Write a winning story!
You could win ￡1,000 in this year’s Fiction Prize and have your story printed in Keep Writing magazine. Ten other lucky people will win a cheque for ￡100.
Once again, we need people who can write good stories. The judges, who include Mary Littlejohn, the novelist, Michael Brown, the television reporter, and Susan Hitchins, the editor of Keep Writing, are looking for interesting and original stories. Detective fiction was extremely popular last year, although the competition winner produced a love story. You can write down about whatever you want but here’s some advice to start your thinking:
Write about what you know
This is the advice which every writer should pay attention to and, last year, nearly everyone who wrote for us did exactly that. Love, family, problems with friends ---- these were the main subjects of the stories. However, you need to turn ordinary situations into something interesting that people will want to read about. Make the reader want to continue reading by writing about ordinary things in a new and surprising way.
Get your facts right
It’s no good giving a description of a town or explaining how a jet engine works if you get it wrong. So avoid writing anything unless you’re certain about it.
Hold the reader’s attention
Make the beginning interesting and the ending a surprise. There is nothing worse than a poor ending. Develop the story carefully and try to think of something unusual happening at the end.
Think about the characters
Try to bring the people in your story alive for the reader by using well-chosen words to make them seem real.
Your story must be your own work, between 2,000 and 2,5000 words and typed, double-spaced, on one side only of each sheet of paper.
Even if you’re in danger of missing the closing date, we are unable to accept stories by fax or email. You must include the application form with your story. Unfortunately your story cannot be returned, nor can we discuss our decisions.
You should not have had any fiction printed in any magazine or book in this country ---- a change in the rules by popular request ---- and the story must not have happened in print or in recorded form, for example on radio or TV, anywhere in the world.
Your fee of ￡5 will go to the Writers’ Association. Make your cheque payable to Keep Writing and send it with the application form and your story to:
Keep Writing
75 Broad Street Birmingham
B12 4TG
The closing date is 30 July and we will inform the winner within one month of this date. Please note that if you win, you must agree to have your story printed in our magazine.How should writers deal with ordinary situations while writing?
| A．They should make them appealing to readers. |
| B．They should copy others’ ideas. |
| C．They should change some facts to make them interesting. |
| D．They should describe them as they are. |
What shouldn’t a writer do?
| A．Making the contents interesting. |
| B．Getting the facts right. |
| C．Meeting the deadline. |
| D．Making the end ordinary. |
Writers should present their works in the following ways except that ____________.
| A．they should write originally |
| B．they can type their stories as they like |
| C．they should follow some rules |
| D．they should hand in their stories in time |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Late stories can be faxed if necessary. |
| B．Entry needs no fee. |
| C．Winners can have their stories printed in other magazines. |
| D．All stories should be presented by mail. |
C
A: Hello, Judy. How are you getting along with your word processing(文字处理) class?
B: Well, so far progress has been rather slow. I haven’t learned the keyboard yet, and I have problems remembering all the orders of editing. I get really impatient because I want to master the means to operate the computer as soon as possible.
A: Just remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Word processing (文字处理)can’t be such an easy matter.
B: You’re right. Our teacher keeps telling us that it takes time to learn all the techniques (技巧) of word processing and that we can’t master everything in one day.
A: That’ s entirely true. But you’ll catch on. Just be patient and practise whenever you can.
39. This dialogue suggests that Judy and the partner ______.
A. may be friends B. are studying in the same class
C. are both learning word processing D. are both tired of study
40. What’s the main idea of the dialogue?
A. Word processing isn’t an easy thing at all. B.Only step by step can we master something.
C. True friendship will benefit our progress. D. Truth comes from practice.
41. “Rome wasn’t built in a day” means that we should be ________.
A. patient B. hardworking C. friendly D. impatient
42. Judy has difficulty in doing the following things except（除了）____________.
A. word processing B. making progress
C. learning the keyboard D. remembering all the orders of editing
B
Dear Editor,
I’m a Senior 1 student in a middle school. This term, my favourite teacher, Miss Mao, no longer teaches us. I want to see her, but I’m afraid that she no longer likes me and I don’t want to trouble her. I really miss her. What should I do?
Tian Yan
Dear Tian Yan,
It’s bad luck that you have lost your favourite teacher. But, if she is still in your school, nothing can stop you going to see her. When she isn’t busy, ask her if she minds having a quick chat. You can then tell her she was your favourite teacher. Everyone is happy to know they are liked!
If she has left the school, it will be more difficult to meet her. It will be hard, but remember people always come and go in our lives. We can’t rely on（依靠） them being with us all the time.
You may be sad to say goodbye to her, but we can remember and learn from her. Think of her best qualities.
You could also try looking for similar qualities in your other teachers. Study hard and give your new teacher a chance. In time, you might start to see that he or she has different qualities to learn from.
Finally, you can not completely rely on other people getting you through your studies, or even your life.
