M:You now have 50 seconds to check your answers to Questions 6-10.
Part C
(一)
M:Next time you bring your kids in for a checkup,dont be surprised if the doctor asks about their tastes in entertainment.The American Academy of Medicine suggested last week that doctors work with parents to evaluate how much TV kids watch and what they see, what video and computer games they play,which websites they visit on the Internet,whether they view R-rated videos without the company of their parents,what music they like and what books they read.Doctors are worried that kids who spend too much time in front of the tube dont get enough exercise and can become overweight.The academy is also concerned that the messages kids get from entertainment media can make them more violent and sexually active.
The academy recommends that children under age two not watch any TV.“Children need activities to stimulate the brain during the first two years of life,”says Dr.Miriam Baron,who chairs the academys committee on public education.“They need feedback and socialization.”Older children,she says,should watch TV in a common area.Their bedrooms should be “electronic media-free”zones where they can have a quiet place to read,study,play or just relax.
W:You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Questions 11-13.
(二)
W:If youre in your 20s,you own your first car,your career is more or less launched,and youre starting to look forward to owning a home.But youre worried,too.Perhaps youve got some debt.You probably dont have much in the way of savings.And with all your expenses,it doesnt look like youll be able to improve that situation soon.
If you wonder how to cut corners,theres an obvious place to look-at your spending habits.
Do you buy a soda each weekend?Waste $ 1 a day for 40 years and,when youre set to retire,youll find your account is short by $ 190,000.Grab a calculator and youll discover that,over 40 years going out to dinner twice a month at $ 40 each time amounts to half a million.Even a pack-a day cigarette habit will lighten your retirement account by $ 330,000.And the same with cable TV and those cool earrings.They will probably amount to as much as one million.
So,the first clue to accumulating wealth is this:focus on your spending habits.Here are a couple of tricks to help you save even if you swear you cant afford to. Stop buying things that fall rather than rise in value.Pay yourself first:Before you pay the monthly bills,send $ 25 to a mutual fund. Stop spending coins.From nwo on,spend only paper currency,and keep the change every day.Get your family involved,and youll double your savings.Use discount tickets at the supermarket—but use them correctly.How? If you really want to make these tickets worthwhile,you actually must invest into your mutual fund the amount you save by using the tickets.Otherwise,youre wasting your time—and your money.