1 .
With short story writer and novelist Della Galton | |
Q What’s the best way to keep track of your characters in a novel? Amanda Rose, via email A I’m not sure what the best way is, but here are some of the methods I use. Most of my records are on paper. I have a huge folder, and in it are the following:* Character sheets – one A4 sheet for each character with all their details: name; age; address; physical description; personality type… * Dialogue records – an extra page where I note their favorite words and dialogues. * Photographs – I use photos cut from magazines for inspirations as to what they look like. I’m also a big fan of spreadsheets. I create one that has the name, date of birth and age of my characters at any given time in the novel – or novels if it’s a series. This is particularly helpful for controlling timelines, as I only need to change one date and the rest are set up to update automatically. I also use a spreadsheet for keeping track of the plot so I know what happens to each character in each chapter. I create the spreadsheet before I start and fill it in as I go. It’s for tracking not plotting, but it could be used for that if you plotted what happens in each chapter. Hope this helps, Amanda. | Q Should I use single quotes or double quotes for dialogue? Tania Yeatman, Wimborne A It doesn’t matter! Usually it’s a matter of house style, so if you are aiming at a specific publication, check to see what their style is for publication and copy that. If you don’t know the house style then the important thing is to be consistent. The same applies to quotes from interviewees and experts in your articles.“I saw Anne at writing group,” Milly said. “And she came rushing up to me and told me she’d done it at last. She’s got an agent!” Sometimes there may be a quote within a quote. It can be single quotes within double quotes or the other way around. But don’t mix the two styles within the story to avoid confusion. Q ______________________________ Grace Louise |
1. ________ are most useful for controlling timelines of the story.
A.Character sheets | B.Dialogue records |
C.Photographs | D.Spreadsheets |
A.‘I saw Anne at writing group,’ Milly said. ‘And she came rushing up to me and cried, “I’ve done it at last. I’ve got an agent!”’ |
B.“I saw Anne at writing group,” Milly said. “And she came rushing up to me and cried, ‘I’ve done it at last. I’ve got an agent!” |
C.‘I saw Anne at writing group,’ Milly said. “And she came rushing up to me and cried, ‘I’ve done it at last. I’ve got an agent!’” |
D.“I saw Anne at writing group,” Milly said. ‘And she came rushing up to me and cried, ‘I’ve done it at last. I’ve got an agent!’ |
A.When and where will your next novel be published? |
B.What should I write about to win the writing competition? |
C.Do you have any tips for overcoming the writer’s block? |
D.Can you give us a lecture on choosing the right topics? |
3 . The Fight against Fast Furniture
Fast furniture is a term that refers to furniture that is produced cheaply and quickly. These items are often bad for the environment because they are made from materials that break easily and need to be replaced often.
To help protect the environment, a movement to move away from fast furniture has begun. Many companies are joining the fight by finding cleaner ways to manufacture furniture. For example, IKEA has agreed to switch to using renewable or recycled materials for their furniture by the year 2030.
There is also a push to encourage shoppers to buy more used furniture for their homes. Small businesses that help transform old chairs and sofas into completely new products have even popped up recently. At the end of the day, consumers will play the most important role in the fight to end fast furniture. Shoppers should try to think more about the long term when preparing to purchase new furniture. They should stay away from furniture that is made from cheap materials like fiberboard or plastic because they will often fall apart after a few years.
A much better alternative is furniture made from real wood because it won’t break as easily. If wood furniture is damaged, it can often be repaired to last longer. High-quality metals are another good material, as they are durable. If the furniture is no longer fit for use, these metals can still be recycled and used to make new products.