Editor
35. Tian Yan ______.
A. is a troublemaker B. likes Miss Mao very much
C. is happy these days D. doesn’t like to tell her secret to anyone
36. Which of the following does the editor advise Tian Yan NOT to do?
A. Find a time to see Miss Mao. B. Have a short chat with Miss Mao.
C. Tell Miss Mao she likes her. D. Keep quiet about the thing.
37. The expression “in time” in this passage means “______”.
A. over a period of time B. on time C. at the right time D. a long time ago
38. According to the passage, students can make progress in their studies ______.
A. completely by their favourite teachers B. completely by their favourite classmates
C. mainly by their parents D. mainly by themselves
第二部分阅读（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C或D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
An old friend from California called from the airport（机场） to tell me that he had arrived. I was not able to leave the office, but I had made plans for his arrival. After explaining where my new house was, I told him that I had left the key under the doormat (门垫). Since I knew it would be pretty late before I could get home, I suggested that he make himself at home and help himself to anything that was in the refrigerator.
Two hours later my friend phoned me from the house. At the moment, he said, he was listening to some of my records after having had a delicious meal. Now, he said, he was drinking a glass of orang
e juice. When I asked him if he had had any difficulty finding the house, he answered that the only problem was that he had not been able to find the key under the doormat(门垫), but luckily, the living room window by the apple tree had been left open and he had climbed in through the window. I listened to all this in great surprise. There is no apple tree outside my window, but there is one by the living room window of my next door neighbor's house!
31. An old friend of mine called ______.
A. to tell me to meet him at the airport B. to tell me about his arrival
C. to ask me to leave the office D. to ask me to make plans for his arrival.
32. My friend climbed into the room because ______ .
A. there was an apple tree outside B. the living room window was left open
C. he had difficulty opening the door D. he hadn't found the key
33. My friend telephoned me two hours later ______ .
A. from my home B. at the airport C. in his office D. from my neighbor's house
34. The purpose（目的） of writing this passage（文章的段） is to ________.
A. introduce a friend B. tell an interesting story
C. explain something D. show what friendship is
E
It is often difficult for visitors to understand Americans lack of desire for privacy(隐私) . They are not a nation of walled gardens and closed gates. Their yards normally run into one another without fences, they often visit one another’s homes without being invited or telephoning first, they leave their office doors open while they work.
Their lack of desire for privacy probable results from their history as a nation. America is a big country. There have never been walled cities in the United States, nor was there the need for Americans to protect themselves from neighboring states. During the early years, America had so few settlers that neighbors were very important, they were not to be shut out by doors and fences. Neighbors offered protection and helped in the hard work of settling the land. They depended upon each other.
From the nation’s early history has come the desire for openness rather than privacy. Visitors will notice this desire in a number of small ways, there may be rooms in American homes that do not have doors or that have glass walls. If you notice that people forget to close your door when they leave your room, do not think that this is rude, help them to learn that you would like it to be closed, or else become used to new ways. In either case, be patient with the differences.
72. According to the passage, visitors to America sometimes have difficultyunderstanding _____.
A .Americans’ openness B. American’s lack of desire for privacy
C. Americans’ way of home D. American’s style of life
73. During the early years, people were never shut out by doors because _________.
A. they were neighbors B. they were friends
C. they depended on each other D. they got used to that
74. Visitors will notice American’s desire for openness in a way ___________.
A .they walled their houses with glass
B. they leave the office doors open while working
C. they never have fence
D. they depended upon each other
75. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A .No Walled Cities. B. The Early Settlers
C. Americans’ Lack of Desire for Privacy D. be Patient with Differences
D
Global warming is the process of earth’s atmosphere heating up. Over the last 100 years, the average temperature of earth’s atmosphere has gone up 1 Fahrenheit. The weather has not changed exactly the same way in every area of the planet. But scientists think that the rise in average temperature is already affecting the earth’s climate.
Many scientists now believe that global warming is caused by cutting down trees, producing more trash, and polluting the environment are some of the reasons that the temperature has gone up. Many scientists believe that the biggest causes of global warming are new human technologies that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
The greenhouse effect is not new. Certain gases in the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane, prevent heat energy from escaping back into space. In the past, the climate didn’t change much because nature produced just the right amount of greenhouse gases to deal with it.
Today, most scientists are pretty sure that the rising temperature can’t be blamed on nature. Ever since the industrial revolution in the 1700s, humans have relied on machines for daily life. And many of those machines give off a lot of greenhouse gases. An increase in the release of greenhouse gases from human activities is throwing nature off balance.
The climate is a very complicated thing, but many scientists agree that the rising atmospheric temperature has already damaged the environment. Sheets of ice, called glaciers, are melting in Antarctica and other parts of the globe. As glaciers break off and melt into the oceans, they are adding warm water to the oceans and causing the sea level to rise.
Over the past last 100years, the sea level has risen 6-8 inches around the world. That means land along the coasts is beginning to disappear under water. Bigger and warmer oceans are also adding to other weather problems caused by pollution in the atmosphere. Some places have received more rain, others have had bigger storms and a few areas in the world have experienced unusual droughts.
68. What is mainly talked about in this passage?
A. The melting of glaciers. B. Global warming.
C. The world’s weather. D. The earth’s temperature.
69. What causes global warming according to scientists?
A. Human activities. B. The nature itself.
C. The earth’s atmosphere. D. New discoveries
70. How can greenhouse gases make the globe warm?
A. They keep heat in the atmosphere
B. They let the heat go out into space.
C. They release heat into the air.
D. They can make the other gases warm.
71. From the passage we can see that global warming will bring about _________.
A. the pollution in the atmosphere B. natural disasters
C. population pollution D. the rise of glaciers