Today, widespread social pressure to immediately go to college in conjunction with increasingly high expectations in a fast-moving world often causes students to completely overlook the possibility of taking a gap year. After all, if everyone you know is going to college in the fall, it seems silly to stay back a year, doesn’t it? And after going to school for 12 years, it doesn’t feel natural to spend a year doing something that isn’t academic.
But while this may be true, it’s not a good enough reason to condemn gap years. There’s always a constant fear of falling behind everyone else on the socially perpetuated“race to the finish line,” whether that be toward graduate school, medical school or a lucrative career. But despite common misconceptions, a gap year does not hinder the success of academic pursuits—in fact, it probably enhances it.
Studies from the United States and Australia show that students who take a gap year are generally better prepared for and perform better in college than those who do not. Rather than pulling students back, a gap year pushes them ahead by preparing them for independence, new responsibilities and environmental changes—all things that first-year students often struggle with the most. Gap year experiences can lessen the blow when it comes to adjusting to college and being thrown into a brand new environment, making it easier to focus on academics and activities rather than acclimation blunders.
If you’re not convinced of the inherent value in taking a year offi to explore interests, then consider its financial impact on future academic choices. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 80 percent of college students end up changing their majors at least once. This isn’t surprising, considering the basic mandatory high school curriculum leaves students with a poor understanding of the vast academic possibilities that await them in college. Many students find themselves listing one major on their college applications, but switching to another after taking college classes. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but depending on the school, it can be costly to make up credits after switching too late in the game. ⑥ At Boston College, for example, you would have to complete an extra year were you to switch to the nursing school from another department. ⑦ Taking a gap year to figure things out initially can help prevent stress and save money later on.
1、One of the reasons for high-school graduates not taking a gap year is that _____.
2、Studies from the US and Australia imply that taking a gap year helps _____.
3、The word “acclimation” (Para. 3) is closest in meaning to _____.
4、A gap year may save money for students by helping them _____.
5、The most suitable title for this text would be _____.
问题1选项
A.they think it academically misleading
B.they have a lot of fun to expect in college
C.it feels strange to do differently from others
D.it seems worthless to take off-campus courses
问题2选项
A.keep students from being unrealistic
B.lower risks in choosing careers
C.ease freshmen’s financial burdens
D.relieve freshmen of pressures
问题3选项
A.adaptation
B.application
C.motivation
D.competition
问题4选项
A.avoid academic failures
B.establish long-term goals
C.switch to another college
D.decide on the right major
问题5选项
A.In Favor of the Gap Year
B.The ABCs of the Gap Year
C.The Gap Year Comes Back
D.The Gap Year: A Dilemma
第1题:C
第2题:D
第3题:A
第4题:D
第5题:A
第1题:
【解析】题目问的是高中毕业生不选择间隔年的原因。根据题目中的high-school和gap year可定位到第一段第一句,从after all可以知道后面是在解释理由,“After all, if everyone you know is going to college in the fall, it seems silly to stay back a year, doesn’t it?”这是说如果大家秋天都上大学去了,你要是晚了一年看起来似乎有点傻。结合选项,C项中的feel strange to do differently from others是其同义转换,故选C。
第2题:
【解析】根据题目中的Studies from the Australia and US可以定位到第三段第一句话Studies from the United States and Australia show that students who take a gap year are generally better prepared for and perform better in college than those who do not.”这句话明确说了有间隔年的学生比没有的要好,好在准备和表现方面。所以A:unrealistic和B:choosing career错误,排除A,B项;第二句对表现好的、更细致的方面进行描述:preparing them for independence(独立性),new responsibilities(责任感)and environmental changes(环境变化)。紧随的破折号后总结这是first-year students(一年级学生)often struggle with the most(常常有苦恼的)。说明最受益的是大学一年级学生,而整段都没提到financial burdens,所以C项错误,排除C项;而D项中的pressure是对前面内容的概括性描述,所以D项正确。
第3题:
【解析】本题答案在第三段最后一句“Gap year experiences can..when it comes to adjusting to college.., making it easier to...rather than acclimation blunders.”这个句子分两部分,逗号+making分词作状语,从功能上是补充说明前面半句,所以间隔年的好处是能帮助新生调节适应大学,而不用担心acclimation问题,所以acclimation是“适应”的意思,adaption是对acclimation的同义改写,所以A项正确。
第4题:
【解析】文章最后一段第一句提到“consider its financial impact on future academic choices.”, financial对应题干中的save money,而academic choices(学术选择)可以排除A项和B项。根据最后一段第三句“...students..listing one major on their college applications, but switching to another after taking college classes.”可知第一句中的academic choices指的就是转专业,因此选D。
第5题:
【解析】定位到第二段第一句“But while this may be true, it’s not a good enough reason to condemn gap years.” 说明全文就是想表达间隔年是值得的。选项中只有A项in favor of是持正面积极态度的,故选A。