A.It has also designed a special program that lets people return used furniture pieces to its stores so they can be fixed and used again by consumers. |
B.This would help to reduce overall waste, as it would extend the life cycle of old furniture items. |
C.Although these items may cost less initially, they are more expensive because they will need to be replaced sooner than traditional pieces of furniture. |
D.This creates a lot of pollution, as the furniture ends up buried in landfills where it can harm the soil. |
E.Homeowners are looking for furniture that is kinder to the environment. |
F.By choosing furniture that’s made to last, we can help reduce waste and protect the environment. |
最近上海的某些餐馆和面包房采取了一项新的举措:在微信小程序上以盲盒的形式降价销售当天卖剩的食物,购买者能在小程序上看到商家信息、价格和取货时间。英语报“YOUR VOICE”专栏欢迎读者来信,就这一做法展开讨论。假定你是高三学生李华,请给专栏编辑写信,表达看法,说明理由。
(食物盲盒: mystery boxes of randomly packed leftover foods )
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Digital Nomads (游牧人)
How would you like to answer your work emails from a beachfront café in Thailand or a coffee shop in Portugal? If that appeals to you, being a digital nomad might be for you. Digital nomads can literally work from anywhere as their jobs are online. Digital nomads rely on portable devices with wireless Internet capabilities such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. Typically, they work from coffee shops, restaurants, co-working spaces, apartments or internet cafés — places with an Internet connection.
Worldwide, statistics show the number of digital nomads hit 35 million in 2021. So what is it that makes the lifestyle of digital nomads so fascinating? First and foremost, digital nomads get to live in different countries and cultures while they work, providing them with opportunities to have adventures and experience new things. These folks have also found the most flexible means of online incomes, allowing them to head out at a moment’ notice and go where they please. “I’m free,” says Nimisha Walji, “I can go where the wind takes me and live any place I choose! If I feel like a change, I can pursue that in a matter of days, sometimes hours.”
You may think that being a digital nomad is all sunshine and rainbows. It is not necessarily so. Job finding is one of the hardest tasks for the digital nomad, given that they have no permanent home, no office address, and no one knows them. To apply for a job, they need to find the employer and persuade him to hire them. Most of the employers hire from their own city, and that’s why it’s so hard for a nomad to find a job. Access to stable Wi-Fi and adequate workspace can be difficult. If someone struggles to stay focused at home, there can’t be a worse place than a fascinating holiday location. Few people can manage to be productive faced with the temptations and distractions. It seems that living the life of a digital nomad isn’t for everyone.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . 4 Ways to Get That Vacation Feeling in Two Days
Going on vacation every week? It might sound like the
A few years ago, Holmes and her colleagues began
“What was somewhat surprising is that the effect wasn’t driven by people spending time all that
We asked people to share their favorite tips for adopting a vacation mindset at home.
1. Get creative aboutNot everyone has Saturday and Sunday off work and actually some people often find their weekend schedules fully
Focus on what makes a vacation different from a
Decision scientist Nika Kabiri recommends doing something totally new so you can disconnect from the same old routines
Treating your weekend like a vacation doesn’t mean it needs to be a complicated affair. If your “vacation” encounters a few problems or lasts for only a few hours—don’t worry. “It doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” Kabiri says. “Don’t put pressure on yourself to have this ‘perfect vacation.’” It’s
A.unattainable | B.inharmonious | C.incomplete | D.unprofessional |
A.study | B.shift | C.trend | D.proposal |
A.representing | B.ranking | C.exploring | D.predicting |
A.persuaded | B.challenged | C.motivated | D.instructed |
A.practically | B.literally | C.identically | D.differently |
A.In light of | B.Regardless of | C.In favor of | D.Instead of |
A.telling | B.killing | C.making | D.changing |
A.cleared | B.packed | C.removed | D.dominated |
A.laundry | B.recreation | C.movies | D.picnic |
A.regular | B.dramatic | C.primitive | D.peaceful |
A.identify with | B.depend on | C.follow through | D.substitute for |
A.resident | B.master | C.tourist | D.neighbor |
A.facilitating | B.governing | C.revealing | D.polishing |
A.proved | B.defined | C.described | D.meant |
A.Plus | B.Hence | C.Still | D.Finally |
A.wrestling B. approaches C. preoccupied D. experimenting E. dynamically F. bound G. moderate H. applies I. inadequate J. unitedly K. integrity |
Dare to be Dull
A big part of why spontaneous (即兴的) speaking feels so challenging is the desire to always say the right thing in the right way at the right time. But that leads to unnecessary self-evaluation and criticism, consuming precious mental energy and preventing you from
Another popular saying also
Micah, a student of mine, was fearful that his class contributions would be seen as