She was known to millions as the "Queen of Crime" or the "Duchess (女公爵) of Death". But surprisingly, she hated violence and blood, and knew nothing of the weapons most often used in murder. "I don't think I dare look at a really horrible and damaged body," Agatha Christie once said. But her pen dared to travel where her eyes would not. In a 50-year writing career, Christie's murder stories made her the world's best-known mystery writer. She is outsold only by the Bible (《圣经》) and Shakespeare.

Her works have been turned into films and TV series, and a line of computer games is set to be released over the next six years.

"My grandmother liked to use new ways to reach people who wanted to enjoy her work," said Christie's grandson, Mathew Prichard. "Turning her stories into PC games allows us to introduce classic mysteries to new audiences."

Born in 1890 in England, Christie was educated at home and began her writing career while working as a nurse during World War I. She went on to produce 79 novels and numerous (大量的) short stories, dying at the age of 86. "With her knowledge of murder, Christie could have been a teacher at police academies," said one fan.

Her first novel, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" (《斯泰尔斯庄园奇案》), also introduced Hercule Poirot, a retired Belgian (比利时的) police officer who starred in 30 of her works. Among the most popular are "Murder on the Orient Express" (《东方快车谋杀案》) (1934), and "Death on the Nile" (《尼罗河上的惨案》) (1937).

Poirot is a tidy little man with a funny-looking moustache, an egg-shaped head, and a high opinion of himself. He draws conclusions from observing the behavior of those around him, always managing to spot patterns that others cannot see. Poirot has become so famous that someone has even written his biography (传记), "The Life and Times of Hercule Poirot".

Starring in 17 novels, another Christie character, Miss Marple, is nearly as well known as Poirot. But while the Belgian uses his powers of observation, the old Miss Marple relies on her knowledge of human nature to solve crimes. As she once said, "Human nature is the same everywhere."

1. Agatha Christie was a ________ woman.

A. rich B. kind C. bold D. outstanding

2. Christie's murder stories ranked the ________ in sale amount.

A. second B. first C. third D. fourth

3. Christie's stories have been turned into ________ other forms.

A. two B. three C. four D. five

4. Christie's knowledge of murder was ________ .

A. poor B. rich C. limited D. poor

5. Poirot's success lies in his power of ________ while Miss Marple's success belongs to her knowledge of ________ .

A. observation； human nature

B. murder； imagination

C. imagination； murder

D. human nature； observation

(D)篇

1. D。归纳综合题，可用综合归纳法来解。认真阅读分析原文不难发现，Christie一生写了79部小说和大量短篇小说，当然是一个很出色的人。

2. C。推理判断题，可用逻辑推断法来解。由原文第一节末句可推出答案。

3. B。细节判断题，可用直接就题找文法来解。原文第二节体现答案。

4. B。推理判断题，可用逻辑推断法来解。由原文第四节"With her knowledge of murder, Christie could have been a teacher at police academies,"said one fan.可以推出答案。

5. A。细节判断题，可用直接就题找文法来解。原文末节But while the Belgian uses his powers of observation, the old Miss Marple relies on her knowledge of human nature to solve crimes. 体现答案。

第Ⅱ卷
第四部分：写作（满分50分）
第一节：单词拼写（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
根据下列句子及所给单词的首字母，在答题纸上按题号写出各单词的正确的完全形式（每空限写一词）。
1. Only two people s________ the war but they were badly wounded.
2. We should keep healthy, both mentally and p___________.
3. When asked by the police, he a_______ stealing the necklace.
4.As we all know,Taiwan b           to China.
5.All the athletes will c          against each other for the honour of winning in the coming sports meeting..
6. Polluted water and air do h        to our health.
7. Though I have never seen him, his name is quite f________ to me.
8. He achieved his g______ to go to college through hard work at last.
9. As a volunteer,I am always w ______      to help others.
10. She d       herself full-time to her growing business.

根据下列句子及所给单词的首字母或汉语意思，在答题纸上按题号写出各单词的正确的完全形式（每空限写一词）。

1.There are different t________ of blood, as you know.

2.He seems to be doing nothing , but _____________ ( 实际上 ) he is just waiting for his chance.

3.There was a choice of four prizes, and the winner could s____________ one of them.

4.The two brothers looks the same in a_____________，but they are different in character.

5.The family began to d___________ the Christmas tree with glass balls and lights a week ago.

6.After p_____________ him to give up smoking, Kate was in relief.

7.We can d____________ many songs from the internet nowadays.

8.Since we are short of money, I can’t afford to buy a new car to _________ (取代) my old one.

9.I would be most g__________ if you would send me the book immediately.

10.Ye Shiwen won two gold m____________, which surely makes the “west society" uncomfortable.

第II卷(共35分)

第一节：单词拼写（共10小题; 每小题1分，满分10分）

根据下列句子及所给单词的首字母，在答题纸上按题号写出各单词正确的完全形式（每空限写一词）。

1. 1. We mustn't judge a person by his a_____________.

2. She said she didn’t like it, but p__________ (in my opinion)I thought it was very good.

3. The band b______ up in about 1970, but reunited in the mid-1980s.

4. Many rare animals are in d________, because they are being hunted for.

5. People killed the Tibetan antelope for fur b_______ the stomachs.

6. He was a_______ the first prize in the English competition.

7. We have a lot in c________, so we often have a lot to talk about.

8. You must a_______ to your sister for being so rude.

9. A m______ is a person who performs or writes music, especially as his/her job.

10. The girl looks so a___________ that everyone pays attention to her.

第Ⅱ卷

第四部分：写作（满分50分）