When the shooting of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was complete, it was much more than a movie wrap-up (结束).
Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley, told The Sunday Times that he’s happy to have the time for romance now filming is over. Emma Watson, who is Hermione Granger in the movies, said she looked forward to “finally being free, being my own person” – a change signaled by her new haircut.
Daniel Radcliffe, who has been the face of the boy wizard since 2001, said that he “did cry like a little girl” when the last movie finished.
“It’s like the ending of a relationship,” he told The Vancouver Sun. “There’s a sense of, ‘God, what am I going to do now?’” He said he was eager to see “what life holds for him beyond Hogwarts”.
Along with the three actors, Harry Potter fans, now in their late teens, came of age with J.K. Rowling’s characters. For them, the last film isn’t just a goodbye to a decade of magic, but the close of their childhoods.
“We are the Harry Potter generation,” Canadian Andrea Hill, 19, told The Vancouver Sun. “We started in elementary school, reading about a boy our age who was going through the same things we were going through. We grew up, so did he.”
For Emily Chahal, an 18-year-old student, the series has been an inspiring journey. “That first book was what started my love of literature. It was the inspiration for everything – really teaching me to appreciate my friends, and to face difficulties with a sense of courage,” she said. “I have a sense of sadness. The end of the movies is kind of the end of my childhood, too.”
Fortunately, to the delight of die-hard fans, there are many things that keep the boy wizard alive. For example, in June this year, a Harry Potter theme park opened in Florida, US.
Some schools in the US and UK also have Quidditch teams – players ride broomsticks. “We’re not waiting anymore to see what happens to Harry next,”
Hill told The Vancouver Sun. She founded a Quidditch club at Carleton University in Canada. “We’re still engaged in that magical world.”.
How did Emma Watson feel when she finished the shooting of the Harry Potter series?
| A．She cried like a little girl. |
| B．She was ready to move onto something new. |
| C．She was happy to have the time for romance. |
| D．She felt it was like the end of a relationship. |
.
. What did Daniel Radcliffe mean by saying he was eager to see “what life holds for him beyond Hogwarts”?
| A．He was bored with life in Hogwarts. |
| B．He couldn’t wait to graduate from Hogwarts. |
| C．He missed life in Hogwarts now he had left. |
| D．He was looking forward to new life out of Hogwarts. |
.
. The series has brought Emily Chahal all the following EXCEPT _______.
| A．the chance to live in a magical world |
| B．the courage to face difficulties |
| C．the appreciation of her friends |
| D．encouragement to love literature |
.
What is the main focus of the article?
| A．Celebration of the close of childhood. |
| B．Fans’ love for the Harry Potter series. |
| C．Mixed feelings about the end of the series. |
| D．Excited anticipation of the opening of the Harry Potter theme park. |
EBay will launch an online group gift-buying service today designed to make it easier for several people to chip in, buy and pay for gifts using their social-network and e-mail contacts．
EBay North America Vice President Christopher Payne says it is going to be a major step forward in social commerce, which is the still-small practice of selling products through social networks．Online retail experts aren't as certain, but eBay says the new tool makes it easier for friends and relatives to chip in （凑钱） for gifts because it eliminates the headache of collecting contributions．It can also be used for family members to pitch in to buy, say, an expensive child seat for a mother．
Anything on eBay that's available immediately, rather than up for bid, can be purchased this way starting today at groupgifts．eBay．com．If members of an extended family wanted to buy a gift for one member, one person would choose a gift — or have one recommended by eBay — and invite family members to chip in using Facebook or e-mail．Those who wanted to join in would choose an amount to contribute （or agree to pay a requested amount） and pay using either PayPal or a credit card．They could also add a personal note．
If enough people don't chip in, the organizer can ask people to contribute more or choose a less expensive gift．
"I see myself using this most in cases when I typically might not buy someone what they want because of price," says Nitzan Shaer of Boston, who was part of an online test of the site．
EBay, with its 200 million products, millions of sellers and mobile commerce proficiency, is a logical place to pull together the products, groups of buyers and payment tools, Payne says．
At least 12 sites, such as FrumUs．com and eDivvy．com, facilitate （便于,利于） group purchases but don't sell products．Although a handful of retailers, including Victoria's Secret and 1-800-Flowers, sell products through Facebook, Payne says he expects social commerce will take off as rapidly as shopping using mobile devices．EBay did more than $600 million in sales on mobile devices last year and expects mobile sales to increase to $1．5 billion this year．
Although one in five consumers surveyed said they'd used Facebook for shopping in the past year, 88% said they would not be buying holiday gifts through a social network, mobile phone or smartphone．Of these, 26% were reluctant because of security or privacy concerns, and 20% were unclear about the benefits of using phones or Facebook to shop．What procedure should be followed if your extended family intends to buy your grandpa an 80th birthday gift?
