J. K. Rowling: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter...

J. K. Rowling: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter

J. K. Rowling was born as Joanne Rowling on July 31, 1965 in England. At age four, Rowling and her family _____ to Winterbourne. It was here that she met a brother and sister who lived in her neighborhood with the last　 ______Potter. During her childhood, Rowling　 _____writing and story-telling.

Pressured by her parents to　 _______ a secretary, Rowling attended the university of Exeter beginning at age 18 and studied French. After college, Rowling stayed in London and worked at several jobs.

While on a train from Manchester to London in 1990, Rowling came up with the ________for Harry Potter. Pen-less at the time, Rowling spent the remainder of her train-ride ________about the story and began to write it down as soon as she arrived home.

Rowling ________ to write snippets about Harry and Hogwarts, but wasn’t done with the book when her mother died on December 30, 1990. Her mother’s death hit Rowling _______ . In a (an)　 _______ to escape the sorrow, Rowling accepted a job teaching English in Portugal.

In Portugal, Rowling met Jorge Arantes and the two married on October 16, 1992. _______the marriage proved a bad one, the couple had one child together, Jessica. After getting ________ in 1993, Rowling and her daughter moved to Edinburgh to be near Rowling’s sister.

Before starting another full-time job, Rowling was determined to finish her Harry Potter manuscript. ______　 she had completed it, she sent it to several literary　 ______ . After a year of searching and a number of publishers turning it _______ , the agent finally found a publisher　　　　 _____ to print the book.

Rowling’s fist Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone became hugely popular, attracting ________ of young boys and girls as well as adults. With the public demanding ________ , Rowling quickly got to work on the　 _______ six books, with the last one published in July 2007.

In 1998, Warner Bros. bought the film　 ________ and since then ________ popular movies have been made of the books. From the book, the films, and the merchandise bearing Harry Potter images, Rowling has become one of the richest people in the world.

1.A. carried　　 B. moved　　 C. sent　　 D. lived

2.A. family　　 B. member　　 C. name　　 D. sign

3.A. loved　　 B. preferred　　 C. chose　　 D. handed

4.A. change　　 B. share　　 C. assume　　 D. become

5.A. method　　 B. score　　 C. concept　　 D. possibility

6.A. declaring　　 B. making　　 C. dreaming　　 D. managing

7.A. continued　　 B. checked　　 C. exchanged　　 D. practiced

8.A. peacefully　　 B. easily　　 C. tensely　　 D. hard

9.A. plan　　 B. question　　 C. ambition　　 D. attempt

10.A. Instead　　 B. Although　　 C. Therefore　　 D. However

11.A. divorced　　 B. beaten　　 C. ached　　 D. thrown

12.A. While　　 B. Once　　 C. Before　　 D. Since

13.A. agents　　 B. subjects　　 C. volunteers　　 D. readers

14.A. off　　 B. up　　 C. down　　 D. over

15.A. wondering　　 B. aiming　　 C. looking　　 D. willing

16.A. reporter　　 B. partner　　 C. audience　　 D. friend

17.A. more　　 B. better　　 C. longer　　 D. thinner

18.A. last　　 B. whole　　 C. rest　　 D. next

19.A. powers　　 B. rights　　 C. guidance　　 D. leaders

20.A. directly　　 B. extremely　　 C. separately　　 D. eventually

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

——Do      you have the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling in your shop? —Sorry, there is    left at the moment.

A. nothing    B. none C. no one   D. not one

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

— How do you find Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?

— Fantastic. J. K. Rowling _________ each character in the novel impressive through lively dialogues and fascinating plots.

A. makes                              B. would make                   C. will make                         D. had made

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

It was only in 1997     J. K. Rowling completed the first Harry Potter story,          _______ was also known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

J. K. Rowling ________ writing Harry Potter at a local caf because she could not afford to heat her home.

A．started　     B．starts

C．has started　     D．had started

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

If you keep on writing, you will have　　brighter future, likely to become　　J. K. Rowling.

A. the; a            B. the; the            C. a; a            D. a; the

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

If boy wizard Harry Potter uses his magic to capture (迷住) the hearts of millions of teenagers, high school students Gabriella and Troy have charmed American boys and girls with their stories of campus life.

They are the leading characters in High School Musical, a series of hugely successful films in the US. The sequel (续集), High School Musical 3, came out on October 24 and has topped the American box office for two straight weeks.

The show has everything attractive to teenagers — dancing, catchy music, puppy love and good looks. The story starts when high school basketball star Troy and brainy Gabriella — two teenagers who are worlds apart — meet during the winter break. At a karaoke contest they discover their love for singing and an interest in each other. When school starts, Troy finds out that Gabriella is the new girl at his school.

