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?

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

Edward Sims was born in 1892. He was the fifth child and only son of Herbert and Dora Sims. Herbert was a blacksmith(铁匠), and had a thriving trade making horseshoes. He was determined that his first-born son would follow him into the blacksmith. For this reason, Edward had to leave school at the age of 12,and worked with his father.

However, Edward was not cut out to be a blacksmith. Although he has an athletic body, he didn't have strong arms like his father, and he felt dizzy in the heat of the smithy.  When he tried to find alternative employment, he found it difficult because he had never learnt to read or write.

One day, he went for an interview at a solictior’s office. The job was a runner, taking documents from the office to other offices in the city. The solicitor was pleased to see that Edward was physically fit, but when he discovered that the young man couldn't read or write, he decided against employing him. "How can you deliver documents to other offices," he asked, "if you can't read the addresses on them?"

Bitterly disappointed, Edward left the building and went to wait for a tram to take him back to the suburb where his father’s smithy was. Next to the bus stop, a man was selling newspapers from a stand .

"Excuse me, son?" he said. "Would you look after my stand for a moment?"

For the next 20 minutes, Edward sold newspapers, lots of them. When the man came back, he was so delighted with his new assistant's honesty, that he offered him a job. Edward took it immediately.

In the next few months, the two men progressed from working on newspaper stands to selling newspapers, tobacco,confectionery（糖果点心）and other goods in a shop. Then they opened a second shop, and a third. Eventually, they had a chain of 25 shops in three cities.

Edward became very rich, so he employed a tutor to teach him to read and write. The tutor  was amazed at what Edward had achieved. "Imagine what you could do if you’d been able to read and write when you were younger!" he said.

“Yes!” said Edward. “I could have run myself to exhaustion delivering documents for a solicitor!”

1.What would be the best title for the text?

A．Success of illiterate newsboy

B．Local blacksmith becomes famous

C．The thriving trade of the blacksmith

D．Reading and writing-the road to success

2.What can you infer from the underlined expression “not cut out to be” in the second paragraph?

A．Edward Sims did not like being a blacksmith.

B．Edward Sims did not like working with his father.

C．Edward Sims was not strong enough and it made him feel ill.

D．Edward Sims was good at it but wanted to do another job.

3.When Edward applied for the job as a runner for a solicitor,        .

A．the solicitor turned him down because he wasn’t intelligent enough

B．the solicitor offered him the job because he was so fit

C．the solicitor gave him the job but told him he had to learn to read

D．the solicitor didn’t offer him the job because he couldn’t read

4.Which of the following is NOT ture about Edward Sims?

A．He was such a good salesman that he went on to own 25 newsagent shops with another man.

B．The newspaperman liked him so much he gave him a job.

C．He ran himself into exhaustion delivering papers.

D．He learnt to read and write.

Edward Sims was born in 1892. He was the fifth child and only son of Herbert and Dora Sims. Herbert was a blacksmith(铁匠), and had a thriving trade making horseshoes. He was determined that his first-born son would follow him into the blacksmith. For this reason, Edward had to leave school at the age of 12,and worked with his father.
However, Edward was not cut out to be a blacksmith. Although he has an athletic body, he didn't have strong arms like his father, and he felt dizzy in the heat of the smithy.  When he tried to find alternative employment, he found it difficult because he had never learnt to read or write.
One day, he went for an interview at a solictior’s office. The job was a runner, taking documents from the office to other offices in the city. The solicitor was pleased to see that Edward was physically fit, but when he discovered that the young man couldn't read or write, he decided against employing him. "How can you deliver documents to other offices," he asked, "if you can't read the addresses on them?"
Bitterly disappointed, Edward left the building and went to wait for a tram to take him back to the suburb where his father’s smithy was. Next to the bus stop, a man was selling newspapers from a stand .
"Excuse me, son?" he said. "Would you look after my stand for a moment?"
For the next 20 minutes, Edward sold newspapers, lots of them. When the man came back, he was so delighted with his new assistant's honesty, that he offered him a job. Edward took it immediately.
In the next few months, the two men progressed from working on newspaper stands to selling newspapers, tobacco,confectionery（糖果点心）and other goods in a shop. Then they opened a second shop, and a third. Eventually, they had a chain of 25 shops in three cities.
Edward became very rich, so he employed a tutor to teach him to read and write. The tutor  was amazed at what Edward had achieved. "Imagine what you could do if you’d been able to read and write when you were younger!" he said.
“Yes!” said Edward. “I could have run myself to exhaustion delivering documents for a solicitor!”
【小题1】What would be the best title for the text?

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. 1.

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

   1. A.
      promote sales across the country
   2. B.
      limit advertising to children under the age of 12
   3. C.
      meet increasing demands from kids
   4. D.
      adapt to the new federal regulations
2. 2.

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

   1. A.
      may still use cartoon characters in advertising
   2. B.
      are going to stop advertising to children under 12
   3. C.
      Would like to continue the cooperation with entertainment media
   4. D.
      will make food and drink specially for fat kids
3. 3.

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

   1. A.
      prevent ... from happening
   2. B.
      draw up or work out
   3. C.
      pay attention to
   4. D.
      give a warm welcome to
4. 4.

   What does Josephine Thomas advise in the last paragraph?

   1. A.
      kids spend too much on unhealthy food
   2. B.
      parents are strict about their kids’ food choice
   3. C.
      “better for you” products are popular with kids
   4. D.
      ads with cartoon characters mislead kids