Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage.

In Britain and other countries, young people usually take a “gap year”, a year off between high school and college. This idea never gained a big following in the United States. Recent news reports have suggested that interest may be growing, though there are no official numbers.

Charles Deacon, the dean of admissions estimates that in the current first-year class of one thousand six hundred students, only twenty-five percent decided to take a year off. He says this number has not changed much over the years. He says the most common reasons to have a chance to travel, but international students may take a gap year to meet requirements at home for military duty.

Some high school graduates see a year off as a chance to recover after twelve years of required education. But it can also give students a chance to explore their interest.

Many colleges and universities support gap-year projects by permitting students to delay their admission. Experts say students can grow emotionally and intellectually as they work at something they enjoy. The Harvard admissions office has an essay on its Web site called “Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation”. It praises the idea of taking time off to step back, think and enjoy gaining life experience outside the pressure of studies. Of course, a gap year is not for everyone. Students might miss their friends who go on directly to college. And parents might worry that their children will decide not to go to college once they take time off. Another concern is money. A year off, away from home, can be costly.

Holly Bull is the president of the Center for Interim Programs. Her company specializes in helping students plan their gap year. She notes that several books have been written about this subject. And she points out that many gap-year programs cost far less than a year of college.

1.How do many colleges and universities support gap-year projects? (No more than 8 words)

2.According to Charles Deacon, how many students in the current first-year class of his school decided to take a gap year? (No more than 8 words)

3.What is the purpose of some high school students taking a gap year?( No more than 6 words)

4.Why do parents worry about children’s gap year? (No more than 15 words)

PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION

Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A.B.C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.

NEW YORK(Reuters)----The Internet and advances in technology are transforming fashion, making it easier for designers to create collections and less expensive for them to show and sell their work, experts say.

Instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars on a runway(T形台)show at New York Fashion Week, some designers presented collections for spring and summer 2010 online, while others are expanding the reach of their brand by making it easier for shoppers to buy their clothes online.

Designer Norma Kamali and Polo Ralph Lauren Corp both have applications for Apple Inc’s iPhone that allows shoppers to buy clothes from their phone.

“This is the technology that’s changing our lives,” said Kamali, who displayed her spring and summer 2010 collection as well as exclusive lines (专卖品) for eBay Inc and Walmart.com at the Apple store in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood.

Kamali’s iPhone application has a “Try Before You Buy” option, which allows clothes to be sent overnight to a customer, who provides her credit card information, so she can try them on at home before deciding to buy.

Menswear designer Miguel Antoinne and womenswear designer Marc Bouwer both put on virtual fashion shows, while models at fashion designer Vivienne Tam’s show carried a laptop computer adorned(装饰) with a Tam design.

Mazdack Rassi, co-founder and creative director of Milk Studios, a downtown space that showed about 70 collections during New York Fashion Week, and was considering projecting shows on the side of a building so people at nearby park could watch.

With cable TV and the Internet, designers know that their shows can be seen by many more people than just the editors and media who attend.

Designers are finding that technology can also help the actual design work by allowing artists to explore new ideas and processes.

But Simon Collins, the dean of fashion at Parsons----the new school for design, said even though technology is helpful, there is still no substitute for talent and hard work. “Absolutely, there’ll be people out there that have successful businesses that don’t know the first thing about draping(剪裁) and construction, just think it up, put it on the computer, fire it off the factory and it works,” Collins said. “But they’re the exception, not the rule.”

56. According to the passage, one advantage of the Internet is that it allows the designers to____________.

A. share their collections with other designers

B. display their work at a lower cost

C. receive information about the popular fashion trend

D. inform the editors and media of their collections

57. Which of the following is TRUE about Kamali?

A. She’s aware of the importance of the Internet.

B. She’s against buying clothes online.

C. She thinks New York Fashion Week will attract fewer and fewer people.

D. She’s considering holding a show on the side of a building.

58. We can infer from the passage that ____________.

A. it’s difficult to become a well-known designer

B. it’s dangerous to do online shopping

C. few people pay attention to virtual fashion shows

D. designers are finding various ways to make their shows known to the public

59. According to the last paragraph, we know that Collins ____________.

A. is a successful businessman

B. does not agree that technology is helpful in designing works

C. pays more attention to people’s natural gift and hard work

D. does not understand the fashion of actual design work

60. The purpose of the writing is to ____________.

A. celebrate the success of New York Fashion Week

B. stress the role of technology in fashion

C. introduce the activities in New York Fashion Week

D. advertise New York Fashion Week

Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage.

