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 |
Sydney—Mobile phone has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.
Mobile phone use among children has become a problem for the school this year. Several children have got mobile phones as Christmas gifts, and more students want them.
Mary Bluett, an official, said mobile phone use is a distraction (分心的事) to students during school hours and it also gives teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams.
She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t get in touch with their children.
Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason, they could leave their phones at school offices. They also said there were many reasons why the students should not have mobile phones at school: they were easy to lose and were a distraction from studies.
Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to have phones, but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones.
1 Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones________.
A. because they are students B. when they are free
C. when they are at school D. because they are young
2 We know from the passage that some children get mobile phones from________.
A. the makers and sellers B. some other strangers
C. their parents and friends D. some mobile phone users
3 Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t _______ during school hours.
A. use their mobile phones B. leave their mobile phones
C. help the teachers with their work D. get in touch with their children
4 The underlined word “they” in the fifth paragraph refers to________.
A. many teachers B. some messages
C. mobile phones D. some students
第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题，每小题2分；共30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A man walks into a doctor’s office. He has a cucumber (黄瓜) up his nose, a carrot in his left ear and a banana in his right ear. “What's the matter with me?” he asks the doctor. The doctor replies, “You’re not eating properly.”
This is a popular joke among British school children. It shows Britain's famous dry and satirical (讽刺的) way of seeing the funny side of life. People say this unique sense of humor is one of Britain's national characteristics.
The British sense of humor is different from other countries because it is often more negative. When it comes to making the British laugh, there is nothing that works better than a socially inappropriate (不恰当的) joke. It reflects the culture where mocking (嘲弄) is part of everyday life.
While most Britons don’t take these jokes too seriously, foreigners often don’t understand them. A recent survey found that most foreigners who visited Britain think the British are “unfriendly and have almost no sense of humor”.
Are the British just not as funny as they think they are? Leo McKinstry, a British journalist, thinks the British are funny. “Accusing the British of having no sense of humor is like telling Rolls-Royce (劳斯莱斯) that its cars are cheap and not good in quality,” he says.
1 What does the doctor actually mean by the remark “You’re not eating properly”?
A. What you have had is the cause of these problems. B. You are not having the right food.
C. You don’t eat the way people usually do.D. You eat with the wrong cutlery. ( 餐具 )
2 The word “dry” in Paragraph 2 means ________.
A. without water or liquid inside B. special and popular among school children
C. dull and meaningless D. funny and clever while seeming to be serious
3 Why do most visitors, who once visited Britain, think that the British are unfriendly?
A. Because the British always take things seriously.
B. Because the British have no sense of humor.
C. Because the British are cold and difficult to get along with.
D. Because the British have a different sense of humor.
4 Which of the following is NOT the characteristics of British humor?
A. dry and satirical B. negative and mocking
C. encouraging and gentle D. clever and witty
When should a child start learning to read and write? This is one of the questions I am most frequently (屡次地) asked. There is no hard and fast rule, for no two are alike (同样的), and it would be wrong to set a time when all should start being taught the intricacies (错综复杂的事物) of reading letters to form words.
If a three-year-old child wants to read (or even a two-year-old child for that matter), the child has the right (权利) to be given every encouragement (鼓励). The fact that he might later be “bored” when joining a class of non-readers (非读者) at child school is the teacher’s affair (事情). It is up to the teacher to see that such a child is given more advanced (高级的) reading material.
Similarly, the child who still cannot read by the time he goes to junior school at the age of seven should be given every help by teachers and parents alike. They should make certain that he is not dyslexic (having difficulty in reading 诵读困难的).
Although parents should be careful not to force youngsters (儿童) aged two to five to learn to read (if badly done it could put them off reading for life), there is no harm in preparing them for simple recognition (识别) of letters by labeling (标识) various items in the their rooms. For instance (比如), tie a nice piece of cardboard to their bed with BED written in neat (整齐的), big letters.
Should the young child ask his parents to teach him to read, and if the parents are capable (足以胜任的) of doing so, such an attraction (吸引) should not be ignored (对……不予理会). But the task should never be made to look like a hard job and the child should never be forced to continue, or his interest should start to flag (变弱).
1 This passage is mainly about ____ .
A. what qualities people teaching children reading should have
B. difference age groupings of children to be taught reading
C. when and how children should be taught reading
D. various problems of children who start learning to reading
2 In the writer’s opinion, children start learning to read ____ .
A. early and fast B. at different time C. by a certain rule D. from word games
3 A three-year-old child who wants to read should ____ .
A. be encouraged B. go to an infant school
C. start from fun stories D. join a class of non-readers
4The purpose of labeling items in the room is to ____ .
