孩子的成长和教育是社会热议的话题。家长抚育孩子的不同态度对他们今后的成长起着至关重要的作用。请观察下面的漫画，根据要求用英文写一篇短文。
要求：（1）描述漫画内容；（2）分析漫画所揭示的问题；（3）提出你的看法。
注意：（1）短文开头已给出，不计入总词数；（2）考生可适当发挥，使文章内容充实、连贯；（3）词数120左右；（4）文中不能出现考生的具体信息。
参考词汇：dote on sb 溺爱某人
根据以下提示：1）汉语提示；2）首字母提示；3）语境提示，在每个空格内填入一个适当的英语单词，并将该词完整地写在右边相对应的横线上。所填单词要求意义准确，拼写正确。
He was the president of a major advertising firm and I was a very young management consultant. I had been1.______（推荐）to him by one of his employees2.______ had seen my work and thought I had something to offer. I was nervous. At that stage in my 3. ______（生涯）, it wasn’t very often that I got to talk to the president of a company. The appointment was at 1000 a.m., for one hour. I arrived4.e______.
At exactly 10, I was shown into a large and airy room, 5. ______ furniture decorated in bright yellow.
He had his shirt sleeves 6.r______ up and a mean look on his face. “You’ve only got 20 minutes,” he barked. I sat there, not 7.s______ a word. “I said, you’ve only got 20 minutes.” 8.A______, not a word.
“Your time’s ticking away. 9.______ aren’t you saying anything?”
“They’re my 20 minutes,” I replied. “I can do whatever I want with them.”
He burst into 10. ______. We then spoke for an hour and a half. I got the job.
Eating at a slow speed may help reduce hunger, the U.S. researchers said on Monday. Previous research suggests that the ability to control energy intake may be affected by the speed at which we eat, and a high eating rate may damage the relationship between the sensory signals and processes that control how much we eat.
In order to learn more about the link between eating speed and energy intake, researchers examined how eating speed affects calories consumed during a meal in both normal-weight subjects as well as overweight or obese subjects.
In the new study, a group of normal-weight subjects and a group of overweight or obese subjects were asked to consume two meals in a controlled environment. All subjects ate one meal slowly, took small bites, chewed thoroughly, and paused and put the spoon down between bites, and are a second meal quickly, took large bites, chewed quickly, and did not pause and put the spoon down.
At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found only normal-weight subjects had a statistically significant reduction in caloric consumption by eating slowly. “A lack of statistical significance in the overweight and obese group may be partly due to the fact that they consumed less food during both eating conditions compared to the normal-weight subjects,” Professor Meena Shah said, “it is possible that the overweight and obese subjects felt more self-conscious, and thus ate less during the study.”
Despite the differences in caloric consumption between the normal-weight and overweight and obese subjects, the study found some similarities. Both groups felt less hungry later on after the slow meal than after the fast meal, which indicates that greater hunger suppression（抑制）among both groups could be expected from a meal consumed more slowly. Also, both the normal-weight and overweight or obese groups consumed more water during the slow meal. “The higher water intake during the slow eating condition may have affected food consumption,” said Shah. According to Shah, slowing the speed of eating may help suppress hunger levels and “may even improve the enjoyment of a meal”.
The findings were published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
1.What does the previous study have in common with the new one?
A. There is a link between eating speed and energy intake.
B. Eating at a slow speed may help feel hungry.
C. Eating too fast may impair your stomach.
D. Eating rate may affect processes controlling how much we eat.
2.What should the subjects do during the research?
A. Both groups could totally eat the meals at any speed as they liked.
B. Both groups had to consume one meal in controlled eating conditions.
C. Both groups were asked to eat one meal slowly while the other quickly.
D. One group should eat slowly while the other one quickly.
3.What caused the lack of statistically significant reduction in the overweight and obese group?
A. They were told not to eat a lot.
B. In the study they had no appetite to eat.
C. They lost consciousness in the study.
D. They ate less food on purpose.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. New research findings about how to control eating rate.
B. A study about the link between eating speed and energy intake.
C. One may feel less hungry later on after the slow meal than after the fast meal.
D. Water intake may have affected food consumption.
“I say, I’m pleased to see you,” said the little man standing by the letter-box.
“Oh, hello,” I said, remembering he was a new neighbor. “Simpson, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right.” He seemed quite pleased by my ready recognition.
“I wonder if you could lend me some money,” he continued. “My wife gave me a letter to post, and I’ve just noticed it isn’t stamped.”
“yes, they never are,” I said, sympathetically（同情地）.
“It must go tonight—it really must! I’d get stamps out of the machine,” explained Simpson,” Only I find I have no small change about me.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I haven’t either,” I said.
“Oh, dear, dear,” he said.
“Yes, well,” I said, intending to move off. But he looked so unhappy standing there with the blue unstamped envelope that I really hadn’t the heart to desert him.
So I took him to my house and found some pennies and gave them to him, who, in the most business like way, made a note of the loan in his pocket-book, and left. But soon he turned up again.
“I’m sorry I am a stranger round here and —well, I’m rather lost…”
It took me several minutes to explain to him where the post office was. In the end I felt as lost as Simpson and had to accompany him to the post office, but, only to find the automatic stamp-machine was empty!
“Oh!” Simpson was so desperate that he dropped the letter on the ground and when he picked it up there was a large black spot on its face.
“Dear me,” he said, “My wife told me to post it tonight. I’d better post it, if you know what I mean.”
I did know. Or, at least, I knew Mrs Simpson.
Then I got a good idea, “Post the letter unstamped—let the other man pay double postage on it in the morning. ” And he had to agree.