Eager to find the magic they had during karaoke, Troy and Gabriella decide to audition (试镜) for the school’s upcoming musical. This angers the school’s drama queen Sharpay. However, they overcome difficulties and become the leading actors.

But the story doesn’t end there. High School Musical 2 follows their adventures over summer vacation when Sharpay tires to break up Troy and Gabriella. In the latest sequel, high-school seniors are facing the possibilities of being separated from each other as they go off in different directions when graduating from high school.

Joined by the rest of their friends, Troy and Gabriella stage a musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future.

“The success of the High School Musical films shows Disney’s long-term efforts to attract youngsters for whom Mickey Mouse seems to babyish,” wrote New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff. “For the time being, the movie has made fictional high school students as recognizable as that 79-year-old mouse.”

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Boy wizard — Harry Potter.

B. High school students Gabriella and Troy.

C. A successful show — High School Musical.

D. Disney’s long-term efforts.

2.How many films are there in this series of films?

A. 2.　　　　 B. 3.　　　　 C. 4.　　　　 D. 5.

3.What can you learn from the words “two teenagers who are worlds apart”?

A. They live far away from each other.

B. They used to know each other well.

C. They have a big difference between each other.

D. They study at different schools.

4.What happens in High School Musical 2, according to the passage?

A. Troy and Gabriella audition for a school musical.

B. Troy and Gabriella meet at a karaoke contest.

C. Troy and Gabriella graduate from high school.

D. Sharpay tries to break up Troy and Gabriella.

5.What does New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff mean?

A. High School Musical is possibly more attractive to youngsters.

B. The high school students don’t like Mickey Mouse.

C. Mickey Mouse is more attractive to youngsters.

D. Mickey Mouse is too old to be recognized by youngsters.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

If boy wizard Harry Potter uses his magic to capture (迷住) the hearts of millions of teenagers, high school students Gabriella and Troy have charmed American boys and girls with their stories of campus life.

They are the leading characters in High School Musical, a series of hugely successful films in the US. The sequel (续集), High School Musical 3, came out on October 24 and has topped the American box office for two straight weeks.

The show has everything attractive to teenagers — dancing, catchy music, puppy love and good looks. The story starts when high school basketball star Troy and brainy Gabriella — two teenagers who are worlds apart — meet during the winter break. At a karaoke contest they discover their love for singing and an interest in each other. When school starts, Troy finds out that Gabriella is the new girl at his school.

Eager to find the magic they had during karaoke, Troy and Gabriella decide to audition (试镜) for the school’s upcoming musical. This angers the school’s drama queen Sharpay. However, they overcome difficulties and become the leading actors.

But the story doesn’t end there. High School Musical 2 follows their adventures over summer vacation when Sharpay tires to break up Troy and Gabriella. In the latest sequel, high-school seniors are facing the possibilities of being separated from each other as they go off in different directions when graduating from high school.

Joined by the rest of their friends, Troy and Gabriella stage a musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future.

“The success of the High School Musical films shows Disney’s long-term efforts to attract youngsters for whom Mickey Mouse seems to babyish,” wrote New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff. “For the time being, the movie has made fictional high school students as recognizable as that 79-year-old mouse.”

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Boy wizard — Harry Potter.

B. High school students Gabriella and Troy.

C. A successful show — High School Musical.

D. Disney’s long-term efforts.

2.How many films are there in this series of films?

A. 2.　　　　 B. 3.　　　　 C. 4.　　　　 D. 5.

3.What can you learn from the words “two teenagers who are worlds apart”?

A. They live far away from each other.

B. They used to know each other well.

C. They have a big difference between each other.

D. They study at different schools.

4.What happens in High School Musical 2, according to the passage?

A. Troy and Gabriella audition for a school musical.

B. Troy and Gabriella meet at a karaoke contest.

C. Troy and Gabriella graduate from high school.

D. Sharpay tries to break up Troy and Gabriella.

5.What does New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff mean?

A. High School Musical is possibly more attractive to youngsters.

B. The high school students don’t like Mickey Mouse.

C. Mickey Mouse is more attractive to youngsters.

D. Mickey Mouse is too old to be recognized by youngsters.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

If boy wizard Harry Potter uses his magic to capture (迷住) the hearts of millions of teenagers, high school students Gabriella and Troy have charmed American boys and girls with their stories of campus life.

They are the leading characters in High School Musical, a series of hugely successful films in the US. The sequel (续集), High School Musical 3, came out on October 24 and has topped the American box office for two straight weeks.

