14.J.K.Rowling set children's imaginations on fire.Can the creator of Harry Potter do the same for a grown-up audience?
The British author will find out on September 27,when more than 2million hardcover(精装书) copies of her first novel for adults hit bookstores in the UK and the US,along with the digital edition.
Set in a little English town,The Casual Vacancy is about an election held after an unexpected death.
Michael Pietsch,Rowling's US publisher,says the novel reminded him of Dickens"because of the humanity,the humor,the social concerns,the intensely real characters".
No magic though,apparently:"This book isn't Harry Potter",says Pietsch."It is a completely different concern".As with Harry Potter,there are no advance copies for the media,no early reviews.To date,the seven-book series has sold more than 450million copies worldwide,and it became one of the most successful movie franchises in July 21,2007.
Back then,fans could buy books at midnight parties hosted by bookstores.But recent years have seen a great challenge for brick-and-mortar bookstores.
People are still buying books,indeed more books than in 2007,according to figures released by the Association of American Publishers.But they are reading them in a new format-the e-book..
The Harry Potter series just became available digitally for the first time in April.It will be different for The Casual Vacancy,with the publisher simultaneouslyreleasing an e-book.
For Rowling fans who once queued up for Harry Potter,this means that instant satisfaction is now only a click away.
Moving from children's books to adult literature is a big transition.Will Rowling's new book be successful?
Arthur Levine,the US co-editor of the Harry Potter books,seems confident:"If you read or re-read the Harry Potter books,you can see that Rowling has all the strengths she needs for great success as a fiction writer-you have great characters,an involving plot,a sense of humor and great empathy".
55.What do Harry Potter and The casual Vacancy have in common?D
A.They both have magic in them.
B.They are both intended for children.
C.They both don't have the digital edition when first published.
D.Readers can't catch a glimpse of them in the media in advance.
56.Which of the following words has the closest meaning with the underlined word"simultaneously"?B
A.willingly B.meanwhile C.especially D.eventually
57.What can we infer from the passage?C
A.The new book will be as popular as Harry Potter.
B.People now read more e-books than hard-cover books.
C.The new book is similar to the works of Dickens in some way.
D.We can not buy Harry Potter series online now.
58.In the writer's opinion,will Rowling's new book be successful?D
A.The writer is confident that the book will be successful.
B.The writer doubts whether the book will be successful.
C.The writer is unsure that the book will be successful.
D.The writer does not express his or her opinion in the passage.
分析 本文讲哈里波特的作者又出新书,这是关于成年人的书,预售火爆及各方对些的评论.
解答 55:D 细节理解题.根据最后一段提到"If you read or re-read the Harry Potter books,you can see that Rowling has all the strengths she needs for great success as a fiction writer-you have great characters,an involving plot,a sense of humor and great empathy如果你重读哈里波特系列书,你能看到做为一个成功小说家他所具备的优点,伟大的人物,幽默感,同情心,所以两本书体现作者良好的语言天赋,所以选D项.
56:B 词意猜测题.根据下方提到For Rowling fans who once queued up for Harry Potter,this means that instant satisfaction is now only a click away对于她的排除买书的粉丝来说,这意味着即时的满足只需要轻轻一点,也就是说两种类型的书同时上市,所以选B项.
57:C 细节理解题.根据第二段提到Michael Pietsch,Rowling's US publisher,says the novel reminded him of Dickens"because of the humanity,the humor,the social concerns,the intensely real characters".Michael Pietsch,Rowling的出版师说她的小说让他想到了狄更斯,因为人性,幽默,社会关心的问题,真实角色,所以说再者之间是相似的,所以选C项.
58:D细节理解题.根据最后一段提到"If you read or re-read the Harry Potter books,you can see that Rowling has all the strengths she needs for great success as a fiction writer-you have great characters,an involving plot,a sense of humor and great empathy如果你重读哈里波特系列书,你能看到做为一个成功小说家他所具备的优点,伟大的人物,幽默感,同情心,可知作者没有表达他的观点.故选D.
点评 本文是新闻报道类阅读理解.做这类题材阅读理解时要求考生对文章通读一遍,做题时结合原文和题目有针对性的找出相关语句进行仔细分析,结合选项选出正确答案.推理判断题也是要在抓住关键句子的基础上合理的分析才能得出正确答案,切忌胡乱猜测,一定要做到有理有据.