1 . How long should my novel be?

This is a question I’m often asked, and it’s certainly not the same answer as how long a piece of string is! So, how long should your book actually be?

If we work backwards, from a production department point of view, a book of approximately 100,000 words will come in somewhere between 300 to 400 pages.     1     I’d suggest that 80,000 words up works well, occasionally stretching to 120,000 words on rare occasions.

Shorter texts are less daunting(使人气馁的) for an agent to submit rather than a block of manuscript so aim to make your publication path easier. There’s an implication that a standard book length should have a tighter handle on pacing, with the reader more readily drawn in. In turn, an overlong novel often indicates to a publisher that there’s potentially extensive editing work to be done by them.

    2     For example, historical fiction could more comfortably sit near the 120,000 mark. Literary fiction can head in the other direction, with 60,000 words still offering a feeling of fundamental worth to the publisher and reader, with an implication that the text is highly developed.

More commonly, issues over length tend to highlight that pacing is an issue, be it too long or too short. Overwriting, in particular, can be an issue for many authors, who might struggle to express their ideas clearly, using complex language that play down the flow of the book. Successful writing contains a clarity of thought that enables the writer to connect with the reader for maximum impact, allowing the story, characters and setting to shine through.

In terms of content, it’s important for an author to prioritise the key themes in the book.     3     Allow your reader to piece together information you delicately work through your text and avoid excess scenes and information, revealing instead what’s needed to keep that tension pulsing. Be brave as you cut back on the unnecessary, keeping a backup copy of your novel just in case you change your mind.

Work intuitively, from the heart, keeping secrets for as long as possible so the reader is forced to read on. In this way, a reader will readily connect with your words.     4    

A．Books do have different thresholds(门槛) according to genre.

B．This is plenty for a typical author’s book, particularly the first one.

C．Yes, there are exceptions to every genre but these are generally rare.

D．Is everything of equal importance and does everything need to be included?

E．Longer books are more expensive to produce and harder to sell in, so it increases their risk.

F．With a firm handle on length, your novel will have increased its chances of commercial publication.

2 .

A．They both prefer e-textbooks.	B．The man is expecting printed textbooks.
C．The woman is against the use of tablets.	D．Neither of them needs tablets.

3 . On January 15^th, the Guardian showed off its new, smaller look, shifting from its distinctive “Berliner” format to a tabloid(娱乐小报) shape with a redesigned logo in black type. But the more dramatic makeover is of the financial books of Guardian Media Group (GMG), publisher of the Sunday Observer and the daily Guardian, which may find its new operation in the black next financial year. A newspaper business that two years ago was threatened with existentially worrying losses appears on the edge of breaking even.

The turnaround is partly due to steep cost-cutting, which is a dog-bites-man story in journalism. But the Guardian would manage the achievement while still giving away news free online, and that is a story worth telling.

In January 2016 David Pemsel, the new chief executive of GMG, and Katharine Viner, the new editor-in-chief of the Guardian, informed staff that GMG’s endowment fund, meant to ensure the financial security of the paper in the long run, had lost £100m ($140m) in just half a year, taking it to £740m. Mr Pemsel was advised by industry peers to cut costs and put online news behind a paywall. He and Ms Viner cut costs by 20%, or more than £50m. Alan Rusbridger, Ms Viner’s predecessor(前任), had led the newspaper to global relevance with a large online readership. But he spent without thinking of the consequences. In two years GMG has reduced its employees by 400, to about 1,500.

Yet unlike a growing number of newspapers, the Guardian has not put up a paywall. Instead it has pursued a membership model, asking online readers to contribute whatever they like. About 600,000 now do, with annual payments or one-off amounts. American readers tend to choose the latter option, Ms Viner says. GMG says the total figure amounts to tens of millions of pounds per year. Ms Viner says revenue from readers (including 200,000 print subscribers) is now greater than revenue from advertisers.

