Do you know soon eleven biggest food and drink companies of the nations will adopt new rules to limit advertising to children under the age of 12, a move that restricts ads for products such as McDonald’s Happy Meals and the use of popular cartoon characters.

The companies announced their new rules ahead of a Federal Trade Commission hearing on Wednesday that steps up pressure on the companies to help solve the growing child obesity problem through more responsible marketing. The self-given rules include promises by seven companies who will no longer use licensed characters, such as those made popular through movies or TV shows, to advertise online or in print media unless they’re promoting their healthier products. Four other companies said they do not advertise at all to children under 12.

“I think this is a very good step forward. It’s not the end of the journey but it’s a good way down the road,” said Margo Wootan, Nutrition Policy Director at the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Since the FTC first publicly raised the issue in 2005, many of the companies have started selling products with better nutrition in mind. The companies hope their self-regulation efforts — organized through the Council of Better Business Bureaus — will fend off any new and more strict federal regulation.

Parents are happy to see new rules that restrict the use of cartoon characters such as Shrek, Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants. “It catches their eyes when you’re shopping,” said Josephine Thomas, a mother of three boys who lives in Manhattan. “As soon as they see a Shrek or Mickey Mouse, they automatically look at that and they don’t see what they really need. That’s one of the biggest problems when you go shopping.” That’s one reason the food companies have said they will now only use licensed characters to advertise their “better for you” products.

1.The reason why the food and drink companies will take action is that they want to___________

2.What can we learn from the text that the seven companies ____.

3.What of the following can best describe the underlined words “fend off”?

4.What does Josephine Thomas advise in the last paragraph?

 We’re in a stage _____ it’s still too early to say who will win the most votes and become the new President.

Gaudi Nanda sees a wearable computer as a handbag --- one that's built out of four-inch squares and triangles of fiber, with tiny computer chips embedded (嵌于) in it. It looks, feels and weighs like your typical leather purse.

    That's where the similarities end: this bag can wirelessly keep track of your belongings and remind you, just as you're about to leave the house, to take your wallet. It can review the weather report and suggest that you take an umbrella. This purse can even upload your favorite songs onto your scarf.

    Surely, a computing purse and scarf set may seem like the stuff of science fiction. But these devices, part of next generation of wearable computers, could become commonplace within a few years. Dupont created new super strong fibers that can conduct electricity and can be woven into ordinary-looking clothes. And the chipmaker developed chip packaging allowing wearable computers to be washed, even in the heavy-duty (耐磨損的) cycle.

    As a result, these new wearable devices are different from the heavy and downright silly versions of the recent past, which often required users to be wrapped in wires and type on their stomachs. Unlike their predecessors, these new wearable computers also make economic sense. When her bag becomes commercially available in two to three years, Nanda expects it will cost around $ 150, which is the price of an average leather purse.

Here's how the bag works: You place a special radio-signal-transmitting chip onto your wallet. A similar radio in your purse picks up the signal and notifies you that you've forgotten to take your wallet. In turn, sensors on your purse's handles will notify the computer that you've picked up the purse and are ready to go.

    Already, these new kinds of wearable devices are being adopted for use in markets like auto repair, emergency services, medical monitoring - and even, increasingly, for consumers at large. Indeed, more people will want to cross that bridge in the coming years - making for a booming market for wearable computers that don't look like something out of science fiction.

1. According to the passage, the new wearable computers _______.

    A. require users to operate on the stomach

    B. pick up the signals through wires and chips

    C. are being applied in some different areas now

D. are smarter but more expensive than the old ones

2.What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

A. The new wearable computers have become fashionable.

B. People would like to learn more about the new computers.

C. New wearable computers promise to sell well in the future.

D. The idea of the purse-like computers comes from science fiction.

3.The purpose of the passage is to ________

A. introduce a new kind of computer            

B. explain the functions of computers

    C. compare different types of computers        

D. show how high technology affects our life

In the US and Britain, the slogan around colleges was “Save water. Shower with a friend.” Now, Wuhan University has come up with another system for the campus bathhouse. It charges students for the amount of time in a shower. Before entering the bathhouse, students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower with cash or their student ID card. The clock starts ticking the minute the tape is turned on. It pauses when a button is pressed for soap. An integrated circuit(IC) card reader at each tap shows the time. No money, no water. The benefits of the new system can be seen with the old system, which charged 1 yuan for each person regardless of time in the shower. The university used about 320 tones of water daily under the old system, but only 160 tons now.

