1 . During a judging period for a recent short story contest, I started thinking a lot about dialogue tags. Because in many submissions characters didn’t “say” a thing. They shouted, they inquired, they assumed. Some characters screamed while others murmured. But no one “said” anything. And I started wondering why.
Why do we tell beginner writers to avoid creative dialogue tags in the first place? Why do we insist that characters should stick to “said,” “asked,” and the occasional “sighed?” And, if the advice is so of-repeated, why are writers still unable to resist the siren call of weep, scream, snap, or laugh?
The more I thought about it, the more I understood the temptation. We’re always encouraged to use strong, actionable verbs in our prose. Why walk when you can skip or wander? Why cry when you can sob or weep? Why wouldn’t we reach for exciting verbs instead of mild-boring dull-blah said? Why couldn’t each verb be a tiny sparkling gem in its own right?
The problem, I think, is that every jewel needs a setting to become something more than the sum of its parts. Without something to provide structure, a collection of the world’s most glorious diamonds would still only amount to a heap of rocks.
And a dialogue tag should never, ever be the diamond in any given sentence.
Dialogue is your diamond, friends. When we read your work, your dialogue should be so bright, so sparkling, so lifelike, so wonderfully realistic that our brains “hear” each line instead of merely reading it. We don’t need to be told a character is shouting — we can sense it in the way they spit out words, clench fists, or storm from the room.
A dialogue tag is a mere signpost along the narrative journey, gently indicating who said what. It’s part of a story’s experience, but it’s not part of the story itself, nor should it be treated as such. Dialogue tags are similar to lighting in a Broadway play: without it, the audience would have no idea what was going on, but it usually strives to shine without calling too much attention to itself.
What’s more, readers may not initially imagine a particular line being “sobbed.” When we reach the end of a sentence and find out our leading lady has actually sobbed instead of whispered, it pulls us right out of the story. We pause. We reread the line. We adjust our understanding and begin again. But that wonderful momentum when we’re fully immersed in the scene, holding our breath to find out what our heroine says next, is lost.
Creating a successful work of fiction is about giving the reader all the materials they need to build your fictional world in their mind and not a scrap more. Readers need believable dialogue. They need voices so compelling that they pop right off the page and into our ears. And if you’ve created dynamic characters who speak words we can really hear, you will never need to tell us how something was said.
Senior Editor
1. According to the Senior Editor, the beginner writers are tempted to ______.| A．replace a dull “said” with exciting verbs |
| B．omit what the character said in a dialogue |
| C．resist the warning against strong emotions |
| D．overuse the word “said” in their submissions |
| A．glorious diamonds | B．heaps of rocks |
| C．tiny, sparkling gems | D．Broadway play lighting |
| A．Dialogue tags are said to be the most important aspect of storytelling. |
| B．Without dialogue tags, readers have to reread to adjust understanding. |
| C．Creative dialogue tags may interrupt readers’ wonderful reading flow. |
| D．Effective dialogue tags should describe characters’ emotions directly. |
| A．good works of fiction give as many materials as possible |
| B．readers cannot imagine a line without the dialogue tags |
| C．what was said should be prioritized over how it was said |
| D．writers should choose powerful words for dialogue tags |
2 . In the dim light of an early autumn evening, Alexander, a hunter: known as much for his solitude as for his skill, ventured into the untamed (原始的) heart of the jungle. Each step he took was measured and careful, a respect for the ancient wilderness where every breath was a story, and man was but a fleeting shadow.
For years, whispers of a tiger, not just any tiger but one whose fur caught the last rays of the sun, had reached Alexander. A creature so splendid and fearsome, it was said to be more myth than flesh. On this day, as the shadows lengthened and the jungle whispered its age-old secrets, Alexander sought not just the tiger, but a confrontation with the very essence of the wild itself. As dusk settled, painting the world in colors of gold and shadow, the boundary between predator and prey seemed to dissolve. The air was heavy with anticipation, the kind that precedes storms and stories.
Then, in a clearing where the jungle seemed to hold its breath, the tiger appeared. It was as if the sun had woven itself into the fabric of its being, its fur a blend of flame and night. For a moment, the world shrank to the space between the hunter named Alexander and the legend made flesh before him.