The result is steadily declining operating losses: from £69m two years ago to £45m last financial year and, Mr Pemsel says, less than £25m in the year that ends on April 1^st. He predicts breaking even next year. Giving up its own printing presses and going tabloid will help, saving several million pounds a year. The Guardian may now physically look more like its peers, but its turnaround story remains distinctive.

1. The phrase “in the black”(Paragraph 1) most probably means ______.

A．making profit	B．taking on a new look
C．losing support	D．enjoying great popularity

2. What does the writer imply about Alan Rusbridger?

A．He advised GMG to cost costs.

B．He got the Guardian into trouble.

C．He was the founder of GMG’s endowment fund.

D．He was fired due to his failure to bring the Guardian online.

3. What does the Guardian allow its online readers to do?

A．To pay as they like.	B．To skip the advertisements.
C．To join its membership club.	D．To connect to other newspapers.

4. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?

A．The Guardian has been reduced to a tabloid.

B．The Guardian succeeds by giving away news free online.

C．The Guardian turns around by looking more likes its peers.

D．The Guardian has broken even by cutting its operation costs.

4 . 上海每年举办一次书展，但在电子书盛行的时代，为何还举办书展呢？请以“Why do we host a book fair”为题，谈谈你对此的看法。词数：不少于150词。
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5 . The Power of the Press

In modern countries any efforts to restrict the freedom of the press are rightly condemned. However, this freedom can easily be abused.     1     Though we may enjoy reading about the lives of others, it is extremely doubtful whether we would equally enjoy reading about ourselves. Acting on the contention that facts are sacred, reporters can cause untold suffering to individuals by publishing details about their private lives. Newspapers exert such tremendous influence that they can not only bring about major changes to the lives of ordinary people but can even overthrow a government.

The story of a poor family that acquired fame and fortune overnight, dramatically illustrates the power of the press. The family lived in Aberdeen, a small town of 23, 000 inhabitants in South Dakota.       2     They were expecting their sixth child and were faced with even more pressing economic problems. If they had only had one more child, the fact would have passed unnoticed. They would have continued to struggle against economic odds and would have lived in obscurity. But they suddenly became the parents of quintuplets, four girls and a boy, an event which radically changed their lives. The day after the birth of the five children, an aeroplane arrived in Aberdeen bringing sixty reporters and photographers.

The rise to fame was swift.     3     Newspapers and magazines offered the family huge sums for the exclusive rights to publish stories and photographs. Gifts poured in not only from unknown people, but from baby food and soap manufactures who wished to advertise their products. The old farmhouse the family lived in was to be replaced by a new $ 500, 000 home. Reporters kept pressing for interviews so lawyers had to be employed to act as spokesmen for the family at press conferences. While the five babies were still quietly sleeping in oxygen tents in a hospital nursery, their parents were paying the price for fame.     4     They had become the victims of commercialization, for their names had acquired a market value. Instead of being five new family members, these children had immediately become a commodity.

A．Television cameras and newspapers carried the news to everyone in the country.

B．Stories about people often attract far more public attention than imagined.

C．It is hard not to read news about the miserable things happening in the world.

D．They were more than happy to make full use of their names.

E．It would never again be possible for them to lead normal lives.

F．As the parents had five children, life was an endless struggle against poverty.

6 .

The Land of the Pharaohs From the Pyramids to the Valley of the Kings-in the April issue of AQUILA children can investigate Egypt’s amazing history and follow the River Nile as it winds south through wilderness and steamy rainforests. AQUILA is unique in the world of children’s publishing: its thoughtful and intelligent topics are so well written and researched you will probably enjoy reading the articles yourself. SPECIAL ISSUE WITH EXTRA PAGES The inventive ancient Egyptians left quite a mark on history. They developed hieroglyphs and an early type of paper, so they’re indirectly responsible for this page you are reading now. You can add to this the first solar calendar, water dams, big ideas about death and the afterlife and a very modern obsession with cats-no wonder they capture our imaginations! PLUS: Pyramid Maths, translating the Rosetta Stone and the rise of the Sun God Aten.

