题目内容：

Some of the most famous universities in America are urging students to consider the idea of putting off college for a year. It’s called a “gap year.” And while it’s been common and popular in Australia and the U.K. for decades, the concept is now starting to gain significant steam here in America.

Why? A growing number of high school seniors are tired of riding the academic conveyor belt from preschool all the way to university. They’re burnt out. Or not quite ready. Or they want to explore a few interests before deciding what to study in college, they’re volunteering in New Orleans or teaching in Thailand. They’re starting the great American novel, or working for a short time to help figure out what they want to do with their lives.

Understandably, that makes a lot of parents nervous. But a gap year does not mean that a student will remain degree-less forever. While there are no formal studies on the number of students who don’t finally go to college after the gap year, evidence from admissions officers across the country says very few actually leave college without finishing their courses. Taking a gap year can actually make kids more focused and ready for future academic life. In fact, Harvard University believes so much in the gap year that it encourages every student it admits to consider a year off before matriculation (入学).

The reason behind higher education’s support of the gap year is clear: Better-prepared students mean higher completion rates. And it’s completion that matters. Parents should remember that getting a kid into college is only half the battle. According to the College Board, three out of five students who enter a public four-year college don’t manage to obtain a degree within five years. And nearly 30 percent of all students who enter college don’t return after the gap year. Considering the fact that this year’s average price at a four-year private college is about $ 23,712 per year, it’s a pretty expensive place to play around.

1.Students want to take a gap year mainly because       .

①they want to have an experience of foreign education

②they want to escape academic pressure for a while

③they want to read more books before college

④they are not completely prepared for college

⑤they can’t decide what to learn in college

A. ①③④    B. ①③⑤

C. ②③④    D. ②④⑤

2.What makes parents feel concerned about the gap year?

A. The high cost of the gap year.

B. The safety risks outside school.

C. Their kids dropping out of college

D. Their kids falling behind in their lessons.

3.Why do some universities encourage the gap year?

A. It means students will have enough money to pay for college.

B. It allows students to finish college in less than four years.

C. It gets students more involved in their studies.

D. It makes students develop a competitive spirit.

4.What is the author’s attitude towards the gap year?

A. Surprised.    B. Supportive.

C. Critical.    D. Doubtful.