Games are fun．After hours of homework it’s great to relax by playing a game．But do games ever do kids any harm(害处)?And are there any ways parents can help kids stay away from bad games? The US researchers are trying to find solutions to these problems．

    They studied what video games could do to children．The researchers found game sellers had made big changes to make sure the games didn’t harm kids．And they suggested that work should be done to find out if video games affected children’s school work and health．

    One problem found was that parents hadn’t taken enough notice of their kids’ game-playing habits．

    “Many game sellers put control(控制键)on the games to help parents make sure that children don’t play games unsuitable for them，”said David Walsh，the president(院长)of the National Institute on Media and the Family．Parents should watch the games kids are playing and know how much time they are spending playing them．

    The study found that playing games too long could affect kids’ health as well as their school work. Almost half of all“heavy garners”were six to seventeen years old．These kids were more likely to have weight and eyesight problems than other kids．Playing too many games also affected how children did at school．

    Kids are supposed to ask their parents to set a time limit(限制)for playing games and remind them when the time is up．

1．The US researchers are trying to find out        ．

    A．whether games do any good to kids

    B．if there are ways for parents to keep kids away from bad games

    C．how many students will spend their most time playing games

    D．whether games are fun

2．The word“affected”in the second paragraph probably means       ．

    A．continued                           B．improved

    C．had influences on                  D．were divided between

3．What problems did the researchers find out about parents?

    A．Parents were too strict with their kids．

    B．Parents cared too much about kids’ study skills．

    C．Parents didn’t notice their kids’ hobbies．

    D．Parents didn’t pay much attention to their kids’ game．playing habits．

4．According to the passage，playing too many games can affect a kid’s        ．

    A．weight and height                      B．health and school work

    C．brain and thought                  D．manners

5．The main purpose of this passage is that        ．

    A．kids are supposed to have a time limit for playing games with their parents’ help

    B．parents must join their kids in playing games

    C．parents should learn to play games from their children

    D．kids can play games with the help of their parents

The phone rings. It’s a friend who wants to tell you his or her latest health problems. You hate to be impolite and cut your friend off, but what can you do? Stephanie Winston, author of Stephanie Winston’s Best Organizing Tips, offers his advice:

Don’t ask questions like “What’s new?” They give the information that you have time to talk. After “hello”, get right to the heart of the matter.

Time your calls wisely. If you make a call right before lunch or dinner, or at the end of the workday, people chat less.

Set a time limit. Start with, “Hi, I’ve only got a few minutes, but I wanted to talk to you about….” Or, “Gee, I’d love to talk more, but I only have a couple of minutes before I have to leave.”

Jump on a pause（间歇）. Even the most talkative caller has to pause now and then. Quickly say, “It has been great talking with you.” Then end the conversation.

Forget niceties. Some people just don’t take a hint. Cut your caller off and say, “I’d like to talk to you longer, but I’m afraid I have no enough time. Good bye.” Then hang up.

Find “a partner in crime”. If nothing else works, ask someone in your home to help you. For example, one woman gives a sign to her husband, who shouts, “Jane, I think the roast chicken is burning.”

Avoid the phone completely. Use an answering machine to screen calls. If you have an important message for a chatterbox（唠叨的人）, leave the message when he or she isn’t in.

50. What’s the good time to make a call so that people can chat less?

A. After lunch or dinner.　　　　　　　　　　　 B. In the middle of the workday.

C. Before lunch or dinner.　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. At the beginning of the workday.

51. “Finding a partner in crime” means ______.

A. finding someone to answer the call

B. getting right to the heart of the matter

C. telling the caller you are just cooking

D. asking someone to help you end the call

52. What’s Winston’s advice about?

A. How to talk on the phone.　　　　　

B. How to make calls wisely.

C. How to make a phone call.

D. How to keep phone calls short.