“Persist.” — Viet Thanh Nguyen
“Success is no accident.” — Chris Bohjalian
“Keep writing and it’ll get easier.” — Lisa Jewell
“Be patient with yourself.” — Min Jin Lee
These are words of advice taken from our interviews with award-winning and bestselling authors. Notice, though, not a single mention of their status, prizes, or advances—in other words, their success. And while status, literary awards, and money can be indicators of a successful writer, one must actually sit down and write for any of those things to happen. That’s what all of these pieces of advice have in common: putting words on the page.
In this issue, you’ll find articles to help you succeed, no matter your goals. If it’s to figure out whether that mess of a novel you’ve got sitting in a drawer can be rescued or if you need to move on, Andromeda Romano’s article will offer questions to ask yourself. Michael La Ronn’s essay will give you an example of how an unexpected opportunity might be just the push you need. Or, if you’ve had trouble finding an agent, Ryan Van Cleave’s collection of tips and advice from 22 literary agents on every aspect of the business might change your luck. Matty Dalrymple shares ways to reach more readers and build a community with them.
Wish you success and happy new year!
1. The advice mentioned at the beginning highlights the importance of ______.A.a big dream | B.constant practice | C.earning money | D.achieving success |
A.Matty Dalrympl. | B.Michael La Ronn. |
C.Ryan Van Cleave. | D.Andromeda Romano. |
A.Writers. | B.Businessmen. | C.Booksellers. | D.Literary agents. |
2 . The climate crisis may lead the human race to decrease in size, as mammals (哺乳动物) with smaller bodies appear better able to deal with rising global temperatures, a leading fossil expert said.
Prof Steve Brusatte, a palaeontologist (古生物学家) at the University of Edinburgh, suggested that the way in which other mammals have previously responded to periods of climate change could offer an insight into humans’ future.
He compared the potential situation of people as similar to that of early horses, which became smaller in body size as temperatures rose around 55m years ago, a period called the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum.
Writing in The Rise and Reign of the Mammals, Brusatte notes that animals in warmer parts of the world today are often smaller than those in colder areas, an ecological principle known as Bergmann’s rule. “The reasons are not entirely understood, but it is probably, in part, because smaller animals have a higher surface area compared to their size than bigger animals and can thus better get rid of extra heat” he writes.
Brusatte said that becoming smaller was “a common way that mammals deal with climate change”. He added, “That’s not to say every species of mammal would get smaller, but it seems to be a common survival trick of mammals when temperatures spike pretty quickly, which does raise the question: if temperatures do spike really quickly, might humans dwarf, might humans get smaller? And I think that’s certainly convincing.”
In a recent study, researchers studying human remains over the past million years have also suggested that temperature is a major predictor of body size variation, while scientists studying red deer have said that warmer winters in northern Europe and Scandinavia may lead to the body size of these animals becoming smaller.
However, not all experts agree that rising temperature causes mammals to decease. Prof Adrian Lister, of the Natural History Museum in London, said the relationship shown by the recent human remains study is weak, while the strong relationship between temperature and mammal body size may often result from the availability of food and resources.
Lister doubts whether humans will shrink as the climate heats. “We are not really controlled by natural selection,” he said. “If that was going to happen, you’d need to find large people dying before they could reproduce because of climate warming. That is not happening in today’s world. We wear clothes, we have got heating, we have got air conditioning if it is too hot.”
1. According to the passage, the early horses got smaller in body size .A.to keep cool | B.to save food |
C.to keep warm | D.to avoid being killed |
A.Rise | B.Drop | C.Balance | D.Change |
A.Every species of mammal would get smaller as the temperature goes up. |
B.Animals in warmer areas are definitely smaller than those in colder areas. |
C.Smaller animals have a higher surface area and so they can cool down quickly. |
D.The change of Mammals’ body size is closely related to their food and other resources. |
A.Climate Change Causes Natural Disasters. | B.Climate Change Leads to Heated Discussions. |
C.Climate Change Causes Changes in Body Size. | D.Climate Change Leads to Changed Lifestyle. |
3 . Jaw-dropping architecture isn’t new. We’re still fascinated by the Great Pyramid built 4,500 years ago! Read for more recent examples of innovative buildings constructed using modern technology.
Crooked House (Poland)
COMPLETED: 2004
With its curved (弯曲的) walls and roof, it is popular with photographers. However, staring at it for too long might make you dizzy! Inside is a typical mall and office building. A favorite feature is the Wall of Fame, with signatures from Polish celebrities (名人). It’s modeled after the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Cube Houses (Netherlands)
COMPLETED: 1984
The Cube Houses are a popular attraction, but they are also real houses that people live in! The furniture is tailor-made to fit the strange angles where the walls meet. Architect Piet Blom designed the homes based on the idea of “living as an urban roof,” with the housing above and the courtyards, shops, and even a chess museum below.