New topics for Summer 2022: May: UNDERSEA EXPLORER Dive into coral reefs and meet their dazzling inhabitants. PLUS: underwater maps, sea monsters and the spaceship cemetery. June: CREATIVE CODING Coding is not only a language for programming software: kid’s brains can form creative connections that help them understand real-life problems and ideas. July/August: LOOK AT LONDON Get your bags packed and ready for our Summer Double issue, we’re on a visit to the UK capital. From the Romans and Boudicca to the swinging 60s there will be oodles of history, science, arts, and of course, fun! √BIG IDEAS for Curious Minds √A Book’s Worth of Reading √Brilliant New Topic Every Month

Subscriptions include: 1 Your Personal Gift Message with the first issue 2 FREE EXTRAS: every month, top-notch topic extension materials are available to download for the most dedicated AQUILAnauts to take their learning a step further! 3 50% OFF back-issues when you subscribe www.AQUILA.co.uk Creative, Funny & Inspiring AQUILA is not like any other children’s publication you have seen, and you will not find it on the newsstand; the editorial is witty and sophisticated, making children feel part of a very special club. Highly recommended reading for bright 8-13-year-olds, every monthly topic brings a well-balanced feast of Science, Arts and General Knowledge into the family home, encouraging children to think beyond the school curriculum and to become self-motivated learners.

1. The poster is designed to _________.

A．advertise the special issue of Ancient Egypt

B．introduce “The Land of the Pharaohs”

C．promote a children’s publication, AQUILA

D．feature summer topics of AQUILA 2022

2. Which issue will you like most if you are interested in marine life?

A．April issue.

B．May issue.

C．June issue.

D．July/August Issue.

3. Which way enables you to get the most issues with the same amount of money?

A．Purchasing the back-issues.

B．Downloading online issues.

C．Subscribing to the double issues.

D．Buying current issues at the newsstand.

7 . Guidelines for Poster Presentations

Date: Friday 28 October

Time: 13.00-14.20 (Presenters are required to be by their posters by 12.55 sharp.)

Poster Session Format

-   The poster session is a self-explanatory exhibit where the presenter(s) is/are available for one-on-one discussion.

-   All the in-person poster presentations will take place simultaneously (同时进行的). See below for specific details of online poster presentations.

Poster design and Layout

-   Each poster should measure about 90×120cm (36×48 inches).

-   The texts and illustrations should be readable from 150cm (about 5 feet) away.

-   Posters can be hand-written or printed in colour/black and white.

Set-up and Removal

-   Posters will be displayed by fixing them on boards/walls provided. You will be given the necessary tools to carry out this task.

-   Presenters are required to hang their posters during the lunch break (12:00-13:00) on Friday 28 October and remove them after the session (14:20).

-   Presenters are responsible for the set-up and removal of their own posters. Staff will also be in the poster area to assist you.

-   Each poster presentation will be numbered in the programme schedule. Poster numbers will also be shown on the display boards. Make sure the poster is fixed under the correct number.

-   Playing of loud audio or video clips is not allowed, keeping in mind the noise level in the hall.

For online poster presentations:

-   Once your poster is ready, take a good picture of it and send it to us at least one week before the conference. We’ll take a print out of this and display it like the other posters. This will help the audience in the Hall in Chennai to look at them before they can log into your presentation at the assigned time.

-   During poster presentation whoever would like to interact with you will log into your session. This will be for the entire duration of the presentation with brief explanations and Q&A interspersed (穿插) with each other. Participants can move around to other poster presentations during this period, both online and in-person.

1. According to the guidelines, the posters have to be _______.

A．handwritten on paper in black and white

B．hung on the walls of a specific area in the hall

C．easily recognizable from five meters away

D．numbered by an on-site staff member

2. Which of the following is a specific requirement for online poster presenters?

A．They should remain online for the entire 100 minutes.

