J.K. Rowling is the writer of Harry Potter, which is now one of the bestsellers in the world.
J.K. Rowling was born in Bristol on July 31st, 1965. She has one sister who is two years younger than her. Both girls loved listening to their father reading bedtime stories to them. They especially loved stories about magical worlds. Rowling wrote her first story, called Rabbit, at the age of six.
After she graduated from the university, Rowling worked as a translator in London. During this time, on a long train trip in the summer of 1990, the idea came to her of a boy who has magic but doesn't know it. In 1992 Rowling began to teach English. She lived with her baby daughter, Jessica, and spent much time finishing the first Harry Potter book for young readers. It appeared in June 1997. To her surprise, the book was greatly successful. The film came out in November 2001. Now Harry Potter series(系列) is popular with people of all ages and about 60 million books were sold in 200 countries.
Why has the series been so successful? There are a few things. Many other magical stories take place in faraway lands or in past or future times. But Harry lives in modern England. He's also a very normal boy: polite, friendly, brave and clever. So when other children read about Harry, they can imagine being like him.
J.K. Rowling is very happy with the success, and she is now busy finishing the whole series of seven books. She's writing full time and she's really enjoying life. She says she will go on living a normal life with her daughter and writing children's books.
1.From the passage, we know ___________.
A. J.K. Rowling met a boy named Harry on a long train trip
B. J.K. Rowling loved listening to stories when she was very young
C. J.K. Rowling is two years younger than her sister
D. Harry Potter is J.K. Rowling's first story
2.The first Harry Potter book came out in __________.
A. July 1965 B. the summer of 1990
C. June 1997 D. November 2001
3.J.K. Rowling has been successful, and she ___________.
A. likes to travel all over the world with her daughter
B. is too busy to enjoy her life
C. is excited about her success every day
D. is still writing stories for children
4.How is Harry Potter series different from other magical stories?
A. There are magical things. B. The stories happened in the modern world.
C. It has seven books. D. It took much time to finish.
Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let's have a look.
People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies. We sometimes say that people who are nervous have ants in their pants. Sometimes, people may get caught with their pants down. They are found doing something they should not be doing. And, in every family, one person takes control. Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do. Then we say she wears the pants in the family.
Pants usually have pockets to hold things. Money that is likely to be spent quickly can burn a hole in your pocket. Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants. If you have less money than usual, you may have to tighten your belt.
I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. I really take my hat off to them. Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it at the drop of a hat, which means I instantly spend it.
Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are too big for their boots think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people.
My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie, and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him well think he is too serious and never shows his feelings openly. But I know that my father wears his heart on his sleeve.
1.Which of the following expressions can show someone is nervous?
A. Get caught with one's pants down. B. Have ants in one's pants.
C. Wear the pants in the family. D. Burn a hole in one's pocket.
2.If we say someone has to tighten his belt, we probably mean he ___________.
A. has done something wrong B. used to live a rich life
C. has put on the wrong pants D. is short of money
3.Someone who spends his money at the drop of a hat most probably ___________.
A. doesn't save money B. earns much money
C. never wastes his money D. spends more than he earns
4.We can use the expression "wear one's heart on one's sleeve" to describe someone who ___________.
A. gets angry easily B. looks very serious
C. shows his feelings openly D. often wears a suit and tie
Alia Baker is a librarian in Iraq. Her library used to be a ______ place for all who loved books and liked to share knowledge. They ______ various matters all over the world. When the war was near, Alia was ______ that the fires of war would destroy the books, which are more ______ to her than mountains of gold. The books are in every language— new books, ancient books, ______ a book on the history of Iraq that is seven hundred years old.
She had asked the government for ______ to move the books to a ______ place, but they refused. So Alia took matters into her own hands. ______，she brought books home every night, ______ her car late after work. Her friends came to ______ her when the war broke out. Anis who owned a restaurant ______ to hide some books. All through the ______，Alia, Anis, his brothers and neighbours took the books from the library, ______ them over the sevenfoot wall and ______ them in the restaurant. The books stayed hidden as the war ______. Then nine days later, a fire burned the ______ to the ground.
One day, the bombing stopped and the ______ left. But the war was not over yet. Alia knew that if the books were to be safe, they must be ______ again while the city was ______. So she hired a truck to bring all the books to the houses of friends in the suburbs (郊区). Now Alia waited for the war to end and ______ peace and a new library.
1.A. meeting B. working C. personal D. religious
2.A. raised B. handled C. reported D. discussed
3.A. worried B. angry C. doubtful D. curious
4.A. practical B. precious C. reliable D. expensive
5.A. then B. still C. even D. rather
6.A. permission B. confirmation C. explanation D. information
7.A. large B. public C. distant D. safe
8.A. Fortunately B. Surprisingly C. Seriously D. Secretly
9.A. starting B. parking C. filling D. testing
10.A. stop B. help C. warn D. rescue
11.A. intended B. pretended C. happened D. agreed
12.A. war B. night C. building D. way
13.A. put B. opened C. passed D. threw
14.A. hid B. exchanged C. burnt D. distributed
15.A. approached B. erupted C. continued D. ended
16.A. restaurant B. library C. city D. wall
17.A. neighbours B. soldiers C. friends D. customers
18.A. sold B. read C. saved D. moved
19.A. occupied B. bombed C. quiet D. busy
20.A. dreamed of B. believed in C. cared about D. looked for
—You won't believe it, Tom. I was chosen as an exchange student to China.
—Congratulations! ________.
A. That's something B. That's all right
C. You got it D. You did a good job
The manager will you to visit the big company next week.
A. arrange B. plan C. arrange for D. plan to
Away before I could say a single word.
A. the children ran B. did the children run
C. ran the children D. had the children run
