BBC随身英语｜为什么越来越多的人选择“间隔年”？
英音听力｜BBC & 经济学人等
Why take a gap year?
When you've finished your studies at school and college, do you feel like a well-earned rest? If you're about to embark on a course at university, you'll want to recharge your batteries, let your hair down and have some fun. But how long should you do that for? Now the idea of taking a year off before you move into further education seems to be the thing to do.
A year off – also called a gap year – is not a new concept, but there's now a focus on making the most of this break from academic life. Long gone are the days of just hanging out on a beach or backpacking round the world. While that is still an option, a gap year is now more about gaining skills that will help you in later life.
The BBC's Smart Consumer podcast spoke to a student called Meg, who said "I just always had in the back of my mind I'd spend a year doing something productive and something that would just be good fun."
Doing something productive is exactly what students are being encouraged to do because doing more purposeful things like work experience or charity work helps them acquire skills to use when competing for a place at university. It looks good on their CV and ultimately makes them more employable.
Chris Rea is a Higher Education Services Manager from organisation, Prospects. He told the BBC that he thinks "the experience of the gap year has become actually much more practical, partly to do with university participation increasing, but also because of the demands on developing skills, specifically employability skills."
While the benefits of taking a gap year are clear to see, some students worry they can't afford it. Another student, Tom, told the BBC that to him, a gap year was an '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 paid work.
For those who do have the funds, a combination of working, volunteering and travelling is undoubtedly an amazing opportunity. It increases confidence and independence, gives you a chance to learn new crafts, and gives you time to contemplate whether university is right for you.
词汇表
well-earned [ˌwel ˈɜːnd] adj. 应得的，理应得到的，当之无愧的
embark on [ɪmˈbɑːk] 开始，着手（新的或重大的事情）
recharge your batteries [ˌriːˈtʃɑːdʒ][ˈbætəriz] 休整，养精蓄锐，恢复精力
let your hair down 放松一下，尽情玩乐
gap year [ˈɡæp] 间隔年（中学毕业后、入大学前休学的一年）
academic life [ˌækəˈdemɪk] 学业生活，学术生涯
backpack [ˈbækpæk] vi. 背包旅行
purposeful [ˈpɜːpəsf(ə)l] adj. 有目的的，有意义的
charity work [ˈtʃærəti] 慈善工作，公益劳动
employable [ɪmˈplɔɪəb(ə)l] adj. 有资格任职的，适宜雇用的，具备就业能力的
employability skills [ɪmˌplɔɪəˈbɪləti skɪlz] n. 就业技能，可雇用性技能
alien concept [ˈeɪliən] 陌生的概念，迥异的概念
burn a hole in one's pocket 花钱如流水，口袋里留不住钱，一有钱就想花
contemplate [ˈkɒntəmpleɪt] vt. 深思，盘算，仔细考虑
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