B．They should get ready for presentation at exactly12:55.

C．They need to send an e-version of their posters to the organizer.

D．They will be required to give explanations or answer questions.

3. The passage is meant for _______.

A．people who have unsolved questions to consult about

B．people who are interested in visiting an exhibition

C．people who are skilled at making good posters

D．people who want to exhibit their posters

8 . His Refresh

For me, change is in the air. The snow is thawing in the town where Susan and I are living. We both got vaccinated (I’ve never been so happy to have type I diabetes, which qualified me for early shots). And by the time you read this, our daughter will have been married, surrounded by family, on a Mexican beach. Hooyah! This is the spirit of change. In this issue, you’ll find new sections meant to delight you as much as tossing rice at your grinning daughter.

A knowledge quiz. Sharpen your pencils. Brain Games now features “Fact or Fiction” (page 117) to test your recall and worldliness in equal measure. I scored six and got the bonus question only by cheating and consulting 13 Things on page 40.

A new health section. You already our sister site, thehealthy.com. Now we’re curating its content into The Healthy (page 53), full of advice, first person narratives, and medical news.

Where, OH Where? There’s nothing like seeing a gorgeous photograph shot somewhere in the country and wanting —no, needing to know where the heck it was taken. We turn that irresistible sensation into a visual quiz (page 38).

Smile-inducing news. RD editors here and around the world are always finding never-before-seen examples of charity and ingenuity. We’re rolling them into A World of Good (page 18).

Animal stories! Because who can resist? To continue the celebration of our animals’ ability to bond, Best Pet Pals (page 44) will spotlight one priceless submission to your heart’s content.

________ Finally, on page 1,we’re creating a brand-new section, hoping to offer you a friend who brings fun ideas to your kitchen table, who helps everyone laugh and cry together about what makes us all human.

Write to let me know if you have got a flashing idea for the name of this section. And thanks for reading.

1. What may this article be from?

A．Novel.

B．Newspaper.

C．Magazine.

D．Instruction book.

2. If you are confident of your knowledge of pet, and want to check your scope, which section will you mostly read?

A．A knowledge quiz.

B．A new health section.

C．Where, OH Where?

D．Animal stories!

3. If you are writing to give a name for the new section mentioned in the last paragraph, which of the following you may submit?

A．Fun Guy in Kitchen of Fantastic Food	B．A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World
C．Hooyah to Humor and Human	D．Ideas to Laugh and Cry

9 . A symbol of a booming children’s book market is a self-styled “kaleidoscope (万花筒) of creative genius for kids”, the magazine Scoop, a startup based in Dalston, east London, which the author Neil Gaiman has described as “the kind of magazine I wish we’d had when I was eight.”

Scoop is the idea of the publisher Clementine Macmillan-Scott. A year ago, hers looked like an impossible venture. But against the odds for little magazines, Scoop has survived. Macmillan-Scott said, “I really wasn’t certain we would get to this point, but we are now approaching our first birthday.” She links the magazine’s fortunes to a prosperous market and reports that “through the hundreds of children, parents and teachers we speak to at our workshops, we know that children are greedy for storytelling.”

Inspired by an Edwardian model, Arthur Mee’s Children’s Newspaperr, Scoop is a mix of innovation and creativity. Establishment heavyweights such as the playwright Tom Stoppard, plus children’s writers such as Raymond Briggs, author of Fungus the Bogeyman, have adopted its cause. The magazine has also given space to 10-year-old writers and pays all contributors, high and low, the same rate — 10p a word.

It’s a winning formula. Macmillan-Scott reports “a quarterly sales increase of roughly 150% every issue”, but is cautious about her good fortune. “It’s all too clear to us that these children are hungry for print.”