In Britain and other countries, young people usually take a “gap year”, a year off between high school and college. This idea never gained a big following in the United States. Recent news reports have suggested that interest may be growing, though there are no official numbers.

Charles Deacon, the dean of admissions estimates that in the current first-year class of one thousand six hundred students, only twenty-five percent decided to take a year off. He says this number has not changed much over the years. He says the most common reasons to have a chance to travel, but international students may take a gap year to meet requirements at home for military duty.

Some high school graduates see a year off as a chance to recover after twelve years of required education. But it can also give students a chance to explore their interest.

Many colleges and universities support gap-year projects by permitting students to delay their admission. Experts say students can grow emotionally and intellectually as they work at something they enjoy. The Harvard admissions office has an essay on its Web site called “Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation”. It praises the idea of taking time off to step back, think and enjoy gaining life experience outside the pressure of studies. Of course, a gap year is not for everyone. Students might miss their friends who go on directly to college. And parents might worry that their children will decide not to go to college once they take time off. Another concern is money. A year off, away from home, can be costly.

Holly Bull is the president of the Center for Interim Programs. Her company specializes in helping students plan their gap year. She notes that several books have been written about this subject. And she points out that many gap-year programs cost far less than a year of college.

81. How do many colleges and universities support gap-year projects? (No more than 8 words)

82. According to Charles Deacon, how many students in the current first-year class of his school decided to take a gap year? (No more than 8 words)

83. What is the purpose of some high school students taking a gap year?( No more than 6 words)

84. Why do parents worry about children’s gap year? (No more than 15 words)

In Britain and other countries, young people sometimes take a “gap year,” a year off between high school and college. This idea never gained a big following in America. Recent news reports have suggested that interest may be growing, though there are no official numbers.

Charles Deacon is the dean of admissions at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. estimates that in the current first-year class of 1600 students, only about 25 decided to take a year off. He says this number has not changed much over the years.

Mr. Deacon says the most common reason for taking a “gap year” is to have a chance to travel. but he says international students may take a “gap year” to meet requirements at home for military duty.

Some high school graduates see a year off as a chance to recover after twelve years of required education, but it can also give students a chance to explore their interests. Students hoping to be doctors, for example, could learn about the profession by volunteering in a hospital.

Many colleges and universities support gap-year projects by permitting students to delay their admission. Experts say students can grow emotionally and intellectually as they work at something they enjoy.

The Harvard admissions office has an essay on its Web site called “Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation.” It praises the idea of taking time off to step back, think and enjoy gaining life experiences outside the pressure of studies. It also notes that students are sometimes admitted to Harvard or other colleges in part because they did something unusual with that time.

Of course, a “gap year” is not for everyone. Students might miss their friends who go on directly to college. And parents might worry that their children will decide not to go to college once they take time off. Another concern is money. A year off, away from home, can be costly.

Holly Bull’s job is to specialize in helping students plan their “gap year”. She notes that several books have been written about this subject/ She says these books along with media attention and the availability of information on the Internet have increased interest in the idea of a year off, and she points out that marry gap-year programs cost far less than a year of college.

1．What is the passage mainly about?

      A．More and more American students are choosing to take a year off.

       B．If you want to go to an American university, take a “gap year” first.

       C．It is likely that taking a “gap year” is becoming popular in America.

       D．Americans hold different opinions towards students’ taking a “gap year.”

2．How many reasons for students’ taking a “gap year” are mentioned in the passage?

       A．2.                       B．3.                       C．4.                       D．5.

3．The essay “Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation” suggests that        .

       A．every student must take a “gap year” before applying for a famous university

       B．some famous universities encourage students to gain more life experiences

       C．taking a “gap year” can make students free from life learning

       D．the stress of studies does harm to the students’ health

4．What can we learn from the passage?

       A．Books and media have contributed to the students’ interest in school learning.

       B．Charles Deacon doesn’t support the idea of the students’ taking a “gap year”.

       C．Parents night disagree with the program. Concerned about their children’s future.

       D．Experts agree taking a year off will benefit the students emotionally and physically.