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 (《圣經(jīng)》) 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" (《斯泰爾斯莊園奇案》), also introduced Hercule Poirot, a retired Belgian (比利時(shí)的) police officer who starred in 30 of her works. Among the most popular are "Murder on the Orient Express" (《東方快車謀殺案》) (1934), and "Death on the Nile" (《尼羅河上的慘案》) (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 (傳記), "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。歸納綜合題,可用綜合歸納法來解。認(rèn)真閱讀分析原文不難發(fā)現(xiàn),Christie一生寫了79部小說和大量短篇小說,當(dāng)然是一個(gè)很出色的人。

2. C。推理判斷題,可用邏輯推斷法來解。由原文第一節(jié)末句可推出答案。

3. B。細(xì)節(jié)判斷題,可用直接就題找文法來解。原文第二節(jié)體現(xiàn)答案。

4. B。推理判斷題,可用邏輯推斷法來解。由原文第四節(jié)"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。細(xì)節(jié)判斷題,可用直接就題找文法來解。原文末節(jié)But while the Belgian uses his powers of observation, the old Miss Marple relies on her knowledge of human nature to solve crimes. 體現(xiàn)答案。

 

1. D。歸納綜合題,可用綜合歸納法來解。認(rèn)真閱讀分析原文不難發(fā)現(xiàn),Christie一生寫了79部小說和大量短篇小說,當(dāng)然是一個(gè)很出色的人。

2. C。推理判斷題,可用邏輯推斷法來解。由原文第一節(jié)末句可推出答案。

3. B。細(xì)節(jié)判斷題,可用直接就題找文法來解。原文第二節(jié)體現(xiàn)答案。

4. B。推理判斷題,可用邏輯推斷法來解。由原文第四節(jié)"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。細(xì)節(jié)判斷題,可用直接就題找文法來解。原文末節(jié)But while the Belgian uses his powers of observation, the old Miss Marple relies on her knowledge of human nature to solve crimes. 體現(xiàn)答案。

 

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科目:高中英語 來源:湖北省十三校2009---2010學(xué)年度高一下學(xué)期期中聯(lián)考英語試題 題型:閱讀理解


C
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As she later explained, “Never do things others can do and will do, if there are things others cannot do or will not do.”
Earhart found herself a flying teacher and started to learn to fly. She took all sorts of jobs to pay for the lessons and to buy a second-hand plane on her 24th birthday.
In 1932, Earhart flew solo across the Atlantic. She became the first woman to make the solo crossing. She also made a flying suit for women and went on to design other clothes for women who led active lives. “Now and then women should do for themselves what men have already done —— occasionally what men have not done ——thereby establishing themselves as persons, and perhaps encouraging other women toward greater independence of thought and action.” she said.
When she was nearly 40, Earhart was ready for a final challenge—to be the first woman to fly around the world. However, in mid-flight, she and her navigator (導(dǎo)航員) disappeared in bad weather.
Earhart will be forever remembered as a brave pioneer for both aviation and for women.
59. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. A movie about Earhart’s exciting life has come out.
B. Earhart never did things others could and would do.
C. Earhart’s love for aviation came after she flew a plane for a short time.
D. In Earhart's opinion, women should think and act more independently.
60. The underlined word in paragraph 2 means ____.
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B. Earhart s ambition was to fly across the Atlantic
C. Earhart challenged herself constantly
D. Besides flying, Earhart also designed planes and clothes
62. You can probably find this article in        .
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科目:高中英語 來源:浙江省舟山市定海區(qū)高中2010屆高考模擬考試試題(英語) 題型:閱讀理解


Some say everyday miracles(奇跡) are predestined(注定的)----the right time for the appointed meeting. And it can happen anywhere.
In 2001, 11-year-old Kevin Stephan was a bat boy for his younger brother's Little League team in Lancaster, New York. It was an early evening in late July. Kevin was standing on the grass away from the plate, where another youngster was warming up for the next game. Swinging his bat back and forth, giving it all the power an elementary school kid could give. The boy brought the bat back hard and hit Kevin in the chest. His heart stopped.
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Quickly Kevin stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her and clasped his hands. Then, using skills he'd first learned in Scouts. The food that was trapped in the woman's throat was freed. The color began to return to her face.
"The food was stuck. I couldn't breathe," she said. She thought she was dying. "I was very frightened."
Who was the woman?
Penny Brown.
1. The author wrote the passage to show us that_______.
A. miracles are predestined and they can happen anywhere
B. whoever helps you in trouble will get a reward one day
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D. miracles won’t come without any difficulty sometimes
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B. She volunteered to give medical services
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D. She came to watch her son’s game and cheered him
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科目:高中英語 來源:陜西省澄城縣王莊中學(xué)2009-2010學(xué)年高二下學(xué)期第三次月考試題(英語) 題型:閱讀理解


