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. 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.

But while this may be true, it’s not a good enough reason to condemn gap years. 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 a lucrative career. But despite common misconceptions, a gap year does not hinder the success of academic pursuits—in fact, it probably enhances it.

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. 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. 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.

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. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 80 percent of college students end up changing their majors at least once. This isn’t surprising, considering the basic mandatory high school curriculum leaves students with a poor understanding of the vast academic possibilities that await them in college. Many students find themselves listing one major on their college applications, but switching to another after taking college classes. 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. At Boston College, for example, you would have to complete an extra year were you to switch to the nursing school from another department. Taking a gap year to figure things out initially can help prevent stress and save money later on.

1.One of the reasons for high-school graduates not taking a gap year is that _________.

A they think it academically misleading

B they have a lot of fun to expect in college

C it feels strange to do differently from others

D it seems worthless to take off-campus courses

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据第一段第二句After all, if everyone you know is going to college in the fall, it seems silly to stay back a year, doesn’t it?可知周围人都在上大学，而自己却做不一样的事情，显得很愚蠢，C符合原文，故选C。

2.Studies from the US and Australia imply that taking a gap year helps _________.

A relieve freshmen of pressures

B lower risks in choosing careers

C ease freshmen’s financial burdens

D keep students from being unrealistic

解析：选A。A推理判断题。根据Studies from the US and Australia定位到第三段，可知研究表明间隔年能帮助学生做好准备，从而帮助减轻大学新环境的打击，使学生能更专注于学业，A符合原文，故选A。

3.The word “acclimation” (Para. 3) is closest in meaning to _________.

A motivation

B application

C competition

D adaptation

解析：选D。D词义猜测题。根据acclimation定位到第三段最后一句，可知间隔年能减轻学生适应大学新环境的打击，让他们更容易专注学业，而不是“acclimation blunders”，由rather than推断“专注学业”和“acclimation blunders”应该是对立的两个方面，综合前半句可知，应是“适应新环境”。故选D。

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

A switch to another college

B decide on the right major

C avoid academic failures

D establish long-term goals

解析：选B。B细节理解题。根据save money定位到第四段，研究表明很多学生在上大学之后申请换专业，从而导致金钱上的浪费，间隔年能帮助学生认识自我，减少换专业造成的金钱上的浪费，即一开始就选择更适合自己的专业，故选B。

5.The most suitable title for this text would be _________.

A In Favor of the Gap Year

B The ABCs of the Gap Year

C The Gap Year Comes Back

D The Gap Year: A Dilemma

解析：选A。A主旨大意题。全文围绕“间隔年”展开，开篇提出“间隔年”不受重视的现状，接下来给出作者的观点，后面两段对观点进行论证，全文重点体现作者的支持态度，而不是关于“间隔年”的基本知识、再兴起或者困境，A符合原文，故选A。