Talktoanyparentofastudentwhotookanadventurousgapyear (ayearbetweenschoolanduniversitywhensomestudentsearnmoney, travel, etc.) andamistylookwillcomeintotheireyes. Therearesomedisastersandeventhemostmotivated, organisedgapstudentdoesrequirefamilyback-up, financial, emotionalandphysical. Theparentalmistinessisnotjustaboutthebrilliantexperiencethathasmaturedtheiroffspring; itisvicariousliving. Weallwishpre?universitygapyearshadbeenthefashioninourday. Wecanseehowmuchtougherourkidsbecome; howmuchmorepreparedtobenefitfromuniversityortodecidepositivelythattheyaregoingtodosomethingotherthanadegree.
Gapyearsarefashionable, asisreflectedinthehugegrowthinthenumberofcharitiesandprivatecompaniesofferingthem. PicturesofPrinceWilliamtoilinginChilehavehelped, butthetrendhasbeengatheringsteamforadecade. Therangeofgappackagesstartswithbackpacking, includesworkingwithcharities, buildinghospitalsandschoolsand, verycommonly, workingasalanguageassistant, teachingEnglish. Withthistrend, however, comesadanger. Onceparentsfeelthatawell-structuredyearisessentialtotheirwould?beundergraduatesprogresstoabetteruniversity, agooddegree, animpressiveCVandwellpaidemployment, asthegapcompaniesblurbssuggestitmightbe, thenparentswillstartorganising—andpayingfor—thegaps.
Wheretherearedisasters, accordingtoRichardOliver, directorofthegapcompanies'umbrellaorganisation, theYearOutGroup, itisusuallybecauseofpoorplanning. Thatcanbethefaultofthecompanyorofthestudent, hesays, butthebestinsuranceisthoughtfulpreparation. “Whenpeoplegetitwrong, itisusuallymedicalor, especiallyamonggirls, itisthattheyhavenotbeenawayfromhomebeforeorbecauseexpectationdoesnotmatchreality.”
Thepointofagapyearisthatitshouldbethetimewhentheschoolleavergetstodothethingthatheorshefancies. Kidsdon'tmatureifmumanddaddecidehowtheyaregoingtomature. Ifthe 18-year-old'swayofmaturingistosloboutonHampsteadHeathsoakingupsunshineorspendingayearworkingwithfishermeninCornwall, thenthatswhatwillbeproductiveforthatperson. Theconsensus, however, isthatsomestructureisanadvantageandthattheprimemoverneedstobethestudent.
The 18-year-oldwhowasdispatchedbyhisparentsattwoweeks'noticetoCanadatolearntobeasnowboardinginstructoratacostof ￡5,800, probablycamebackwithlittlemorethanahangover. The 18-year-oldonthesamepackagewhoworkedforhisfareandspenttherestofhisyearinstructinginresortsfromNewZealandtoSwitzerland, andcamebacktoapplyforuniversity, isthepositivecounterbalance. ［502 words］
16. Itcanbeinferredfromthefirstparagraphthatparentsofgapstudentsmay____.
［A］ helpchildrento
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| 重点单词 | 查看全部解释 | |||
| advantage | [əd'vɑ:ntidʒ] | 想一想再看 n. 优势，有利条件 |
联想记忆
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单词advantage 联想记忆： ad+vant来到+age名词反缀,表示“状态，总称”→利益 |
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| motivated | ['məutiveitid] | 想一想再看 adj. 有动机的；有积极性的 v. 使产生动机；激发… |
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| fault | [fɔ:lt] | 想一想再看 n. 缺点，过失，故障，毛病，过错，[地]断层 |
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| charity | ['tʃæriti] | 想一想再看 n. 慈善，慈善机关(团体), 仁慈，宽厚 |
联想记忆
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单词charity 联想记忆： char茶，ity状态－请喝茶的状态－施舍－仁慈 |
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| decade | ['dekeid] | 想一想再看 n. 十年 |
联想记忆
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单词decade 联想记忆： dec+ade表名词,表示“状态，物品”参考：decagon十角形→十年 |
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| offspring | ['ɔ:fspriŋ] | 想一想再看 n. 子孙，后代，产物 |
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| counterbalance | [.kauntə'bæləns,'kauntə.bæləns] | 想一想再看 n. 平衡，平衡力 v. 抵销 vt. 使平衡，抵销 |
联想记忆
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单词counterbalance 联想记忆： balance（n /v 平衡） |
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| adventurous | [əd'ventʃərəs] | 想一想再看 adj. 爱冒险的，大胆的，惊险的 |
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| vicarious | [vi'kɛəriəs] | 想一想再看 adj. 代理的，担任代理的，替身的，代替性的，有同感的 |
联想记忆
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单词vicarious 联想记忆： vicar（n 代理主教：代替神父或主教的神职人员），ious：代理的vi微，car车，ious：微型的小汽车有代替大车的趋势－代替的 |
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| fashionable | ['fæʃənəbl] | 想一想再看 adj. 流行的，时髦的 |
联想记忆
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单词fashionable 联想记忆： fashion+able→时髦的，流行的 |