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。

 

语音知识（共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分）

从A、B、C、D四个选项中，找出其划线部分与所给单词的划线部分读音相同的选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

例：have     A. gave            B. save              C. hat            D. made

答案是C。

1.stomach

A. butcher      B. machine      C. chemistry        D. achieve

2. throw

A. downtown     B. cow          C. low              D. flower

3. pleasure

A. increase         B. spread       C. break            D. reason

4. thus

A. pollute      B. cushion      C. huge         D. luggage

5. manage

A. example B. taste            C. passage      D. fasten

 

第一节 语音知识（共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分）

从A、B、C、D四个选项中，找出其划线部分与所给单词的划线部分读音相同的选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

例：have   A. gave      B. save     C. hat     D. made   答案是C

1. aloud            A. camera              B. cinema              C. carriage             D. many

2.  mankind          A. machine            B. bank                 C. rank                  D. language

3.  club                A. pollution           B. struggle             C. useful               D. bury

4.  hear                A. heart                 B. search               C. nearly               D. bear

5.  suggestion        A. traditional             B. emotion                 C. exhibition              D. question

 

语音知识（共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分）

从A、B、C、D四个选项中，找出其划线部分与所给单词的划线部分读音相同的选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

例：have       A. gave               B. save                 C. hat                D. made

答案是C。

1. burst        

A．survival

B．confirm

C．govern

D．advertise

2.steak         

A．great

B．wealth

C．appeal

D．react

3.otherwise    

A．cloth

B．thirst

C．clothing

D．throat

4.attach         

A．technology

B．machine

C．school

D．charge

5.punish        

A．cushion

B．quantity

C．conclude

D．unable

 

 

Driver Wanted Drive for busy restaurant some evening and weekend work All meals are free Ring 33335678	House for Sale ￥150, 000, built in 1995 The house with 3 bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room, a kitchen and a breakfast room. It’s on the south side of the city
Yingbin Supermarket, the biggest shopping centre in our city will open on July 8, 2005. Everybody with today’s Tianjin Daily will get a small present that day. You are welcome. Tel: 27984321 Add: No.6 Huanghe Road Tianjin Daily June 1, 2005	Rose’s Special Concert Time: 2 p.m., July 3, Saturday Place: People’s Statium Ticket Price: RMB: 150 yuan for adults; 70 Yuan for students June 25, 2005

1.If you work as a driver in the restaurant, you may ______.

A．never pay for meals	B．pay a little for meals
C．work on weekends	D．work in the afternoon

2.If you buy the house, you ______.

A．may pay more than ￥150, 000 for it	B．must have breakfast in the kitchen
C．have to take a bath in the public bathroom	D．may live on the south side of the city

3.Any customer with a Tianjin Daily of June 1, 2005 will get a small present from ______.

A．every supermarket	B．Huanghe Road
C．Tianjin Daily	D．Yingbin Supermarket

4.If two adults and two students want to go to the concert, the tickets will cost RMB______.

A．220 yuan

B．440 yuan

C．270 yuan

D．370 yuan

5.D 细节题。