smiley Face through the exhibition
(C) treats Smiley Face as the other famous commercial firsts the city has produced
(D) has organized the exhibit to arouse the Americans' patriotism
2. When the author used the expression "spread like drifting pollen "(para.4) to describe the gradual distribution of Smiley Face, he implies that ________.
(A) Harvey Ball did not claim the copyright of the yellow grin button
(B) the Smiley Face was immediately accepted by the public
(C) the button was not sold as an ordinary commercial product
(D) Harvey Ball had the intention to abandon the copyright of Smiley Face
3. Why did Bill Wallace mention the assassination of the then American president and the Vietnam War in the 1970s?
(A) To have a review of the contemporary American history.
(B) To remind people that we should never forget the past.
(C) To explain why Americans liked the Smiley Face during that period.
(D) To show how the Spain brothers made a fortune through selling the yellow grin.
4. In the expression "Loufrani's actions irked Ball" (para.7), the word "irked" can best be replaced by ______.
(A) perplexed
(B) provoked
(C) irritated
(D) challenged
5. Which of the following is NOT true about the "World Smile Day"?
(A) It was established to commemorate the founder Harvey Ball.
(B) It was to promote general kindness and charity toward children in need.
(C) It was declared by Harvey Ball in 1999.
(D) It was decided to be held on the first Friday in October each year.
KEYS：
11. B 12. D 13. A 14. C 15. D
16. A 17. C 18. B 19. D 20.A
1. B2. B3. C4. C5.A
（责任编辑:秩名）
