In England and Australia， it is more common than in the United States for a student to take a gap year(间隔年). What is a gap year？ After high school， it's time for students to go to college. But some students don't go to college directly. ①They will spend one year traveling or doing some other activities before entering college. The year is called a gap year.

On the one hand， students can learn a lot during a gap year.②Before the gap year ， students who take a break from their education will come back to college. When they come back， they will have a clear opinion about what they want to do in their life. ③ may ， learning ， they ， their ， towards ， attitude(态度)， change.

On the other hand， delaying(延期) college for one year can mean increased education costs of 8% or more. Besides higher education costs， the cost of the gap year can be large. That depends on the activities the student chooses.

Taking a gap year has advantages and 　④　. After considering all the things， I might take a gap year. My dream is to be a tour guide. I will spend one year working as a travel agent. That would be a wonderful experience for me.

    “Who needs a shopping mall（购物中心）if you have Taobao?" says Wang Lin, 28, a writer in Beijing.

    Taobao, China's largest online shopping site（网上购物网站）, has become an important part of Wang Lin's life. She spends lots of money on Taobao.

    A growing number of Chinese Internet users like Wang have found the joys of online shopping. Most online shoppers are students or young workers. More women shop online than men; Clothing and home-use products are the most popular on line.

    It was reported that more than 250 billion (十亿) yuan was spent on online shopping last year, 80% through Taobao.

    Taobao means "looking for treasure" in Chinese. People can find almost everything they need on Taobao, from clothes to books, from candies to DVD players.

    You may question the security of online shopping, Wang Lin said, "It's very safe and convenient. Unless you receive the products from the sellers and are satisfied with them, the shop owner will not get the money. You can also get your money back if you want to return the products.”

    There are many magic（神奇的) things in the world of animals. Please look at the followings：

    Keep in Touch

    You can keep in touch with your friends in many ways. You can call them. You can send letters or e-mails to them. You can even use a website like Facebook to keep in touch with them.

    Touch Luck

    "Touch Luck" is used when you feel sympathy(同情) about something bad that has happened to someone. But it is also used when you don't have any sympathy for someone's problems.

    Touch Screen

    You can find touch screens everywhere now, many mobile phones and music players have touch screens. Many ATMs have them, too. They are fun and easy to use! You can use them to buy tickets or shop online.

    Touchdown

    When you watch an American football game, you will hear the word "touchdown". A touchdown happens when a player carries the ball across the other team's goal (球门) line. When a player makes a touchdown, he scores (得分) six points for his team!

    The Midas Touch

    Midas was a king(国王) in an old Greek story. He loved money very much! He wished that everything he touched would turn to gold (金子). His wish came true. Everything he touched –his furniture(家具), his food, and even his daughter-turned to gold.

    We live in a world filled with many different kinds of people. We want to get along well with others. We also want to be liked by others. The following ways will make others like you.

    Do this and you will be welcome anywhere

    Become really interested in other people. A show of interest must be true. It must bring good results not only to the person showing the interest, but also to the person receiving the attention. It is a two-way street-both of you get an advantage.

    An easy way to make a good first impression(印象)

Smile as often as possible. Your smile is a sign of kindness. When someone feels stressed(有压力的)from his or her teachers or parents, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds. Your smile can help him or her realize(意识到)that all is hopeful—there is still joy in the world.

    If you don't do this, you are getting into trouble.

    Remember a person's name. A person's name is the sweetest and the most important sound in any language. We should realize the magic in a name. The name makes the person different from others; it makes him or her special among all others. If you remember a person's name, the relationship(关系)between both of you will become much closer.

An easy way to become a good talker

    Be a careful listener first. Ask questions that other persons will like to answer. Encourage (鼓励)them to talk about themselves and their achievements. What you need to do is just listen, because people are much more interested in themselves.