A
J. K. Rowling turned another year older this week. Born Joanne Rowling, J. K. Rowling is, of course, her adopted pen name. Concerned that young boys might not go for a book written by a woman, her publisher suggested she come up with a pseudonym(笔名). So, upon combining her first initial with the initial of her paternal grandmother, Kathleen, the moniker J. K. Rowling was born.
That's the interesting fact about Rowling, apparently, and she can only fool some of the people some of the time.
Back in 2013, a crime novel appeared on the shelves. It was entitled The Cuckoo's Calling, and it was written by Robert Galbraith. According to Galbraith's bio, he spent “several years with the Royal Military Police” and the leading character of his novel, a fellow by the name of Cormoran Strike, “grew directly out of his own experiences and those of his military friends.” Only, upon further review, he didn't! The book was actually penned by J. K. Rowling, who apparently wanted to try and sell a novel based on complete craftsmanship rather than on her name.
Unfortunately, however, the wife of a partner in the media in whom she placed her trust, shared the secret on Twitter. Rowling was angry and disappointed concerning the betraying of trust.
I'm not sure whether I would be terribly upset for too long，if I were her. Previous to her being known as the author，Rowling saw her book listed 4，709th on Amazon. After the big revelation, her book jumped all the way to No. 1!
More importantly, I think she got what she wanted. The novel has received nearly universal critical acclaim. Rowling passed her own test with flying colors. Clearly, she's pretty good at her craft!
In any case, I personally look forward to reading her newest writing endeavor.
【语篇解读】 本文主要报道了J.K. Rowling用其他名字写书这一秘密暴露一事。
1．Why was Joanne Rowling advised to use a male pen name?
A．It was a common practice.
B．Her grandmother didn't like her name.
C．The publisher wanted to give readers a surprise.
D．Women writers might not be popular with boy readers.
D [细节理解题。根据第一段第三句“Concerned that young boys might not go for a book written by a woman, her publisher suggested she come up with a pseudonym(笔名)．”可知，女性作者可能不大受男性读者喜欢，因此Rowling用笔名写书，故选D。]
2．Why didn't J. K. Rowling publish her new book under her name?
A．She thought her name was out of date.
B．Readers didn't like her books any longer.
C．She intended to prove her writing ability.
D．She thought a new name could make her more popular.
C [推理判断题。根据第三段最后一句“The book was actually penned by J．K. Rowling，who apparently wanted to try and sell a novel based on complete craftsmanship rather than on her name.”可推知，J.K. Rowling出版新书时没有用自己的名字是想验证自己的写作能力，故选C。]
3．What does the underlined word “acclaim” in Paragraph 6 mean?
A．Severe criticism. B．Great respect.
C．High praise. D．Much sympathy.
C [词义猜测题。根据倒数第二段最后两句“Rowling passed her own test with flying colors. Clearly, she's pretty good at her craft！”可推知，J.K. Rowling的书大获成功，收到了广泛的赞誉，故选C。]
4．What is the best title of the text?
A．The Secret Is Out B．Her Door Is Open
C．The Book Is on Sale D．Her Effort Is in Vain
A [标题判断题。结合对全文的整体理解可知，本文主要讲述了著名作家J.K. Rowling用其他名字写书这一秘密暴露一事，故选A。]