Their gazes locked, a silent understanding passing between man and beast. Here was Alexander, a man who had walked through shadows to stand in the light of a legend, and the tiger, an embodiment of the wild’s untouchable majesty. In that eternal moment, Alexander saw not a prey but a sovereign of nature, a being whose right to wander the dusk was as undeniable as the setting sun.
With a respect born of countless sunsets and the silent tales they told, Alexander slowly lowered his rifle (步枪). The act was not one of defeat but of profound respect-a recognition of the bond that ties every living thing to the pulse of the earth. The tiger, its gaze still locked with Alexander’s, seemed to acknowledge this unspoken pact. Then, it turned and melted into the shadows, leaving behind a trail of twilight.
Alexander left the jungle that night without a trophy (战利品), but his soul was alight with a tale of fire and twilight. He had sought a legend and found a truth far greater: in the wild’s heart, where shadows and light dance, there lies a respect so deep it transcends the hunt. This encounter, a dance with the untamed, would echo in Alexander’s heart long after the jungle’s whispers faded into the dawn.
1. What was Alexander’s primary reason for venturing into the jungle?| A．To find a place to set up camp. |
| B．To hunt a tiger rumored to have a fur like the setting sun. |
| C．To escape from the challenges of modern life. |
| D．To meet other hunters and share stories. |
| A．He captures the tiger to prove its existence. |
| B．He shoots the tiger to claim his trophy. |
| C．He attempts to trap the tiger but fails |
| D．He lowers his rifle, choosing not to shoot the tiger. |
| A．complex language. | B．long sentences. |
| C．straightforward storytelling. | D．supernatural focus. |
| A．The thrill of the hunt is unparalleled. |
| B．True courage is demonstrated through dominance over nature. |
| C．There is a profound respect that exists between man and nature. |
| D．Technology has distanced man from understanding the natural world. |
3 . An Excerpt from Around the World in 80 Days — By Jules Verne
①“We set out for Dover and Calais in ten minutes,” Fogg announced.
②A puzzled grin (咧嘴笑) appeared in Passepartout’s round face. “Monsieur is going to leave home?”
③ “Yes,” replied Phileas Fogg. “We are going around the world.”
④ Passepartout’s eyes widened. He raised his eyebrows, held up his hands and seemed about to collapse. “Round the world!” he murmured.
⑥ “In eighty days,” responded Mr. Fogg.
⑥ “So we don’t have a moment to lose.”
⑦ “But the cases?” asked Passepartout.
⑧ “We won’t have any cases,” Fogg replied. “Only a bag with two shirts and three pairs of stockings for me in it, and the same for you. Bring down my raincoat and traveling cloak, and some strong shoes, although we will do little walking. Hurry up!”
⑨ Passepartout tried to reply, but he could not. He mechanically began to make the preparations for departure. Around the world in eighty days! Was his master a fool? No. Was this a joke, then? They were going to Dover. That was good! They were going to Calais. That was good again! After all, Passepartout, who had been away from France for five years, wouldn’t be sorry to set foot in his own country again. Perhaps they would go somewhere as far as Paris, and it would do his eyes good to see Paris once again.
⑩ By eight o’clock Passepartout had packed the bag. Then, he went down to see Mr. Fogg. Mr. Fogg was completely ready. Under his arm was a book containing timetables showing the arrival and departure of steam boats and trains. He checked his bag again and ensured everything he needed was in it.
⑪ “Take this bag,” Fogg said, handing it to Passepartout. “Take good care of it because there are twenty thousand pounds in it.” Passepartout nearly dropped the bag, as if the twenty thousand pounds had been in gold and almost weighed him down. They left the house and at the end of Saville Row they took a taxi and drove rapidly to Charing Cross.