The show has everything attractive to teenagers — dancing, catchy music, puppy love and good looks. The story starts when high school basketball star Troy and brainy Gabriella — two teenagers who are worlds apart — meet during the winter break. At a karaoke contest they discover their love for singing and an interest in each other. When school starts, Troy finds out that Gabriella is the new girl at his school.

Eager to find the magic they had during karaoke, Troy and Gabriella decide to audition (试镜) for the school’s upcoming musical. This angers the school’s drama queen Sharpay. However, they overcome difficulties and become the leading actors.

But the story doesn’t end there. High School Musical 2 follows their adventures over summer vacation when Sharpay tires to break up Troy and Gabriella. In the latest sequel, high-school seniors are facing the possibilities of being separated from each other as they go off in different directions when graduating from high school.

Joined by the rest of their friends, Troy and Gabriella stage a musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future.

“The success of the High School Musical films shows Disney’s long-term efforts to attract youngsters for whom Mickey Mouse seems to babyish,” wrote New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff. “For the time being, the movie has made fictional high school students as recognizable as that 79-year-old mouse.”

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Boy wizard — Harry Potter.

B. High school students Gabriella and Troy.

C. A successful show — High School Musical.

D. Disney’s long-term efforts.

2.How many films are there in this series of films?

A. 2.　　　　 B. 3.　　　　 C. 4.　　　　 D. 5.

3.What can you learn from the words “two teenagers who are worlds apart”?

A. They live far away from each other.

B. They used to know each other well.

C. They have a big difference between each other.

D. They study at different schools.

4.What happens in High School Musical 2, according to the passage?

A. Troy and Gabriella audition for a school musical.

B. Troy and Gabriella meet at a karaoke contest.

C. Troy and Gabriella graduate from high school.

D. Sharpay tries to break up Troy and Gabriella.

5.What does New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff mean?

A. High School Musical is possibly more attractive to youngsters.

B. The high school students don’t like Mickey Mouse.

C. Mickey Mouse is more attractive to youngsters.

D. Mickey Mouse is too old to be recognized by youngsters.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

British author JK Rowling was at the release of her latest Harry Potter book called “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” at the Natural History Museum in London, Friday July 20, 2007.

J.K. Rowling has been spotted at cafes in Scotland working on a detective novel, a British newspaper reported Saturday.

The Sunday Times newspaper quoted Ian Rankin, a fellow author and neighbor of Rowling's, as saying the creator of the "Harry Potter" books is turning to crime fiction.

"My wife spotted her writing her Edinburgh criminal detective novel," the newspaper quoted Rankin as telling a reporter at an Edinburgh literary festival.

"It is great that she has not abandoned writing or Edinburgh cafes," said Rankin, who is known for his own police novels set in the historic Scottish city.

Rowling famously wrote initial drafts of the Potter story in the Scottish city's cafes. Back then, she was a struggling single mother who wrote in cafes to save on the heating bill at home.

Now she's Britain's richest woman - worth $1 billion, according to Forbes magazine - and her seven Potter books have sold more than 335 million copies worldwide.

In an interview with The Associated Press last month, Rowling said she believed she was unlikely to repeat the success of the Potter series, but confirmed she had plans to work on new books.

"I'll do exactly what I did with Harry - I'll write what I really want to write," Rowling said.

1. What is JK Rowling famous for?

A. detective novels    B. crime fiction    C. Harry Potter books    D. love stories

2. Which of the following is Not rue about Ian Rankin?

A. He is a writer famous for police novels.

B. Most of the stories in his novels happened in the historic Scottish city.

C. It was Rankin himself who witnessed JK Rowing writing her Edinburgh criminal detective novels.

D. He told the British newspaper The Sunday Times about JK Rowling’s novels.

3. Why did Rowling like to write the “Harry Potter stories” in the cafes?

A. Because she was a romantic woman and the atmosphere in the cafes gave her lots of inspiration.

B. Because she was a single mother at that time and she wanted to find a husband there.

C. Because her children were so naughty at home and she had to go to a quiet place for her writing.

D. Because she thought that writing in a cafes could help her save some money.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A. The seven Harry Potter series made JK Rowling a success.

B. JK Rowling had made enough money so she decided to stop writing.

C. Rowling planned to write new books because Harry Potter was not exactly what she wanted.

D. Ian Rankin and his wife earned money by telling reporters news about JK Rowling.

5. What is the best title for the passage?

A. Harry Potter and JK Rowing    B. Ian Rankin, A Neighbour of JK Rowling

C. A Successful Woman JK Rowling    D. JK Rowling writing Detective Novels

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析