18. The word “packages” (Line 3, Para. 2) means________.

［A］ parcels carried in traveling　　　　　　　　　　　　 ［B］ a comprehensive set of activities

［C］ something presented in a particular way　 ［D］ charity actions

17. According to the text, which of the following is true?

［A］ The popularity of gap years results from an increasing number of charities.

［B］ Prince William was working hard during his gap year.

［C］ Gap years are not as fashionable as they were ten years ago.

［D］ A well-structured gap year is a guarantee of university success.

Text 4

Talk to any parent of a student who took an adventurous gap year (a year between school and university when some students earn money, travel, etc.) and a misty look will come into their eyes. There are some disasters and even the most motivated, organised gap student does require family back-up, financial, emotional and physical. The parental mistiness is not just about the brilliant experience that has matured their offspring; it is vicarious living. We all wish pre?university gap years had been the fashion in our day. We can see how much tougher our kids become; how much more prepared to benefit from university or to decide positively that they are going to do something other than a degree.

Gap years are fashionable, as is reflected in the huge growth in the number of charities and private companies offering them. Pictures of Prince William toiling in Chile have helped, but the trend has been gathering steam for a decade. The range of gap packages starts with backpacking, includes working with charities, building hospitals and schools and, very commonly, working as a language assistant, teaching English. With this trend, however, comes a danger. Once parents feel that a well-structured year is essential to their would?be undergraduate?s progress to a better university, a good degree, an impressive CV and well paid employment, as the gap companies? blurbs suggest it might be, then parents will start organising-and paying for-the gaps.

Where there are disasters, according to Richard Oliver, director of the gap companies'? umbrella organisation, the Year Out Group, it is usually because of poor planning. That can be the fault of the company or of the student, he says, but the best insurance is thoughtful preparation. “When people get it wrong, it is usually medical or, especially among girls, it is that they have not been away from home before or because expectation does not match reality.”

The point of a gap year is that it should be the time when the school leaver gets to do the thing that he or she fancies. Kids don't mature if mum and dad decide how they are going to mature. If the 18-year-old's way of maturing is to slob out on Hampstead Heath soaking up sunshine or spending a year working with fishermen in Cornwall, then that?s what will be productive for that person. The consensus, however, is that some structure is an advantage and that the prime mover needs to be the student.

The 18-year-old who was dispatched by his parents at two weeks'notice to Canada to learn to be a snowboarding instructor at a cost of ￡5,800, probably came back with little more than a hangover. The 18-year-old on the same package who worked for his fare and spent the rest of his year instructing in resorts from New Zealand to Switzerland, and came back to apply for university, is the positive counterbalance. ［502 words］

16. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that parents of gap students may____.

［A］ help children to be prepared for disasters

［B］ receive all kinds of support from their children

［C］ have rich experience in bringing up their offspring

［D］ experience watching children grow up

14. 广告业务看涨的领域是_____。

［A］ 高技术杂志和体育产业　　　　　　　　 ［B］ 名人杂志和旅游业

［C］ 妇女杂志和汽车工业　　　　　　　　　 ［D］ 电影行业和高科技杂志

［精解］ 答案C本题考查事实细节。第三段第三句提到，即使在同一个行业里，(广告业务增长的情况)也会有巨大的差异。接着，该句将“高科技杂志”与“名人或妇女杂志”相比，指出前者曾经充斥着各种广告而现在却很薄，由此可推知，高科技杂志的广告少，妇女杂志的广告多，排除［A］和［D］项。该段第四句话提到，广告主对旅游栏目舍不得花钱，但对汽车和电影这样的栏目却从不犹豫。因此可排除［B］项。正确答案是［C］项。

13. 根据文章，下面哪个选项是正确？

［A］ 广告业是经济变化的敏感标志。

［B］ 在经济低迷时期企业主会首先减薪。

［C］ CMR对去年美国广告市场作出了错误判断。

［D］ 广告开支已经开始全面增长。

［精解］ 答案A本题考查第二段的事实细节。该段第一句指出，广告业的行情通常放大这样的经济规律：广告业在经济不景气的初期就明显下降，一旦经济开始复苏就迅猛回升。因此可推出［A］项正确。该段第二句分析其原因：经济不景气时，绝大多数企业主宁愿先削减广告开支而不愿意先减薪。由此排除［B］项。第三句提到CMR对美国广告市场的调查结果，但没有说明它的判断准确与否，因此排除［C］项。最后一句提到，分析家预测第三季度广告费会全面上升，因此［D］项错在“已经开始”。

12. 默多克先生对市场先前的估计现在看来____。

［A］ 夸张了情况　　　　　　　 ［B］ 过于谨慎

［C］ 低估了发展　　　　　　　 ［D］ 可能描述了真实的情况

［精解］ 答案D本题考查推理引申。由第一段可知，去年十月，这位新闻集团的老总就已经认为是“强烈的阳光”(即广告市场开始真正复苏了)。但随着广告销售的衰退，他于上个月宣布只是“中度复苏的迹象”。该段最后两句提到，他先前的乐观看来是错了，然而，现在其他业内观察员却开始认同他的观点。可见，他的预测符合现在的真实情况。［D］项正确。

11. 作者说it is not necessarily time to reach for the sun glasses的含义是____。

［A］ 阳光不是特别强烈　　　　　　　　　　　 ［B］ 发展广告业还不是好时候

［C］ 现在没有必要担忧经济　　　　　　　 ［D］ 真正的经济复苏还没有开始

［精解］ 答案D本题考查句子含义。下文提到，默多克先生宣布“美国广告市场有中度复苏的迹象”。由此可知，第一句话实际上是一个暗喻：当鲁珀特•默多克看到美国广告市场上的光芒时(比喻市场有了些许复苏的迹象)，拿太阳镜还为时过早(比喻广告市场还没有全面复苏)。 ［D］项正确揭示了这层意思，是正确答案。

4. 词义句意题

针对第一段的比喻论证，可以考查短语beams of light和strong rays of sunshine以及句子It is not necessarily time to reach for the sunglasses在文中的具体含义，参见试题11。

试题精解

3. 作者态度题

纵观全文，考查作者是怎样看待广告行业的前景的，参见试题15。又如：［A］ 肯定的；［B］ 否定的；［C］ 中立的；［D］ 复杂的。(答案：［A］)