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 . A Book Review — The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty
The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages.
The theme: The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age. Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries. As the book moves to a close, James’ swimming coach says to him: “You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more. You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going.”
The characters: James is the hero of the story. He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents. Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother. The other characters in The Snake-Stone, James’ parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically.
The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James’ foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother. The only clue he has is a fossil, “the snake stone” which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: “Take good care of Sammie.” It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there.
The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother. With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found. James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels. The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel. He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger’s door fifteen years before. Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness. As a journey of self-discovery, The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending. Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, “I was home.”
1. What is the main theme of the novel?| A．Life with foster parents. |
| B．Life in the world of diving. |
| C．A journey of self-discovery. |
| D．A travel around the country. |
| A．James is a successful diver. |
| B．James is a hopeful swimmer. |
| C．James is an outgoing young man. |
| D．James is an independent young man. |
| A．a stone with an address on it |
| B．a clue left by the birth mother |
| C．a gift from the swimming coach |
| D．a fossil spotted in a country village |
| A．worthwhile | B．boring |
| C．comfortable | D．disappointing |
3 . This passage is adapted from Jane Eyre by Charloue Bronte.
Seeing me, she recovered herself: she made a sort of effort to smile and expressed a few words of congratulations, but the smile disappeared, and the sentence was abandoned unfinished. She put up her glasses and pushed her chair back from the table.
“I feel so astonished,” she began, “I hardly know what to say to you, Miss Eyre. I have surely not been dreaming, have I? Sometimes I half fall asleep when I am sitting alone and fancy things that have never happened. It has seemed to me more than once when I have been in a doze (打盹), that my dear husband, who died fifteen years since, has come in and sat down beside me; and that I have even heard him call me by my name, Alice, as he used to do. Now, can you tell me whether it is actually true that Mr. Rochester has asked you to marry him? Don’t laugh at me. But I really thought he came in here five minutes ago and said that in a month you would be his wife.“
“He has said the same thing to me,” I replied.
“He has! Do you believe him? Have you accepted him?”
“Yes.”
She looked at me confused. “I could never have thought it. He is a proud man; all the Rochesters were proud; and his father at least liked money. He, too, has always been called careful. He means to marry you?”
“He tells me so.”
She surveyed my whole person: in her eyes, I read that they had there found no charm powerful enough to solve the mystery.
“It passes me!” she continued, “but no doubt it is true since you say so. How it will answer I cannot tell:I really don’t know. Equality of position and fortune is often advisable in such cases; and there are twenty years of difference in your ages. He might almost be your father.”
“No, indeed, Mrs. Fairfax!” I protested, annoyed, “he is nothing like my father! No one, who saw us together, would suppose it for an instant. Mr. Rochester looks as young, and is as young, as some men of twenty-five.”
“Is it really for love he is going to marry you?” she asked.
I was so hurt by her coldness and skepticism that tears rose to my eyes.
“I am sorry to make you unhappy,” continued the widow (寡妇), “but you are so young, and so little acquainted with men,I wished to put you on your guard. It is an old saying that’ all is not gold that glitters’; and in this case,I do fear there will be something found to be different to what either you or I expect.”
“Why? Am I a monster?” I said. “Is it impossible that Mr. Rochester should have a sincere affection for me?”
“No, you are very well; and much improved recently. and Mr. Rochester, I dare say, is fond of you.I have always noticed that you were a sort of pet of his There are times when, for your sake, I have been a little uneasy at his marked preference and have wished to put you on your guard; but I did not like to suggest even the possibility of wrong. I knew such an idea would shock, perhaps offend you; and you were so discreet (谨慎的) and so thoroughly modest and sensible, I hoped you might be trusted to protect yourself. Last night I cannot tell you what I suffered when I sought all over the house, and could find you nowhere, nor the master either. and then, at twelve o’clock, saw you come in with him.”
“Well, never mind that now,” I interrupted impatiently; “it is enough that all was right.”
“I hope all will be right in the end,” she said. “But, believe me, you cannot be too careful. Try and keep Mr. Rochester at a distance: distrust yourself as well as him. Gentlemen in his station are not accustomed to marrying their governesses.”
1. In this passage Miss Eyre’s feelings about her relationship with Mr. Rochester can be best described as ______.| A．grateful | B．incredible | C．sensitive | D．confident |
| A．Mr. Rochester is fond of Miss Eyre |
| B．Mr. Rochester will break Miss Eyre’s heart |
| C．Mr. Rochester should not marry his governess |
| D．Mr. Rochester and Miss Eyre are of the same social class |
| A．is brave enough to challenge the society to marry Miss Eyre |
| B．will treat Miss Eyre like a governess after marriage |
| C．is incapable of loving Miss Eyre for his whole life |
| D．may not be sincere about his marriage proposal |
1.该名著的基本信息（书名、作者）；
2.该名著的主要内容；
3.推荐该名著的理由。
注意：
1.词数100词左右；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
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Yours,
Li Hua
5 . The True Story of Treasure Island
It was always thought that Treasure Island was the product of Robert Louis Stevenson’s imagination.
