3.Teachers and students agree – a gap year is a unique experience that can ____1____ your life forever. Gap years usually____2____when a student leaves schools in June and last ____3____ they start higher education in October of the following year. Prince William’s decision to have a gap year in Patagonia was typical of ____4____ people in the UK – they take a____5____ from studying and see some of the world ____6____ going on to university or____7____. It’s ____8____ opportunity to enjoy a bit of adventure, travel, maybe ____9____ some work experience or spend some time ____10____ other people.

这道题考查的是连词在时间状语从句中的用法。 **1. 语境分析** 句子前半部分提到：“Gap years usually ____2____ when a student leaves schools in June...”（间隔年通常始于学生六月离校时……） 句子后半部分是：“...and last ____3____ they start higher education in October of the following year.”（……并持续____3____他们在次年十月开始高等教育。） 这里的关键词是 **last**（持续）。我们需要填入一个词来连接“持续”这个动作和“开始高等教育”这个时间点，表示这种状态一直延续到某个时刻为止。 **2. 选项辨析** * **A. so that**：意为“以便，为了”，引导目的状语或结果状语从句。放入句中意思不通顺，“持续到以便他们开始大学”逻辑错误。 * **B. but**：意为“但是”，表示转折关系。这里前后分句没有转折意味，而是时间上的延续关系。 * **C. until**：意为“直到……为止”，常与延续性动词（如 last, stay, wait, live 等）连用，表示动作或状态持续到某一时间点结束。 **3. 结论** 句意是：间隔年通常从学生六月离校开始，一直**持续到**次年十月他们开始高等教育为止。 因此，**until** 符合语境和语法要求。 故正确答案为 **C**。