Joanne Rowling, born on 31 July 1965, is an English fiction writer who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, which has gained international attention, won multiple awards, and sold over 375 million copies worldwide.
JK Rowling's new novel arrives with the high drama and state secrecy of a royal birth. Its due date is announced in February, and in April the disclosure of its title, The Casual Vacancy, makes international news. The release of the cover image in July commands headlines again, and Fleet Street (英国媒体) commissions (委托) a "design guru" to analyze its mysterious artistic beauty, in search of clues as to what might lie within. Waterstones (英国连锁书店) predicts the novel will be " the bestselling fiction title this year". Literary critics begin to publish preliminary (初步的) reviews, revealing what they think they will think about a book they have not yet even read.
I am required to sign more legal documents than would typically be involved in buying a house before I am allowed to read The Casual Vacancy, under tight security in the London offices of Little, Brown. Even the publishers have been forbidden to read it, and they give me the manuscript carefully, religiously, as though handling a priceless Ming vase. Afterwards, I am instructed never to disclose the address of Rowling's Edinburgh office where the interview will take place.
In the 15 years since she published her first Harry Potter, Rowling has become both universally known and almost unrecognizable. The untidy redhair who used to write in the cafes of Leith has slowly transformed into a shiny fashionable lady, one who is beyond recognition behind wealth and control. Once a penniless single mother, she became the first person on earth to make $ 1 billion by writing books, but her rare public appearances suggested a faint ice maiden quality.
Rowling is completely relaxed about this arrangement. Warm and energetic, quick to laugh, she chatters so freely that her publicist gets nervous and tells her to lower her voice. " Am I speaking too loud?" She doesn't look a bit concerned. "Well, I can't get passionate and whisper!" When I tell her I loved the book, her arms shoot up in celebration. "Oh my God! I'm so happy! That's so amazing to hear. Thank you so much! You've made me incredibly happy. Oh my God!" Anyone listening would take her for a debut author, meeting her first ever fan.
In a way, that's what she is. Rowling has written seven Harry Potter books, and sold more than 450m copies, but her first novel for adults is unlike them in every respect.
"Obviously I need to be in some form of vehicle to have a decent idea, " she laughs. Having dreamed up Potter on a train, "This time I was on a plane. And I thought: local election! And I just knew. I had that totally physical response you get to an idea that you know will work. It's a rush of adrenaline (肾上腺素), it's chemical. I had it with Harry Potter and I had it with this. So that's how I know. "The "design guru" in Paragraph 2 is probably __________.
| A．a publisher | B．a reader | C．a writer | D．an expert |
Why was the author required to sign so many legal documents before reading the book?
| A．Because it's a commercial secret before the book is published. |
| B．Because publishers are afraid the author is a commercial spy. |
| C．Because the author is so dishonest that publishers can't trust him. |
| D．Because the author is involved in buying a house. |
From the passage, we can learn the following facts about Rowling EXCEPT that __________.
| A．she used to write stories in the cafes. |
| B．she often makes public appearance after she is famous. |
| C．she was very poor before she became well-known. |
| D．she has become a wealthy lady with good quality. |
According to the interview with Rowling, we can infer that she is __________.
| A．aggressive and energetic | B．quiet and easygoing |
| C．enthusiastic and lovely | D．modest and shy |
The author writes the passage mainly to __________.
| A．introduce JK Rowling and her new book |
| B．describe great changes in JK Rowling |
| C．advocate readers to buy Harry Potter |
| D．tell readers the contents of the new book |
“What’s in a name?”According to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, there is not too much. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. ”But Shakespeare may have been wrong. In most cultures, names matter a great deal.
Americans choose names for their children with care. Parents usually think about the impression a name gives, not its meaning. Most Americans would consider a“Jennifer”more attractive than a “Bertha”, for example. The last name, or, surname, must also be considered when choosing a first and middle name. A name like Lester Chester Hester would sound poetic, but odd. Parents would avoid names that remind them of people they don’t like. On the other hand, people might name their children after a respected elderly relative or even a famous person. The popularity of certain names can change with each new generation. Names that were once common, like Fanny or Elmer, sound old-fashioned today. But other names—like John and David, Mary and Sarah—have stood the test of time and continue to be favorites.