Stevenson, a Scotsman, had lived
Each morning Stevenson would take them out for a long
One morning, the boy came to Robert with a beautiful map of an island. Robert
Robert had a good friend named Henley, who walked around with the
So, thanks to a rainy September in Scotland, a friend with a wooden leg, and the imagination of a twelve-year-old boy, we have one of the greatest
| A．However | B．Therefore | C．Besides | D．Finally |
| A．alone | B．next door | C．at home | D．abroad |
| A．talk | B．rest | C．walk | D．game |
| A．attempting | B．missing | C．planning | D．enjoying |
| A．quiet | B．dull | C．busy | D．cold |
| A．cleaning | B．writing | C．drawing | D．exercising |
| A．doubted | B．noticed | C．decided | D．recognized |
| A．saw | B．drew | C．made | D．learned |
| A．book | B．reply | C．picture | D．mind |
| A．star | B．hero | C．writer | D．child |
| A．help | B．problem | C．use | D．bottom |
| A．praise | B．produce | C．include | D．accept |
| A．Yet | B．Also | C．But | D．Thus |
| A．read | B．born | C．hired | D．written |
| A．news | B．love | C．real-life | D．adventure |
Journey to the West is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. It
7 . Looking for a good book? We have the world’s largest collection of expert book recommendations. The following are books that have been recommended over and over again, suggesting they are some of the most important books ever written.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Atomic Habits, published in 2018, will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits. If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again because you have the wrong system for change. James Clear will help you get a proven system that can take you to new heights.
The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright was published in 2014. The book is the most detailed and thrilling account of the events that led to the destruction of the Twin Towers, based on five years of research and hundreds of interviews.
Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
Ammonite, Griffith’s first science fiction, which was published in 1992, won the Lambda Award and the James Tiptree Jr Award. It tells us a thrilling story: A human expedition to the planet Jeep is nearly wiped out by a virus that kills all the men and most of the women. Some centuries later, Marghe is sent to test a vaccine on the people there. As she lives and moves among them, Marghe finds herself changed in unexpected ways.
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
First published in 1854, Walden details Thoreau’s experiences over the course of two years, two months, and two days in a cabin he built near Walden Pond, in woodland owned by his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson, near Concord, Massachusetts. The book compresses the time into a single calendar year and uses passages of four seasons to symbolize human development.
1. Who wrote the book about the disaster of the Twin Towers?| A．James Clear. | B．Lawrence Wright. |
| C．Nicola Griffith. | D．Henry David Thoreau. |
| A．Atomic Habits. | B．The Looming Tower. |
| C．Ammonite. | D．Walden. |
| A．about thrilling stories | B．recommended by experts |
| C．newly published books | D．helpful in shaping your habits |
Topic 1. Characters in literature are revealed by what they say and do and by what others say about them. Choose one of the following characters to analyze: Bruno, Shmuel, Gretel, Bruno’s father, Lieutenant Kotler.
Topic 2. Although Bruno feels that Shmuel is like his twin, the boys are different in many ways. Compare the two characters and write down their similarities as well as differences.
Topic 3. What do you think of the ending of the story (Bruno’s death)? What is the author trying to tell us through this ending?
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1. The author of the novel is ________.
| A．R.J. Palacio | B．John Boyne | C．Spencer Johnson | D．Louis Sachar |
| A．a science fiction | B．a romance | C．a fable | D．a nursery |
| A．an introduction | B．a prediction | C．a conclusion | D．a comment |
| A．Simile | B．Metaphor | C．Conflict | D．Flashback |
| A．Setting | B．Mood | C．Theme | D．Point of view |
1. How did Tommy’s father die?
| A．He fell onto the ground from the tree. |
| B．He fought with the Colonel and was sentenced to death. |
| C．He tried to save Tommy from being struck by a falling tree. |
| D．He was sent to the battlefield and killed by the foe in the war. |
| A．She bought Bertha with six pence. |
| B．She begged the Colonel to forgive Charlie. |
| C．She told Charlie to give up Bertha. |
| D．She asked Charlie to apologize to the Colonel. |
| A．Because he was a recognized coward. |
| B．Because he didn’t follow Hanley’s order. |
| C．Because he ran away from the battlefield. |
| D．Because he had a terrible fight with Hanley. |
| A．Because he surely enjoyed the life of being a soldier. |
| B．Because he believed the terrible life would end very soon. |
| C．Because he wanted them to encourage more people to fight in the front. |
| D．Because he didn’t want the horrible life to ruin the peacefulness of home. |
| A．Tommy continued to serve in the army. |
| B．Tommy took revenge on Hanley by killing him. |
| C．Tommy was promoted to a higher rank in the army. |
| D．Tommy went home and lived a happy life with Molly. |
| A．When he failed to be the chief. | B．Before he managed to hunt a pig. |
| C．When he tried to hunt the beast. | D．Before he stole glasses from Piggy. |
| A．To attract other pigs. | B．To summon all boys. |
| C．To pray for rescue. | D．To worship the beast. |
| A．To send signal for rescue. | B．To make a fire for himself. |
| C．To force Piggy to surrender. | D．To negotiate with Ralph equally. |
| A．Ralph did not help Piggy, who fell off the cliff. |
| B．Jack ordered Roger to push a boulder to kill Piggy. |
| C．Roger pushed the lever and a falling boulder hit Piggy. |
| D．Jack fought against Ralph but accidentally killed Piggy. |
| A．Ralph was first frightened by the pigs head and then worshipped it. |
| B．The lord of the flies that Simon once saw was a fly on the pigs head. |
| C．Ralph still regarded himself as the chief of boys when he was rescued. |
| D．Sam and Eric had become savages when Ralph went back to Jacks camp. |
