A “Gap Year” is a period of time when a student takes a break before going to university. It is often spent travelling or working. It can give young people useful learning experiences and new skills.
Gap years are popular with European and Australian students, but remain less popular in America. However, in recent years, more and more American students are preparing for college by taking a gap year. The advantages of taking a gap year are as follows：
Learn about the World and Yourself
Although you don’t have to go abroad to experience gap years, most gap year students catch the chance to travel abroad. You are able to work out who you are and what you are for. The experiences of different cultures offer you interesting lessons. You can learn more about the world and get to know yourself better.
Face Challenges and Have Fun
A gap year is not only a time to take a vacation_, but also a time to face challenges. Gap year students usually work, volunteer or take service projects. You have to learn how to get along in the real world. This process isn^’t always easy, but it is an important part of growing up. Only in this way can you enjoy life and have fun.
Save Money and Improve Your College Admission Chances
There^’s a common thought that gap years are only for rich students_, but it’ s not true. Actually, taking a gap year can save your money. Gap year students often take a part-time job. Besides, at the end of a gap year, students are much more likely to know what to study in college. Clear learning goals ran keep the students working hard instead of wasting time and money playing.
Imagine an admission officer trying to admit (录取) only one between two students. Both of them are excellent and have high grades. However, one student has much practical experience or has volunteered in his vacation. Who do you think the admission officer will choose?
【小题1】A “Gap Year” means       in the passage.

Sorry to say, our brains naturally start slowing down at the young age of 30. It used to be thought that this couldn't be helped, but new studies show that people of any age can train their brains to work faster. "Your brain is a learning machine," says University of California scientist Dr. Michael Merzenich. Given the right tools, we can train our brains to act like they did when we were younger. All that's required is the practice designed just for the purpose: a few exercises for the mind.

Merzenich has developed a computer-based training method to speed up the process（过程） in which the brain deals with information (positscience.com). Since much of the data we receive comes through speech, the Brain Fitness Program works with language and hearing to better speed and accuracy （准确性）.Over the course of training, the program starts asking you to tell sounds (between "dog" and "bog", for example) at an increasingly faster speed. It's a bit like tennis instructor, says Merzenich, hitting balls at you faster and faster to keep you challenged. You may start out slow, but before long you're pretty quick.

The biggest finding in brain research in the last ten years is that the brain at any age is highly plastic. If you ask your brain to learn, it will learn. And it may even speed up while in the process. To keep your brain young and plastic you can do one of a million new activities that challenge and excite you：playing table tennis or bridge, doing crossword puzzles, learning a language.... "When it comes to preventing ageing, you really do 'use it or lose it'," says Barbara Sahakian, professor at Cambridge University.

51. According to the new studies, what will happen to our brains?

A. They will not start slowing down until the age of 30

B. They will start working slowly after the age of 30

C. They can work as well as at a young age through certain exercises

D. They can not be improved once they start to slow down

52. The writer mentioned many ways to speed up your brain, EXCEPT_____

A. doing a million new activities　　

B. sleeping as much as possible　

C. playing some intelligent games

D. playing table tennis

53. What can we learn from the text?

A. Using right tools is important for brains’ work.　　

B. Brain research deals with information from the Internet　

C. Dr. Merzenich is a scientist in computer,

D. Many activities can keep our brains young.

54. Which of the following agrees with the writer’s idea?

A. The train methods work better for the old.

B. People should train the brain to stop it from aging.

C. The training of the brain should start at an early age.

D. It is necessary to take part in as many activities as possible.

55. Which one is TRUE according to the passage?

A. If you are 71 years old, your brain is too old to train.

B. You can eat the food to keep your brain young and plastic.

C. Merzenich has developed a computer-based training method to train brains.

D. You will feel younger when you train your brain.