People in America don’t always call their friends and relatives by their given names. Instead, they often use nicknames. Sometimes nicknames are short forms of a longer name. For instance, a girl named Elizabeth may be called Lisa, Beth or Betsy. As children grow up, they may decide for themselves which nickname they wish to be called. Some people just go by the initials of their first and middle names, like B. J. or R. C. And of course, people may call their children or their sweethearts other special nicknames. Often they have a “sweet” flavor, like Honey or Sugar. What’s in a name? A world of significance. So if you’re choosing an English name for yourself, take care to choose a good one. A made-up name could sound strange to native English 
speakers. And a translation of your Chinese name may not make an appropriate name, either. But a good name can leave a positive and lasting impression. As an American politician once said,“In real life, unlike in Shakespeare, the sweetness of the rose depends
upon the name it bears.”What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?
| A．People change names in order to be popular with the new generation. |
| B．Names will change by themselves in order to be popular. |
| C．Some names may no longer be popular among the new generation. |
| D．No names can stand the test of time. |
When choosing names, you should stick to the following principles except that _________.
| A．the impression a name gives is more important than its meaning |
| B．you can name after a well-known person |
| C．surname should be paid attention to |
| D．you can create a name that is special |
The word “initial” in paragraph 3 probably means .
| A．nickname | B．the first letter | C．short form | D．title |
The author will name a newly born baby girl .
| A．Bertha | B．Fanny | C．Yunyun | D．Elizabeth |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Names have great significance to Americans. |
| B．Names change when time goes by. |
| C．Chinese people should be careful when choosing their English names. |
| D．Roses smell sweet by any other name. |
In America, when people say “man’s best friend”, they don’t mean another person. Instead, they are talking about a lovely animal：A dog! These words show the friendship between people and animals. Dogs and other pets can give happiness to people’s lives. Some people think of their pets as their children. A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!
Animals can help people, too. Dogs can be taught to become the “eyes” for a blind person or “ears” for a deaf people. Scientists have found that pets help people live longer! They make people happier, too. Because of that, animals are brought into hospitals for “visit”.
Americans hold “Be-Kind-to-Animals Week” in the first week of May.
Pets shows are held during the week. Even if you don’t live in America, you, too, can do this. How? First, think about how animals make your life richer. If you have a pet, take more time this week to play with it. Remember to give it delicious food. Also, be sure to keep your pet from those unwanted babies.
If you don’t have a pet, be kind to animals around you. For example, if you see a street dog, don’t kick it or throw things at it. Instead, just leave it alone, or better yet, make friends with it. If others around you do bad things to an animal, try to stop them. As people, we must protect animals who can’t speak for themselves. “A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!” means that__________
| A．pets have the right to inherit (继承) money. |
| B．money can give pets happiness. |
| C．it’s the best way to spend money. |
| D．some pets are taken as children. |
Why are dogs brought to hospitals?
| A．Because they are ill and need to see doctors. |
| B．Because they can make the patients happier. |
| C．Because they can find out the problems of the patients. |
| D．Because doctors can do experiments on them. |
What’s the most popular activity in the “Be-Kind-to-Animals Week”?
| A．Holding a pet show in the week. |
| B．Playing with pets the whole week. |
| C．Cooking delicious food for pets. |
| D．Making friends with other people’s pets. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．A lot of people are interested in dogs. |
| B．Dogs can help people do many things. |
| C．Pets are lovely and need care and protection. |
| D．We have done a lot of things for pets. |
The words “man’s best friends” shows____________.
| A．the friendship between people. |
| B．the friendship between people and animals. |
| C．the friendship between animals. |
| D．the friendship between men and women |
Dear MSN,
I live in San Diego. I’m single and would like to meet people near me. Can I do this on the Internet?
Searching in San Diego
Dear Searching,
On the Internet, you could easily go looking for love in all the wrong places, but here are lots of great ways to meet singles near you.
The Web is a good place to start. MSN also has international sites for Europe, Australia and South America.
There are several California-based MSN web communities where you can meet like-minded people near you as well as city-specific chat rooms for real-time interaction (互动). Hope for some clever friends. What about a little more excitement in your online interactions? Try the “Gaming Zone!”
I also tried MSN Search, looked under the “Personal” heading and found “Relationships”. Clicked on that, then found “Ads & Personals”, by “Region” and found San Diego specific personal from there. Try it!
Also, give “IRC” (Internet Relay Chat) and “Usenet Newsgroups” a shot. Many a net romance has started and then developed in these off-the-Web communities. If you’d rather make friends F2F (face to face), the Web has some helpful dating and redating tips. Searching has written this letter with the purpose of ______________.
| A．getting help from MSN with his computer |
| B．winning the heart of a love from the web. |
| C．meeting single people online |
| D．looking for love in all the wrong places |
According to the second letter, MSN has several advantages such as _______________.
| A．shooting IRC and Usenet Newsgroups |
| B．giving you time and places to chat with others |
| C．satisfying you with whatever kind of help you want |
| D．supplying you with many methods to make friends |
From the second letter we can infer that MSN treats an ordinary reader so kindly and warmly because _______________.
| A．it is its duty to help those who have trouble with their computers |
| B．it needs to attract as many readers as possible so as to make greater benefit |
| C．it likes to see more net romances to share their happiness |
| D．all people need it and it needs all people |
Drink drivers could be prohibited from driving under the influence if new technology from Nissan is introduced.
