JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author, has signed a deal with Little, Brown and Company, to publish her first ever novel for adults, which is set to become one of the most anticipated   book in years. The deal means that Rowling's long-standing relationship with Bloomsbury, the London-based publisher that launched   the Harry Potter books, has come to an end, at least in terms of new works by the author. Rowling is keeping her fans guessing about the characters and plot of her new book. She only said that the new novel will be nothing like the Harry Potter series, which was sold over 30 million copies in the UK alone. She thought that with the move from children's to adult fiction, a switch to a new publisher seemed like a natural and reasonable step. She said, "Although I've enjoyed writing it every bit as much, this book will be very different from the Harry Potter series. The freedom to explore a new field is a gift that Harry's success has brought me." Ian Rankin, the Edinburgh-based author whose highly-successful detective novels are also set in the city, suggested Rowling's book will be a crime novel. "Wouldn't it be funny if JK Rowling's first novel for adults turned out to be a crime story set in Edinburgh?" he said. Industry insiders guessed that the deal is worth more than PS5 million and the new book is expected to come out later this year. A spokesman said, "JK Rowling's audience is vast and her position is unique. Harry Potter books were a global success and her fans are very loyal. Children that were eight, nine, or ten when the books first came out in the 1990s are now in their 20s. Plenty of adults, loved the books regardless of whether they had children, so the potential market for her is huge." JK Rowling's new book for adults  _  . A) has been sold 30 million copies in the UK alone B) is poorly thought of by the London-based publisher Bloomsbury C) has nothing in common with the Harry Potter series D) is expected to bring her more money than the Harry Potter series
C


As a result of pollution, Lake Erie, on the borders of the USA and Canada, is now without many living things. Pollution in water is not simply a matter of "poisons" killing large numbers of fish overnight. Very often the effects of pollution are not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms   to be affected are either plants or plankton  . These organisms are the food of fish, birds, and other creatures. When this food disappears, the fish and birds die too. In this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it is not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river's edge or on the sea shore that people realize what is happening. Where do the substances which pollute water come from? There are two main sources, sewage  and industrial waste. As more detergent  is used in homes, more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas.  Detergents harm water birds by breaking down the natural substances which keep their feathers _ Sewage itself, if not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful since there are many highly poisonous materials in it, such as copper and lead. So if we want to stop this pollution, the answer is simple. Sewage and industrial waste must be made clean before flowing into the water reservoirs. It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once. Living things die in a lake or river because there is no   _  . A) water B) fish C) Poison D) oxygen
D


Q: While other stars her age are partying at clubs, Selena Gomez takes the time out of her day to help those less fortunate.     She has been such an impressive role model for younger generations that the 20-year-old Disney star was named Woman of the Year by US magazine Glamour this month, in recognition of her successful career and her charity work.     An actress since the age of 7, Gomez has grown up on screen. She rose from the Disney Channel popular series Wizards of Waverly Place to hit movies like Monte Carlo (2011) to this year's comedy Hotel Transylvania. She is also no stranger to the music industry thanks to her band, Selena Gomez & The Scene.     "Honestly, the feeling, if I can be selfish for a little bit, just makes me feel so good to be able to make kids smile... and educate them about what's happening in the world," she told the Associated Press.     When she was 17, Gomez became the youngest goodwill ambassador of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). She has worked hard ever since. Over the past few years, she has traveled to poor countries such as Congo, Ghana and Chile to promote environmentally friendly behavior and help raise awareness about violence.     Mature for her age, Gomez has a good handle on the problems facing the world's youth and is an outspoken advocate   for change.     Last month, she stepped up to show support for a 15-year-old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai. Yousafzai was shot because of her fight for the right for females to have an education in her country.     Sad about the story, Gomez wanted to make a difference. Changing her Facebook page icon   to Yousafzai's face, she shared more stories about the girl and encouraged her fans to spread Yousafzai's message of females' right to an education.     Her UNICEF work continues to highlight that 67 million school-age kids around the world are not in school, and that girls are less likely to enroll   in school than boys. Gomez encourages her fans to donate to UNICEF's school programs in Pakistan.     Praising... Which of the following is mainly talked about in the passage? A) Gomez travelled to many poor countries. B) Gomez is a role model for younger generations. C) Gomez achieved great success on screen. D) Gomez showed respect for a Pakistani girl.
A: B


*Question*
For millions of people, the American dream of owning a home seems to be slipping out of reach.   "Maybe young couples can no longer afford to buy a ready-made house as their parents did,'' says 40-year-old building instructor Pat Hennin. "But they can still have a home. Like their pioneer ancestors, they can build it themselves, and at less than half the cost of a ready-made house."  The owner-builders came from every occupational group, although surprisingly few are professional building workers. Many  _ with little or no experience. "I learned how to build my house from reading books," says John Brown, who built a six-room home for $25, 000 in High Falls, New Jersey. "If you have patience and the carpentry skill to make a bookcase, you can build a house." An astonishing 50 percent of these owner-builders hammer every nail, lay every pipe, and wire every switch with their own hands. The rest contract for some parts of the task. But even those who just act as contractors and finish the insides of their homes can save from 30 percent to 45 percent of what a ready-made home would cost. One survey revealed that 60 percent of owner-builders also design their homes. Many others buy commercial house plans for less than $100 or use plans available from the U. S. Department of Agriculture. What does the passage mainly tell us? A) The cost of having a house built. B) The American dream of owning a house. C) The life of owner-builders in America. D) A comparison between young couples and their parents.
**Answer**

B