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  3. Should high school seniors take a gap year before they go to universities? Gap Years originally started in the United Kingdom in

Should high school seniors take a gap year before they go to universities? Gap Years originally started in the United Kingdom in

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问题     Should high school seniors take a gap year before they go to universities? Gap Years originally started in the United Kingdom in the 1970’s as a way to fill the 7- or 8-month gap between final exams and the beginning of university. Much opinion exists about the merits—or otherwise—of taking time out after completing school. The following is an article about this issue. Read it carefully and write your response in about 300 words, in which you should:
    1. summarize briefly the author’s opinion on the issue;
    2. give your comment.
    Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
    While your friends sit through lecture this fall, you could be promoting HIV/AIDS awareness in Vietnam, learning Spanish in Peru, or interning in New York City. How? By taking a gap year. Taking time off before college is a major decision, so let us help you decide if this road less traveled is right for you.
What is a gap year, exactly?
    "Gap time" is a year or semester students take off before enrolling in college. Gapers typically work to save money, volunteer, intern, or study a language abroad. Most students elect this time off because they don’t feel prepared for college or they’re looking for more life experience first. According to Jason Sarouhan, a counselor at Center for Interim Programs, gap years enable young people to gain more independence and self-empowerment. "The time between high school and college offers the natural opportunity to take a break and to recalibrate one’s focus and centeredness," he says, adding that young people can benefit from structured time away from school or work.
Why consider taking a gap year?
    Gap time is meant to revitalize your mind—to avoid the burnout that can accompany immediately taking on more intense coursework. Robin Pendoley, the Co-Founder and CEO of the gap year program Thinking Beyond Borders, says that gap-year students gain experience that helps them connect ideas in college—they’re able to better put everything they’ll be studying in context.
How should you expect to grow during your gap year?
    "A well-designed gap year helps students find direction, purpose, and passion for their learning," said Pendoley. "They can return to school with a clear understanding of the opportunity it represents to become an expert in an area the student is truly passionate about and committed to.
Can you afford to take a gap year?
    If you choose to work full-time at home during your gap year, you probably won’t need to worry about expenses. Even if you choose to go abroad, gap year programs typically cost far less than one year of university tuition. Though prices may range from $10,000 to $15,000 for a full year program designed by a gap year organization, less costly programs are available. Keep in mind that it’s possible to travel and work during your gap year in order to save money for your college years.
Taking a gap year is an untraditional path. How do you tune out the naysayers?
    Although skewing from the traditional path from high school to college isn’t the norm, the research reveals that as many as 30% of college students failing to graduate and the average length of an undergraduate career over 5 years, any investment we make to help students gain the sense of direction and purpose they need in college is a good thing.
选项
答案 Gap Year Should Be Encouraged The passage above discusses the definition, merits and importance of taking a gap year. Gap time, according to the essay, proves to be beneficial, bringing us revitalized mind, broadened horizons and clear objective. Taking a year off before enrolling in college has become commonplace for young people in many countries in recent years. The trend suggests that there is a growing need for young students to take on adventures to new places and fulfill curiosity, a need that leads to independence as well as rich life experience. A well-organized gap year may well relieve one’s stress triggered by a crammed academic schedule in senior high school and temper an individual’s sense of independence. A year-out allows students to reflect upon their academic directions and professional goals. The young people of China often feel oppressed by their parents and strive to achieve a sense of freedom from the parental home. By travelling to a foreign city they can construct their own itinerary, navigate new public transport systems, select different styles of accommodation and try catering for themselves. All these experiences and choices enable them to be more independent, which is a key factor in university study and research. Critics of gap year, however, like to invoke an image of a young student eventually never returning to college merely based on the assumptions that he would find it tricky to readapt to an academic environment. It is simplistic to regard a "gaper" as someone who wears out his youth in idleness. In fact, some young individuals who choose to work in order to be self-sufficient during the gap time may become more aware of what they are hoping to do with their lives. Having accumulated more working experience and enhanced social awareness, they could be motivated and thus have clearer career choice through the university education. In conclusion, taking a gap year poses both great challenges and opportunities for young people a they adapt to the new customs, cultures and lifestyles. It is true that a gap year may end up being unproductive and failed, but it should also be recommended to students in search of independence and life enrichment.
解析     题目给出的文章介绍了在欧美相当流行的“间隔年”(gap year)。在总结文章大意时，考生要充当利用文中的几个小标题(小标题的内容基本就是该部分的大意)。根据题目的要求，考生可采取以下的布局：
    第一段：用一句话简短地总结文章的大意：间隔年的定义，益处以及重要性，以及文中作者对该做持支持的态度。
    第二段：详细讲述间隔年的流行趋势，并亮出自己的观点：间隔年可以培养学生的独立能力和丰富他们的人生经历。
    第三段：从面论述，讲述间隔年的好处：让年轻人变得更独立，而独立能力恰恰是大学学习和研究的关键。
    第四段：从反面论述，驳斥反对间隔年的观点。
    第五段：总结全文，重申观点：应该鼓励年轻人尝试间隔年的做法。
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