Question

Losing a job is considered one of the five most stressful life changes you can experience. Those who have been there say it feels like being robbed of your identity and is as painful as the loss of a loved one.

It may be hard to believe at first, but finally you can use this experience as your advantage—to find another, perhaps even better job, to strengthen your relationship with your family, and to make some much-needed changes in your life. Here are three essential steps.

Step1 Get emotional support. Because it’s easy to feel uneasy and vulnerable（脆弱), turning to others is the key to making a smooth transition(过渡). You’ll need people who will listen and provide a safe place for you to cry, or to express your fears and concerns.

Don’t go it alone. It takes courage to ask for help, and yet, help may be what you need most to move forward.

Step2 Seek professional guidance. Getting assistance from a recruiter（招聘人员) or career adviser will not only help you value your experience and improve your skills, it also will ensure that you put your best foot forward. Once again, your local unemployment office should have helpful resources.

If possible, try not to let fear cause you to grab the first new job you’re offered (unless it’s the right one). Give yourself time to explore different choices.

Step3 Consolidate family ties. Meet with family members to openly discuss your feelings. Listen carefully without interrupting one another, and give everyone a turn to speak. When a man I know did this with his family, his wife agreed to leave the job search planning to him and his outplacement adviser. In turn, he agreed to keep her informed about the process on a weekly basis. When you keep the lines of communication open, you can build stronger relationships.

Once you’ve got a new job, create your own security. Keep your resume up-to-date, stay in touch with recruiters about the job market, and constantly improve your skills to stay marketable in your field.

Although being laid-off can turn your life upside down, many people say that it gave them push they needed to start a new life!

1.What’s the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A. To ask the family for help.

B. To stay in touch with recruiters in your field.

C. To deal with the hurt from losing a job.

D. To keep your resume up-to-date.

2.The underlined title “Consolidate family ties” probably means “________”.

A. find another better job for your family

B. strengthen your relationship with your family

C. make some much-needed changes in your family

D. create your own security to your family

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Losing a job is stressful but is not so painful as the loss of a loved one.

B. Turning to others is the main key to obtaining deepest sympathy.

C. Asking for a career adviser will help you and improve your skills.

D. Keeping the lines of communication open can end your relationships.

4.We can infer from the passage that the author is most likely to ____________.

A. be a life coach

B. be a keeper of family ties

C. memorize his or her loved one

D. work in an employment agency

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.C

4.A

【解析】

试题分析：失业对一些人来说是件痛苦的事，但又是新的开始。作者为快速摆脱失业的痛苦提供了几点建议。

1. 推理判断题。根据第二段you can use this experience as your advantage—to find another, perhaps even better job, to strengthen your relationship with your family, and to make some much-needed changes in your life. Here are three essential steps.可知，作者的写作目的是帮助人们从失业的痛苦中摆脱出来，A、B、D只是其中的某方面并不全面，C较完整，故选C。

2. 猜测词义题。根据本段开头Meet with family members to openly discuss your feelings.和结尾When you keep the lines of communication open, you can build stronger relationships.可知，本段讲有困难多和家人交流商量共度难关，这样会加强和家人的关系。故选B。

3. 细节理解题。根据第一段it feels like being robbed of your identity and is as painful as the loss of a loved one.可知，A错误；根据第三段turning to others is the key to making a smooth transition(过渡).可知，B错误；根据第五段Getting assistance from a recruiter（招聘人员) or career adviser will not only help you value your experience and improve your skills,可知C正确；根据倒数第三段When you keep the lines of communication open, you can build stronger relationships.可知，D错误。故选C.

4. 推理判断题。通过文中给出来的建议及论述内容可知，作者很可能是个生活教练，故选A。

考点：考查社会生活类短文阅读。

【名师点睛】

关于词义猜测题

做这种类型的题，要根据词、词组、句子所在的语境上下文来判断其意义。因此熟练掌握一些猜词技巧是做好这类题的关键。命题者在出这类题时惯用常规词义来麻痹考生，我们要特别注意熟词生义，切不可脱离语境主观臆断。

下面结合文本及近几年高考试题，对词义猜测的技巧加以解读。

1.根据定义或上下文解释进行猜测

有时短文中出现一个需要猜测其意义的词或短语，下面接着出现其定义或解释，这就是判断该词或短语意义的主要依据。例如：It will be very hard but also very brittle—that is, it will break easily.从后面that is(也就是说)的解释中我们可以了解到brittle 是“脆”的意思。如文章第28小题此处指拥抱这种温暖的感觉能避开压力保护免疫系统。划线词语ward off是“避开，阻挡”之意，与C项同义故选C.

2.根据同位关系进行猜测

阅读中出现的难词有时后面紧跟一个同位语，对前面的词进行解释，这时可利用同位关系对前面或后面的词义或句意进行猜测。例如：The “Chunnel”, a tunnel(隧道) connecting England and France, is now complete.此句中a tunnel connecting England and France是Chunnel的同位语。因此，The “Chunnel”就是英法之间的海底隧道。

3.根据构词法(前缀、后缀、复合、派生等)进行猜测

在英语中，有很多词可以在前面加前缀，在后面加后缀，从而构成一个词，乍看起来，这个词可能是新词，但掌握了一定的构词知识，就不难猜出它的词义。例如：“Our parties are aimed for children 2 to 10,” Anaclerio said, “and they’re very interactive and creative in that they built a sense of drama based on a subject.”文中interactive是由前缀inter-(相互的)和active(活动的，活跃的)而构成的，同时根据上下文的意思可以判断，该词的含义应是“互动的”。

4.根据转折或对比关系进行猜测

根据上下句的连接词，如but, however, otherwise等就可以看到前后句在意义上的差别，从而依据某一句的含义，来确定另一句的含义。另外，分号也可以表示转折、对比或不相干的意义。例如：A child’s birthday party doesn’t have to be a hassle; it can be a basket of fun.从前后两句的意思可以看出，hassle和a basket of fun肯定是近乎相反的意义。所以不难判断hassle的意思是“困难，麻烦”。