Wonder Works (US)
COMPLETED: 2006
Looking at the cracks in this building, you might think, is it about to collapse? But it’s all an illusion (幻觉). This indoor amusement park is actually pretty normal. The upside-down features are just for show. Inside are more than hands-on science exhibits and activities, including a laser-tag zone and a hurricane-force wind tunnel!
Guangzhou Opera House (China)
COMPLETED: 2010
It was designed by Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid. She said she let natural places inspire her buildings, such as this opera house on the Pearl River. She used latest construction and design methods to make her design a reality. GPS positioning and laser techniques helped shape the structure, which includes tons of steel and glass.
1. What makes Cube Houses different from the others in the list?A.Its latest techniques. | B.Its residents inside. |
C.Its famous signatures. | D.Its upside-down features. |
A.Crooked House | B.Cube Houses | C.Wonder Works | D.Guangzhou Opera House |
A.To introduce amazing architecture. | B.To advertise specifically-designed programs. |
C.To inspire students to make innovations. | D.To urge people to protect historical buildings. |
4 . My biggest regret of 2023 was the relationship to my smartphone. I spent the equal of January, February and March looking at that tiny screen. While some of that time was necessary for work, or staying connected with family, I became glued to it. This habit started to make me feel uneasy.
So, in December, I made a big change. I swapped my expensive iPhone for a basic flip phone (翻盖手机), which only cost $108. This decision was met with disbelief, especially from my seven-year-old daughter who couldn’t understand why I chose such a device. However, I was determined to reduce my screen time and take back control of my life.
Making the switch was neither easy nor fast. I had to adjust to its limited functions and learn to live without the convenience of having everything at my fingertips. There were moments when I felt frustrated, like when I couldn’t use a smartphone app to charge my electric car or navigate without Google Maps. Despite these challenges, I survived, and even progressed during the month.
It was a relief to disconnect my brain from the internet regularly and for hours at a time. I read four books. I even did a magic jigsaw puzzle. After two weeks, I noticed I’d lost my thumb twitch — physical desire to check my phone in the morning, at red lights, waiting for an elevator or at any other moment when my mind had a brief opportunity to wander.
“Our health is struggling against many of these services and companies that are competing for our time and our energy and our attention,” said Matthew Buman, a professor of movement sciences at Arizona State University. I told him about my own strategy — the flip phone. He said it probably made my mind feel more free and feel as if I had more time (both true), but that in our society, it’s hard to maintain that in the long term.
1. What made the author change her relationship with her smartphone?A.Her intention to work harder. | B.Her desire to contact her family. |
C.Her decision to try something new. | D.Her guilt about overuse of the phone. |
A.Proud of the wise choice. | B.Astonished at the low price. |
C.Confused by the unexpected switch. | D.Delighted at the new device. |
A.Efficiency in navigating. | B.Control over her life. |
C.Convenience to charge her car. | D.Desire to check her phone. |
A.The author might find it hard to disconnect from the internet. |
B.The author’s health might suffer due to the lack of connectivity. |
C.The author might miss the convenience of having a smartphone. |
D.The author might struggle to adapt to the limited functions of a flip phone. |
5 . Small Business Saturday is a relatively new shopping holiday in Rochester University. This small and local business is home to more unique gifts than you may find at a national retail chain — and we have an abundance of Rochester craftsmen to shop from this holiday season.
The Op Shop
The Op Shop features 32 different handmade vendor (小贩), making it a great spot to find some truly unique gifts. They will be hosting their annual holiday market, Secondhand Wonderland, on Saturday Dec. 3, at the Nazareth College Field House. I went last year and found two great winter sweaters and some fun ornaments.
Parkleigh
Parkleigh is a gift-shopping place in Rochester located on Park Ave. They feature a wide variety of items from skin care, novelty socks to Rochester-themed items, and my personal favorite: Jellycat food dolls. The store features a mix of large and small businesses and is always a fun place to check out on Saturdays.
The Lucky Flea Market
I can’t write an article about shopping local and small without mentioning The Lucky Flea. This year they are hosting indoor markets throughout the colder months, featuring dozens of local vendors. Many of the vendors sell second-hand clothing but there are also jewelry makers and specialty foods. Check out their first indoor market of the season on Saturday, Nov. 20!
Central Rock Gym
Looking for an experience gift on Saturdays? Buy a gift card from Central Rock Gym for a day pass with all climbing equipment included. My friends and I went last year and it was a lot of fun learning how to rock climb and bouldering. This can also be an option for any fitness class at a local gym or specialty fitness center.
1. Where can you buy a unique handmade gift for your friend?A.The Op Shop. | B.Parkleigh. | C.The Lucky Flea Market. | D.Central Rock Gym. |
A.It sells food. | B.It offers clothing. | C.It opens on Saturdays. | D.It features experience gift. |
A.A travel brochure. | B.A campus website. |
C.An official document. | D.A market research report. |
6 . It was June 15, and in two days I would be turning thirty. I was insecure about entering a new decade of my life and feared that my best years were now behind me.
