Last year, there was a shy girl in my class named Lily. I found my teaching on the maths problems didn’t     1     to her. Worse still, she wanted to give up     2     of failing. Just then, her best friend Ted arrived and saw her dilemma. He knew he had to     3     her confidence. With patience and encouragement, he helped Lily     4     the problems step by step until she began to understand. Gradually, Lily could    5     from within and continued to work hard. Thanks to Ted’s firm support, she not only solved the maths problems but also gained a newly-found confidence in her abilities.

Gap year in your style

What exactly is a gap year? Well, people don’t entirely agree. Most commonly, it’s a year off between high school and college. But it could also be spending a year doing something    1    to education or one’s future career.

Like    2     schooling, a gap year usually means leaving one’s hometown. Many who take a gap year go to a far-off country. In most cases, the time is spent working or    3    . Whatever one is engaged in, this year gives young adults a chance to    4    the world. They meet new people and try things they wouldn’t normally get to do.

Recently, many young people have chosen to take a “working holiday,” which is    5     different from a gap year. After graduating from university, some people make up their minds to live abroad for a year, working in a foreign language environment. Depending on the country and the job, some graduates might live off their earnings and even save money. But often, the cost of living and travel makes saving difficult for people working abroad. Yet the idea continues to grow in    6    . Perhaps it isn’t about earning money, but getting a taste of freedom.

For those thinking about their future job or career, a gap year could mean idling a year away. But for those who aren’t sure what they want to do, a gap year offers many benefits.

If you want to put more emphasis on your career development, you need to think thoroughly about how a gap year can    7     to your résumé(履历). Find an experience that can strengthen your practical skills. That could mean working as an intern(实习生)or    8    a new language.

For those who haven’t designed a career plan, a gap year makes a lot of sense. Almost 80% of American university students change    9    at least once, so a gap year before, during, or even after university could be a good way to help you get future plans in focus. If you can find your calling by taking time off, it will prove to be a very    10    experience.

As I was interested in the Inca Empire, my adviser     1     I read some books about the Inca civilization. It was such a big     2    for me to read these books at first that I really wanted to     3    .Luckily, my adviser encouraged me and help me     4       my reading ability. Finally , I became more     5     in learning history.