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　　The US government has started a website, Admongo, to help children think critically about the advertising aimed at them．It claims to provide visitors with an “education” through games and other entertainment．

　　A cartoon man dressed in old time pilot clothing greets visitors to Admongo．"Call me Haiz", he says upon arrival in a rocket ship that opens up with a crazy world inside it．Spacey dance music plays in the background as Haiz tells visitors that they need to learn about advertising．

　　Its inventors say eight to twelve years old is the age kids develop their critical thinking abilities．Kids that age are also a big market for advertisers．

　　The idea behind Admongo is to teach children three things：To identify the advertiser．To know what the advertiser is really saying．And to know what the advertisement is trying to get the child to do．

　　Children learn these things through a video game．They create their own game character．They can choose different skin colors, hair styles, eye and mouth shapes．Then they begin a trip through ad-land, where there are ads on buses and billboards．The players have to find all the marketing in the neighborhood before they can move on to the next level．

　　The Admongo game takes players inside a home, to the advertising studio and everywhere else ads can be found．It is a complete exploration of the world of marketing．

　　One such area is food marketing．The Federal Trade Commission(FTC)says it is a big business．The FTC estimates that food, drink and fast-food restaurants spent more than one and a half billion dollars on advertising to young people in 2009．

　　The FTC says children are important for three reasons．They buy products．They influence parents and caregivers to buy．And they are the future adult buyers of the products．

　　A recent study says most advertising aimed at children is for foods of the lowest nutritional value．First Lady Michelle Obama has said she would like to see advertisers marketing healthy foods for children．

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　　Findings from a new study were presented at a recent meeting of the American Psychosomatic(身心的)Society．Researchers in the United States studied 100,000 women during an eight-year period, beginning in 1994．All of the women were fifty or older．The study was part of the Women’s Health Initiative organized by the National Institutes of Health．

　　The women were asked questions measuring their beliefs or ideas about the future．The researchers attempted to identify each woman’s personality eight years after gathering the information．

　　The study found that hopeful individuals were 14％ less likely than other women to have died from any cause．The hopeful women were also 30％ less likely to have died from heart disease after the eight years．

　　Hilary Tindle from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania was the lead author of the report．She said the study confirmed earlier research that linked optimistic feelings to longer life．

　　The researchers also gathered information about people’s education, financial earnings, physical activity and use of alcohol or cigarettes．Independent of those things, the findings still showed that optimists had less of a chance of dying during the eight-year period．

　　Some women who answered the questions were found to be hostile(怀敌意的), or highly untrusting of others．These women were 16％ more likely to die than the others．They also were 23％ more likely to die of cancer．

　　The study also found women who were not optimistic were more likely to smoke and have high blood pressure or diabetes．They were also more likely not to exercise．

　　Tindle says the study did not confirm whether optimism leads to healthier choices, or if it actually affects a person’s physical health．She also says the study does not prove that negative(消极的)emotions or distrust lead to bad health effects and shorter life．Yet there does appear to be a link that calls for more research．

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　　As you climb into the hill country, the roads get dustier and rougher, and fewer cars can be seen．Phonxay is one of the poorest districts of Laos, and many of its villages are only accessible by footpath．Our destination this hot morning is a concrete water tank that can be found just off the road．A UK organization helped to build it six years ago, and in the nearby village of Thapho, where clean drinking water is scarce, it has made a big difference．The tank feeds six taps which in turn give water to over 800 people---it has improved things for almost every family, from schoolchildren to grannies．

　　But lately, we were told, the clean water supply has come under pressure from new arrivals, people who have come down from the hill areas, and there are concerns that there will not be enough clean water to go round．

　　There are also serious worries about resources in Laos．The Chinese are building a 400km railway link, which could transform the landlocked country．About 150,000 Chinese workers will be involved．What will this do to local clean water supplies? How will the workers be fed?

