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
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
J.K. Rowling is the author of the most successful book series in history, but her attempt to take on a new career as a screenwriter hasn’t been as smooth as she may have thought it would be. The sequel(续篇), “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”, shows that even the most successful author in the world is in need of checks and balances when making the transition to cinema.
Following the sale of half a billion copies of the Harry Potter series, Rowling is working hard to extend and enrich the mythology she created around the child wizard. In contrast to the eight Harry Potter movies, which were based on the seven books and most of which were written by experienced screenwriter Steve Kloves, the “Fantastic Beasts” series is scripted only by Rowling. This time she skipped the bookstores and went straight to the movie theater.
The “Fantastic Beasts” series takes its title from one of Harry Potter’s textbooks. The leap backward in time, a new set of adult heroes and a globe-spanning background show that Rowling is in tune with her fans and the spirit of the times. Harry Potter and his friends started out as a typical product of 1990s naivety, but since then the loyal veteran audience has experienced the shocks of the 21st century and grown mature and discouraged. The “Fantastic Beasts” series feel less like children’s fare; they deal with adults and frightening events that occurred in Europe at the end of the 1920s.
It’s 1927, and the criminal Grindelwald has escaped from prison to Europe. The hero, Newt Scamander, a zoologist of fantastic beasts, prefers to distance himself from politics and maintain his improvised nature reserve in London. But the young Prof. Dumbledore reminds him that neutrality is not an option in hard times. Dumbledore urges him to cross the Channel to Paris and stop Grindelwald, who is trying to plot a war to ensure the purity of the wizard race.
The rough outline of the plot constitutes only part of the movie. There are many other characters who appear in the mystery. I will mention the boy Credence who continues to have a central role in the struggle between the hero and the villain, even as his background remains a mystery. Similarly, Newt’s brother and partner, the snake-woman Nagini, and other new and old characters hint at an obscure past and future. Rowling populates her world with characters large and small, odd beasts and simplifies its story to lay the foundation work of the universe. The film lays strong foundations of mystery, but forgets to build any sort of structure above them. It’s like a construction site where the budget ran out too fast.
With movie screens full of superheroes and fantasy films, and every studio trying to float a fictional universe, Rowling is today’s most creative builder of cinema worlds, but there’s still a difference between her and a mega-corporation like Disney. Every character and beast is there because Rowling said so, not because the marketing division thought it would promote sales of merchandise. Rowling clearly has a true passion to create a mythology, and just as clearly, she hasn’t yet finished creating it.
The “Fantastic Beasts” series offers a world even fuller than that of Harry Potter. Once more she collaborates with David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter movies and now the two “Fantastic Beasts” pictures. Still, the world she’s created would be even more wondrous if Rowling had only filled it out with a crystallized or at least coherent plot. In the Harry Potter series, she mostly succeeded in making the films into independent works. But without experienced screenwriters to mediate between her imagination and the screen, the two “Fantastic Beasts” episodes are more like a chess game in which the creator moves characters from A to B as part of a broader strategy---which remains unclear.
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is a film made for existing fans and doesn’t bother to appeal to a new audience. Not by chance does it offer a more mature world for fans who have grown up at least as much as Daniel Radcliffe. For them, the movie delivers the goods, but little of the magic remains. If Rowling continues to put out films without a beginning and an end, her world will collapse, leaving only the middle. It may be entertainment with captivating characters and effects, but it’s not a movie.
1.What changes has J.K. Rowling made in her writing career?
A. She was forced to abandon her original writing career and start a new one.
B. She was determined to skip the bookstores and publish books on her own.
C. She started a new fantasy book having nothing to do with the Harry Potter series.
D. She tried to enrich the Harry Potter series as a screenwriter rather than a novelist.
2.Who are probably the target audience of the “Fantastic Beasts” series?
A. Kids newly introduced to magic. B. Teenage students with grand dreams.
C. Adults going through life changes. D. Professional critics of fantasy books.
3.What are the features of the “Fantastic Beasts” series?
A. Complex story and exciting characters.
B. Simple story but abundant characters.
C. Childish story and strange characters.
D. Sad story but inspiring characters.
4.Big corporations like Disney choose movie characters and beasts based on _____.
A. potential profitability of the movies B. preference of their screenwriters
C. consultation with the original author D. investigation into successful films
5.How does the author explain Rowling’s failure to create a clear plot?
A. By describing shooting processes. B. By listing official statistics.
C. By drawing a comparison. D. By citing examples.
6.What does the author think of J. K. Rowling’s performance as a screenwriter?
