Text 3

第1段

Today, widespread social pressure to immediately go to college in conjunction with increasingly high expectations in a fast-moving world often causes students to completely overlook the possibility of taking a gap year. 如今，在这个快速发展的世界里，要求立即上大学的社会压力越来越大，人们对大学的期望也越来越高，这往往导致学生们完全忽视了间隔年的可能性。

After all, if everyone you know is going to college in the fall, it seems 👁 silly to stay back a year, doesn’t it? And after going to school for 12 years,👁it doesn’t feel natural👁 to spend a year doing something that isn’t academic.毕竟，如果你认识的每个人都要在秋天上大学，那么在上停留一年似乎很愚蠢，不是吗? 在上学12年后，觉得花一年时间做一些与学术无关的事情并不自然。

第2段（作者观点）

But while this may be true, it’s not a good enough reason to condemn gap years.

虽然这可能是真的，但这并不是一个足够好的理由来谴责间隔年。 （作者观点）

 There’s always a constant fear of falling behind everyone else on the socially perpetuated “race to the finish line,” whether that be toward graduate school, medical school or lucrative career. But despite common misconceptions, a gap year does not hinder the success of academic pursuits—in fact, it probably enhances it.不管是读研究生、上医学院还是从事高薪工作，人们总是担心自己会落后于社会上的其他人。 但是，尽管存在普遍的误解，间隔年并不会阻碍学术追求的成功——事实上，它可能会增强学术追求的成功。

31. One of the reasons for high-school graduates not taking a gap year is that .（问的学生觉得哪里不好）

 [A] they think it academically misleading  他们认为这在学术上具有误导性 ×无

[B] they have a lot of fun to expect in college  他们在大学里有很多乐趣 ×无

[C] it feels strange to do differently from others 和别人做不同的事感觉很奇怪

 [D] it seems worthless to take off-campus courses 参加校外课程似乎毫无价值 ×无

【答案】[C] it feels strange to do differently from others

第3段

Studies from the United States and Australia show that students who take a gap year are generally better prepared for and perform better in college than those who do not.

来自美国和澳大利亚的研究表明，接受间隔年的学生通常比没有接受间隔年的学生准备得更好，在大学里的表现也更好。

 Rather than pulling students back, a gap year pushes them ahead by preparing them for independence, new responsibilities and environmental changes—all things that first-year students often struggle with the most. 间隔年不是让学生后退，而是通过让他们为独立、新的责任和环境变化做好准备，推动他们前进——这些都是一年级学生经常最挣扎的事情

Gap year experiences can lessen the blow when it comes to adjusting to college and being thrown into a brand new environment, making it easier to focus on academics and activities rather than acclimation blunders.间隔年的经历可以减轻适应大学和被扔到一个全新环境的打击，让你更容易专注于学业和活动，而不是适应错误。

32. Studies from the US and Australia imply（暗示） that taking a gap year helps_好

美国和澳大利亚的研究暗示，空档年”有帮助XXX

 [A] keep students from being unrealistic 让学生不要不切实际 × 无

[B] lower risks in choosing careers 降低选择职业的风险 × 无

[C] ease freshmen’s financial burdens 减轻新生的经济负担  × 无

 [D] relieve freshmen of pressures   减轻新生的压力

【答案】[D] relieve freshmen of pressures

33. The word “acclimation” (Line 8, Para. 3) is closest in meaning to .

 [A] adaptation 适应

[B] application  申请 投入

[C] motivation 积极

 [D] competition  竞争

【答案】[A] adaptation

第4段

If you’re not convinced of the inherent value in taking a year off to explore interests, then consider its financial impact on future academic choices. 👁 如果你不相信花一年时间探索兴趣的内在价值，那么考虑一下它对未来学术选择的经济影响。

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 80 percent of college students end up changing their majors at least once. 根据国家教育统计中心的数据，近80%的大学生最终至少换过一次专业。

This isn’t surprising, considering the basic mandatory high school curriculum leaves students with a poor understanding of themselves listing one major on their college applications, but switching to another after taking college classes.

这并不奇怪，因为基本的强制性高中课程让学生对自己的理解很差，在申请大学时列出一个专业，但在上完大学课程后就会转到另一个专业。

It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but depending on the school, it can be costly to make up credits after switching too late in the game. 这未必是件坏事，但根据学校的情况，如果转换得太晚，弥补学分的成本可能会很高。

At Boston College, for example, you would have to complete an extra year were you to switch to the nursing school from another department. 例如，在波士顿学院(Boston College)，如果你要从另一个系转到护理学院，你必须额外完成一年的学习。

Taking a gap year to figure things out initially can help prevent stress and save money later on.用间隔年一开始就把事情弄清楚可以帮助预防压力，以后还能省钱。

34. A gap year may save money for students by helping them        .

[A] avoid academic failures 避免学术失败

[B] establish long-term goals 建立长期目标

[C] switch to another college 转到另一所大学

[D] decide on the right major 选择正确的专业  原文：financial impact on future academic choices

【答案】[D] decide on the right major

35. The most suitable title for this text would be        .

[A] In Favor of the Gap Year 支持间隔年

[B] The ABCs of the Gap Year 间隔年的基本知识

[C] The Gap Year Comes Back 间隔年又回来了

[D] The Gap Year: A Dilemma 间隔年:进退两难

【答案】[A] In Favor of the Gap Year

constant fear 持续的恐惧

perpetuated  长久

lucrative 赚大钱的

common misconceptions 普遍错误的想法

hinder 妨碍

blunders 错误

inherent value  原本价值

mandatory  强制