Q: Young women are more adventurous than young men when traveling abroad in gap years. One in three female backpackers visits more than three countries during a year out and travels alone, according to new research.

By contrast, the majority of their male counterparts visit only one country and tend to travel in groups, says a survey by the Gap Year company, which provides information and services for students considering taking a year out.

More women than men say that their prime reason for taking time off is to see the world and experience different cultures. Men were more likely to rank "having fun" higher on their list of priorities. Women were more likely to value the challenge of a foreign trip, and many cited reasons such as learning a language and meeting new people.

The more adventurous gap years taken by women seem to work to their benefit: more than three quarters of those surveyed reported increased confidence, self-reliance and independence, whereas only half of the men had that experience.

The research also showed that women were more likely to do voluntary work while traveling, with more than one in ten helping with teaching or development projects. One of the reasons given for this is a wish to see the country in an authentic light.

A greater proportion of women than men faced objections or criticism from their families over their gap-year plans. Among the men surveyed, lack of money was the main barrier to travel.

Carolyn Martin, a doctor from London, was a typically confident female traveler.

Starting in Cape Town, she traveled around southern Africa and Australia with a string of unusual and sometimes dangerous jobs.

"I had one job chasing elephants off the runway in Africa by banging a stick against a pan," she recalled. "It was OK but one day I did get chased by one."

She said that she had traveled alone because "you meet more people".

1. Young women
2. traveling abroad
3. a year
4. Young women
5. unknown
6. backpackers
7. alone
8. more than three countries
9. only one
10. no
11. Gap Year company
12. information and services
13. students
14. taking a year out
15. to see the world
16. more ladies
17. having fun
18. yes
19. meeting more people

Numbered questions:
1. WHO DOES MORE THAN THE OTHER?
2. DOING WHAT?
3. IN WHAT AMOUNT OF TIME?
4. WHAT ARE THE LADIES CALLED?
5. FIRST PARAGRAPH "B"
6. THE LADY TRAVELERS ARE KNOWN AS BACK...
7. WHO DO THEY USUALLY GO WITH?
8. HOW MANY PLACES?
9. MEN GO TO HOW MANY
10. DO THEY GO SOLO
11. ACCORDING TO WHO
12. WHAT DO THEY GIVE
13. TO WHO
14. DECIDING TO DO WHAT
15. WHY DO LADIES TAKE TIME OFF
16. MORE LADIES OR GENTS
17. WHY DO THE GENTS
18. DO LADIES LIKE THE DIFFICULTY
19. WHAT IS LIKED ABOUT IT

Q: It was warmer than normal outside at the zoo. The clown was hot in his costume. He still smiled and he still made people laugh. He worked hard. He threw a plane because someone's son asked him to. He even put jelly on his face because a little girl said it would make him look pretty.

At noon he juggled plates and at one in the afternoon he sat down to have some lunch. The cook made a salad to his liking and the clown ate it happily. He felt famous because people visiting the zoo pointed at him and smiled at him as he ate his salad. The day might be hot, but the clown felt it was good in the end because of how much people liked him. Soon he was back to work juggling and telling jokes. He even sprayed someone with water when they smelled his fake flower.

1. warmer than normal
2. outside at the zoo
3. The clown
4. hot
5. his costume
6. No
7. He still smiled and he still made people laugh
8. hard
9. He threw a plane
10. because someone's son asked him to
11. He even put jelly on his face
12. because a little girl said it would make him look pretty.
13. he juggled plates
14. At noon
15. he sat down to have some lunch
16. at one in the afternoon
17. a salad
18. The cook
19. famous
20. because people visiting the zoo pointed at him and smiled at him

Numbered questions:
1. What was the weather?
2. Where?
3. Who felt it?
4. How did he feel?
5. In what?
6. Did it stop him from doing his job?
7. And what was his job?
8. How did he work at his job?
9. Doing what?
10. Why?
11. And what else?
12. Why?
13. What did he do next?
14. When?
15. And then?
16. When?
17. And what'd he have?
18. From who?
19. How'd he feel?
20. Why?

Q: Maybe you've heard of many musical bands, but have you heard of Little Big Town, a country musical group? There are four members in this band, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet. They had a hard time when they began their band at first, but they didn't give up. Now it becomes very popular. "We take care of each other and we take care of the music," Karen Fairchild once said after one of their shows. As a fan of this band, I once had a chance to hang out with the members of Little Big Town. We talked about their hard beginning. At that time, they even didn't have their own stage. Fairchild also told me how the four of them were together when they were in trouble. Not only did they stand together on stage but also in their daily life. For example, they were right there when Phillip Sweet was caring for his daughter for the first time. They encouraged Kimberly Schlapman when they found her husband _ . At that time Kimberly was very sad to lose her husband. "When we have lived such a hard life together, it bonds us tightly," Phillip Sweet said. "We find true happiness is the joy of doing what we do for a living. We love the hard beginning. We also love the wonderful future."

1. the members of Little Big Town
2. Four
3. Karen Fairchild
4. Kimberly Schlapman
5. Jimi Westbrook
6. Phillip Sweet
7. country
8. no
9. A stage
10. Stood together
11. No
12. doing what they do for a living
13. Friends
14. Losing a husband
15. Phillip

Numbered questions:
1. Who did the author get to hang out with?
2. How many people are in the band?
3. What's the first one's name?
4. The second?
5. The third?
6. The fourth?
7. What sort of genre do they sing?
8. Did they have an easy start?
9. What were they missing at first?
10. How did they get through their rough start?
11. Did one of them have a son?
12. What do they say true pleasure is?
13. Are they friends or just tolerate each other?
14. What did one of them grieve for that was hard?
15. What was his name?