A. It is really a disappointment for movie goers.
B. It is widely acknowledged by her book fans.
C. There exits much more magic in her screenplay.
D. There is still much room for improvement.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
--- Where was the park that the author described in his latest book?
---___ was near the zoo ___ we took many photos last month.
A.That, that B.It, that C.It, where D.It, which
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Authorities did not release(公布)the gunman’s name, but Peters said he had no record of police contact or an arrest record while attending Northern Illionois.
DeKalb county coroner(验尸官)Dennis J. Miller on Friday released the identities of the four victims who died in the county: Daniel Parmenter, 20, of Westchester; Catalina Garcia, 20, of Cicero; RyanneMace, 19, of Carpenters-ville; and Julianna Gehant, 32, of Meridan.
“Two other victims died after being transferred to hospitals in other counties,” Miller said. Witnesses said the gunman, dressed in black and wearing a stocking cap, emerged from behind a screen on the stage of 200-seat Cole Hall and opened fire just as the class was about to end around 3 pm.
Officials said 162 students were registered for the class but it was unkown how many were there on Thursday.
Allyse Jerome, 19, a sophomore(大二学生)from Shunmburg, said the gunman burst through a stage door and pulled out a gun.
“Honestly, at first everyone thought it was a joke,” Jerome said. Everyone hit the floor, she said. Then she got up and ran, but tripped. She said she felt like “an open target.”
“He could’ve decided to get me,” Jerome said on Friday. “I thought for sure he was gonna get me.”
Lauren Carr said she was sitting in the third row when she saw the shooter walk through a door on the right-hand side of the stage, pointing a gun straight ahead.
“I personally Army-crawled halfway up the aisle(通道),” said Carr, a 20-year-old sophomore. “I said I could get up and run or I could die here.”
She said a student in front of her was bleeding, “but he just kept running.”
More than a hundred students cried and hugged as they gathered outside the Phi Kappa Alpha house early Friday morning to remember Dan Parmenter, who was one of those killed.
56. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Everyone thought it was a joke when the gunman appeared in front of them.
B. Peters had no record of police contact or an arrest record while attending Northern Illionois.
C. 162 students were attending a lecture when the gunman emerged from behind the screen.
D. The gunman opened fire as soon as the class came to an end.
57. How many people were shot to death according to the passage?
A. 4 B. 6 C. 8 D. 162
58. The following are not witnesses except________.
A. Peters B. Dennis J. MillerC. Dan Parmenter D. Lauren Carr
59. What was the first thing that Jerome did when she saw the gunman?
A. She got up and ran out of the room.
B. She hit the floor.
C. She burst through a stage door and pulled out a gun.
D. She tripped and became an “open target”.
60. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Witnesses Tell of Horrible Experience B. A Cruel Shooter
C. 162 Killed in an Accident D. An Unkown Gunman
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Author Walter Dean Myers died at the age of 76 after a brief illness. Walter Dean Myers was the author of more than 100 books for children and young adults and received many top awards.
The prolific author was loved for his vivid description of the lives of African American children, and for writing books for young people that covered different subjects. “Myers has written about all those subjects with deep understanding and a hard-won, qualified sense of hope,” said Leonard S. Marcus in 2008.
He was born in 1937 and was adopted by Florence Dean and Herbert after his mother died while giving birth to his younger sister. They loved him very much and his mother read to him from a very young age. Reading pushed him to discover worlds beyond his landscape.
He began writing at an early age. He wrote well in high school and an English teacher recognized this and advised him to keep on writing no matter what happened to him. “It’s what you do,” she said.
He dropped out of high school at 17 and joined the army. After finishing his service, he entered a dark period in his life. Myers began writing at night to pull himself through that miserable time.
In an essay published in The New York Times earlier this year, Myers described how a short story by James Arthur Baldwin helped change his course of life. “I didn’t love the story, but I drew inspiration from it,” he wrote, “for it took place in Harlem, and it was a story concerned with black people like those I knew. By humanizing the people who were like me, Baldwin’s story also humanized me. The story gave me a permission that I didn’t know I needed, the permission to write about my own landscape, my own map.”
“I write books for the troubled boy I once was,” he wrote, “and for the boy who lives within me still.”
1.What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?
A.How popular Myers was.
B.How Myers became successful.
C.What people think of Myers’ books.
D.What makes Myers’ works popular.
2.What does the underlined word “prolific” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.Optimistc. B.Unfortunate.