1. How did Passepartout react to the idea of the journey at first?| A．He argued with Mr. Fogg. | B．He was quite confused and surprised. |
| C．He was thankful to Mr. Fogg. | D．He was unhappy about it. |
| A．The length of time he would be away. |
| B．The fact that Mr. Fogg wanted his company. |
| C．The opportunities the journey would give him. |
| D．The preparations he made for the journey. |
| A．Mr. Fogg was a slave owner | B．Mr. Fogg had read many books |
| C．Mr. Fogg was careful and cautious | D．Mr. Fogg had already packed for the journey |
| A．The size of the bag. | B．Mr. Fogg’s attitude to it. |
| C．The weight of the money in it. | D．The amount of the money in it. |
4 . Good news for all Wes Anderson fans — the US director is back with the film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar which hit Netflix, an online film provider, on Sept 27. It is a film adaptation of UK novelist Roald Dahl’s novel under the same name.
The film stars UK actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Adaptations are currently popular in the movie industry.
The most well-known version of a film being adapted to books is via the novelization. Movie novelizations went through a boom period before the Internet era. Fans wanted to know more about the fictional worlds and experience the story again in a new way.
Meanwhile, the screen to page process has also opened up the possibility of sequels (续篇). Perhaps there simply wasn’t financial investment to create a follow-up to a film. Maybe a sequel idea simply felt more appropriate for a novel.
But what are the benefits of reading a novel instead of waiting for the big screen version? Well, a novel can take its reader deeper into the mind of the characters that the film had to represent in a more visual way.
Book adaptations of films obviously won’t ever replace cinema, and there’s no need to choose one or the other.
| A．Besides, descriptions can be more detailed too. |
| B．For a time, they were everything for cinema lovers. |
| C．We’re all familiar with film adaptations of books. |
| D．Films being adapted to books has been talked repeatedly. |
| E．Regardless, some terrific films have been expanded upon thanks to this medium. |
| F．But they couldn’t simply google it, or immediately purchase the production on tape. |
| G．Actually, these two mediums are considerably interdependent and complementary. |
5 . I didn’t realize it, but during that short walk home I had lost a whole lot of weight and my eyes had grown dull and colorless. When my mom saw me she screamed out in surprise. Staring at me in disbelief, she asked, “Are you Fugui?”
Looking at my mom, I forced a smile and nodded my head. Shocked, she uttered something else, but I was no longer paying attention to her. I pushed the door open and went into my room. Jiazhen, in the middle of combing her hair, was also taken back when she saw me. She gazed at me with her mouth gaping. As soon as I thought of how I had beaten her when she came to persuade me to go home the night before, I fell to the ground and, kneeling before her, muttered, “Jiazhen, I’m finished.”
After speaking those words I began to cry out loud. Jiazhen rushed over to help me up, but being pregnant with Youqing, how could she support me? She called my mom over, and the two of them pulled me onto the bed. I looked like a corpse. They were scared to death and began patting me on the shoulder and rocking my head.
My mother appeared dumbstruck; she stared at me with a look of intensity and asked, “What did you say?”
“I’ve lost everything,” I repeated.
The look on my face convinced her. My mother sat down on the floor and, wiping her tears, said, “If the upper beam is no straight, the lower ones will not go straight either.”
Even then my mother still loved me. She didn’t blame me. Instead she blamed my father.
Jiazhen also cried. She patted me on the shoulder and tried to console me. “As long as you don’t gamble anymore, everything will be all right.”
I had nothing left. Even if I had wanted to gamble, I wouldn’t have had any money to stake a bet. I heard Dad in the next room shooting off his foul mouth. He still didn’t know that he was penniless — he was simply annoyed at being disturbed by the two women crying. As soon as she heard my father’s voice, Mom stopped crying. She stood up and walked out, with Jiazhen following her. I knew that they were going into my father’s room, and after a while I heard my dad begin screaming, “Bastard!”
It was just then that my daughter, Fengxia, pushed the door open and came in. She closed the door and in a shrill voice said, “Dad, hurry up and hide! Grandpa’s going to beat you.”
I just stared at her without moving a muscle. She then came over and tried pulling me away by the hand; when I wouldn’t budge she began to cry. Seeing Fengxia cry was like having a knife pierce my heart. Even at such a young age, Fengxia was trying to protect her dad. Just looking at her made me feel like I deserved to be cut to pieces.
