Recording Three
Today, I’d like to talk about what happens when celebrity role models get behind healthy habits but at the same time promote junk food? [23] Currently, there is mounting criticism of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Campaign, which fights childhood obesity by encouraging youngsters to become more physically active, and has signed on singer Beyonce, and basketball player Shaquille O’Neal, both of whom also endorse sodas, which are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. Now there’s a lot more evidence of how powerful a celebrity—especially a professional athlete—can be in influencing children’s behavior.
In a report published by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, researchers studied 100 professional athletes and their endorsement contracts. The team focused on athletes since they are theoretically the best role models for active, healthy lifestyles for children. After sorting the deals by category, they determined that among the 512 brands associated with the athletes, most involved sporting goods, followed closely by food and beverage brands.
Sports drinks, which are often high in sugar and calories made up most of the food and drink deals, with soft drinks and fast food filling out the remainder. Of the 46 beverages endorsed by professional athletes, 93% relied exclusively on sugar for all of their calories.
It’s no surprise that high profile athletes can influence children’s eating behaviors, but the scientists were able to quantify how prevalent these endorsements are in the children’s environment. Advertisements featuring professional athletes and their endorsed products tend to get impressive exposure, on TV, radio, in print and online. And in 2010, [24] the researchers reported that children ages 12 to 17 saw more athlete-endorsed food and beverage brand commercials than adults.
One reason any campaign wants a popular celebrity spokesperson is because kids are attracted to them no matter what they are doing. We can’t expect kids to turn off that admiration when the same person is selling sugar. At best, kids might be confused. At worst, they’ll think the messages about soda are the same as the messages about water. But those two beverages aren’t the same.
If children are turning to athletes as role models, it’s in their best interest if their idols are consistent. [25] Consistent messaging of positive behaviors will show healthier lifestyles for kids to follow.
23. What is the aim of Michelle Obama’s campaign?
【试题答案】A
【试题解析】题目问米歇尔•奥巴马竞选的目的是什么？录音开头提到目前针对米歇尔•奥巴马的“让我们动起来”的运动有越来越多的评论，该运动鼓励孩子多参加运动来对抗儿童肥胖。因此米歇尔•奥巴马发起该运动的目的就是对抗儿童肥胖，A选项与原文表述一致，因此正确。B选项“帮助弱势儿童”；C选项“敦促孩子们跟随他们的榜样”在录音中均未提及；D选项“鼓励孩子多运动”最具干扰性，这是对抗儿童肥胖的方式，并不是最终的目的，因此不正确。
24. What does research find about advertisements featuring professional athletes?
【试题答案】D
【试题解析】题目问关于职业运动员广告的研究发现了什么？根据录音，2010年，研究人员报道指出，12到17岁的孩子比成年人看更多由运动员代言的食品和饮料品牌的广告。也就是说，由专业运动员代言的广告给孩子留下的印象比给成年人留下的更深刻。D选项“他们给孩子留下的印象比给成年人留下的印象更深刻”与原文表述相符，因此正确。A选项“出现在电视上最有效”；B选项“放在网上时最能促进产品销量”，利用TV和online设置干扰项，录音原文并没有对这些广告出现在什么地方最有效进行对此，因此可排除；C选项“它们变得越来越普遍”在录音中并未提及，因此也可排除。
25. What does the speaker think kids’ idols should do?
【试题答案】D
【试题解析】题目问说话者认为孩子们的偶像应该做什么？录音最后提到，如果孩子们以运动员为榜样，如果他们的这些偶像能够始终如一，那么孩子们将得到最大的益处。持续传达积极行为的信息能向孩子们展现他们应该要追随的更健康的生活方式，所以讲话人认为孩子们的偶像应该一直传达积极行为的信息。D选项中的at all times是录音中consistent的同义表达，因此D选项“时刻传达积极的行为”正确。A选项“做他们向公众提倡的事情”；B选项“总是把孩子的利益放在首位”以及C选项“在孩子面前注意他们的形象”在录音中均没有提及，因此排除。