C.Productive. D.Humorous.
3.Who discovered Myers’ writing talent?
A.James Arthur Baldwin. B.His mother.
C.Leonard S. Marcus. D.One of his teachers.
4.Why was the short story by James Arthur Baldwin so important to Myers?
A.It helped him survive the dark period.
B.It inspired him to pursue his writing career.
C.He learned many writing techniques from it.
D.The author of the story permitted him to write.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Our“What’s New”collection features a massive range of the latest new DVD releases in movies,TV series,and documentaries.
Andre Rieu—The Magic of Maastricht
Andre commemorates(纪念)a remarkable 30 years since the founding of his beloved band,Johann Strauss Orchestra.This collection of finely crafted interpretations of uplifting evergreens is a must-have!
Tracks include:Sole Mio,Hava Nagila(Let Us Be Happy),Halleluia,Tuti Frutti,Can’t Help Falling in Love,and more!
$25.95.1 DVD,200 mins.
Railroad Australia
Meet the kings of the train world and discover what it takes to keep these metal monsters on the tracks.In a wild frontier of extreme heat and vast distances,an army of workers toil day and night to keep the nations lifeblood flowing...with a lot of help from the biggest and most powerful trains in existence.
$24.95.2 DVDs,325 mins.
Gentle Ben
Based on the beloved children’s novel Gentle Ben follows the thrilling adventures in the Florida Everglades of a game warden,Tom Wedloe(Dennis Weaver),his wife Ellen(Beth Bricknel),their son Mark(Clint Howard)and Mark’s tame bear Ben.
$39.95.4 DVDs.7 11 mins.
Land Giris
Land Girls follows the lives and loves of four girls away from home,doing their bit for Britain in the Women’s Land Army(WLA),a British civilian organization in WWII.The four girls have all joined the WLA with one common goal,to serve their country and help win the war.Follow the girls as they try to live out their lives in very challenging circumstances,with lots of laughter and tears along the way.
$29.95.1 DVD.222 mins.
1.Which of the following probably appeals to kids most?
A. Andre Rieu-the Magic of Maastricht. B. Railroad Australia.
C. Gentle Ben. D. Land Giris.
2.What is Andre Rieu most probably?
A. A detective. B. A musician.
C. An engineer. D. A novelist.
3.What do you know about Land Girls?
A. It is set in Britain in the Second World War.
B. It describes the lives of four American girls.
C. It is a TV drama series about British army life.
D. It is a story about four British women victims.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
“How to Train Your Dragon” by British author Cressida Cowell is one of the best pieces of children’s literature. A child can make a whole alternative universe with a vivid imagination and Toothless, the hero’s hunting dragon, thus turning a rainy day into an adventure of a lifetime. However, if you have never read the book but instead choose to see the film version, you might think you were seeing a new-age war movie meant for adults rather than children.
Let’s look at “Where the Wild Things Are” for further discussion. The story centers around a lonely eight-year-old boy named Max, who sails away to an island. Creatures living there declare Max their king.
What an amazing piece of children’s literature! A treasure for every child’s library. Yet, children were crying in the movie theatre. Owls were falling from the sky, chicken’s arms were being torn off, and a child was running around a dark abandoned world fighting evil as the only human. It was almost as if Hollywood could not imagine children enjoying a movie for its basic literature content. Hollywood might be right. But more and more its audiences are complaining that there is an increased amount of violence in children’s stories today than in the past.
While there appears to be a trend in our society to make more violence more accessible to younger children, books and literature are generally an exception. I truly believe that children’s literature has become more vivid, and more colorful. This is a great treasure for the children, and is certainly not violent. What has changed the children’s stories of today is not the writers, but the film industry. In some way, children’s literature is just being strangely twisted. I wonder how much influence the author have over this.
1.The Text is mainly about ________.
A. two good books for children
B. how a book is adapted into a film
C. whether children should go to movies
D. whether children’s literature is getting more violent
2.It can be inferred that the film “Where the Wild Things Are” is _______.
A. moving B. frightening C. interesting D. amazing
3.According to the text, the author thinks that ________.
A. the film industry’s treatment of children’s literature is wrong
B. writers should provide more colorful works for children
C. there is an increase in violence in children’s literature
D. children should read books rather than see films.
4.How does the text mainly develop?
A. By inferring. B. By giving explanations.
C. By providing examples. D. By making comparisons.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The experts along with the head teacher _____ discusssing JK Rowling’s works ______
that _______ popular among students.
