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.

    Do you want to travel the countries in Asia? You don't have to travel very far. Follow us, you can find these Asian adventures(探险).

    Cycling in Guilin, China

    Get around the city by cycling through Guilin, in the Guangxi province of China. Mountains rise straight up, creating the only beauty. Bike paths take you past the villages and farms. Enjoy this beautiful views from your bike, or stop and talk with one of the villagers working in his field.

    Adventure advice: When your feet are tired, take a boat trip along the beautiful and famous Li River.

    White-water rafting in Nepal

    In Nepal, you can experience thrilling rapids(湍流) and the beauty of the Himalayas at the same time. Take a white-water rafting trip down the Sun Koki River, world-renowned for its powerful rapids. At night you'll camp beside the river on white water, enjoy the quiet, lonely Nepalese countryside.

    Adventure advice: Don't go rafting in summer. High water levels make it dangerous.

    Scuba diving in Malaysia

    Go diving in the clear waters around Spaded, an island in Malaysia, and discover an underwater world. You'll see large sea animals swimming along. The colorful coral along the reefs hides tiny fish. The wide kind of tropical life found around Spaded makes it famous for diving.

    Adventure advice: You can dive at Spaded, but you can't sleep there. The island is a protected park, but you can stay on one of the nearby islands.

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    Jack was seven years old. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} One day, their mother took them to their aunt's house to play when she wanted to go to the big city to buy some gifts. It was the holiday season.

    The children had a good time at their aunt's. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Then, at half past four their aunt took Jack into the kitchen (厨房). She gave him a delicious cake and a knife and said to him, " {#blank#}3{#/blank#}and give one of the pieces（块）to your sister, but remember to do it like a gentleman(绅士)."

    "Like a gentleman?" Jack asked. " {#blank#}4{#/blank#}"

    "They always give the bigger piece to the other person." said his aunt at once.

    "Oh," said Jack. He thought about this for a few seconds(秒). Then he took the cake to his sister and said to her, " {#blank#}5{#/blank#}".

    China and Westen countries may have different ideas about certain animals, but when it comes to pigs, we have somehow reached an agreement﹣that pigs are ugly, lazy, stupid and shameless.

    But the truth is that pigs do have some finer qualities(品质). Science long ago proved that pigs aren′t stupid at all. A research shows pigs are" mentally and socially similar to dogs". They like to play. They have good long﹣term memories. And they know the difference between those who treat them well and those who don't.

    There are lovable pig characters in cartoons too. Peppa Pig(小猪佩奇), for example, a UK television series (连续剧)that began in 2004, has now become one of the most popular cartoons in 180 countries and regions. The four members in the cartoons pig family teach children from all around the world about love, friendship, and the value of family, And in China, McDull, a young pig who works hard toward his dreams even though he keeps failing, have been a popular cartoon character since 2001.

    Perhaps these are the qualities of pigs to keep in mind﹣intelligence, cuteness and patience.

    Many people believe that not only wetness, but also light and dirty things are the greatest enemies of stamps. People protect their stamps in several different ways.

    In fact, we should never touch the stamps with our hands. This avoids moving dirty things onto them. Stamp tweezers (镊子) should be used in all conditions.

    Stamps are printed things. The colour will slowly disappear if they are put in the light for a long time. So we should not put stamps in the light for long. Direct sunlight must be avoided as well.

    Wetness is an important problem for stamps. Some collectors will put stamps in separate plastic bags. However, it is possible that some stamps have taken in some water from the air before they are put into the plastic bags. Stamps become yellow easily and rapidly after they take in wet air. To protect the stamps, some people also put the stamps into a special room which has a machine to keep the air cool and dry. However, not many people can afford that.

    To keep stamps, stamp collectors usually put them under plastic covers. It is a common and simple way. This helps because the plastic cover keeps the stamps off the wet air. It also stops the fingers from touching the stamps.

    Some collectors prefer to store stamps inside a plastic box with desiccants (干燥剂). However, we should take care not to let the stamps touch the desiccants. On top of that, don't take your stamps out on a wet day.