The Japanese car maker has developed a new odor (气味) detection system designed to prevent drivers from operating a car if they are over the legal limit. The system works by using a series of sensors (传感器) to detect the level of alcohol the driver has consumed.
A high-sensitivity alcohol odor sensor is built into the gear stick (变速杆), which is able to detect the presence of the driver’s palm as he or she attempts to start driving. If the alcohol level detected is above a pre-determined limit, the system automatically locks the transmission(变速器), immobilizing the car. A voice alert is also issued via the car navigation system telling the driver that he or she is over the limit.
Extra sensors are also placed in the driver and passenger seats and a warning is issued if these sensors detect the presence of alcohol in the air inside the vehicle cabin.
While still in the developmental stage the concept of drink driving detectors being built into cars has generally been welcomed by many drivers.
Nissan said the technology is part of a project aimed at halving the number of fatalities (灾祸) and serious injuries in Nissan cars by 2015 compared to 2005 levels.The detection system works _______________.
| A．by detecting the smell of alcohol in the vehicle cabin |
| B．by measuring the volume of the alcohol in vehicle cabin |
| C．by detecting the weight of the school in the vehicle cabin |
| D．by using a car navigation system |
What do we know about the detection system?
| A．The detection system is still in the developmental stage. |
| B．The new technology from Nissan has been introduced. |
| C．The driving detectors are being built into cars. |
| D．The system has already been used in some car companies. |
The driver’s attitude toward the detection system is that of _______________.
| A．annoyance | B．welcome | C．unconcern | D．doubt |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Nissan will release drink-proof cars. |
| B．Traffic accidents will be decreased. |
| C．A project halving the number of accidents. |
| D．A new odor detection system. |
Have you ever been in a situation, where you felt uneasy because of something you think you may have forgotten to do or perhaps a feeling that you annoyed someone whom you wanted to get along with really well. If you have experienced such feelings and worse on a regular basis, then you most probably are a victim of anxiety attacks.
All of us, to some extent, have experienced anxiety at different levels. There are somethings you may know about anxiety, and some things that you may not be familiar with. So in order to be prepared for your unexpected feeling of anxiety, you need to get to know what anxiety is before it escalates into a panic attack.
Anxiety is simply the feeling of discomfort, uneasiness or fear of what may eventually happen resulting from an imagined, or a real threatening condition. On the extreme end panic attacks can occur due to heightened(增加) feelings of anxiety.
There are two main symptoms(症状) during an anxiety / panic attack and these are physical and emotional symptoms. Physical symptoms include difficulty in breathing, shaking, direct feeling of heat, rapid heartbeat and tiredness while emotional symptoms deal with worrying, depression, fear, and lack of focus.
In spite of the negative impression we have for anxiety, it is not dangerous in any way whatever. The feeling of anxiety is not bad, in fact it’s more of a defensive feeling which protects us from possible danger by engaging a response within us in fight or fight situations. So it’s not the “bad guy”, you just have to learn how to control it. Panic attacks, however, are far more dangerous and should be a concern to your health. Panic can sometimes result in blurred (模糊不清的) vision, difficulty in breathing due to a tight chest. The best way to different anxiety from any serious illness is to ask a medical expert for advice on a regular basis.According to the passage, a panic attack is _______________.
| A．as serious as an anxiety attack | B．not so serious as an anxiety attack |
| C．resulted from an anxiety attack | D．resulted in an anxiety attack |
The underlined word “escalates” in the second paragraph means “_______________”.
| A．happens suddenly | B．becomes more serious |
| C．mixes things together | D．connects something with |
A victim of anxiety attacks may have the symptoms that ______________.
| A．he doesn’t want to have anything to eat |
| B．he has trouble in hearing and vision |
| C．he is always worried about others |
| D．he can’t pay attention to what he does |
From the passage we can draw a conclusion that ______________.
| A．an anxiety attack does good to us | B．an anxiety attack does no harm to us |
| C．an anxiety attack is a serious illness | D．an anxiety attack is very dangerous |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Symptoms of Anxiety Attacks | B．Ways of Getting Rid of Anxiety |
| C．Harm Caused by Anxiety | D．Getting to know Anxiety |
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