A. are; are B. are; is C. is; are D. is; is
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
He met her at a party. She was outstanding while he was normal. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee. She was 36 but due to being polite, she 37. Sitting in a nice coffee shop, he was too 38 to say anything.
Suddenly he asked the 39 , "Would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee." Everybody stared at him, so 40 ! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him 41 , "Why you have this hobby?" He replied, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked the 42 of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. 43 I have the salty coffee, I always 44 my childhood and my hometown. I miss my hometown and my parents." 45 saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. A man who can tell out his homesickness must be a man who has 46 of home.
That was a really beautiful 47 of their story. Then the story was just like every beautiful love story — the princess 48 the prince. And every time she made 49 for him, she put some salt in it, as she knew that's the 50 he liked it.
After 40 years, he passed away, 51 her a letter which said, "My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life's lie — the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, 52 I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to 53 so I just went ahead. If I can live for the second time, I still want to have you for my whole life, 54 I have to drink the salty coffee again."
Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, "What's the taste of 55 coffee? " She replied, " It's sweet."
1. A. surprised B. pleased C. satisfied D. excited
2.A. answered B. promised C. provided D. refused
3. A. curious B. jealous C. nervous D. cautious
4.A. waiter B. girl C. partner D. customer
5.A. outstanding B. bitter C. delicious D. strange
6.A. constantly B. curiously C. suddenly D. seriously
7.A. color B. character C. quality D. taste
8.A. Every time B. Next time C. The first time D. By the time
9.A. think out B. think over C. think of D. think up
10. A. Since B. Though C. While D. Because
11.A. responsibility B. concept C. consideration D. control
12.A. scene B. beginning C. comedy D. result
13.A. dated B. admired C. devoted D. married
14.A. tea B. water C. coffee D. milk
15.A. way B. method C. means D. route
16.A. left B. leaving C. writing D. wrote
17.A. fortunately B. actually C. happily D. possibly
18.A. change B. remind C. overcome D. remove
19.A. as though B. now that C. even though D. so that
20.A. sugared B. old C. instant D. salty
高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Has Tiger Mom gone soft? One year after the release of her book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Amy Chua is back in the spotlight, reflecting on how overnight infamy (恶名) affected her life, her family and her parenting.
“I have changed a lot,” she told the Huffington Post. “In October, we had 30 kids at our house! We have hosted parties with lots of food and music.”
Last January, the Wall Street Journal published an excerpt (节选) from Chua’s book with the headline “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior”. In the excerpt, Chua described how her daughters were never allowed to have sleepovers (在外过夜的儿童聚会), appear in school plays, or earn any grade lower than an A. Chua, an author and professor at Yale Law School, spent much of 2011 on the defensive. In fact, many of her interviews seemed to lend fuel to her critics’ fire.
Now, with the book out in paperback, she said, “I put passages in the book and used very harsh words that I regret. Everybody has those moments you wish you could take back.”
For those who still read Battle Hymn as an advice guide, Chua argues that so-called tiger parenting should be employed mainly during a child’s early years, ideally between the ages of 5 and 12. These “super-strict parenting tactics” are not meant for all ages. Remaining strict after middle school makes you a helicopter parent, according to Chua. And she is quick to point out how different that is from being a tiger mom.
“By the time kids get to high school, helicopter parents are hiring all these tutors, carrying their kids’ sports bags. I never checked older daughter Sophia’s papers because I knew she knew how to sit down and focus,” Chua said.
As for younger daughter Lulu, 15, the rebel for whom the book was written, Chua has really backed off. Instead of forcing Lulu to practise violin for hours a day—the source of their biggest fights, Chua “let her give that up”. “My compromise (妥协) is that I’m going to still be as strict academically, but in exchange she has a lot of social freedom. Lulu has had four sleepovers in the last two months!” Chua said. Chua predicts she’ll only get more easygoing with age.
1.What does the passage mainly tell us?
A.Tiger Mom has changed and wants to be soft.
B.Tiger Mom persuaded readers to follow her example.
C.How Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother came out.
D.How Tiger Mom became the worldwide spotlight.
2.From paragraph 1 we can know that after the publication of the book______________.
A.Tiger Mom became stricter with her children
B.Tiger Mom was thought highly by the public
C.Tiger Mom’s life and family were influenced
D.Tiger Mom became wealthy and easygoing
3.Lulu quarreled with her mother mainly over______________.
A.whether she could do well at school
B.when she could have sleepovers
C.what should be written in the book
D.how long she practiced the violin
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析