A “Gap Year” is a period of time when a student takes a break before going to university. It is often spent travelling or working. It can give young people useful learning experiences and new skills.
Gap years are popular with European and Australian students, but remain less popular in America. However, in recent years, more and more American students are preparing for college by taking a gap year. The advantages of taking a gap year are as follows：
Learn about the World and Yourself
Although you don’t have to go abroad to experience gap years, most gap year students catch the chance to travel abroad. You are able to work out who you are and what you are for. The experiences of different cultures offer you interesting lessons. You can learn more about the world and get to know yourself better.
Face Challenges and Have Fun
A gap year is not only a time to take a vacation_, but also a time to face challenges. Gap year students usually work, volunteer or take service projects. You have to learn how to get along in the real world. This process isn^’t always easy, but it is an important part of growing up. Only in this way can you enjoy life and have fun.
Save Money and Improve Your College Admission Chances
There^’s a common thought that gap years are only for rich students_, but it’ s not true. Actually, taking a gap year can save your money. Gap year students often take a part-time job. Besides, at the end of a gap year, students are much more likely to know what to study in college. Clear learning goals ran keep the students working hard instead of wasting time and money playing.
Imagine an admission officer trying to admit (录取) only one between two students. Both of them are excellent and have high grades. However, one student has much practical experience or has volunteered in his vacation. Who do you think the admission officer will choose?
【小题1】A “Gap Year” means       in the passage.

After a quick breakfast, I went into the lecture(讲座) hall in a hurry. A famous teacher was speaking to the students. He was holding up a $100 bill. Then he said to over 300 students, “ Who would like this $100 bill?” The students put up their hands at once. Then he said, “I am going to give this $100 bill to one of you, but first, let me do this.” He made the bill into a ball. Then he said, “Who wants it now?” The hands went back into the air. “Well,” he said, “What if I do this?” and he dropped it on the floor and stepped on it. He picked up the dirty bill and said, “Who still wants it?” Hands went back again into the air.
“My friends,” he said, “you have learned a valuable lesson today. No matter what I did to the $100 bill, you still want this bill. Many times in our life, we are dropped and stepped on. We feel as if we are worth nothing. But remember, no matter what has happened to you, you will never lose your value. You are always valuable to those people who love you. Your value doesn’t come form what you do or whom you know, but who you are.”
【小题1】The lecture was given _____________.

完形填空（共15 小题；每小题1 分，满分15 分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给的四个选项中，选出可填入空白处的最
佳选项。
Many books have been written about“the art of giving”. And we also know that it’s hard to give people a gift, 【小题1】a personal one. If we want to make it better, we should understand who you will give the gift to and their likes and 【小题2】
As is often the case, some little kids think they don’t get enough gifts 【小题3】some old people think they get too many gifts. Different people like different kinds of gifts. Some presents are never too 【小题4】 For example, when a little child just gives his or her mother a leaf from a tree, it is enough to make her very 【小题5】
Gift giving is different in different 【小题6】Here are some of their likes. In Japan, people sometimes give special gifts. But they are not opened. Later, the same gift may be given away to someone 【小题7】because many people have enough things and don’t want 【小题8】 gifts themselves. In Canada, a tree can help remember 【小题9】In the USA, some people ask their families and friends to give money to charity rather than buying them gifts. In Sweden, doing something for someone is the best gift. People don’t need to 【小题10】too much money. Instead, making a meal for him or her is enough.
To make things 【小题11】some people would rather just give money. In some cultures, however,【小题12】money can make people uncomfortable.“When someone gives me money, it just makes me think they’re being lazy,”says John Wilson.“In England, we have a saying: It’s the thought that 【小题13】When someone gives me money, I feel they don’t think it about at all. I prefer to receive a gift 【小题14】has some thought behind it.”
Different people have very different thoughts 【小题15】this subject! So maybe the art of giving is difficult! What do you think? 

Learning English grammar and English vocabulary can be hard enough, but trying to understand English sayings can be more difficult. Some are just hard to figure out and others don’t make any sense at all. Here are four funny English sayings that you can use every day.

I’m happy as a clam(蛤).

Think of a clam. It doesn’t have to do anything. It just sits on a beach or on the bottom of the ocean all day doing nothing. It never has to work. That sounds like happiness, doesn’t it? If someone asks, “How are you today?” you can answer “I am happy as a clam” to let him or her know what a great mood you are in.

I wouldn’t touch that (or him/her) with a ten-foot pole.

Maybe there is a person who you don’t want to be friends with or even talk to. Well, this saying means that you dislike him or her so much that you don’t want to touch or go near him or her, even within ten feet!

You don’t have a leg to stand on.

?? This saying doesn’t mean that the person you’re talking to has no legs. It means that his or her argument is incorrect. He or she doesn’t have a leg to stand on because he or she has no facts to support what he or she is saying. This saying is a good way to tell people that you think they’re wrong.

??? Break a leg!

??? This saying actually means the opposite of what it sounds like. If you tell this to a person, you’re wishing him or her good luck！The saying comes from a superstition(迷信) that whatever you say aloud, the opposite will come true.

1.The first paragraph mainly tells us____________________.

A.learning English grammar is hard

B.learning English vocabulary is hard

C.we should use English sayings every day

D.it can be harder to understand English sayings

2.Which of the following is TRUE about a clam?

A.It can be used to show happiness.????? B.It needs to do many things.

C.It needs to eat a lot.???????????????? D.It can only live on the beach.

3.The saying “I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole” means___________.

A.I hate him.????????????????????? B.I want him to be my friend.

C.I like him.?????????????????????? D.I want to argue with him.

4.We can learn from the passage that______________________.

A.the saying “You don’t have a leg to stand on” means someone loses his legs

B.the saying “Break a leg” means someone hurts his or her leg

C.if we say “Break a leg” to someone, we give him or her a good wish

D.if we say “I am ill” aloud, we will become healthy

— Would you please tell me _______ ?

    —Yes, it’s over there .

   A. which season you like best       B.when we shall visit uncle Li

  C. where the Students Cinema is     D.who you are waiting for