Scoop focuses on the most profitable part of the children’s market, Britain’s eight to 12-year-old readers. In literary culture, this is the crucial bridge between toddlers (儿童) and adolescents and its publisher knows it. Macmillan-Scott is committed to listening to readers aged eight to 12, who have an editorial board where they can express their ideas about the magazine. “If we don’t get these children reading,” she says, “we will lose out on adult readers. To be fully literate, you have to start as a child.”

Macmillan-Scott argues against the suggestion that reading is in decline. “If you look at our figures,” she objects, “you’ll find that children do read and that Scoop is part of a craze for reading hardback books. Kids love paper and print. They might play games on a digital device, but they prefer not to read on a Kindle. The real market for e-books is among young adult readers.” Some of her evidence is anecdotal, but her sales figures and readership surveys support a picture of eight to 12-year-olds absorbed in books.

“What our research shows beyond question,” she says, “is that children have a love for reading that’s not seriously threatened by other kinds of entertainment. Reading for pleasure is a very real thing at this age, and the worries that some adults have about children losing interest in reading are simply not grounded in reality.”

1. It can be learned from the passage that Scoop ________.

A．is aimed at teenagers in Britain

B．has taken a year to publish its first issue

C．has got its name from Arthur Mee’s newspaper

D．pays as much to young writers as to famous ones

2. The word “anecdotal” (in Para 6) is closet in meaning to ________.

A．conclusive	B．undeniable
C．defensive	D．unconvincing

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Children would rather listen to stories than tell stories by themselves.

B．Magazines for children aged under 8 are not very common in Britain.

C．Scoop illustrates the power of printed books in the face of digital revolution.

D．Research carried out by Scoop has been questioned by those writing for children.

4. Macmillan-Scott is most likely to agree that _______.

A．the market for children’s e-books remains to be explored

B．a child who dislikes reading won’t love reading when grown up

C．other kinds of entertainment have influenced children’s reading habits

D．it is necessary for adults to worry about children’s lack of interest in reading

10 . Richard and Judy's book club has transformed sales figures for dozens of novels, and turned modest publishing successes into triumphs. And now the husband and wife team have turned literary talent spotters too, with competition for potential authors that could make a star of a grandmother and doctor from Bournemouth.

    1     She beat more than 4,000 other viewers who were asked to submit a summary and the first chapter to the show's Hot to Get Published contest. Her manuscript temporarily entitled The Olive Renders, was described as a love story of courage and saving from sin told by a young woman who writes from a dystopian（反面乌托邦的）future. Ms. Aziz said winning gave her “the luxury of having time to finish writing my novel” without worrying about money. Ms. Aziz, who was born in Yorkshire, has worked as a shop assistant, dental receptionist, factory packer, singer and cleaner, but her only experience of writing was as a news reporter for three years.     2    

    3     It comprised Joseph O'Connor, whose book Star of the Sea increased rapidly in sales after crazy reviews on Richard and Judy, Amanda Ross, the head of the television company which makes the show, and Maria Rejt, publishing director for Pan Macmillan, which will publish the winning story.

In a surprise move, Pan Macmillan also offered the three runners-up the chances to be published，with advances of E 20,000 each: Alison Penton Harper, 40, a mother of two from Northamptonshire; Rachel Zadok te Riele, 33, from South Africa, a waitress who lives in south London; David Fidimore, 60, who is married with two children and has with two unpublished novels and numerous short storied.     4    

A．Christine Aziz, 52, who left school at 15 with a single O-level in English, on the Channel 4 show's competition and will receive a 50,000 advance for her first novel.

B．The Channel 4 show's competition was funded by the publishing company Pan Macmillan.

C．Ms. Aziz said the money would be enough to support the rest of her life

D．Five aspiring authors made it on to the shortlist for judging by a panel.

E．She did not like the pressure of journalism, but now she must complete the work and prepare herself for sales and marketing treatment usually reserved for bestselling authors.

F．Ms. Rejt said the shortlist reflected “an extraordinary range of talent from the extremely commercial to the beautifully literary”.