2 . The Rise of the Grown-Up Gap Year

It was 2012,Tim Potter, who was in public relations, had just finished working on the London Olympics alongside his partner.A career break to go travelling — or a “grown-up gap year”— seemed like a natural thing to both of them.

The couple spent four months traveling around Asia. Next, they flew to Mexico via Canada, worked their way down through Central America, and spent a month in both Colombia and Brazil.

    1     Within three weeks of his return, he was in another job (he’d interviewed for it in a phone booth in Colombia). Today, he’s managing director of the marketing agency Hunt & Gather.

But is Potter’s experience common or did he get lucky? Some people assume taking a career break will automatically be off-putting to potential employers, but according to Emily Bain, managing director of secretarial recruitment agency Bain and Gray, it can actually be quite the opposite.

“As an employer, I see it as a positive,” she says.     2     In fact, it’s been an upward trend that’s been steadily growing since the 2008 recession (经济衰退). “People couldn’t get work so they just took off” she says.

Tim Fryer, U.K. manager at STA Travel, says grown-up gap years can have a positive effect on your career. “Taking a break gives travelers time to refocus on work as well as the space to reflect on what exactly it is they want to do,” he explains.

    3     For many, recovering from illness, the loss of a love one or something like divorce can be the trigger (诱因). And some simply have an ambition to see a certain place — or places — by a certain age.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. Emily Bain admits that some employers’ instinct is to turn their noses up at someone who’s had a break. However, she says, the duty is on the traveler to sell their experience as something that will benefit their future employer. “You have to explain the whole picture,” she says. “Making your CV (简历) gap accountable actually brings your profile to life.” So, don’t hide it — make a big deal of it.

Bain holds that although gap years are acceptable, it is still important to learn some kind of skill regardless of whatever else you may be doing during this time.     4     But it doesn’t have to be academic. “I had a client who learned a special kind of weaving in India, and that to me is really interesting. It became a real talking point.”

A．These people are often at a turning point in their careers or lives.

B．The desire to go travelling is by no means all work-related, though.

C．The most obvious skill to take from travel, of course, is a language.

D．Taking a gap year when you’re older means that you have different things to consider.

E．Not in any way did the lack of work affect his prospects.

F．Bain goes on to say that taking a grown-up gap year is more common than you’d think.

3 . Before she could even talk, Ellie Heath spent hours drawing pictures. When she grew older, the 15-year-old discovered the joy of sewing (缝纫). She says she finds it calming. She started out making small things, like jewelry and soft toys. Over time, she began making clothing. Her love of the creative work led her to open a business. Three Blue Bunnies is the name of her company, which makes what she calls “wearable art.”

“My definition of wearable art is something that makes you feel unique. It’s one of a kind, often handmade,” she explains. She sells her creations in farmers markets and at sales for local churches.

All the pieces Ellie creates are made of used or donated fabrics. She works a lot with jean jackets, renewing them with artistic additions. The process starts with finding cloth material that looks good with the jackets. “Then, I find out the design that works on it through trial and error (反复尝试) or the design comes to me,” she explains.

Elliesharpenedher creative skills at school. Cheryl Crow was one of her teachers early on. Crow calls Ellie “a dream student.” She says Ellie worked hard and made progress. “She was always very creative, but also very kind, helpful to the other students.”

Ellie has many dreams. She wants to be a teacher and to spread the joy of creativity among children. She also dreams her business will grow and become a model for other young people who have a dream they want to come true.

1. What does “wearable art” mean according to Ellie Heath?

A．Something that can be worn.

B．Something that is valuable.

C．Something that makes you different from others.

D．Something that cannot be found anywhere else.

2. Which of the following words can best describe Ellie?

A．Creative and determined.	B．Generous and outgoing.
C．Warm-hearted and clever.	D．Hard-working and unique.

3. What can we can learn from paragraph three?

A．All of the cloth comes from donation.

B．Ellie got a lot of pleasure from her design.

C．It is a piece of cake for Ellie to create a wearable art.

D．The process of artistic design is usually not easy.

4. What does the word “sharpened” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Performed.	B．Challenged.
C．Improved.	D．Applied.

4 . 阅读理解。
Tina Rees, 50
English teacher (Canadian)
I wanted to be a doctor and help people. I was always playing doctor with dolls, wrapping their arms and legs in tissues! My mom was a nurse, and my two sisters are now nurses, but I went into finance. The educational requirements to be a doctor are too much for me now, but I feel I'm helping people and contributing to society as a teacher.
John Podeszwa, 45
English school owner (American)
I've always loved animals, and as a little boy I first wanted to be a frog, then a chimp. When told I had to be something human, I chose zookeeper. I worked at a zoo in high school, but I wouldn't want to do that job now, although I am fulfilling my dream of helping rescued animals, since I own a honey bear, an albino snake (患白化病的蛇), a dog and some cats!
Miwa Gilligan, 48
Part­time worker (Japanese)
As a little girl I wanted to be many things, and when my grandmother suggested that as an actress I could play various roles, that stuck with me. The Takarazuka Revue (宝冢歌剧团) was popular during my childhood, so that also inspired me. Of course I would still like to become an actress.
Hiromitsu Tokunaga, 55
Sewage worker (Japanese)
My dream job both as a child and now is to be an astronaut. I grew up during the “Space Race” era and remember well the first moon landing, the famous sci­fi movie 2001, and all the rest. I still have a strong dream of going into space, and in my lifetime hope to see regular affordable space tours for people like me!
1. We know from the text that ________.

A．Tina Rees is satisfied with her present job

B．Tina Rees once received medical education

C．Tina's two sisters don’t do the same job as their mother does

D．their mother's preference to Tina's sisters disappointed Tina

2. Who would still like to do their childhood dream jobs if they could?

A．Miwa Gilligan and Tina Rees.

B．Tina Rees and John Podeszwa.

C．John Podeszwa and Hiromitsu Tokunaga.

D．Hiromitsu Tokunaga and Miwa Gilligan.

3. What can we infer from the text?

A．People like Hiromitsu Tokunaga can go on regular affordable space tours.

B．In John Podeszwa's school, students are encouraged to help rescued animals.

C．At least two of the people were influenced by others in their dream job choice.

D．The requirements didn't stop Tina Rees from realizing her doctor dream.

4. Which would be the best title for the text?

A．Children from Different Countries Share Dreams

B．What Was Your Dream Job as a Child?

C．How Was Your Dream Realized?

D．Children Have Different Dream Jobs