2 . Hunger is the greatest motive for the inexperienced cook. But many people are now worried that we are producing a generation without the slightest idea of how to cook—a generation that is frightened to cook. I have just received a handout from Focus on Food, which is running a competition to get children back into the kitchen. Has television cooking become a replacement for the real thing? Is this an age where famous professional cooks have turned cooking into a sort of show, with dishes far too difficult for the beginners to copy?

I decided to ask my oldest daughter, Miranda, for her opinion. Are children earning enough about the importance of good cooking? Do they know cooking is a basic life skill? Sociology and other “new” subjects are all very well, but without the ability to cook, or to understand the pleasure and principles of good food and its relationship to good health, are we really preparing them for adult life?

Miranda started her cooking at the age of nine, when she decided to enter the Sainsbury’s Future Cook competition. She was motivated by a different kind of greed: the first prize — a trip to Disney World.

The problem, from the parental point of view, was that if she made it through to the regional (区域性的) finals, she would have to cook her meal in front of the judges. Some 30,000 children entered and she made it through as the youngest regional finalist. Now she had to learn to cook. Her hands were not even big enough to hold the knife and slice the onions. Six Saturdays running we ate the same lunch—Mozzarella meatballs in fresh tomato juice and blueberry.

First, she cooked by my side, then alone with timings and instructions. Finally, she went alone against the clock. The kitchen looked like a battlefield, but she had gained victory. The tiny be—capped figure then stood in an unknown Bristol hotel, looking like a professional who had been at the stove for years. She didn’t win, but she came home with £50 and the most valuable part of them all: confidence.

1. The competition run by Focus on Food is intended for ______.

A．children

B．parents

C．teachers

D．chefs

2. Why does the writer think cooking is so important?

A．It is an easy way to keep healthy.	B．It helps develop relationships.
C．It is a necessary skill for life.	D．It can save a lot of money.

3. The writer’s family had the same lunch on six Saturdays because ______.

A．the family stuck to healthy food	B．Miranda had to practice cooking
C．the dish was the family’s only food	D．the dish was Miranda’s favorite meal

4. What did Miranda gain from the competition?

A．A trip to Disney World.	B．Support from friends.
C．A medal for the winner.	D．Belief in herself.