①Asking family members to contribute more money if enough members don’t chip in
②Choosing a gift at groupgifts．eBay．com
③Paying using PayPal or a credit card
④Contributing or agreeing to pay a requested amount of money via Facebook or e-mail
| A．②-①-③-④ | B．①-③-②-④ |
| C．②-④-①-③ | D．②-③-④-① |
Where can we most probably read this text?
| A．In a research paper | B．In a travel magazine |
| C．In a microblog | D．On a website |
What does “it” mean in the 2nd paragraph?
| A．The online group gift-buying service |
| B．People’s social-network and e-mail contacts |
| C．A major step forward in social commerce |
| D．The still-small practice of selling products through social networks |
It can be inferred from the text that ______．
| A．through eBay’s new tool, 200 million products on eBay are available to online shoppers |
| B．social commerce can eliminate the headache of collecting contributions |
| C．eBay’s new tool will gain mass adoption by online shoppers |
| D．with the help of eBay’s new tool, FrumUs．com and eDivvy．com will also sell products |
Why do 33% of the households in the USA have cats? And how do you explain why there are 16 million more pet cats than dogs? Yes, kittens are adorable （讨人喜欢的）．Yes, they can grow up to be good mousers and are very entertaining to watch．And yes, cats are independent and don't require as much care as dogs．But research shows cats can also be caretakers for us and our families, improve our health and teach us and our children to be kinder, gentler souls．
Theodora Wesselman is 94 and has lived the past two years with her elderly cat, Cleo, at TigerPlace, a retirement community in Columbia, Mo．Their enduring friendship is a classic example of how humans and animals can become family and look out for each other．
Wesselman visits other residents, and her children stop by, but Cleo is her best friend, she says．They've been together nearly 21 years．
"She sleeps on her own pillow right beside mine," Wesselman says．"In the morning, she pecks on my cheek to wake me up．It's really sweet．I pet her, tell her I love her and take her to the kitchen to prepare her food．"
Research shows that being able to care for a pet improves our morale （士气;精神状态）, helps validate us and encourages us to take care of ourselves, says Rebecca Johnson, director of the University of Missouri's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction．The body of research is leading more retirement communities and universities to roll out the welcome mat for pets．According to the context, where do you think the sentence “They start and end the day together” should appear in the passage?
| A．Between para．1 and para．2 | B．Between para．2 and para．3 |
| C．Between para．3 and para．4 | D．Between para．4 and para．5 |
Which of the following words best describe the author’s attitude towards keeping pet cats?
| A．Favorable | B．Critical | C．Reserved | D．Doubtful |
Why does the author take 94-year-old Theodora Wesselman as an example in the passage?
| A．To show that the elderly like Theodora Wesselman in the USA have pet cats． |
| B．To suggest to what degree humans and pet cats can be caretakers for each other． |
| C．Because Theodora Wesselman has been living with a pet cat for the past two years． |
| D．Because Theodora Wesselman pets her cat Cleo and tells her she loves her． |
What does “to roll out the welcome mat for pets” in the last paragraph imply?
