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.

阅读下面短文,并用英语句子回答问题(请注意问题后的字数要求)10分）

Words can hurt

I remember the pain most vividly. My stomach was sick, my heart hurt, and my eyes stung(刺痛的) from holding back tears.

“you know, Autumn,” my friend Nick said, “Lisa and Andrea were just talking about you.” I immediately got nervous. “They said that the only reason you start on the basketball team is because the coach （教练）likes you .It’s not because you’re good.” I might be sick. “They said they’re tired of you always getting what you want.”

I struggled to keep myself from crying, sinking（下沉） to my knees on the cold floor. After Nick told me everything my supposed best friends said about me, I was hurt.

Lisa and Andrea came in from lunch break acting as if nothing had happened . Lisa was still my deskmate, and Andrea was still my partner for our history project.

I was amazed at their ability to pretend we had the perfect friendship, especially since they’d said such hurtful things.

I was a freshman in high school, and I felt like I didn’t have a friend in the world, all because of a rumor（谣言）.

The tongue can be our worst enemy. Rumors harm confidence（信心） and separate close friends. They are like sharp knives, cutting one’s dignity（尊严） into pieces. When we say unkind things about others, we’re thrusting(插) knives into their hearts.

So how was I to act next? When Lisa and Andrea pretended our friendship hadn’t changed, I thought of attacking them back. But instead, I told them directly that they had hurt me. Lisa started crying and Andrea was speechless. I know they were both sorry for what they had said. They apologized, and I forgave them with grace(优雅). Sure, things were a little awkward(尴尬) at first, but soon enough everything was back to the way it had been before.

I still deal with gossip（流言）, sometimes as a recipient（接受者） and sometimes as a participant（参与者）. But the more I learn about love, the more I realize the importance of encouraging others- sometimes gossip never does.

1.What word can exchange the underlined word in para1?

______________________________________________________

2.Why was the author hurt in the passage?(within 10words)

________________________________________________________

3.Which sentence in the passage is closest in meaning to the following one?

“I frankly told them that their rumor had made me painful.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

4.What did her friends do at last when they heard the author’s frank speech?(within 5 words)

________________________________________________________

5.Use one sentence to describe the author’s character.（within 10 words）

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Early this morning, I got up to make a batch of Rice Krispie Treats for my neighbor across the hall. She barely greets me when we see each other, and her sweet little boy, who's now four,  has picked up her mother's manner and will not talk to me, either．
Last Monday, she had called the firefighters when a pan I'd forgotten on the stove caused my flat to fog up while I was out taking a walk. When I came home, the street in front of our apartment house was blocked by a police car, a fire truck and an ambulance! The instant I saw them, I remembered the pan! Luckily, nothing serious had happened, and all my neighbors agreed with the firefighter who said, "It could have happened to anyone．" When I thanked the neighbor who had called the firefighters-let's call her Ivy-and apologized for causing the trouble, she just asked if my cats were all right．When I said they were fine, she said, "Well, that's ok then," and turned into her flat．l felt strangely safe, knowing that even though we don't get along, she'd done the right thing and didn't blame me．So, the Rice Krispie Treats．
Last Christmas, my neighbor carelessly let it out that she was holding a grudge （怨恨） towards me because of an incident we'd had four years ago．I had particularly apologized and asked if there was anything I could do to improve our relationship. She would not accept my apology．
It had taken me a lot of courage to apologize and ask that question instead of insisting that we both shared responsibility for what had happened．Her flat-out refusal to make amends（补偿） really shocked and saddened me．After that, I decided I'd just leave her be-a relationship takes two to work．So, you see, I was really scared she was going to refuse my offer again, leaving me standing on her doorstep, facing the closed door and holding my plate of treats． I know some people have a hard time understanding how the possibility of rejection can make an adult so afraid, but that's just the way I felt．
Then, I reminded myself of how loving and good I had felt yesterday when I'd done some random acts of kindness （thanks to helpothers．org）, after telling myself: Feet the fear,  and do it anyway! So I put the squares of Rice Krispie Treats on a beautiful plate, opened my apartment  door-and there she was, standing in the hallway．I smiled and said, "Hi," but when she saw me, she turned on her heels and went back inside, even though she seemed to have just stepped out．I went after her, regardless, and quickly said, "I'm sorry, I've got something for you ! I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you were paying attention on Monday．" When she heard me speaking, she turned around． As I held the plate towards her, explaining these were very sweet American treats, and that she could just try and see whether she and her family would like them, her eyebrows winged up-and she took the plate．l was so happy and excited．We then talked a bit about how she'd become aware of the smoke in my flat, and parted ways．
Back in my place, I did a "happy dance", because I had dared to be kind even though I hadn't been sure at all my kindness would be welcome．I do hope that our relationship will slowly get better; I know I was and still am biased（存有偏见）towards her at times, but even if we don't make amends, I want to be able to be kind without depending on other people's behaviors and reactions .
【小题1】The neighbor held a grudge towards the writer most probably because_____．

A．the writer's cats disturb her neighbor frequently

B．the writer didn't thank her for calling the firefighters

C．the writer never apologized to her for her misbehaviors

D．the writer had an unpleasant experience with the neighbor long ago

【小题2】 From Paragraph 4, we can learn that the author_____.

A．was afraid of being rejected again by her neighbor

B．didn't know how to get along with her neighbor

C．didn't admit it was her fault in the last incident

D．refused to forgive her neighbor's rude behavior

【小题3】 After the writer said "Feel the fear, and do it anyway!", she decided to_____.

A．do an act of kindness

B．leave her neighbor be

C．apologize to her neighbor once more

D．do something to let her neighbor down

【小题4】What can we learn about the writer?

A．She was a professional dancer．

B．She often had quarrels with her neighbor．

C．She had a bias against her neighbor sometimes．

D．She had an unpleasant experience at Christmas this year．

【小题5】 What does the author try to tell us?

A．Don't punish yourself because of other's mistakes．

B．We should be kind to others, regardless of their behavior．

C．We must keep a good relationship with our neighbors．

D．When we make a mistake, we should have the courage to admit it．