In Western society, especially in the English-speaking world, the chance for young people to see the other countries and experience life is considered important. Many young people, when they finish school at the age of 18, take a gap year before they go to university.

Parents often want their children to grow up a little and see what the real world is like when they finish school. Although they are worried about their safety, many think that the advantages of independence and experience are worth the worries. Children are encouraged to be brave, independent and to explore the world on their own or with friends.

Young people also want to experience freedom and see what life is like on the other side. This other side could be the other side of the world or just the other side of life. For example, if they have a rich life, they may want to see how people in poor areas live.

A gap year after school is also an important chance for young people to spend time thinking about what they want to do with their lives. A little bit of growing up and experience will help them make their important career decisions, especially when they are unsure about what they want to study.

Another reason for going straight after school is to get a break from studying before they start the next few years of university. So anywhere you travel in the world, you will meet young European people exploring the world.

So much of the world has been travelled and explored. The young people are now looking for more worthy experiences. Some of them work as volunteers to do something for the country they are visiting. Many gap year volunteers are now spending a few months teaching English in Thailand, helping feed giant pandas in China or building a well(井) in a village in Africa.

These young people’s wish to explore the world is an expression of the values of the societies that they are part of. Both discovering the world and making a positive difference in it are important parts of the Western mind.

1.Which is NOT a reason for young people to take a gap year?

A. Young people want to take a break from studying.

B. Young people want to be sure about what to study.

C. Parents encourage them to be brave and independent.

D. Parents encourage them to live a free and wealthy life.

2.Now a gap year volunteer might do something more valuable like .

A. experiencing different cultures

B. helping protect rainforests in Brazil

C. making friends with more people

D. enjoying traditional local food

3.By taking a gap year, young people may .

A. stay with their parents all the time

B. make money for their further study

C. help change the world for the better

D. change the Western mind completely

4.The purpose of writing this article is to .

A. show different opinions about gap year

B. offer readers information about gap year

C. discover new ways to take a gap year

D. tell young people when to take a gap year

One cold winter night in Shanghai, I was walking home at one in the morning after long tiring work. I was having trouble with my job in the bank. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up living there. City life had become too much for me.

As I walked down empty streets, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away any possible danger. Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets(毛毯).

Suddenly, I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, all I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. When I reached home, I realized what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.

Now I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran back to where I’d heard the noise. Although I searched carefully for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.

Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck(垃圾车)come to me. When a voice called from the inside, “Alisa Chen?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, holding up a small square shape.

It was nearly 3 a. m. by the time I got into bed. But I had got my wallet back. I also had got back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other.

1.One cold winter night, the writer felt when she was back home after work.

A. cold and sick

B. lucky and helpful

C. excited and cheerful

D. disappointed and helpless

2. What happened when the writer was running down the empty streets?

A. She lost her wallet unknowingly.

B. Someone had stolen her wallet.

C. She was stopped by a garbage truck driver.

D. She found some homeless people following her

3. In the fifth paragraph, why did the writer say she was dreaming?

A. Someone offered to take her back home.

B. A. red-haired man came to see her.

C. She heard someone call her name.

D. Her wallet was found in a garbage truck.

4.From the reading, we can infer(推断) that the writer_____.

A. would stop working at night

B. would stay on in Shanghai

C. would make friends with cleaners

D. would give up her job at the bank。

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