| A．To give a special welcome to pets． |
| B．To make the welcome mat flat on the ground for pets． |
| C．To open out the welcome mat for pets to sleep． |
| D．To wrap the welcome mat to make room for pets． |
WASHINGTON — President Obama and his wife, Michelle, handed out Halloween treats to area children and military families at the White House Sunday evening．
Local students between 6 and 14 years old, along with children from military families, were invited to celebrate Halloween on the North Lawn．
The president and first lady, along with Mrs．Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, spent about 30 minutes passing out goodie bags．Obama wished each child a happy Halloween as he distributed the treats, pausing occasionally for hugs or to comment on costumes．
Later, the military families continued the celebration inside the White House．
The first couple joked to assembled reporters about children walking the long driveway in order to work off （消化掉） the snacks．"This is the Let's Move method of trick-or-treating （不给糖就捣蛋）," Obama said, referring to Mrs．Obama's campaign to combat childhood obesity （肥胖）．
The goodie bags contained a box of White House M&Ms, a cookie made by pastry chef （点心师） Bill Yosses, and dried fruit．
As they made their way across the lawn, the children meet a vast range of costumed characters ranging from a spooky Frankenstein （科学怪人,小说《弗兰肯斯坦》的主角） to the Scarecrow from "The Wizard of Oz．" Music from a jazz band dressed in pirate gear rang out across the White House grounds．
Multicolored pumpkins and gourds lined the driveway — individually, in gravity-defying stacks and as part of a large mound over 5 feet tall．Pumpkin-headed scarecrows （稻草人） made of cornstalks loomed over the path with menacingly raised arms．Under the White House portico, a mobile resembling bats flying through clouds fluttered around a lantern．
Some of the local trick-or-treaters were students at Bancroft Elementary, which helps tend the first lady's White House garden, and Tubman Elementary, which has a relationship with the White House chefs．
After trick-or-treating ended, the Obamas stood near the front door, welcoming the military families inside, helping children climb the short flight of steps and thanking parents for their service．What is the news report mainly about?
| A．President Obama and first lady celebrated Halloween with children． |
| B．President Obama and his wife Michelle handed out Halloween treats to children． |
| C．Children from military families were invited to celebrate Halloween at the White House． |
| D．Trick-or-treaters met a vast range of costumed characters from Frankenstein to the Scarecrow． |
From the passage, we know that ______ do not necessarily appear when people celebrate Halloween．
| A．Goodie bags |
| B．Pumpkins and Gourds |
| C．White House M&Ms |
| D．Costumed characters |
When celebrating Halloween at the White House, the Obamas did the following EXCEPT______．
| A．Wishing each child a happy Halloween |
| B．Thanking reporters for their covering the event |
| C．Helping children climb the short flight of steps |
| D．Hugging children and commenting on their costumes |
The passage is mainly developed by ______．
| A．analyzing causes | B．making comparisons |
| C．examining differences | D．following the time order |
Jeffery Deaver looks more like a brainy villain （反派人物） in a James Bond movie than a "00" agent in Her Majesty's secret service．Best known for his thrillers starring criminalist （刑事专家） Lincoln Rhyme, Jeffery Deaver has a new mission: Bring Bond into the 21st century in a new 007 novel．
The yet-to-be-named book is cryptically （隐秘地） referred to as "Project X" by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd．, which owns the rights to Fleming's work．Most of the details surrounding Project X, to be published in May, are being kept under wraps, but under gentle coaxing （用好话劝诱） Deaver begins to spill his guts．"The novel," he says, "is set in the present day, in 2011．Bond is a young agent for the British secret service．He's 29 or 30 years old, and he's an Afghan war vet．" That in itself is big news．After all, if Bond were aging in real time — he first appeared on the screen in 1953 — the now doddering （老态龙钟的） 007 would be nearly 90．
But first up: a new stand-alone Deaver novel, Edge （Simon & Schuster, $26．99）, to be published Tuesday．It's about a federal agent who risks his life to protect a Washington police detective from a man hired to extract information from him using any means at his disposal （任由个人支配的）．
Sipping coffee while seated on a leather chair in a sitting room decorated with portraits of his dogs and show ribbons, the mild-mannered author who writes about murderers and serial killers talks about his career and the solid fan base that has allowed him to pursue writing full time since 1990．"I may not sell as many books as John Grisham（although he has sold a cool 20 million）, but I have a very loyal fan base," says Deaver, 60, who wrote some of his novels while working as a Wall Street lawyer．Deaver's initiation into the Bond family — more than 100 million 007 novels have sold worldwide — could significantly raise his profile （知名度）．
