question: Local businessmen are increasingly facing competition from on line retailers. Larry Pollock, owner of Camera Co/Op on South Congress, said he has been dealing with this kind of problem for years, even before the Internet. The struggle began with mail-order catalogues, which are similar to online retailers in that they have few employees to pay, no sales tax fees and no business venue to lease and manage.

"Their overhead is lower, but they don't offer a service like we do," Pollock said.

Pollock, however, said providing a valuable service to customers does not always guarantee continued sales.

"We spend 30 minutes to an hour with somebody and they go home and buy it online," he said.

According to the state comptroller's office, online shopping is developing at a more rapid rate than traditional businesses.

In spite of how fair or unfair online shopping may be to the local businessmen, consumers will continue to turn to the Internet for its variety and accessibility, said Mitch Wilson, an online shopper. "You have a larger selection and it's easier to compare prices."

Wilson said he built his personal computer and paid a third of the price by shopping online.

"Before the Internet, I would have had to go and buy an assembled computer from somebody like Dell," he said. "Before I started shopping online I could never find all the pieces I wanted. No single store had everything needed, so shopping online saved me from having to buy from Dell."

Janny Brazeal, a psychology freshman, said online shopping is too impersonal.

"I'd rather see it in person, touch it, know that I'm getting it," she said.

Brazeal also said she would not give out her credit card number or other personal information online no matter how safe the site claims it is.
1. What doesn't always guarantee continued sales?
2. Who made this assertion?
3. What company does he own?
4. Where's that located?
5. Has he been dealing with this issue since before the Internet?
6. For how long?
7. Is the overhead for online businesses higher or lower?
8. Do they offer the same service as Pollock?
****
answer: 1. Providing a valuable service
2. Larry Pollock
3. Camera Co/Op
4. South Congress
5. Yes
6. Years
7. Lower
8. No.

Michelle Obama has just started a campaign against childhood obesity with the admission that she put her girls Malia and Sasha on a diet because they were getting fat. Clearly, childhood obesity must be solved urgently. But is it a good idea for mothers to put their daughters on diets? Studies show that the more children diet, the more likely they are to become obese as adults. Research also shows that girls are highly influenced by their mothers when it comes to eating habits and body image. This was the case for Carly, 40, who blames her mother for her lifelong struggle with weight. "My mother was on a diet the whole time I was growing up," she says. "And she put me on my first diet when I was 10. I lost puppy fat, gained her approval and never ate normally again." America's First Lady clearly has a vital healthy eating message to convey. But could this be damaging for Malia and Sasha? Could they develop eating disorders because of it? "It's wrong just to blame mothers for their daughters' eating disorders," says Susan Ringwood, chief executive of the eating disorders charity. "There is a genetic component to eating disorders." However, "We do know that parents have a very strong influence over a child's eating. It's important to realize that you are your daughter's role model. Girls idolize their mothers." says Ringwood. "No food should ever be 'good 'or' bad'," Ringwood says. Instead, "You have to make it clear that food is a sociable, healthy and fun part of life, not something to be feared." "Talk to her about body image," Ringwood says. "Talk about how curves are an important and exciting part of being a woman. Show her that anorexic ) fashion models are not sexy, but ill. The pressure on girls today is immense," she says. Never forget that you are the authoritative voice, too. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who are Michelle Obama's girls?
2. Were they getting heavy?
3. What do the studies show about diets
4. Who is susan ringwood?
5. Do girls idolize their mothers?
6. Is there a genetic component to eating disorders
7. Should food be" good or bad"?
8. Should food be feared?
9. What is the pressure on girls today?
10. How old is Carly?
11. Who does she blame?
12. Who has an eating message?
13. When did Carly go on her first diet?
14. What did she lose?
15. Is it wrong just to blame mothers?
Answer: 1. Malia and Sasha
2. yes
3. they show that the more children diet, the more likely they are to become obese
4. chief executive of the eating disorders charity
5. yes
6. yes
7. no
8. no
9. immense
10. 40
11. her mother
12. America's First Lady
13. when she was 10
14. puppy fat
15. yes

input: Make use of the article to answer the questions. Have you ever heard of Back-to-Front Day? It is a festival in Britain. On that day, the adults have to go to school. And the children? They are the policemen and firemen; they sit in the offices and call New York and Paris; they are doctors and nurses. "Stand in the corner, Mr. Bass!" said Mary. Mary was six and had a class of twenty-three men and fifteen women. They were making too much noise. John was a policeman. Though his uniform was too big, he walked down the street with pride. "Hm, why are you not at school?" "Oh, I ... I have something important to do," said the man. "Fiddlesticks !" said John angrily. He took out his notebook. "Name?" he asked. "Mr. Green." John wrote it down and blew his whistle and a police car appeared. "I have a _ here," said John. "Drive him to school!" At the hospital a small doctor climbed on one chair in order to examine Mrs. Brown's throat, and Nurse Jenny took Granny Lisa's temperature. The best part of Back-to-Front Day is in the evening. The children put the adults to bed, very early. They tell them a story, too -- after the adults wash their faces and brush their teeth. How interesting Back-to-Front Day is! 1. Why was John's uniform too big?
2. What is Back to Front Day?
3. What do grownups do?
4. And the kids?
5. What was John
6. How did he feel about that?
7. Why was he mad at Mr. Green?
8. What was his excuse?
9. What did John do with him?
10. How did he summon the police car?
11. How old was Mary?
12. What was her job?
13. Who did she punish?
14. How?
15. What had he done?
16. How big was her class?
17. Who was a nurse?
18. What did she do?
19. What did the kids do early that evening?
20. What did the adults do before bed?
numbered_answers:
1. unknown
2. a festival
3. They go to school
4. They are the policemen and firemen
5. a policeman.
6. Proud
7. Because he wasn't at school.
8. I have something important to do
9. Had him driven to the school
10. blew his whistle
11. six
12. She is a teacher
13. Mr. Bass
14. She made him stand in the corner
15. Made too much noise
16. 38 adults
17. Jenny
18. took Granny Lisa's temperature.
19. put the adults to bed, very early.
20. wash their faces and brush their teeth