Taking a gap year before you move into further education is not a new concept, which now focuses on making the most of this break from academic life. Long gone are the days of just hanging out on a beach or    1     (backpack) round the world. While that is still an option, a gap year is now more about gaining skills that     2     (help) you in later life.

Doing something productive is exactly what students     3    (encourage) to do because doing more purposeful things like work experience or charity work helps them acquire skills to use when     4     (compete) for a place at university. It looks good on their CV and eventually makes them more employable.

    5     the benefits of taking a gap year, some students worry they can’t afford it. A student, Tom, told the BBC that to him, a gap year was     6     ‘alien concept’. He said “it would have been far too expensive and it’s not something that I would have been able to rely on my parents or family members for.” But some experts say that it needn’t burn a hole in your pocket; you don’t need to travel far and you can even earn money by doing     7    (pay) work.

For those who do have the funds, a     8     (combine) of working, volunteering and travelling is     9    (doubt) an amazing opportunity. It increases confidence and independence, offers you a chance to learn new crafts, and gives you time to reflect on     10     university is right for you.

I am taught by many teachers in my school. Every subject has a    1     (differ) teacher, but I like my math teacher    2     (well). Her name is Lakshmi but we usually call her Ma’am. She is our class teacher too.

Ma’am    3     (join) us last term. She is very kind and her way of teaching is so    4     (interest) and simple that we all can understand everything    5     is being taught and how it can be done. Most    6     (important) , Ma’am teaches math with lots of patience. If we do not understand a problem, she will spend extra time guiding us until we understand it. And we can go to ask her at any time during school hours for help.

She also helps us     7     activities at school. When there is some kind of programs, she will be there     8     (help) us to get ready for the show. Even when we go on picnics, she takes good care of     9     (we)．

To me, Ma’am is not only    10     good teacher, but also our best friend. I love Ma’am and I wish her a happy life.

When I left for the United States to study, I had butterflies in my stomach. My mind was full of     1     (anxious) because I was going to a new place with new people and new customs. I couldn’t even understand     2     (they) language. Everything was    3     (true) different from my own country. There was nobody that I could talk to and I just had my husband,     4     made me feel alone and had no confidence     5     my new life.

It was     6     sad moment when I had to say goodbye to my family and friends. I didn’t want to leave my hometown because I grew up there and had     7     (impress) and wonderful memories of the place. So, thinking about all these changes made me nervous and I     8     (frighten) to face them. But studying abroad was a decision that I made myself. I had to continue and accept the challenge,     9     (hope) to get used to it. There was a lot     10     (explore) when living abroad. I looked forward to visiting my family in the summer vacation.

New Oriental (新东方) Education began to explore livestreaming business last December when the company launched livestreaming room Oriental Selection on Douyin, mainly     1    (sell) agricultural products.

It became     2     Internet hit for its two—language online sales. English teachers switched     3    hosts, headed by Dong Yuhui,     4     would chat about life, poetry and philosophy, and even recite some lines of Shakespeare’s poems while introducing the goods. Their wide knowledge reserve has gained more and more followers , many     5    (call) them the “top ceiling” of live—streamers.

A Beijing resident surnamed Zhao who bought a book of ancient poems from Oriental Selection has found such two—language livestreaming     6     (true) educational. “I think the hosts are knowledgeable. This makes them stand out from ordinary hosts who just promote    7    (they) goods,” Zhao told the Global Times on Tuesday.

On Saturday, it     8     (report) that the number of viewers at Oriental Selection reached 12 million, and the GMV on that day was 21 million yuan, making it the 6th most cash—earning broadcast room on Douyin. Meanwhile, the     9    (popular)of the two—language live—broadcast course was reflected by the outstanding performance on the capital market. New Oriental Education’s Hong Kong listed stock Koolearn Technology Holding shot up 100 percent in prices during trading on Monday to delete all losses since July 2021 due to stricter regulation of private training     10     (company).

Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese festivals. It    1     (call) “Lunar New Year”,   because — as part of the lunisolar (阴阳的) Chinese calendar — the date is partially determined based on lunar phase (月亮或行星的相位). The festival traditionally     2     (begin) on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends with Lantern Festival    3     is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year's Eve, a day when Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, is known as Chu Xi. It literally means “Year-pass Eve”.

According to    4     (tale) and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against    5     mythical beastv(神兽)called Nian.   Nian would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock (牲畜), crops, and even villagers,     6     (particular) children. To protect    7     (them),   the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian    8     (eat) the food they prepared, it wouldn't attack people any more. One time, people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid    9     the colour red. Therefore, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used fireworks    10     (frighten) away the Nian. From then on,   Nian never came to the village again.