Other novelists have written Bond novels since Ian Fleming's death in 1964 — including Kingsley Amis, John Gardner and, most recently, Sebastian Faulks — but they all took place in the original era．Deaver is taking a new approach．"There's no more Cold War to fight," says Deaver, so his new Bond, of the Fleming estate, will fight "post-9/11 evil．" "I want to stay true to the original James Bond, who many people don't know much about," he says, referring to the secret agent Fleming portrayed in 14 novels, and not the movie Bond．"People know Daniel Craig, they know Pierce Brosnan, they know Roger Moore and Sean Connery, all of whom brought a great deal to the stories of 007．But the original Bond was a very dark, edgy （另类的） character．"Which of the following is NOT true about Jeffery Deaver?
| A．Jeffery Deaver is a "00" agent in Her Majesty's secret service in a James Bond movie． |
| B．Jeffery Deaver was working as a lawyer while he wrote some novels about murderers and serial killers． |
| C．It is the loyal fan base that has allowed Jeffery Deaver to keep on writing since 1990． |
| D．Jeffery Deaver is best known for his thrillers rather than for 007 novels． |
Which statement best explains the meaning of “spill his guts” in Paragraph 2?
| A．Tell others what he knows about the yet-to-be-named 007 novel． |
| B．Tell others everything he knows about Ian Fleming Publications Ltd．． |
| C．Have the courage to talk about the 007 agent James Bond． |
| D．Have the determination to talk about "Project X"． |
Who was the author of 007 novels?
| A．Jeffery Deaver | B．Ian Fleming |
| C．John Grisham | D．Kingsley Amis |
What do you know about the new 007 novel from the passage?
| A．The book to be published in May is named "Project X" by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd．． |
| B．The book is about a federal agent risking his life to protect a Washington police detective． |
| C．The book features a young James Bond, an Afghan war vet working for the British secret service． |
| D．The book features a young James Bond who fights Cold War． |
Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them．Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there’s no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment．You only have to share your children’s curiosity．Firstly, listen to their questions．I once visited a classroom of seven－year－olds to talk about science as a job．The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary and whether I liked my job．When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence．Finally I said, “Now that we’re finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”
After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “Have you ever seen a grasshopper （蚱蜢） eat? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache．Why?”
This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours．
Secondly, give them time to think．Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think．When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical, complete and creative answers．
Thirdly, watch your language．Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “Very good”．These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior．But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over．Instead, keep things going by saying, “That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before”, or coming up with more questions or ideas．
Never push a child to “Think”．It doesn’t make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling them to．What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance．The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target for your disagreement．
Lastly, show; don’t tell．Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program．Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass, and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner．Rather than saying that water evaporates, set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop．According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults ______．
| A．ask them to answer quickly |
| B．wait for one or two seconds after a question |
| C．tell them to answer the next day |
| D．wait at least for three seconds after a question |
In which of the following paragraph（s） does the author tell us what to say to encourage children in a science discussion?
| A．The second and third． | B．The fourth and fifth． |
| C．The fifth and sixth． | D．The seventh． |
In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word “lists” could best be replaced by
| A．any questions | B．any problems |
| C．questions from textbooks | D．any number of questions |
The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children’s curiosity EXCEPT that adults should ______．
| A．tell their children stories instead of reciting facts |
| B．offer their children chances to see things for themselves |
| C．be patient enough when their children answer questions |
| D．encourage their children to ask questions of their own |
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