Quoted from Yu Hua’s To Live
1. The underlined phrase “taken back” in paragraph 2 means ______.| A．regretful | B．astonished | C．shameful | D．concerned |
| A．wanted to gradually process the strong emotion and beg for their forgiveness |
| B．pretended to lose his mind and go crazy so as to get away with the punishment. |
| C．was afraid to face his father and wanted them to break the bad news to him |
| D．believed that they might still lend him some money to gamble again |
| A．Hard-work. | B．Bravery. | C．Self-discipline. | D．Compassion |
| A．Fugui’s father was also addicted to gambling when he was young. |
| B．Jiazhen would ask for a divorce from Fugui since he was penniless. |
| C．Fugui’s mother and his wife decided to hide the truth from his father. |
| D．Fengxia had more affection towards her father than her mother. |
| A. attacking B. beaten C. bites D. dignity E. diverse F. emotional G. exhibiting H. link I. literature J. strength K. struggles |
Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea is the simple story of an old Cuban fisherman who undergoes the most difficult struggle of his life. In the title character, Santiago, Hemingway describes one of the most distinguished examples in American
Alone on the sea, Santiago continuously
After catching the great marlin (马林鱼) Santiago realizes he is unable to quickly kill the fish, and it proceeds to pull him farther out to sea. Yet, throughout the battle between man and fish the old man begins to recognize a(n)
The fish, therefore, changes from merely being Santiago’s prey (猎物) into a reflection of the old man’s
Although the old man seemingly fails once the sharks steal his prize fish, they cannot take away the fact that Santiago has done the unthinkable by staying with and catching a fish “bigger than he had ever heard of”. In spite of not successfully bringing the fish back, Santiago fights with
7 . The Million Pound Bank Note
Narrator: Two rich brothers, Roderick and Oliverhave made a bet. Oliver believes that with a million-pound bank note a mancould live a month in London. His brother Roderick doubts it. They see a poor young man walking outside their house. It is Henry Adams.Roderick: Young man, would you step inside amoment, please?
Henry: Who? Me, sir?
Roderick: Yes, you.
Servant: (opening a door) Good morning, sir. Would you please come in?
(Henry enters the house.)
Roderick: How do you do, Mr ... er ...?
Henry: Adams. Henry Adams.
Oliver: Come and sit down, Mr Adams.
Henry: Thank you.
Roderick: You're an American?
Henry: That's right, from San Francisco.
Roderick: May we ask what you're doing in this country and what your plans are?
Henry: Well, I can't say that I have any plans.As a matter of fact, I landed in Britain by accident.
Oliver: How is that possible?
Henry: Well, I had my own boat. About a month ago, I was sailing, and towards night. I found myself carried out to sea by astrong wind. The next morning I was spotted by a ship.
Oliver: And it was the ship that brought you to England.
Henry: Yes, I went to the American consulate to seek help, but ... Anyway, I didn't dare to try again. (The brothers smile at eachother;)
Roderick: Well, you mustn't worry about that. It's an advantage.
Henry: I'm afraid I don't quite follow you, sir.
Roderick: Tell us, what sort of work did you do in America?
Henry: I worked for a mining company. Could you offer me work here?
Roderick: Patience. lf you don't mind, may I ask youhow much money you have?
Henry: Well, to be honest, I have none.
Oliver: (happily) What luck! Brother, what luck!
Henry:Well, it may seem lucky to you but not to me! If this is your idea of some kind of joke, I don't think it's very funny. Now if you'll excuse me, I ought to be on myway.
Roderick: Please don't go. You mustn't think we don't care about you. Oliver, give him the letter.
Oliver: Yes, I was about to go get the letter. Wait! (getting it from a desk and giving it to Henry) The letter.
Henry: (taking it carefully) For me?
Roderick: For you. (Henry starts to open it.) Oh, no, you'd better not open it. You can't open ituntil two o'clock.
Henry: Oh, this is silly.
Roderick: Not silly. There's money in it.
Henry: Oh, no. I don't want your charity. I just want a job that earns an honest income.
Roderick: We know you're hard-working. That's why we've given you the letter. (to the servant) Show Mr Adams out.
Henry: Well, why don't you explain what this is all about?
