题目内容
JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author, has signed a deal with Little, Brown and Company, to publish her first ever novel for adults, which is set to become one of the most anticipated (期望的) book in years.
The deal means that Rowling’s long-standing relationship with Bloomsbury, the London-based publisher that launched (发行) the Harry Potter books, has come to an end, at least in terms of new works by the author.
Rowling is keeping her fans guessing about the characters and plot of her new book. She only said that the new novel will be nothing like the Harry Potter series, which was sold over 30 million copies in the UK alone. She thought that with the move from children’s to adult fiction, a switch to a new publisher seemed like a natural and reasonable step.
She said, "Although I've enjoyed writing it every bit as much, this book will be very different from the Harry Potter series. The freedom to explore a new field is a gift that Harry’s success has brought me."
Ian Rankin, the Edinburgh-based author whose highly-successful detective novels are also set in the city, suggested Rowling’s book will be a crime novel.
"Wouldn’t it be funny if JK Rowling’s first novel for adults turned out to be a crime story set in Edinburgh?" he said.
Industry insiders guessed that the deal is worth more than ￡5 million and the new book is expected to come out later this year.
A spokesman said, "JK Rowling’s audience is vast and her position is unique. Harry Potter books were a global success and her fans are very loyal. Children that were eight, nine, or ten when the books first came out in the 1990s are now in their 20s. Plenty of adults, loved the books regardless of whether they had children, so the potential market for her is huge."
【小题1】What does the text mainly tell us?
| A．JK Rowling has signed a deal with a new publisher. |
| B．JK Rowling's new book will be more successful than her Harry Potter series. |
| C．JK Rowling’s first book for adults will be published later this year. |
| D．JK Rowling has to switch to a new publisher in order to publish her new book. |
| A．has been sold 30 million copies in the UK alone |
| B．is poorly thought of by the London-based publisher Bloomsbury |
| C．has nothing in common with the Harry Potter series |
| D．is expected to bring her more money than the Harry Potter series |
| A．tell us that some famous novelists offer to give Rowling some advice |
| B．show that many readers are curious about Rowling’s new book |
| C．tell us that many readers prefer to read detective or crime novels |
| D．prove that a crime story set in Edinburgh is sure to be successful |
| A．Little, Brown and Company is specialized in publishing adult books |
| B．the author has no doubt about the success of Rowling’s new book |
| C．JK Rowling will be a crime novelist as good as Ian Rankin |
| D．it was in Edinburgh that Ian Rankin got to know JK Rowling |
【小题1】C
【小题2】C
【小题3】B
【小题4】B
解析
It happened to me recently that I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of the current US President. The person I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, “a wonderfully written book.” However, he then proceeded to talk about Mr. Obama in a way that suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar(说谎者)．
And it seems that he is not the only one. Clearly two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t. In The World Book Day survey, Dreams From My Father is at number 9. The survey lists top ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading. As I’m not one to lie too often, I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire ten books. But I am pleased to say that I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984. I think it’s absolutely outstanding．
Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to impress someone they were speaking to. This could be difficult if the conversation became more in-depth!
The World Book Day survey also has some other interesting information in it. It shows that many people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens and so on. But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, they named JK Rowling, Jilly Cooper, and Stephen King. Forty-one percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story．
So which books have you lied about reading —if any — and which is your favorite?
【小题1】The main reason why people lie about reading is to __________.
| A．make fun of the listener | B．impress the listener |
| C．please the listener | D．interest the listener |
| A．wanted | B．happened | C．continued | D．stopped |
| A．Are You A Book Liar? | B．Readers Are All Liars |
| C．World Book Day | D．Dreams From My Father |
(B)
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.
46 What is JK Rowling famous for?
|
A. detective novels |
B. crime fiction |
C. Harry Potter books |
D. love stories |
47 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. |
48 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. |
49 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. |
50 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 |
—How do you find the new book by JK Rowling ?
—________I guess she is out of her talent .
|
A．With the help of her mother |
B．By accident |
|
C．very boring |
D．In the library |