　　The vast majority of Laotians live on farms．But with foreign investors wanting to buy up land, local people will have to be moved to make room for them．Heavily dependent on both foreign aid and foreign investment, Laos still falls well behind its neighbours, although its economy has grown at about 6％ a year in the last decade．Its biggest economic problem is the lack of locally trained skilled workforce．

　　But there are reasons to be hopeful for the future．Laos is beautiful, and foreign tourism continues to grow：fortunately so far the fast-food chains and coffee bars common elsewhere are nowhere to be seen．Although all local media are government-run, the Internet is not controlled and the BBC and CNN are available to those with satellite dishes．

　　The government has also achieved impressive results in rural development, with communities benefiting not just from cleaner water but the construction of new schools and regular visits from medical teams．Poverty will not be history in Laos within the next decade, but with small steps forward and a bit of outside help, the country could find itself out of the UN’s least-developed category by 2020．

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　　One-hundred-and seventh birthdays aren’t usually celebrated for authors who aren’t alive anymore．But Theodor Seuss Geisel－better known as the children’s books author Dr．Seuss－who came into the world on 2 March, 1904, was an unusual man．

　　Like generations of children I was raised on his wonderful stories．But when I now read them to my children it’s not just the childhood memories I enjoy．His writing is brilliant and imaginative and flows with a self-confidence as sure as the words of a Shakespeare poem．Readers ride his characteristic rhythm(韵律)with an effortless joy that cannot be matched by any other modern writer：

　　You have brains in your head

　　You have feet in your shoes

　　You can steer yourself any direction you choose

　　And will you succeed?

　　Yes indeed, yes indeed!

　　Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed．

　　Seuss’s brilliant cartoons and clever words make his books a delight for adults but they attract mostly children of course．His stories teach kids moral lessons but in indirect and entertaining ways．

　　The first Seuss book I was given was The Lorax, written just as the 60s were becoming the 70s．Seuss was ahead of his time, and in this book the dawn of concern for environmental problems are shown as the Lorax “who speaks for the trees” battles against an evil businessman who wants to destroy the forest and make goods “which everyone needs”．

　　It’s not only a warning of the heavy price of environmental destruction, written well before most people had thought to worry, but it’s also a smart analysis of consumer societies：“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better．It’s not．” This is of course a moral message, but not of the kind designed to persuade the youngsters into behavior that adults want．

　　I could go on, but hey, it’s a birthday, and I’m sure you folks have some good toasts to raise for the party…

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　　We each have a unique genetic(基因的，遗传的)make-up．Every cell of your body has the same set of about 100,000 separate genes made of DNA．These are the instructions for producing a person．Genes decide everything from the colour of your skin to the way your brain works．You have one of several billion combinations of DNA which come from the random mixing of your parents’ genes．Except for identical twins(同卵双胞胎), no one has the same combination as another person．You are unique! You are unique in another way too：in the way you are raised and all the experiences you have from before birth to adult life．These experiences influence you, your behaviour and attitudes, and the choices you make．

　　But are genes or life experiences more important in shaping your appearance and personality? Scientists are studying twins to find out．One set of twins occurs every 70 births---some are identical and others are non-identical twins．Identical twins are special because they share exactly the same genes and often the same environment．Non-identical twins are more like ordinary brothers and sisters．

　　Some identical twins have been adopted and brought up in different homes．With identical genes but a different home environment, scientists can study twins to see how much a particular feature depends on the genes we inherit．For example, we know that eye problems, like short-sightedness, are mostly genetic．But resistance to pain is largely dependent on experiences．Genes also influence our eating habits．Identical twins brought up apart often like to eat at the same time of day and feel full after eating the same amount．Non-identical twins in similar circumstances have more varied eating habits．Identical twins are also more likely to follow the same patterns for marriage and divorce than non-identical twins．

　　Scientists are trying to identify the different genes that influence our behaviour．Some people are thrill-seekers and get into risk-taking and adventurous activities．They take up extreme sports like bungee jumping and possibly take drugs．Scientists have discovered a gene which affects this．

　　We could ask, “Are our lives determined by our genes or our upbringing?” Scientists are learning more all the time, but it is certainly true that both are important in making us who we are．

阅读理解

　　Some kids start to drink alcohol at a young age．They think it is part of becoming an adult．They also think drinking is not that bad because so many people do it．They feel it is not as bad as taking drugs．It is easy for kids to get liquor by using fake identification．

　　Parents may start to notice a change in their child’s behavior if the child starts drinking．Kids who drink sometimes stop doing things they normally like to do．They may keep telephone calls and meetings a secret and not want anybody to touch their things．They act moody(喜怒无常)and do not have the same eating and sleeping habits．

　　Parents need to stay involved(参与的)in their kids’ lives．They should talk to their children about their problems to be aware of any changes．