My daily routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work. Every morning I would see my friend Nicholas at the gym. He was seventy-nine years old and in terrific shape. As I greeted Nicholas on this particular day, he noticed I wasn’t full of my usual vitality and asked if there was anything wrong. I told him I was feeling anxious about turning thirty. I wondered how I would look back on my life once I reached Nicholas’ sage, so I asked him, “What was the best time of your life?”
Without hesitation, Nicholas replied, “Well, Joe, this is my philosophical answer to your philosophical question.”
“When I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me and I was nurtured by my parents, that was the best time of my life.”
“When I was going to school and learning the things I know today, that was the best time of my life.”
“When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my efforts, that was the best time of my life.”
“When I met my wife and fell in love, that was the best time of my life.”
“The Second World War came, and my wife and I had to flee Austria to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship bound for North America, that was the best time of my life.”
“When we came to Canada and started a family, that was the best time of my life.”
“When I was a young father, watching my children grow up, that was the best time of my life.”
“And now, Joe, I am seventy-nine years old. I have my health, I feel good and I am in love with my wife just as I was when we first met. This is the best time of my life.”
1. Why did the author feel anxious according to the article?A.He would be 30 in two days. |
B.He was worried about getting old. |
C.He didn’t go to the gym to exercise. |
D.Nicholas asked questions he didn’t want to answer. |
A.He spent his childhood with his grandparents in Austria. |
B.He dropped out of school, found a job and got paid. |
C.He took part in the Second World War and met his wife. |
D.He started a family and became a young father in Canada. |
A.Casual. | B.Anxious. | C.Positive. | D.Negative. |
A.Live a day at a time. | B.You get what you pay for. |
C.Every man has his price. | D.Strike while the iron is hot. |
7 . If you’re a teen artist, this is the perfect challenge for you. We’ve seen just how talented you can be; but this month, we’re putting your skills to the test. This contest requires your art to be made out of a wide variety of colors. You should use different colors even for your outlines and shading. Think you’re up for the challenge?
Deadline: June 1Rules:
● You must be a teen (aged 13 — 19) to enter.
● No inappropriate content.
● Submissions must relate to the topic (only colors, no black-and-white drawings).
Guidelines and Details:
● Your entry must be a character created by yourself.
● There is no limit to the number of characters you can submit.
How to Submit:
● Submit entries through our website. All entries submitted to Teen Ink are automatically considered for the contest. There is no cost to submit or be published. See our submission guidelines for more information.
● Submit your work to the appropriate art category on Teen Ink. Include “only colors” as one of your submission’s tags. You can do this by using the “additional tags” field in your submission form.
Prizes:
● Winners and honorable mentions will have their works published in Teen Ink magazine.
● The overall winner will receive a $25 gift card.
1. What do we know about the contest?
A.It tests students’ talents. | B.It focuses on colors. |
C.It has no content requirements. | D.It targets art students. |
A.Create characters on their own. | B.Submit the entries before July 1. |
C.Submit only one entry to Teen Ink. | D.Create black-and-white drawings. |
A.Cash prizes. | B.Gift certificates. |
C.Publication of their works. | D.Copies of Teen Ink magazine. |
8 . AI-generated content has recently won big in the literary world. Japanese author Rie Kudan won one of Japan’s most famous literary awards, the Akutagawa Prize, with the help of ChatGPT in The Tokyo Tower of Sympathy.
The book is set in future Japan, where Al has become an important part of people’s lives. The story centers around an architect who creates a comfortable prison but struggles with a society that she sees as being overly sympathetic to criminals.
Kudan admitted at a news conference that “around 5 percent of the book’s text was taken directly from generative AI,” reported kyodo News. She added that there is a scene in the book where an AI chatbot answers the main character’s questions and she used AI-generated text in the responses given by AI in the story. The word-for-word content generated by Al was applauded by committee members as “practically flawless”, said CNN.
This is not the first time that AI-related works have won prizes. In October 2023, The Land of Machine Memories was awarded second prize at China’s fifth youth popular science and science fiction competition. The fiction was fully created by AI with the prompts (提示) given by Shen Yang, a professor at Tsinghua University. Surprisingly, just one judge among the six of the competition realized that what they were reading was the product of a machine.
So will literature in the future be all about Al? Debates are still ongoing on the matter. Japanese literary critic Akira Okawada told Tyodo News that “it is difficult for AI to create work that addresses ethical themes in depth”. However, Chinese writer Luo Ping holds the positive view. “Improvements in technology will not cause human laziness in creating, but rather will only make them involved in more heated competition. With the help of technology, the starting point of human thinking will only grow higher,” Luo told Hongxing News.
