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 $1billion 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.”

66. The “design guru” in Paragraph 2 is probably ________.

A. a publisher　 B. a reader　 C. a writer　 D. an expert

67. 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.

68. 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.

69. 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

70. 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

完成句子（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）

阅读下列各小题，根据括号内的汉语提示，用句末括号内的英语单词完成句子，并将答案写在答题卡上的相应题号后。

1．Do remember to remind her            (关掉) the gas before she leaves. (turn)

2．Lots of policemen were sent to prevent them            (砍) the trees. (cut)

3．           (为何他们突然消失) then still remains a mystery. (disappear)

4．Giving children whatever they want            (对他们有害). (harmful)

5．I feel so sick. I wish Mum            (没有逼我) to eat so much. (force)

6．These chemical changes produced a chain reaction, which            (使可能) for life to develop. (make)

7．           (如果时间允许), I hope to visit the museum. (permit)

8．The house            (他付了) a large sum of money three years ago is now worth twice as much. (pay)

9．With such a lot of work on hand, he            (不应该去) to the cinema last night. (should)

10．           (他设法) carry out the experiment last year has encouraged his workmates greatly. (manage)

Would you please keep silent? The news that the milk contains a harmful chemical _________and I want to listen.

1. A.
   has been broadcast
2. B.
   is being broadcast
3. C.
   is broadcast
4. D.
   is broadcasting

Americans this year will swallow 15,000 tons of aspirin, one of the safest and most effective drugs invented by man. The most popular medicine in the world today, it is an effective pain reliever. Its bad effects are relatively mild and it is cheap.

For millions of people suffering from arthritis(关节炎), it is the only thing that works. Aspirin, in short, is truly the 20th-century wonder drug. It is also the second largest suicide drug and is the leading cause of poisoning among children. It has side effects that, although relatively mild, are largely unrecognized among users.?

Although aspirin was first sold by a German company in 1899, it has been around much longer than that. Hippocrates, in ancient Greece, understood the medical value of the leaves and tree bark which today are known to contain salicylates(水杨酸碱), the chemical in aspirin. During the 19th century, there was a great deal of experimentation in Europe with this chemical, and it led to the introduction of aspirin. By 1915, aspirin tablets were available in the United States.?

A small quantity of aspirin (two five-grain tablets) relieves pain and inflammation(炎症). It also reduces fever by interfering with some of the body’s reactions.

1.The passage is written to          .

    A．suggests us using more aspirin   B．reminds us of the side effects of aspirin

    C．gives us a whole view of aspirin D．discusses the good effects of aspirin

2.According to the author, aspirin         .

    A．is very safe                     B．first appeared in 1899

    C．can be harmful to children       D．can hardly be dangerous

3.Generally speaking, the author seems to be           .

    A．in favor of aspirin                                B．against the use of sapirin

    C．not interested in aspirin        D．careful in using aspirin

4.What is the best title for this passage?

    A．How to Use Aspirin               B．Why I Take Aspirin

    C．The Most Popular Medicine        D．The Side Effects of Aspirin

A Charlotte N.C. man was charged with first-degree murder of a 79-year-old woman whom police said he scared to death. Can the guy be held responsible for the woman’s death? Prosecutors (公诉人) said that he can under the state’s murder rule, which allows someone to be charged with murder if he or she causes another person’s death while committing or fleeing from a severe crime—even if he or she doesn’t kill someone on purpose.

But, medically speaking, can someone actually be frightened to death? We asked Martin Samuels, chairman of the neurology department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Absolutely, no question about it.

The body has a natural protective method called the fight-or-flight response, which was originally described by Walter Cannon，chairman of Harvard University’s physiology department from 1906 to 1942. If, in the wild, an animal is faced with a life-threatening situation, the automatic nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, and slowing digestion, among other things. All of this increases the chances of succeeding in a fight or running away from an aggressive beast. This process certainly would be of help to early humans. However, in the modern world there is obvious decline of the fight-or-flight response.

The autonomic nervous system uses the chemical messenger to send signals to various parts of the body to activate the fight-or-flight response. This chemical is poisonous in large amounts; it damages the organs such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. It is believed that almost all sudden deaths are caused by damage to the heart. There is almost no other organ that would fail so fast as to cause sudden death.

By the way, any strong positive or negative emotions such as happiness or sadness can cause the same result. There are people who have died in excitement or in religious passion. There was a case of a golfer who hit a hole in one, turned to his partner and said, “I can die now”, and then he dropped dead.

1.What is Martin Samuels’ attitude to the possibility of being frightened to death?

A. Approval.            B. Disapproval.                            C. Doubtful.     D. Indifferent.

2.What can we learn about the fight-or-flight response according to the passage?

A. The fight-or-flight response was raised and proved by Martin Samuels.

B. It is a natural protective method that can’t be found in all creatures but humans.

C. The ancient humans had a better fight-or-flight response than modern ones.

D. The fight-or-flight response is beneficial to both our actions and organs.

3.What activity can we infer is less likely to damage the organs?

A. Winning an unexpected fortune.

B. Missing a dead family member.

C. Watching a horror movie.

D. Listening to a sweet song.

4.The purpose of the passage is ______.

A. to explain why people will die of a heart attack

B. to offer some advice on protecting us from heart failure

C. to compare different kinds of feelings to cause a death

D. to show strong emotions can cause a sudden death