Roderick: You'll soon know. In exactly an hour and a half.
Servant: This way, sir.
Roderick: Not until 2 o'clock. Promise?
Henry: Promise. Goodbye.
1. Identify True or False
(1)Henry opened the letter before 2 o’clock.
(2)Henry felt unhappy when the two brothers gave him the letter.
(3)Roderick believed that with a million pound bank note a man could survive a month.
(4)Henry only wanted a job because he was penniless in London.
(5)The two brothers would like to offer him a job.
2. What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Two rich gentlemen made a bet on a million pound bank note. |
| B．How did Henry Adams land in London? |
| C．Henry Adams was puzzled about the note. |
| D．Why did the two rich gentlemen choose Henry Adams? |
| A．His boat sank in a storm at sea. |
| B．He was carried out to sea by a strong wind. |
| C．He was attacked by some bad men at sea. |
| D．He jumped into the sea to kill himself. |
| A．Henry Adams owned a large mining company |
| B．Henry Adams paid nothing for the trip to Britain |
| C．Henry Adams opened the letter at once |
| D．Henry Adams was an American who lived in New York |
8 . THE MILLION POUND BANK NOTE
Narrator: Two rich brothers, Roderick and Oliver have made a bet. Oliver believes that with a million-pound bank note a man could live a month in London. His brother Roderick doubts it. They see a poor young man walking outside their house. It is Henry Adams.Roderick: Young man, would you step inside a moment, please?
Henry:Who? Me, sir?
Roderick: Yes, you.
Servant:(opening a door) Good morning, sir. Would you please come in?
(Henry enters the house.)
Roderick: How do you do, Mr ... er ...?
Henry:Adams. Henry Adams.
Oliver:Come and sit down, Mr Adams.
Henry:Thank you.
Roderick: You’re an American?
Henry: That’s right, from San Francisco.
Roderick: May we ask what you’re doing in this country and what your plans are?
Henry: Well, I can’t say that I have any plans. As a matter of fact, I landed in Britain by accident.
Oliver:How is that possible?
Henry: Well, I had my own boat. About a month ago, I was sailing, and towards night. I found myself carried out to sea by a strong wind. The next morning I was spotted by a ship.
Oliver: And it was the ship that brought you to England.
Henry: Yes. I went to the American consulate to seek help, but ... Anyway, I didn’t dare to try again. (The brothers smile at each other.)
Roderick: Well, you mustn’t worry about that. It’s an advantage.
Henry: I’m afraid I don’t quite follow you, sir.
Roderick: Tell us, what sort of work did you do in America?
Henry:I worked for a mining company. Could you offer me work here?
Roderick: Patience. If you don’t mind, may I ask you how much money you have?
Henry:Well, to be honest, I have none.
Oliver:(happily) What luck! Brother, what luck!
Henry:Well, it may seem lucky to you but not to me! If this is your idea of some kind of joke, I don’t think it’s very funny. Now if you’ll excuse me, l ought to be on my way.
Roderick: Please don’t go. You mustn’t think we don’t care about you. Oliver, give him the letter.
Oliver:Yes, I was about to go get the letter. Wait! (getting it from a desk and giving it to Henry) The letter.
Henry:(taking it carefully) For me?
Roderick: For you, (Henry starts to open it.) Oh, no, you’d better not open it. You can’t open it until two o’clock.
Henry:Oh, this is silly.
Roderick: Not silly. There’s money in it.
Henry:Oh, no. I don’t want your charity. I just want a job that earns an honest income.
Roderick: We know you’re hard-working. That’s why we’ve given you the letter. (to the servant)Show Mr Adams out.
Henry: Well, why don’t you explain what this is all about?
Roderick: You’ll soon know. In exactly an hour and a half.
Servant:This way, sir.
Roderick: Not until 2 o’clock. Promise?
Henry:Promise. Goodbye.
Complete the sentences with the words from the text.
The two gentlemen had been having a heated argument for a couple of days, and had decided to make a
Wind on the Hill | Dream | A Match | |
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| Rhetorical devices |
1. Have you ever written a poem before? If so, what did you write about?
2. What might inspire you to write poems?
