阅读理解。
She was known to millions as the "Queen of Crime" or the "Duchess (女公爵) of Death". But surprisingly,
she bated 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 WarⅠ. 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. Christie's murder stories ranked the _____ in sale amount.
A. second
B. first
C. third
D. fourth
2. Christie's stories have been turned into _____ other forms.
A. two
B. three
C. four
D. five
3. Christie's knowledge of murder was _____.
A. poor
B. rich
C. limited
D. simple
4. 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