　　Parents can be the best protection．Children who get a lot of love can feel good about themselves．It helps them resist doing bad things even when other kids are doing them．Parents can also help set a good example by not drinking．They can have firm rules in the home that everyone follows．

　　Give the children good ideas on how to say “no” to drinking, even when they are at a party．Try not to overreact or panic if the child tries alcohol．How you handle it can affect their attitude．It may be helpful to talk to other parents about setting up curfews(宵禁令)and rules about parties or other events．

阅读理解

　　Having finished her homework, Ma Li wants some music for relaxation．As usual, she starts her computer and goes to Baidu．com to download music files．But this time she is surprised when an announcement about protecting songs’ copyright bursts onto the screen．The age of free music and movie downloads may have come to an end as Web companies like Baidu are accused(控告)of pirating(盗用)copyright．Lawsuits(诉讼)have been filed against four websites offering free downloads．In September 2005, a Beijing court ordered Baidu to pay recording company Shanghai Push compensation for their losses．Baidu was also told to block the links to the pirated music on the website．This caused a heated discussion on Internet file sharing．

　　“Baidu’s defeat in the lawsuit shows it is not right to get copyrighted songs without paying．Downloaders may face lawsuits or fines,” said an official．

　　Like many teens, Huang Ruoru, an 18-year-old girl from Puning in Guangdong Province, doesn’t think that getting music from websites is wrong．She always shares her favourite songs downloaded from Baidu with her friends．When told about the lawsuit, she began to feel a little guilty about getting others’ work without paying．

　　However, other teenagers have different ideas．Wang Yafei, a Senior 2 girl from Jinan, Shandong Province pointed out that file sharing is a good way to promote pop singers．“If I download a song and really like it, I will buy the CD,” she said．“So what the recording companies really should concentrate on is improving their music, rather than pursuing(追究)file-sharers．”

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　　In 1971 a young man who grew up very poor was traveling across the country, trying to make a new start for himself．Along the way he had completely run out of money and was forced to spend the night in his car．This continued until one morning, after a week of sleeping in his car, he walked nervously into a restaurant and ordered a big breakfast．

　　After eating his first good meal in weeks, he found himself lying to the waiter, telling him he had lost his wallet．The waiter, who was also the owner, walked behind the chair where they young man had been sitting．He bent down, and came up with a ＄20 bill that looked as if it had fallen on the floor and said, “Son, you must have dropped this,” the owner said．The young man couldn’t believe his luck! He quickly paid for the breakfast, left a tip, bought gas with the change, and headed West．

　　On the way out of town, he began to understand what that fellow did．Maybe nobody dropped the money at all．“Maybe that fellow just knew I was in trouble and he helped me in a way that didn’t embarrass(使困窘)me．So I just made a promise to help other people if I can．”

　　Later, he worked very hard and became a rich man．Now, he lives near Kansas City．Each year he gives away thousands of dollars．He is known as the “Secret Santa” because at Christmas time each year, he personally hands money out to those on the street and at restaurants．Last year, he gave more than ＄50,000 away in Kansas City．

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Winners Club

　　You choose to be a winner!

　　The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers．It has been made to help you better manage your money．The Winners Club is a transaction account(交易账户)where you receive a key–card so you can get to your money 24/7 – that’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

　　It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers：

　　●No account keeping fees!

　　You’re no millionaire so we don’t expect you to pay large fees．In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees!

　　●Excellent interest rates!

　　You want your money to grow．The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits(储蓄)without taking them out in a month．

　　●Convenient

　　Teenagers are busy－we get that．You may never need to come to a bank at all．With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet…You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account．This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part–time job!

　　●Mega magazine included

　　Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money．There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members．The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers．And it is so easy to join．Simply fill in an application form．You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian(so we can organize that cool key–card)but it is easy．We can’t want to hear from you．It’s the best way to choose to be a winner!

阅读理解

　　Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day．“I was a clothes addict,” he jokes．“I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled．” Today David wears casual clothes－khaki pants and sports shirt－to the office．He hardly ever wears a necktie．“I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable．”

　　More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work．In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual．In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday．This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”．“What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing．” said business consultant Maisly Jones．

　　Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code．“A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code．” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes．In a study conducted by Levi Strauss Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale(士气)．Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative effect on productivity．Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money．“Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said．“For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes．”