Reading passages

average family of two parents and two children, spending on toys and children's clothing has more 
than tripled, and spending on sweets, ice -cream and soft drinks has risen by one -third. Research has 
recently found that spending is around £3,000 per child per year. The growth in spending reflects 
higher living standards, but it has been boosted by the efforts of the advertising industry. Campaigns 
directed straight at children account for much advertising expenditure. Most children in Britain over 
eight now have a television in the bedroom; on average, they watch 900 hours of TV a year, which is 
more than the 750 hours the average child is actually being taught in school. Thus a child could see at 
least 10,000 commercials a year.