One thing we always remember from our childhood is our favourite teddy bear. This soft, ragged toy was our【小题1】and companion. As we grow up, we normally give up our childish ways, and our furry friend often ends up in【小题2】or at a jumble sale. But that’s not the case for everyone.

It seems that some grown-ups continue to need their cuddly toy by their sides. One sleep survey suggested a tenth of people in the UK need a teddy bear in bed. And for some adults, soft toys remain a(n)【小题3】presence—they take them wherever they go. A cuddly toy can come in many forms—animals, strange shapes or just a piece of stuffed material. But it’s the teddy bear in particular that seems to have a(n)【小题4】appeal—it gives us a nostalgic feeling and a【小题5】of our younger days. Writing for the BBC, historian David Cannadine says, “Perhaps it’s that bears【小题6】the happy security of a childhood friend who never changes or lets you down.” For whatever reason, teddies appeal to both children and adults of all ages.

The teddy bear is much celebrated these days, and they’ve become something that we don’t just grow up with—people buy them as adults too. There are shops which sell only teddy bears, there are teddy bear museums in many countries, and teddy bear festivals【小题7】take place around the world.

While our soft toys offer us a kind of comfort blanket, some experts say it’s nothing to be【小题8】of. It’s sometimes good to let go of the constraints of【小题9】life and be a big kid again. And research commissioned by Barclaycard in the UK found 44% of adults have purchased playthings they enjoyed as children because they bring back【小题10】memories. Colouring books, cuddly toys and board games are top of the list. So, if you’re still keeping your teddy a secret, don’t worry—you’re not alone!

People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten. If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great 【小题1】. You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive. On the other hand, your stomach would 【小题2】 at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat---the 【小题3】 accepted practice in many northern countries. The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods and we 【小题4】 to them all our lives.

No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail. Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the world. There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to 【小题5】 snails with food. My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised. As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own. For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him. The idea never appealed to me very much, but one day, after a heavy 【小题6】, I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking a stroll on some of my 【小题7】 plants. Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert. Robert was delighted to see me and 【小题8】 pleased with my little gift. I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours. I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner. Snails would, of course, be the main dish. I did not 【小题9】 the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room. To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere: they had escaped from the paper bag and had taken complete 【小题10】 of the hall!