More students than ever before are taking a gap year (间隔年) before going to university. It used to be called the “year off” between school and university. The gap-year phenomenon originated (起源) with the months left over to Oxbridge applicants between entrance exams in November and the start of the next academic year.
This year, 25,310 students who have accepted places in higher education institutions have put off their entry until next year, according to statistics on university entrance provided by the University and College Admissions Service (UCAS).
That is a record 14.7% increase in the number of students taking a gap year. Tony Higgins from UCAS said that the statistics are good news for everyone in higher education. “Students who take a well-planned year out are more likely to be satisfied with, and complete, their chosen course. Students who take a gap year are often more mature and responsible.” he said.
But not everyone is happy. Owain James, the president of the National Union of Students (NUS), argued that the increase is evidence of student hardship—young people are being forced into earning money before finishing their education. “New students are now aware that they are likely to leave university up to £ 15,000 in debt. It is not surprising that more and more students are taking a gap year to earn money to support their study for the degree. NUS statistics show that over 40% of students are forced to work during term time and the figure increases to 90% during vacation periods,” he said.
1.What do we learn about the gap year from the text?
A.It is flexible in length. B.It is a time for relaxation.
C.It is increasingly popular. D.It is required by universities.
2.According to Tony Higgins, students taking a gap year .
A.are better prepared for college studies
B.know a lot more about their future jobs
C.are more likely to leave university in debt
D.have a better chance to enter top universities
3.How does Owain James feel about the gap-year phenomenon?
A.He’s puzzled. B.He’s worried.
C.He’s surprised. D.He’s annoyed.
4.What would most students do on their vacation according to NUS statistics?
A.Attend additional courses. B.Make plans for the new term.
C.Earn money for their education. D.Prepare for their graduate studies.
You can use your smartphone to get pretty much anything delivered directly to your door almost immediately. The hardest part is the process of trying to work out if you should tip and if so, doing the quick math before you get to the door. And, you know well that you should tip about 15-20% at restaurants, but do the same rules apply to delivery drivers?
The co-founder of Grubhub, Matt Maloney, pretty much set the standard for tipping delivery people in a Facebook post. He’s a strong supporter of tipping, and Grubhub’s website suggests a $5 or a 20% tip. Maloney also said this number should go up if you order during, say, a snowstorm.
However, most other delivery services say on their websites that tipping is not required. Some services, like Door Dash, do suggest no tip on their checkout window. Many, like Amazon Prime Now, allow customers to change their tip amount after their delivery has been received to reflect the quality of service. These companies help customers save money but delivery drivers are upset. They deal with bad weather, heavy traffic, extreme tiredness, and more, all for a $1 tip. Many feel that if you’d tip your pizza boy or girl, you should tip your delivery driver.
The Emily Post Institute (EPI)’s official suggestion falls in line with Maloney’s: “10-15% of the bill, or $2-5 for pizza delivery depending on the size of the order and difficulty of delivery.”
Just like servers in a restaurant, delivery drivers almost always rely on your tips for their income. Tipping is a long-standing cultural tradition in America. So, until drones (无人机) can deliver hot dogs straight to your door, it’s best to tip the people riding through the city at all hours to bring you hot fresh food.
1.What do we know about tipping delivery drivers?
A.It is not widely accepted.
B.It upsets many delivery services
C.It can’t reflect the quality of service
D.It is a deeply rooted tradition in America.
2.Which of the following suggests the highest tips in the passage?
A.The EPI. B.DoorDash.
C.Grubhub. D.Amazon Prime Now.
3.What is the author’s attitude to tipping delivery drivers?
A.Doubtful. B.Unconcerned
C.Disapproving. D.Supportive.
Laura Sides was a psychology major at the University of Nottingham in 2004. She first noticed signs of her dad’s developing dementia(痴呆) when she moved to Nottingham. She said, "Dad was a doctor, so he knew exactly what had happened to him, but people try to hide it when they are ill. Then, I came home for my 21st birthday and arranged to meet him, but he never showed up as he’d forgotten. That’s when I knew something serious had happened."
So, aged 21, she decided to leave university and look after him herself. She lived close by, popping in every day to make sure he was eating, and that the house was tidy, before heading off to her work.
Besides challenging moments, there was a time when looking after her dad was a pure joy. "We’d wake up, I’d ask what he wanted to do that day, and however ridiculous the adventure is, off we’d go."
Sadly, in 2009, 5 years later, Laura lost her father. Before he died, Laura went to a hospital appointment with him, where doctors mentioned that his form of Alzheimer’s disease was genetic meaning there was a fifty-fifty chance that she had inherited it. For several years Laura agonised over whether to be tested, finally finding out in August 2017 that she has the APP gene, meaning that, like him, she will develop the condition within a decade.
At first, she struggled, feeling as if her life lacked purpose. Then, during a sleepless night in the summer of 2018, she decided at around 2 a.m. to enter the 2019 London Marathon sponsored by the charities Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK.
She hoped to start the conversation around early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and to encourage people to talk about it more openly. "I remember when Dad was ill, people wouldn’t know how to react, but I want to be honest and open," she added. "The more information we can get, the less of a taboo(忌讳) we will feel. That said, the support I’ve received so far after going public has been amazing — that’s what is carrying me through."
1.Laura noticed her father’s dementia when .
A.her father told her his condition in person
B.people nearby informed her of his father’s condition
C.her father forgot his own birthday party
D.her father forgot to attend her 21-year-old birthday party
2.The underlined word "agonised" in Paragraph 4 probably means .
A.excited B.struggled
C.shocked D.delighted
3.Laura started the open talk in the hope of .
A.getting people to talk about Alzheimer’s disease openly
B.earning some money to help treat her Alzheimer’s disease
C.making herself stronger to fight against Alzheimer’s disease
D.raising funds for charities Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s disease Research UK
4.Which words can best describe Laura?
A.Caring and positive. B.Careful and honest.
C.Patient and cautious. D.Devoted and modest.
假如你是李华，你的英国笔友Jason在学校参加了汉语学习小组，但是他因为汉语难学而准备放弃。请你给他写一封信，鼓励他坚持学习，并就如何学好汉语给他提一些建议（至少两条）
注意：1.词数100左右，2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处.每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(
) 并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear Sam,
I’m writing this letter to tell you about the big misunderstanding between I and my parents. I’m real angry with them because of they always ask me about my personal affairs. They want me be dependent on them. They don’t let me choose my favourite music. Which makes me feel worse is that they don’t give me the chance to let them know how embarrassing I am about their treatment. I’d like to find an unique place where I can succeed in escape from them. But frankly speaking, I know they love me and I still needed their protection. I don’t know what to do. Please give me some advices.
Bob
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
I'm Margaret, an exchange student from America. I've been living in Beijing for several weeks and I have made new friends here, many of1.are locals. Through my interaction with them, I`ve noticed some interesting cultural differences when2.(eat) out.
One of the most obvious is the way food3.(serve). In America, each diner orders their own meal. When people eat out in Asia, they usually order food to share. Sometimes, one member of the party does the4.(major) of the ordering for everyone. Each of us has our own bowl of rice or noodles, and we share the rest of the dishes. This is an excellent way5.(try) new foods!
6.thing that strikes me as odd is the way people pay for food at a restaurant. In the US, we often ask7.separate checks, so we each pay for our own meal. But here, if diners decide to pay separately, they8.(typical) don't request separate checks. Instead, they give money to one person who9.(pay) the bill. People also don't tip the server. Instead, there is often a service charge10.(add) to the bill.