Many students use the new system but opinions on it are divided. Some students say it is bad because bathing had become a sort of race. Many people using it for the first time are not sure how long they need to shower. Some might be embarrassed if their time is up and they’re still covered in soap. They have to ask the bathhouse worker to help them buy extra time.

 “It’s a flaw in the system that you can not buy extra time on the ID card,” said Ren, a freshman in Wuhan University. The university is also considering some students’ suggestions that they be allowed to pay after they’ve finished the shower. Not surprisingly, some are complaining about losing the hour shower. But many students say the move helps them develop a water-saving sense.

Without the time limits, most students tended to shower for 30 to an hour in the bathhouse. Some even used the hot water to wash their clothes. “In my experience, 10-20 minutes is enough,” said Dai Zhihua, a third-year student who usually takes 8 minutes. A similar system has been installed in other universities. Shanghai Normal University introduced it at its Fengxiang Campus in September. The bathing fee there is 0.2 yuan per minute. One male student responded by setting a record with a two-minute shower.

1.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. Having finished bathing, the student has to pay for it.

B. The clock times all through while the student is bathing except when the bather paused for soap.

C. If money runs out, there will be no water.

D. Students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower.

2. The underlined word “flaw” (Paragraph3) most probably means______.

A. perfection         B. advantage         C. pity             D. fault

3.Since the new system has performed, ______ of water can be saved.

A. a quarter          B. one third          C. one half         D. two thirds

4.It can be inferred from the passage that______.

A. the new operation can solve the water crisis.

B. The new operation can raise students’ environmental awareness.

C. a similar operation has been set in other universities.

D. The university has saved a lot of water by using the new system.

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容,從短文后的選項(xiàng)中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng).選項(xiàng)中有兩項(xiàng)為多余選項(xiàng).

   Speaking to a group can be difficult, but listening to a bad speech is truly a tiresome task—especially when the speaker is confusing. Don’t want to confuse your audience? Follow these suggestions:

1.__________

   When it comes to understanding new information, the human brain needs a little time. First, we hear the words; then, we compare the new information to what we already know. If the two are different, we need to pause and think. But a breathless speaker never stops to let us think about what he or she is saying and risks confusing us. Slow it.

2.__________ 

   Sometimes we all start a sentence one way and then switch directions, which is very difficult to follow. When you confuse your listeners with opposing information, you leave the audience wondering what part of the information is right and what part they should remember. Instead of relying and keeping correcting yourself, work to get the facts clear and straight.

3.__________  

   Jumping from point to point as it comes to your mind puts the onus (責(zé)任）on your listeners to make up for your lack of organisation. And it’s confusing for them to listen, reorganise, and figure out what you’re saying all at once. But going smoothly from one point to the next helps them understand information more easily. You can arrange things from beginning to end, small to large, top to bottom or by some other order. Just be sure to organise.         

4.__________  

   Repeated use of um, ah, like, you know and some other useless noises can drive an audience crazy. It makes the speaker sound uncertain and unprepared, and it can leave listeners so annoyed that they can’t pay attention. Recently I attended a speech that was marked by so many ums that audience members were rolling their eyes. Was anybody grasping the intended message? Um, probably not.

5.__________  

   Many speakers finish up their speeches with question-and-answer (Q & A) sessions, but some let the Q & A go on without a clear end. The audience is often left confused about whether the meeting is over and when they can get up and leave. Do your listeners a favour by setting a time limit on questions, and close your speech with a specific signal—even if it’s something simple like, “If you have any more questions, you know where to reach me.”

Or even more to the point, conclude your speech with “Thanks for your time. ”

A. Be well-organised.

B. Close with a Q & A.

C. Don’t be contradictory.

D. Bring it to a specific end.

E. Speak slowly and pause.

F. Drop unnecessary words.

G.how to make life simple.