Night after night,she came to tuck me in,even long after my childhood years.Following her longstanding custom,she'd lean down and push my long hair out of the way,then kiss my forehead.
I don't remember when it first started annoying me—her hands pushing my hair that way. But it did annoy me,for they felt work—worn and mush against my young skin.Finally,one night,I shouted out at her,"Don't do that anymore--your hands are too rough!" She didn't say anything in reply.But never again did my mother close out my day with that familiar expression of her love.
Time after time,with the passing years,my thoughts returned to that night.By then I missed my mother's hands,missed her goodnight kiss on my forehead.Sometimes the incident seemed very close,sometimes far away.But always it lurked,in the back of my mind.
Well,the years have passed,and I'm not a little girl anymore.Mom is in her mid—seven—ties.a(chǎn)nd those hands I once thought to be so rough are still doing things for me and my family.She's been our doctor,reaching into a medicine cabinet(醫(yī)藥箱)for the remedy(藥物)to calm a young girl's stomach or soothe(安慰)the boy's scraped knee.She cooks the best fried chicken in the world…gets stains out of blue cans, like I never could…
Now, my own children are grown and gone.Mom no longer has Dad,and on special occasions.I find myself drawn next door to spend the night with her.So it was late on Thanksgiving Eve, as I slept in the bedroom of my youth, a familiar hand hesitantly run across, my face to brush the hair from my forehead.Then a kiss,ever so gently,touched my brow(額頭).
In my memory,for the thousandth,time,I recalled the night my young voice complained,"Don't do that anymore--your hands are too rough!" Catching Mom's hand in hand,I blurted (沖口說出)out how sorry I was for that night.I thought she'd remember ,as I did.But Mom didn't know what I Was talking about.She had forgotten--and forgiven—long ago.
That night, I fell asleep with a new appreciation for my gentle mother and her carrying hands. And the guilt that I had carried around for so long was nowhere to be found.
1.What would be the best title for the text ?
A.Mother's Hands        B.Appreciation for Mother.
C.My Childhood Years.  D.My Unselfish Mother.
2. The author began to get annoyed because—
A.her mother's hands were really old and tough
B.she thought she didn't need her mother's care
C.she didn't like her mother any more
D.her mother stayed in her room too long
3. What do we know about the author?
A. With time passing, she began to understand her mother.
B.She was an only child in the family.
C.She never forgave herself.
D.Her mother was a doctor.
4.By saying "Then a kiss,ever so gently,touched my brow.",the author means
that________
A.children need Mother's kissing     B.mothers kiss their children gently
C.mothers love their children forever  D.children depend on their mothers
5.It can be inferred from the text that _____________
A.the author began to spend nights with her mother
B.her mother  never kissed  author again
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Do you know this girl?
I was in the park with my elder sister, Cathy, on Friday. My sister left her jacket on a chair while we talked to some friends. When we went back to the chair, a girl in a red T-shirt was sitting there. She had some money in her hand. When she saw us, she got up and walked away.
I asked my sister, "Did you have any money in your jacket?"
She said, "Yes, Anna, I did."
I said, "Look in your jacket quickly."
Cathy looked in her jacket, but her money was not there.
"That girl stole it!" I said, and we both ran after her. We caught her quickly.
My sister was very angry and she said, "Give me the money." The girl gave the money to Cathy and ran away. We both ran after her, but we lost her.
Then we went home. But before we could tell our parents, my mother said to Cathy, "You left your money at home. It's on the table in the sitting room. You must be more careful with money."
So the girl in the red T-shirt was not a thief! She probably thought we were thieves! We felt terrible.
Please telephone us if you know this girl! We are very sorry for our mistake. We would like to say sorry to her and give the money back to her.
Our number is 512667. My name is Anna.
【小題1】
Cathy thought the money in the girl's hand was        .

A.from her jacketB.the girl's own money
C.from their homeD.from the chair
【小題2】
The girl gave the money to Cathy because        .
A.she was afraidB.Cathy asked her nicely
C.it was Cathy's moneyD.she wanted to help them
【小題3】
Hearing their mother's words, they knew that        .
A.they did a good deedB.the girl was a thief
C.the money was Anna'sD.they had the girl's money
【小題4】
The writer writes the passage to        .
A.telephone the girlB.say thanks to the girl
C.say good-bye to the girlD.return the money to the girl

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科目:高中英語 來源:2011-2012學(xué)年浙江省臺(tái)州中學(xué)高一下學(xué)期期中考試英語試卷(帶解析) 題型:閱讀理解


It was the first day of school. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a little old lady smiling at me. She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”
I laughed and said, “Of course!” And she gave me a big hug. “Why are you in college at such an age?” I asked.
She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have kids and then retire and travel.
“No seriously.”
“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!”
We became friends at once. Over the course of the year, Rose easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she was happy with the attention given to her from the other students. At the end of the term we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet(宴會(huì)). I’ll never forget what she taught us in her speech.
“We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one useful thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything, I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity to do productive things. Have no regrets(遺憾;后悔). The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but we regret for things we did not do.”
At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral to honor the wonderful woman!
【小題1】While meeting Rose at the college for the first time, the author was curious about _______.

A.her ageB.her lifeC.her purposeD.her dream
【小題2】By saying “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have kids and then retire and travel”, Rose was trying to be ___________.
A.humorousB.a(chǎn)mazingC.confidentD.smart
【小題3】What else did Rose most probably say at the football banquet?
A.“It seems that my young days are over.”
B.“Don’t do much in order to stay young.”
C.“The people who fear death are those with regrets.”
D.“When we are old, we can do nothing.”
【小題4】The story of Rose in the text shows that ___________.
A.it is good to make friends with old people
B.it is necessary to have a college education for old people
C.it is important to have a healthy body when people are getting old
D.it is never too late to be what you can possibly be

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