A. make it more colorful
B. teach children to write neatly
C. help children recognize simple letters
D. force children to develop the habit of
5 The writer suggest that ____ .
A. children should ask their parents to teach them to read
B. children should not feel bored if given advanced reading material
C. children starting to read should ask specialists for help
D. children should be taught with patience , care and a sense of humor
I have a rule for travel: Never carry a map. I prefer to ask for directions.
Foreign visitors are often puzzled in Japan because most streets there don’t have names. In Japan, people use landmarks in their directions in stead of street names, For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit marks. The post office is across from the bus stop. ”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, usually there are not many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat. In many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distance. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map. They measure distance by means of time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” You ask, “Oh,” They answer, “It’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it?” They don’t know.
People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because visitors seldom understand the Greek language. Instead of giving you the direction, a Greek will often say, “Follow me.” Then he’ll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.
Sometimes a person doesn’t know the answer to your question. What happens in this situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers, “I don’t know.” People in Yucatan think that “I don’t know.” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A visitor can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
One thing will help you everywhere --- in Japan, in the United States. In Greece, in Mexico, or in any other place. You might not understand a person’s words, but maybe you can understand his body language. He or she will usually turn and then point in the correct direction. Go in that direction, and you may find the post office!
1 The passage mainly tell us that ____ .
A. never carry a map for travel
B. there are not many landmarks in the American Midwest
C. there are different ways to give directions in different parts of the world
D. New Yorkers often say, “I have no idea,” but people in Yucatan, Mexico, never say this
2 The passage says, “In Japan, people use landmarks in their directions. “The word “landmarks” means ____ .
A. building names
B. street names
C. hotels, markets and bus stops
D. buildings or places which are easily recognized
3 In which place do people tell distance by means of time?
A. Japan B. American Midwest C. Los Angeles, California D. Greece
4 In the passage, ____ countries are mentioned by the writer.
A. seven B. four C. eight D. five
5 Which of the following is wrong?
A. Travelers can learn about people’s customs by asking questions about directions.
B. A person’s body language can help you understand directions.
C. People in some places give directions in miles, but people in other places give directions by means of time.
D. People in different places always give directions in the same way: They use street names.
第二部分阅读理解 (满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中，选出最佳选项。 (每小题2分)
Wang Hao and Wang Liqin, two of China’s top tennis players, both saw the World Table Tennis Championships as a chance to prove themselves. But there was only one champion and Wang Hao, 25, won it last Tuesday in Yokohama, Japan.
Wang Hao, who won the men’s doubles title with Chen Qi last Monday, played with spirit to best Wang Liqin 11-9, 13-11,11-5,11-9.
Wang Hao said it was his mental toughness (心里稳定) that made the difference. “I was disappointed by my performances in past championships and the last two Olympic Games. But I have tried to pull myself together and prepared well. This is the result.”
Wang Hao said he always understood the importance of physical training and technical skills. Now he knows the need for mental preparation as well. Having two Olympic silvers had left him feeling bitter (痛苦的). The bitterness perhaps explains why he has not always played at his best in the past.
“I’ve come to understand that you can learn important lessons (教训) from failure,” he said. “Losing can build your character and make you a stronger player.” His next goal, or dream, is to win the medal at the London Olympics in 2012.
Liu Guoliang, head coach of China’s table tennis team, sang the praises of Wang Hao’s victory. “This is just the beginning of his rise,” said Liu. “It’s the confidence-booster he needs to make further progress.”
1 According to the passage, Wang Hao won ____ gold medals in the World Table Tennis Championships in Yokohama, Japan.
A. only one B. two C. three D. four
2From Wang Hao, we can know the main reason for his beating Wang Liqin is his ____ .
A. technical skills B. physical training C. mental toughness D. past experience
3What is the next goal of Wang Hao?
A. To win the title of the champion at the 2012 Olympics.
B. To beat Wang Liqin again.
C. To prove himself in the future competitions.
D. To win more goals in future.
4 What can we learn from Wang Hao?
A. Failure is the mother of success.
B. Never give until you succeed.
C. Where there is a will, there is a way.
D. A good beginning makes a good ending.
5 The passage is mainly about how to ____ .
A. get gold medals B. beat Wang Liqin C. play table tennis D. beat Chen Qi