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#}

    There is an old Spanish Proverb which states, “Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week”. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I'd say, too many. Our dreams should not, and cannot wait. We have to go for them now! Here's why.

    1）{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Nobody likes to talk about death, but the reality is – everybody is going to die at one point. None of us know the day, or the hour. Therefore, today is all we have. Don't go to your grave with unfulfilled dreams. Make the decision to go after every dream, big or small right now.

    2）The world is waiting on your gift

    I know this may be hard to believe, but the world is waiting on YOU! Yes, YOU! {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Sure, other people may be able to sing. But they'll never be able to sing exactly like you. Sure other people can write, but they'll never be able to write from the same perspective in which you write. Don't deprive（使丧失） the world of your gift. It's the oxygen that we need to survive. Thus, it is your responsibility to figure out exactly what your gift is, and use to better your life and the lives of those around you.

    3）{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    You can dream about writing the great American play that you want, but it's never going to happen unless you actually put pen to paper. You can dream about finding a cure for cancer, but it will never happen unless you actually go to school to become equipped with the necessary tools to find that cure. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They require you to get your head out of the clouds, and actually do the work to make them happen. Get to it!

A. You can't let fear win.

B. Tomorrow is not promised.

C. In other words, dreams don't work unless you do.

D. Possibilities you never knew existed are waiting on you

E. How many times have we put off our dreams until tomorrow?

F. Unless you take the first step, your dreams will never come true.

G. You were born into the world with a unique gift, which nobody on this earth can copy.

Yash Gupta

    Yash Gupta has worn glasses for many years. When they broke one ay and he was not able to wear thenm to school, he had a big problem.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}At the end of the day, he realized that he had learned nothing that day!

    Yash quickly got his glasses fixed, but his experience changed his life. He realized that there were probably many kids around the world that did not have proper glasses to help them learn in school.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}He found out that 13 million children around the world don't have proper glasses to help them see in class. Instead of just shaking his head at this problem, he decided to do something about it.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Its goal is to help find glasses for other kids and teens that need them.

    He created Sight Learning in 2011 and since then he has changed the lives of thousands of young students around the world! The organization has tried to provide eyeglasses to students who need them but cannot afford them. It has collected and given away over $1,000,000 worth of eyeglasses.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    As Dr. Seuss, a famous writer, once said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.”{#blank#}5{#/blank#}He has taken action to not only improve his own life, but those of others.

A. Yash is such a teenager.

B. So, he did some research.

C. Yash started a small organization, Sight Learning.

D. Here is an easy way to help Yash and Sight Learning.

E. He could not see much of what was going on in his classroom.

F. He learned that not having glasses can cause a 20% loss in learning!

G. This has helped over 20,000 young people in 5 countries to see better!

    How to Read a Book

    Books can be your best friends.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} They can introduce you to things you may never see… But do you know how to read them in order to get the fullest enjoyment possible? The following tips should help.

    ① Find a book. Look in the library or in one of the large bookstores. You could also ask friends if you could have a look at their book shelves. Search the shelves until you find a book that looks good Read the first page to see how it reads, and the cover text on the back of the book, if it has any{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    ② Buy or borrow it and take it home. Do not start to read it until you have the time.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}And set aside time to do nothing else but read, as it can be, at times' suspenseful (悬疑的), exciting and relaxing.

    ③ Get comfortable on the couch. Have a lamp (灯) behind you, lighting the area where you are reading. Make sure the television is off and that anything else that, could distract you has been attended to {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    ④ Start the book by turning the pages and really enjoy it. Do not think about anything else but what you are reading. Put yourself into the action or location in the story. Once you concentrate completely, it will be difficult to put the book down. And remember that reading is not running your eyes over a book.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} However, if you need t0 read the book quickly, then you do not need to pay attention to every word.

A. If you are busy doing other things, you should wait until you have finished them.

B. Get warm if you are going to be sitting still for a few hours.

C. If you are already concentrating, then buy it or borrow it.

D. Try to imagine the story in your head.

E. They can take you to places that you may never go.

F. You should read it actively and enjoy it completely.

G. Otherwise, you will miss it.

Forgiveness

    To forgive is a virtue (美德), but no one has ever said it is easy. When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your hate. However, forgiveness is possible, and it can be surprisingly beneficial to your physical and mental health. People who forgive show less sadness, anger and stress and more hopefulness, according to a recent research.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Try the following steps:

    Calm yourself.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You can take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love.

    Don't wait for an apology. Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize. They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don't see things the same way.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean becoming friends again with the person who upset you.

    Take the control away from your offender(冒犯者). Rethinking about your hurt gives power to the person who causes you pain. Instead of focusing on your mounded feelings, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you understand your offender, you may realize that he or she was acting out of unawareness, fear, and even love. You may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender's point of view.

    Don't forget to forgive yourself.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}But it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don't do it.

A. Why should you forgive?

B. How should you start to forgive?

C. Recognize the benefits of forgiveness.

D. Try to see things from your offender's angle.

E. For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge.

F. To make your anger die away, try a simple stress-management technique.

G. If you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting an awfully long time.

Social Phobia

    It is natural to feel nervous, or shy in front of others at times. Most people manage to get through these moments when they need to. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It's probably more than shyness. It may build up into a powerful fear. As a result, people feel uncomfortable participating in everyday social activities. This is called social phobia (also called social anxiety).

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It prevents them from chatting with friends in the lunch time, joining an after-school club, or going to a party. Sometimes, they even feel too nervous to ask a question in class or go to a teacher for help. Social phobia not only prevents people from trying new things. It also prevents them from making the normal, everyday mistakes that may help people improve their skills even further

    It is really sad, isn't it? But the good news is that people with social phobia can learn to manage fear, develop confidence and communicating skills and stop avoiding things that make them nervous. Of course it's not always easy. Dealing with social phobia takes the willingness patience and courage to face fears. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Therapists (治疗师) can help people create a plan for facing social fears and build the skills and confidence to overcome it. And family or friends are especially important for them. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They can encourage them to pick a small goal to aim for, remind them to go for it, and be there when they might feel discouraged.

    Little by little, someone who decides to deal with extreme shyness can learn to be more comfortable. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} As shyness and fears begin to melt, confidence and positive feelings build. Pretty soon, the person is thinking less about what might feel uncomfortable and more about what might be fun.

A. Friends can overcome their fears easily.

B. But for someone, the anxiety can be extreme.

C. They are not able to make eye contact with classmates.

D. Social phobia makes people lonely or disappointed over missed opportunities.

E. Each small step forward helps build enough confidence to take the next small step.

F. It also takes an action to go forward rather than back away when feeling shy.

G. The support from those key people helps them gather the courage to try something new.