Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. degree (n.) [dih-gree] – a title given to a student upon finishing a course of study from a university or college
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. degree (n.) [dih-gree] – a title given to a student upon finishing a course of study from a university or college
Example: He graduated last year and obtained a degree in Biology.
2. volunteering (n.) [vol-uhn-teer-ing] – act
of doing helpful work without pay
Example: Volunteering
in hospitals is good experience for medical students.
3. broaden horizons (idiom) [brawd-n huh-rahy-zuhns] – to increase the things someone knows or does; to gain knowledge or skills
Example: He wants to broaden his horizons by studying different cultures and languages.
4. worthwhile (adj.) [wurth-hwahyl, -wahyl] – important
or worthy of someone’s time and effort
Example: Doing charity work is worthwhile because you are able to help
other people.
5. stay in touch (idiom) [stey in tuhch] – to keep the communication with someone open
Example: My friend did not forget to stay in touch after she went to another
country.
Article
Read the text below.
Parents in the UK are being advised to let their children take a gap year, or a year-long break from academic load. A year without school may actually benefit students before they enter college or any higher degree course.
During
a gap year, students can engage in
different activities. They can travel and obtain a job at the same time to save
up for travel expenses. Since this can be a complicated arrangement, students
can opt to work locally in the UK for the first few months, and then travel
for the rest of the year.
Besides
travelling, volunteering is
another activity that can expose students to different cultures and communities. Unlike paid work, volunteering allows
students to have more choices later in life. Students can learn new skills or
become interested in new things. They may learn something which may not be
related to their chosen career but can be useful someday. These out-of-school lessons help students broaden their horizons.
Aside
from enriching students’ experiences, gap year activities can also help
students decide which career to take upon returning to school.
To
make a gap year worthwhile,
however, planning is essential, and such planning should be done by both
parent and child. The plan should include goals that must be achieved by the
end of the student’s time off.
Preparation
is also important, especially if the student decides to travel. A background
check of the country the student chooses is necessary. For safety, parents
must make sure that their child has insurance, and copies of important
documents such as visas and insurance policies are kept in case these get
stolen. It is also important to find
ways to stay in touch once the
child goes abroad.
On
the other hand, if the student decides to live at home during his or her gap
year, parents must make sure to treat their child as an adult and create a
new set of rules for matters that involve doing house chores and handling money
responsibly.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
If
you were to take a gap year, what kind of activity would you like to do?
·
Aside
from travelling, volunteering and learning new skills, can you think of other
activities that benefit students who take a gap year?
Discussion B
·
Can
you think of some disadvantages of getting time off school?
·
Do
you think all students should take a gap year? Why or why not?