Finishing off our job, I took him home.
“I’m so grateful to you, really,” he said when we reached his home. “That letter—it’s only an invitation to dinner to Mr… Dear me!”
“Why, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing. Just something I’ve remembered.”
“What?”
But he didn’t tell me. He just opened his eyes and his mouth at me like a wounded gold- fish, murmured（低声说话）a “Good-night”, and went inside.
All the way home I was wondering what it was that he had remembered.
But I stopped wondering the next morning, when I had to pay the postman double postage for a blue envelope with a large black spot on its face.
1.Simpson was very happy when the writer greeted him because ____.
A. they were good friends
B. he had a very important letter to post
C. he saw somebody he could turn to at last
D. he didn’t expect the writer to recognize him instantly
2.In the writer’s view, ____.
A. the consequence would be very severe if Simpson didn’t obey his wife
B. wives never gave their husbands money to post a letter
C. it bothered him to lead Simpson to the post office
D. he was as foolish as Simpson
3.What did Simpson suddenly remember when they got his home?
A. His wife was waiting for him to return.
B. The letter was only an invitation to dinner.
C. The letter was just addressed to the writer.
D. It’s unfair for the other man to pay for the letter.
4.How would the writer describe Simpson?
A. Stupid and careless. B. Careless but warm-hearted.
C. Optimistic and kind. D. Cautious but stubborn.
I can’t think of a better way of appreciating a new culture than by taking part in one of its festivals. Some festivals are celebrated by an entire country, while others many be unique to a single city. Festivals play an important role in a certain culture. Just enjoy them!
Batalla del Vino—Haro, Spain
For many years, June 29th is a good day to visit Haro, Spain. Bring a bottle of wine and prepare to be washed in red wine in the heart of Spain’s grape-growing area. After a church ceremony, crowds flock（集结）to the hills for the battle, where white shirts will be made bright purple by the end of the morning.
Bay to Breakers—San Francisco, California
Created after the terrible 1906 earthquake as a way of encouraging people, the race has become one of the region’s most important events. Held every year on the third Sunday of May, the race runs through the city from the Bay to the Pacific Breakers. The real highlight, however, is the thousands of people dressed up in a show.
Pillow Fight Day—Worldwide
These events are organized mainly through the Internet. Tens of thousands of people participated in the 4th annual International Pillow Fight Day on April 2,2013. From London to Vancouver to many other cities, the festivals were held in more than 100 countries. So just bring a soft pillow in early April, and watch feathers flying.
Koninginnedag— The Netherlands
Although their Queen’s birthday is really during the winter, she celebrates it on April 30th — the country’s official “Queen’s Day” since 1949.
Orange is the national color, and the streets become a sea of shining wigs（假发）and body paints, as crowds gather in the squares and on boats in the canals. Amsterdam is the center of this outdoor party, but nearly every town is alive with orange on this day.
1.People celebrated Batalla del Vino by ____.
A.wearing bright purple shirts
B.pouring wine onto others’ white shirts
C.flocking to the hills after a ceremony
D.holding a drinking wine competition
2.The underlined word “highlight” in the passage means ____.
A.the most exciting part B.the brightest part
C.the highest part D.the hardest part
3.Which of the festivals has the shortest history?
A.Batalla del Vino. B.Bay to Breakers.
C.Pillow Fight Day. D.Koninginnedag.
4.Which of the statements is NOT true?
A.June 29th is a good day to visit Haro, Spain.
B.The race is held every year to encourage people.
C.Pillow Fight Day is held in more than 100 countries.
D.The Queen of the Netherlands was born on April 30th.
Education is another area where the presence of arts and crafts is more than welcome. If children realize the importance of art and creativity from a young age, they can grow up to be more confident, more creative, and definitely more mature. Schools are the breeding（孕育）grounds for future painters and movie makers, and these arts should be encouraged wholesomely in such an environment.
Sadly, many parents do not understand why art is important for children, and subconsciously（潜意识地）force them to follow career paths that are common and conformist（墨守成规的）in nature. This is fair enough in its own way, because the world does need some standard blue collar and white collar jobs to continue its existence; but this is a choice that children should be allowed to make for themselves. The doors to creativity and expression must not be shut in their faces, even if it comes at a cost of making more money.
To put it more scientifically, here are some benefits of kids’ art activities that give a suitable answer to the question “Why is art important in schools?”
1.Exposure to art, music and drawings at an early age improves the amount of brain activity in children.
2.It increases the span of knowledge in the minds of children, thus making them sharper and more educated.
3.It builds up the levels of self-confidence, self-esteem（自尊）, motivation, cooperation and communication in children.
4.It helps children understand other people’s opinions and points of view as well.
5.It helps them sharpen their problem-solving skills, decision-making and gives them the possibility of really exploring their imaginations.
1.According to the passage, it is generally accepted that ____.
A.art plays a very important role in education of children
B.children are expected to be blue-collar or white-collar workers
C.schools should encourage children to learn arts and crafts
D.children should be allowed to make choices for themselves
2.The writer holds the view that ____.
A.schools should only bring up future painters and movie makers
B.children grow up to be more confident and more creative in schools
C.children should be encouraged to learn art to develop their creativity
D.art activities can help children solve all the problems they meet with
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Arts and crafts lessons are very popular in schools.
B.Art is not paid enough attention to in schools now.
C.Art activities improve the amount of brain activity.
D.Art education builds up the levels of self-confidence.
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Importance of Art in Schools.
B.Relation between Art and Creativity.
C.Importance of Education.
D.Future of Children.
