Keep Your Eyes Open for Weight Loss Ads

“In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”

“Two full inches in the first three days!”

These are the kinds of statements     1     (use) in magazine, newspaper, radio and television ads,     2     (promise) new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device. The promoters of products say they     3     shape the legs, slim the face and smooth wrinkles. Often such products are nothing more than money-making things for their promoters. The results they produce are questionable, and some are dangerous to health.

To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public,     4     is necessary to understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug, FDA(Food and Drug Administration) can require proof that it is safe and effective before it     5    (put) on the market. But if the product is a device, FDA has no authority     6     (require) premarketing proof of safety or effectiveness.     7     a product already on the market is a danger to health, FDA can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the market voluntarily, or it can take legal action, including seizure(查封) of the product.

One notable case a few years ago     8    (involve) an electrical device called the Relaxacisor,     9     had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the body through contact pads. FDA took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the device on the grounds     10     it was dangerous to health and life.

The family who eats together

What’s the price of a family meal? For many families in the world’s wealthiest countries, the answer seems to be, ‘too much’. For instance, in the United States,     1     is often a trendsetter in such things, the majority of families report eating a single meal together fewer than five days a week. In fact, the frequency of shared meals     2     (decrease) in American families by 33 per cent over the last twenty years. The meals     3     have shortened too: from an average of 90 minutes to just 12 minutes.

So perhaps we’re better off asking ourselves     4     the cost of not eating together is. Once again, we could turn to the figures. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has found that 15-year-olds who reported not regularly     5     (share) family meals were twice as likely to be absent from school. In Europe, research has suggested that children who don’t eat dinner with their parents at least twice a week face a 40 per cent higher risk of fatness. Another study,     6     (conduct) by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (滥用) at Columbia University, found that kids who eat dinner with their parents five or more times a week are     7     (likely) to have problems with drugs and alcohol.

But those numbers, impressive     8     they seem, may be beside the point. After all, having a meal together is more than just a preventive measure     9     future misfortune. The primary cost of the family meal is also the very thing that makes it important: time.

The time spent together over food leads to all the positive outcomes that are measured in the studies. That time spent together has less noticeable—but no less real—effects too. So often,     10     is at the family meal that the family as such—the family as an organic unit with shared memories and feelings and ambitions—is made.

Cross-cultural Marriage

Previously, cross-cultural marriages were not accepted. However, most people get married out of love for one another, not because of one's race. Cross-cultural marriages, therefore,    1    （become）more popular among the younger generations.

    2    （enter）into a relationship with someone from another country can have a lot of ups and downs. The differences between the two cultures come into play as the relationship    3    （progress）. Couples may have problem    4    （get）used to each other's living style. Even the slightest difference, say in the food they eat, can spark off an argument. The couples may also have certain assumptions or expectations about what their partners are like, in terms of the ideas about a culture they may have before meeting their spouses. It is important for the couples to see their partners as who they are, and not    5    （base）on some common understanding of a culture. Of course, it is essential for the couples    6    （respect）and get a deeper understanding of the spouses' cultures.

Cross-cultural marriage may be particularly    7    （horrify）to women. Many brides fear that they will be unable to communicate with their new families. In Korea, courses are available to help Korean women who marry American men    8    （adapt）to their new lives. Fear of living abroad and    9    （understand）the new customs can be too much for a new bride to handle. With the help of the programs, the new husband can also understand his new wife.    10    （marry）someone from a different country can offer interesting experiences and new challenges.

Buyers from 1990s Top Confidence Chart

China's post-1990 consumers posted the highest consumer confidence in the second quarter of the year,    1    their optimism on job prospects, personal finance and willingness to spend, the latest survey from consultancy The Nielson Co showed on Friday.

Their consumer Confidence Index stood at 110, higher than    2    of any other age group, followed by the post-1960 (108) and post-1980 (105) generations, according to the survey.

“The post-1990 consumers are    3    (open) to new things and have a strong willingness to spend, therefore creating lots of opportunities for all types of businesses,” said Eva Ng, vice-president of Nielson Greater China.

“Moreover, they don't have a high brand loyalty.    4    they don't have too much money at the moment, they will emerge as a very important consumption power within five years,” she added.

According to the survey, 25 percent of people    5    (bear) in the 1990s are willing to buy new products, higher than the generation born in the 1980s (19%) and 1970s (21%).

Online shopping is extremely popular among the post-1990 segment. The survey showed that 93 percent of them    6    (shop)online in the past three months,and 71% of them will go online shopping in the next six months.

The overall Nielson Consumer Confidence index increased one point to 106 in the second quarter,    7    (indicate)that Chinese consumers are adjusting to the new norm(标准)of economic growth and their confidence level    8    (remain)stable,the consultancy said.

“Nielson's research shows not only that the economy has been adjusted to a comparatively lower growth with a better quality,but also    9    consumers have adjusted their consumption habits    10    (adapt)to this new trend,” said Yan Xuan,president of Nielson Greater China.

Innovations that will change the classroom

American schools are going high - tech. Many symbols we still associate with classrooms and learning, like chalkboards, pens, notebooks - even classrooms     1     --- are quickly becoming outdated.

As this week marks The Huffington Post’s 10th anniversary, we’ll take a look at some products that     2     (introduce) to classroom in the past decade and have the potential to change the educational landscape in the years     3     (come).

Some schools are cutting down on snow days, thanks to technology. Rather than giving kids the day off     4     weather conditions are too dangerous for commuting, these schools are asking students to follow classroom lessons online.

Although kids     5     (hope) for a snow day may not particularly appreciate these advancements in digital learning, online lessons allow these kids to complete their coursework and still interact with peers. Some students with medical conditions     6     “go” to school via video conferencing or even with the help of robots enabled with video chat that they can control remotely.

Discovery Education has been replacing traditional textbooks with original “techbooks” for six years. These “techbooks” can also be switched to Spanish or French, Kinney said,     7     allows some parents who don’t speak English to help their kids with their homework.

In-class gaming options have evolved to include more educational options. GlassLab creates educational games that are now being used in more than 6,000 classrooms across the country. Teachers get real-time updates on students’ progress as well as suggestions on     8     subjects they need to spend more time perfecting.

The Internet and other digital tools have some drawbacks. They’re often distracting,     9     most developments have exciting implications for the future. Over the last 10 years, technological innovations have made education more interactive, immediate and     10     (personalize), -- and have shown us the potential for more accessible and effective classrooms.