A“Gap Year” is a period of time when a student takes a break before going touniversity.It is often spent traveling or working.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.The advantagesof taking a gap year are as follows：

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.Althoughyou don't have to go abroad to experience gap years，most gap year students catch thechance to travel abroad.You are able to work out who you are and what you arefor.The experiences of different cultures offer you interesting lessons.

FaceChallenges and Have Fun.A gap year is not only a time to take a vacation，but also a time to face challenges.Gapyear students usually work，volunteeror take service projects.You have to learn how to get along in the realworld.This process isn't always easy，butit is an important part of growing up.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

            Save Money and Improve Your College Admission Chances.There's a common thought thatgap years are only for rich students，butit isn't true. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.Gap year students often take a part－time job.Besides，at the end of a gap year，students are much more likely to knowwhat to study in college.Clear learning goals can keep the students workinghard instead of wasting time and money playing.

Imaginean admission officer trying to admit only one between two students.Both of themare excellent and have high grades.However，onestudent has much practical experience or has volunteered in his vacation.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here's how:

    Plan your time carefully. When planning your work, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then decide a good, regular time for studying. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you realize what is happening to your time.

    Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios, or television. When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.

    Make good use of your time in class.  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.

    Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes, review the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you'll remember it longer.

    Develop a good attitude towards tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be over worried.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will probably discover them after you have tried these.

A. There are other methods that might help you with your studying.

B. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment.

C. Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teacher says.

D. No one can become a top student unless he or she works hard.

E. Maybe you are an average student.

F. Make full use of class time to take notes of what the teacher says in class.

G. This will help you understand the next class.

    My friends and I had one-week trip to Bali Island in June three months ago, which was really impressive.

    It wasn't the typical trip by the sea with swimming suit at the beach. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The rest of the days we would practice what we had learnt from the video with our coach, first in the pool, and then in the sea. Every day we had to dress ourselves up in the tight diving suit and a jacket with a heavy steel tank on the back

    I wasn't how most people would imagine spending their holiday. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Not only did we appreciate beautiful view under the ocean, but we also felt less like tourists and more like professional divers as we learn more skills each day. This was more than just diving in life jackets. We were able to get away and explore underwater, swimming with turtles and other beautiful sea creatures in the ocean. “There are no mobile phones down there, no emails, no keys to lose, no birthdays to forget… {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The ocean is the last quiet place on Earth,” as a US journalist wrote in his book DEEP.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} When we had to fully concentrate on our breathing, we started to realized how we had been taking it for granted. We had never truly “felt” ourselves breathe before.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In fact, my friends and I are already planning another diving trip to the Red Sea in the coming winter holiday. Why not join us?

A. Of course we had dived in the sea before.

B. However, we really enjoyed every minute of it.

C. It's said that diving can be attractive yet I was unsure about it.

D. The experience also allowed us to get to know ourselves better.

E. All stress, noise and troubles of life are left at the surface of the sea.

F. I've become interested in diving and have no doubt about the attraction of diving.

G. Instead, we spent our first morning siting in a room watching teaching videos about diving.

    Experts have recently found that making conversation plays an essential part in connecting with people and building closer relationships. Although most people can hold a conversation, only a few are smooth when they talk. If you have dreamed about being a good talker, or you just want to make some change, then listen up!

    Talk slowly

    Generally, good talkers don't rush into a conversation. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They act as if they have all the time in the world. This makes them come off as centered and collected. Model this way of talking and you will create the same effect.

    Hold more eye contact

    Most people keep eye contact about 2/3 of the time or less when they talk. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This will convey confidence and interest in interacting with them.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    People with good conversation skills are more likely to notice the kind of things that the average person doesn't notice, and to bring such details into the conversation. They may notice and point out an interesting ring on the other person's hand, a certain foreign accent, or a certain voice tone they use when saying a name. All these details help to leave a deep impression.

    Express Your emotions

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Express your feelings about those facts. Keep in mind that it is at the emotional (情感) level that people connect best.

    Use the best words

    The ability to talk smoothly has a lot to do with choosing the precise (精确的) words to convey your precise feelings or thoughts. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It will help you develop a way with words and allow you to express yourself more easily.

    Conversational skills don't improve just like that. It takes time, practice and the ability to learn at a rapid rate from your own experiences.

A. Notice the details.

B. Offer interesting news.

C. Improve conversational skills.

D. Don't just present the facts—you're not a newspaper.

E. It's a very good idea to hold eye contact just a bit more than that.

F. Develop your vocabulary and practice communicating as accurately as possible.

G. They take their time when they think over something and when they say it out loud.

    The concept of “the body” is closely related to the ideas of “illness” and “health”. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The main reasons for the differences are genetic, and the fact that people's bodies change as they age. However, a huge range of research indicates that there are social factors too.

    Poorer people are more likely to eat “unhealthy” foods, to smoke cigarettes and to be employed in repetitive, physically difficult work. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} That is to say, the physical shapes of bodies are strongly influenced by social factors.

    These social factors are also closely linked to emotional wellbeing. People with low or no incomes are more likely to have mental health problems. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, certain people with mental health issues may be at risk of becoming homeless, just as a person who is homeless may have an increased risk of illnesses such as depression.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Bodies are young or old, short or tall, big or small, weak or strong. Whether these judgements matter and whether they are positive or negative depends on the cultural and historical contexts. The culture, and media, of different societies promote very different valuations of body shapes. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Currently, in rich societies the idea of slimness is highly valued, but historically this was different. It is easy for people to feel undervalued because of factors they have no power to change, for example, their age and height. Equally, they can feel pressured into making changes to their appearance when there is a choice, which in some cases can lead to an unhealthy interest in weight loss. Therefore, sociologists are suggesting that we should not just view bodies and minds in biological terms, but also in social terms.

A. There are other types of social factors too.

B. All of these factors affect the condition of a person's health.

C. Their housing conditions and neighbourhoods need to be improved.

D. What is considered as attractive or ugly, normal or abnormal varies greatly.

E. All of us exist in “bodies” of different shapes, heights, colours and physical abilities.

F. Social factors in general play an important role in the development of people's body conditions.

G. It is not clear, however, whether the situation of being poor causes mental illness, or whether it is the other way around.

How to Find Something You Like to Do

    Finding something you enjoy doing can improve the quality of your life and reduce your stress levels.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It can also help you make friends or even provide a purpose in your life. Then how can you find something you like to do?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Some hobbies, such as albums and gardening, can take up a lot of time. Other hobbies, such as video games or reading, can be done at your own pace and do not require any extended time.

    Research the hobby or activity you would like to get involved in. Find out how much time and money you will need to devote to starting and continuing the activity. For example, some sports—related interests might require special equipment. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Your local library or phone book should also have information on hobbies and activities in your area.

    Talk with other people who are involved in some of the activities you are interested in.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Ask if you could tag along (跟随) to a meeting or spend some time with this person while he is involved in his hobby to see if it is something you would enjoy.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Challenge yourself to try a new activity you are interested in for a week or so. Allow yourself to learn about the hobby and determine whether you will enjoy the activity or not.

A. Think about how a hobby benefits you.

B. A hobby can connect you with other people.

C. Take a chance on a hobby and see how it turns out.

D. Think about how much free time you can devote to a hobby.

E. You can find information about hobbies and interests on Find My Hobby's website.

F. You can get first—hand knowledge by interviewing someone about a particular hobby.

G. It takes a long time and energy to decide whether a particular hobby is right for you.