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___________
A．promote sales across the country
B．limit advertising to children under the age of 12
C．meet increasing demands from kids
D．adapt to the new federal regulations小题2:What can we learn from the text that the seven companies ____.
A．may still use cartoon characters in advertising
B．are going to stop advertising to children under 12
C．Would like to continue the cooperation with entertainment media
D．will make food and drink specially for fat kids小题3:What of the following can best describe the underlined words “fend off”?
A．prevent ... from happening
B．draw up or work out
C．pay attention to
D．give a warm welcome to小题4:What does Josephine Thomas advise in the last paragraph?
A．kids spend too much on unhealthy food
B．parents are strict about their kids’ food choice
C．“better for you” products are popular with kids
D．ads with cartoon characters mislead kids