阅读下面的短文，请根据各部分要求作答。

On a Friday evening in December, two weeks before Christmas, I lost my job. I hadn’t seen it coming. I was excited for the weekend, when my daughter, Kristil, then 12, and I planned to get our Christmas tree. Then I listened to my voicemail. “We’re sorry, madame, but your work assignment has ended as of today.” My heart sank.

My paycheck was what our survival relied on. I did everything I could to give Kristil a good life, but there were some things my love couldn’t fix. The next day as we searched for our tree, I struggled to be cheerful as I eyed the Christmas tree prices. Kristil noticed I was worried and I told her I had lost my job. She wanted to give me the $100 that Grandma gave her, but I refused.

Monday morning, I dropped Kristil at school and set off on my money-making pursuits. I headed to the pawnshop (当铺) with a gold ring my mother had given me, and they gave me $70. Next was the antiques store. I sold six Precious Moments statuettes for $150. I ended the day $220 richer.

Over the next week, I furiously (猛烈地) applied for jobs as my bank account grew smaller. I felt as if the world was closing in on me. On a weekend afternoon, I dropped Kristil in a wealthy gated community for a birthday party. I drove home defeated.

Back at home, I glanced out the window. It had been snowing all morning. I noticed a small woman struggling to open her car door against the wind. As she got out, I realized it was my old professor, Sister Esther. I hadn’t seen her since we’d met for lunch three months ago. I’d first met Sister Esther 10 years earlier, when I was her student at Edgewood College. After I graduated, Sister Esther kept in touch, meeting me for lunch every few months. I had grown to love her like family. I rushed to the front of my building. “What are you doing out in this weather?” I asked as we hugged.

Sister Esther said she called my office and knew I wasn’t working there anymore, so she came to see me. Upon arriving, she told me urgently, “Hearing the news that you were fired from the work, I felt greatly worried.” While saying, she handed me a Christmas card and an unexpected gift.

【小题1】根据文本内容从方框中选择恰当的词并用其正确形式填入文本图示中，每词(词组)限用一次，有两词为多余选项。

unprepared       inform       anxious       approach       eager       optimistic turn down       true       measure       disappoint       expect       resist
When Christmas was ________, I was ________ of unemployment.		I felt shocked and ________ for the change.

When we were picking our tree, my daughter Kristil sensed something was wrong and I told her the ________. She offered to help but I________.

I struggled to be in a good mood for Christmas but only expressed my ________.

In order to relieve financial pressure, I took some ________.

I ________ wanted to be reemployed, but the reality made me ________.

My college professor Sister Esther came to visit me after hearing that I no longer worked in my old office.

I hadn’t ________her coming and I rushed out to meet her in high spirits.

请根据文本回答下面的问题。
【小题2】What did the author do to relieve financial pressure?
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【小题3】Why did Sister Esther come to visit the author?
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【小题4】What might the unexpected gift be? And how would the author feel?
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