“I think this is only the beginning for AI in creating literature,” Fu Changyi, a member of Jiangsu Popular Science Writers Association, told online news Guancha. “We will wait and see how the future goes,” he added.
1. What is the main purpose of the first paragraph?A.To lead in the topic of the text. | B.To promote an AI-generated book. |
C.To introduce a famous Japanese writer. | D.To show the advancement of ChatGPT. |
A.It was fully created by AI. |
B.It is the first AI-created book winning an award. |
C.Six judges recognized that it was produced by AI. |
D.The AI-created content in the book was highly spoken of. |
A.AI will bring human thinking to a higher level. |
B.Human authors will be replaced by AI in the future. |
C.Human will lose the enthusiasm to create because of AI. |
D.AI doesn’t have the capability to deal with ethical issues. |
A.Concerned. | B.Negative. | C.Optimistic. | D.Indifferent. |
9 . Back in the early 2000s, lots of people couldn’t imagine life without alarm clocks, CD players, calendars, cameras, or lots of other devices. But along came the iPhone and other smartphones, and they took over the functions of many things that we used to think were completely necessary.
The success of smartphones can be a model for dealing with climate change because they represent a different approach to design, which is to focus on function rather than form. This approach requires concentrating on understanding the problems, and then engineering a wide range of potential solutions. By adopting this mindset, we can completely change our thinking about energy efficiency (效率).
Traditionally, improvements in energy efficiency have mostly been centered on individual devices, which can be quite fruitful. But focusing on individual devices is like if Apple had spent effort inventing a better alarm clock, a better CD player, a better calendar, and a better camera. Now with an iPhone, we don’t need the standalone (独立运行的) devices at all, because it can function as all of them.
So when it comes to energy efficiency, instead of only installing more efficient heaters, we should focus on the desired function: warmth. Through creative designs like coating (给……涂层) our house, we can get rid of the need for heaters, significantly saving nearly 99% energy.
Similarly, rather than merely focusing on making cars more efficient, we should consider the desired function — transportation. By developing an efficient transportation system that reduces the need for private cars, we can achieve greater energy savings.
The most energy-efficient car or heater is no car, or no heater, while still being able to get around and stay warm. In other words, it’s not thinking efficiently, but thinking differently.
1. What makes the iPhone a good example of environmental protection?A.Choosing a simplest design. |
B.Combining possible functions. |
C.Perfecting individual instruments. |
D.Reducing the energy consumption. |
A.Improving technologies. |
B.Using recyclable materials. |
C.Figuring out various solutions. |
D.Concentrating on the necessary needs. |
A.Inefficient. | B.Classical. | C.Useless. | D.Perfect. |
A.Think out of the box | B.Differences make it unique |
C.Be economical with energy | D.Step out of the comfort zone |
10 . What’s new to watch on TV
All Creatures Great and Small Season 4The beloved British TV series, “All Creatures Great and Small”, is set to return for its fourth season on January 7. Executive producer Colin Callender expressed excitement for the new season, promising more heartwarming family stories, community spirit, and of course, delightful animal adventures. The show is based on the best-selling books by Alf Wight, writing under the penname James Herriot, describing the lives of three animal doctors in rural Yorkshire. The upcoming season will be set in 1940, during World War Ⅱ, offering a unique mix of warmth and drama.
Echo“Echo”, the latest Marvel series on Disney+, follows the story of Maya Lopez, a deaf martial (武术的) artist with the ability to copy any move she sees. Played by Alaqua Cox, the character seeks vengeance (复仇) for her father’s murder at the hands of the criminal boss, the Kingpin. The series promises a more mature tone, offering a more grown-up kind of show than what we’ve seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before. Cox’s acting of Echo brings diversity and representation to the screen, adding depth to the character’s appealing storyline.
Masters of the AirComing to Apple TV+ on January 26, “Masters of the Air” is a highly anticipated miniseries recording the heroic efforts of the 100th Bomb Group, a US Air Force unit during World War Ⅱ. The show is based on historian Donald L. Miller’s book, displaying the courage, loss, and triumph experienced by the men as they carry out dangerous bombing missions over Nazi Germany. With emotional depth and a strong sense of brotherhood, this series promises a moving portrayal of the human experience during wartime.
1. What is “All Creatures Great and Small Season 4” mainly about?A.The challenges faced by animals. |
B.Stories about rural animal doctors in Yorkshire. |
C.A group of animal doctors living in a city environment. |
D.A story about the lives of animal trainers in the modern era. |
A.It is written by Alaqua Cox. | B.It is a movie starring Maya Lopez. |
C.It is more of a show for kids. | D.It is a story about revenge. |
A.Both are adapted from books. | B.Both are available on Apple TV+. |
C.Both are seasonal series. | D.Both are about war stories. |