Nate suffered a hard blow when he lost his job. His boss had spoken rudely, “Your services are no longer needed.”Nate left the building filled with despair. By the time he reached home, he was in deep sadness. When he entered his house, he blurted out to his wife Sophia,“I lost my job. I am a complete, utter failure.”A tense silence followed. Then a smile crept across Sophia’s face.“What great news!”she responded.“Now you can write the book you have always wanted to write.”

    “But I have no job and no prospect of a job,”he objected, completely without hope. “If I struggle to be an author, then what will we live on? Where will the money come from?”

    Sophia took her husband by the hand and led him to the kitchen. Opening a drawer, she took out a box that was full of cash.“Where on earth did you get this?” Nate gasped.“To whom does it belong?”

    “It’s ours!” Sophia replied.“I always knew that one day you would become a great writer if only you were given the chance. From the money you gave me for housekeeping every week, I have saved as much as I could so you would have your chance. Now there is enough to last us a whole year.”

    What a surprise! What encouragement! What a wife! The unemployed husband did concentrate on writing that year, and the novel he wrote became a literary masterpiece（文学名著）. The book is The Scarlet Letter. Sophia had an even greater achievement, and she turned Nathaniel Hawthorne from a poor clerk into a world famous master.

1.What would be the best title for the passage?

    A. Sophia’s achievement                 B. A great writer’s struggle to success

    C. Great encouragement in hard times                  D. Failure is the mother of success

2.The underlined sentence in the first paragraph seems to tell us that __________.

    A. Sophia was very disappointed to hear the news

    B. Nate was too sad to speak any more

    C. Sophia was thinking of how to encourage Nate

    D. both husband and wife had no idea what to do

3.Sophia saved money because __________.

    A. she knew her husband would lose his job one day

    B. she knew their life would be in difficulty

    C. she was very careful with money

    D. she was trying to help her husband in every possible way

4.From the passage we learn that Sophia was __________.

    A. kind and brave                        B. careful and encouraging

    C. helpful and warm-hearted              D. clever and determined

 

       I worked as a manager in a company for a number of years. I liked my job, and was doing well there, but our company was bought by a large company and most of the managers at our place lost their jobs. That was when I decided to do something I’d always wanted to do---become a freelance(自由撰稿的) writer. Changing professions has meant that my lifestyle has changed in a number of ways.

       The main difference for me now is that I have a much more flexible( 灵活的) schedule. I work about as much as I did before---between 45 and 50 hours a week---but my schedule is much less rigid (刻板的) than it used to be. Before, I worked from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, with a few extra hours on weekends. Now, however, I work when I feel like it. For instance, sometimes I work until midnight or 2 a.m., then sleep until noon. I really prefer this kind of schedule. It seems more natural to me.

       I alse decided that it was about time I began to pay more attention to my health. While I was working as a manager, I never exercised. I already felt tired after work, so I just came home in the evening and watched TV. However, last year I joined a health club and began to do regular exercise. As a result I have lost over 10 pounds and I feel much better. I’ve also started to eat more healthfully. I used to eat a lot of fast food, but now I do my own shopping. I buy lots of fruits and vegetables and cook them at home.

       Of course, not all the changes have been that east. For example, I don’t feel as safe financially as I used to. When I was working as a manager, I never worried much about money. I could always count on getting my paycheck every two weeks. Working freelance, I don’t have a regular paycheck. So now I have to make sure that there’s enough money until the next check arrives.

       All in all, I really like my current lifestyle. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll never want to have a “regular” job. But for me, at least, it suits me.

71.  The author decided to become a freelance writer because ________.

       A. he had always liked writing                B. he hadn’t liked to work in the company

       C. the boss didn’t like him                            D. the boss had another person to do the job

72.  What is the main difference the job change brought to the author?

       A. That he doesn’t need to work hard.        

B. That he can earn much more money.

       C. That he can change his schedule as he likes.  

D. That he can watch TV as long as he likes.

73.  What is his chief problem now?

       A. He has no job to do.

       B. He must work harder than before.

       C. His health has changed worse than before.

       D. He has to worry about money.

74.  At the end of the passage, the author indicates that ________.

       A. he wants to have a regular job

       B. he is not going to change his lifestyle in the near future

       C. he wants to change his lifestyle in the near future

       D. he must change his job to earn more money.

75.  Which of the following is True according to the passage?

       A. The author likes to work in the company very much.

       B. The author’s lifestyle has changed in a number of ways.

       C. The author doesn’t like to do exercise.

       D. The author does want to change his job to earn more money.

.

第二部分 阅读理解（共分两节,满分45分）

阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Nate suffered a hard blow when he lost his job. His boss had spoken rudely, “Your services are no longer needed.”Nate left the building filled with despair. By the time he reached home, he was in deep sadness. When he entered his house, he blurted out to his wife Sophia,“I lost my job. I am a complete, utter failure.”A tense silence followed. Then a smile crept across Sophia’s face.“What great news!”she responded.“Now you can write the book you have always wanted to write.”

       “But I have no job and no prospect of a job,”he objected, completely without hope. “If I struggle to be an author, then what will we live on? Where will the money come from?”

       Sophia took her husband by the hand and led him to the kitchen. Opening a drawer, she took out a box that was full of cash.“Where on earth did you get this?” Nate gasped.“To whom does it belong?”

       “It’s ours!” Sophia replied.“I always knew that one day you would become a great writer if only you were given the chance. From the money you gave me for housekeeping every week, I have saved as much as I could so you would have your chance. Now there is enough to last us a whole year.” ^*

       What a surprise! What encouragement! What a wife! The unemployed husband did concentrate on writing that year, and the novel he wrote became a literary masterpiece（文学名著）. The book is The Scarlet Letter. Sophia had an even greater achievement, and she turned Nathaniel Hawthorne from a poor clerk into a world famous master.

41. What would be the best title for the passage?

       A. Sophia’s achievement              B. A great writer’s struggle to success

       C. Great encouragement in hard times         D. Failure is the mother of success

42. The underlined sentence in the first paragraph seems to tell us that __________.

      A. Sophia was very disappointed to hear the news

       B. Nate was too sad to speak any more

       C. Sophia was thinking of how to encourage Nate

       D. both husband and wife had no idea what to do

43. Sophia saved money because __________.

       A. she knew her husband would lose his job one day

       B. she knew their life would be in difficulty

       C. she was very careful with money

       D. she was trying to help her husband in every possible way

44. From the passage we learn that Sophia was __________.

       A. kind and brave                 B. careful and encouraging

       C. helpful and warm-hearted        D. clever and determined