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#}

The Advantages of Hobbies

    Hobbies provide entertainment and a chance lo continuously learn something new and develop a skill set. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Hobbies are praised as a key to stress reduction.Becoming lost in the mental concentration or physical action which you are deeply interested in helps you shift focus from the parts of life that are stressful. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And in turn you are more peaceful when working on other work.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Many people set goals with their hobbies that provide them satisfaction when these goals have been achieved.These goals can be simple,like improving a golf score,writing a certain number of pages for a novel each day or seeing an entire collection of classic films.

    Hobbies provide a sense of community when you meet other people who enjoy similar activities. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} More populated cities typically have numerous clubs or groups for people to share their knowledge and enthusiasm about a particular hobby.Becoming a member of one of these organizations allows greater growth within your hobby,as well as a chance to make new friends.

    Having a hobby can develop a talent that makes a person feel proud and satisfied.For example,a tennis hobby developed at a young age can lead lo a career as a professional athlete one day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}For example, writer Vladimir Nabokov also collected butterflies,which allowed him to do better in his chosen fields because he used learned skills from one to improve the other.

A.There are a variety of hobbies.

B.Hobbies provide a sense of achievement.

C.Some hobbies affect other aspects of your life.

D.Focusing on something enjoyable can calm the mind.

E.They also provide many other social and health benefits.

F.Having a hobby increases the chances to interact with like-minded people.

G.Some hobbies containing physical activities offer an enjoyable way to stay healthy.

Common public speaking problems

    The use of “I feel”, “I think” and “maybe”

    In the question-and-answer session of the speaking competition, many contestants began their answers with uncertain expressions like “I feel”, “I guess”, “I hear”, “maybe” and “perhaps”. These words show that the person is only speaking from his or her point of view{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Work on keeping your answers brief and to the point{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Instead of the empty-sounding “I guess”, using facts, together with a clear conclusion based on those facts, is far more likely to be popular with an audience.

Using only one speaking style

    “Don't stick to the same tone{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, when they spoke about their dreams some sounded romatic. Others used humor. Very few used several different styles together. Try mixing more than one style, rather than just sticking with the same one.

    Irresponsible answers

    Public speaking is different from personal conversations. You're responsible for your words{#blank#}4{#/blank#}So you should think twice before you talk. Don't belike the student who, when asked about his opinion on book piracy（盗版）, started by saying he supported it.

    Talking around the topic rather than directly answering it

    You should focus on one point and give a clear solution. The key is to work out what question is being asked. Is it asking you to discuss a certain topic or to present your own point of view?

    Use one or two arguments together and give a strong conclusion{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. It can be boring. Try to mix it up.

B. Also work on delivering them with calmness and confidence.

C. Even though you want to answer quickly, you don't want to sound foolish.

D. This lacks the support of facts and seems not to be reliable for the judges and audience.

E. Remember that judges are not judging you on whether they agree, but on your ability to say what you think clearly.

F. Confidence is extremely important in public speaking as it lets a speaker sound more convincing.

G. Deliberate gestures and affected（做作的）expressions of feelings are improper in a successful speech.

    Just like other vitamins and minerals, vitamin D plays a key role in many important body functions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Not getting enough vitamin D can lead to weak bones, muscle weakness, and even cancer. Besides getting 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure each day, consider including the following foods into your meal plan to help your vitamin D intake.

    Dairy products

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Cow milk provides your body with about 50% of your vitamin D daily requirements. Apart from milk, consider having cheese, butter, yogurt, and buttermilk. Look for low-fat versions if you are on a diet.

    Eggs

    Eggs are a superfood. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}They contain lots of protein, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, calcium and vitamin D. One egg provides your body with 11% of your daily recommended value of vitamin D. Isn't it a reason for having some eggs for breakfast or lunch?

    Caviar(鱼子酱).

    Caviar contains vitamin B12, vitamin B6, vitamin D, vitamin A, calcium, iron, and protein. If you are a big caviar fan, why not make it a part of your weekly meal plan? There are many ways to eat caviar. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}At the same time, avoid buying fake caviar.

    Lacking vitamin D is a big problem these days since we tend to spend more time in the offices during the day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Include these three foods in your meal plan to make sure your vitamin D intake is not low.

A. Eat your meals with enough vitamins.

B. But make sure you do not boil or bake it.

C. Cow's milk is an excellent provider of vitamin D.

D. That is the main reason why we lack vitamins.

E. This is because they contain so many vitamins and minerals.

F. Whenever possible, try to walk outdoors to get your vitamin D.

G. We need to meet our vitamin D needs to avoid serious health issues.

    About one hundred years ago many educated people learned and spoke French when they met people from other countries. Today most people speak English when they meet foreigners. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} There are more people who speak English as a second language than people who speak English as a first language. Why is this?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} One of them is that English has become the language of business. Another important reason is that popular American culture (like movies, music, and McDonald's)has quickly spread throughout the world. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Is it good that English has spread to all parts of the world so quickly? {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It's important to have a language that the people of the earth have in common. Our world has become very global and we need to communicate with one another. On the other hand, English is a fairly complicated language to learn and it brings its culture with it. Do we really need that?

    Scientists have already tried to create an artificial language that isn't too difficult and doesn't include any one group's culture. It is called Esperanto. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Maybe the popularity of English won't last that long either. Who knows? There are more people in the world who speak Chinese than any other language. Maybe someday Chinese will be the new international language.

A. People like English.

B. But it hasn't become popular.

C. It has brought its language with it.

D. There is no doubt about the question.

E. This is why English was widely spoken.

F. It has become the new international language.

G. There are many reasons why English has become so popular.

    For many people, bicycling is not just a convenient way of getting around town but also an exciting sport. Serious cyclists often arrange to take part in races.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Each racer leaves the starting line at a different time and heads hard for the finish line. The cyclist who covers the distance in the shortest amount of time wins the race. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, because the bicycles are spread out and are not likely to run into each other.

    Another kind of race is more difficult. A few city blocks are closed for competition. Then all the racers line up in a tight pack and begin racing at the same time. They cover many laps, going around and around the city blocks.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. It also requires skillful handling of the bicycle as it runs at full speed around other bicycles. The racer who completes all the laps first is the winner.

    Road races are usually the longest cycling contests.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The race course may be a straight stretch of road or a long series of roads across the country. The prize goes to the first person who crosses the finish line.

    Between races cyclists stay in condition by doing exercise that builds their strength so that they can keep riding for long periods of time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, they often join bicycling groups and become licensed racers. So they can enter professional races. Just keep practicing. Any cyclist could become a star.

A. One kind of race is the time trial

B. The race requires more than speed

C. As cyclists become more experienced

D. A time trial is a very safe race for beginners

E. Most people will seize possible chances to get around town

F. Racers have to cover anywhere from 35 miles to almost 3,000 miles

G. When cyclists still need to build themselves up for those special races