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. |
Around the world there are some festivals that for some of us may sound bizarre.
In England they celebrate the rolling cheese race, which occurs every year during the last Monday in May. This festival’s characteristic is a contest where an official rolls cheese down a steep hill and festival- goers go chasing after it. The winner is the first one to reach and catch the cheese.
Another festival celebrated in England is the world championship of grimaces (鬼脸). It is a celebration that dates back to 1297 and is celebrated during the month of September. The task is to perform the best grimace using anything you can to win.
The worldwide championship of wife lifting is celebrated in Finland. The game is based on Viking traditions where a man should carry away his neighbor’s wife. According to the rules, any woman above 17 is considered as a wife, so if you are within this age, take care while visiting this country during the month of July.
Many of you have watched Pirates of the Caribbean and have known something about pirates. The 19th of September has been declared worldwide as the day to talk like a pirate. Plenty of people have celebrated it thanks to the publicity (宣传) on the Internet.
First staged in 1998, the Boryeong Mud Festival is an attraction that pulls more than a million visitors to the South Korean City. As you all know, the town is said to be rich in minerals, so there is no shortage of mud. Mud is trucked onto Daecheon Beach for tourists and locals to enjoy the festival to their best.
The Monkey Buffet Festival is held in Thailand to develop tourism. It’s an unusual feast held for about 600 monkeys. The Monkey Buffet Festival is held in honor of the Hindu gods Ram and Hanuman and involves 3,000 kilograms of vegetables and fruits being laid out for monkeys to stuff themselves.What does the underlined word “bizarre” in Paragraph1 probably mean?
A.Dangerous | B.Strange | C.terrible | D.Familiar |
If a participant wants to win in the rolling cheese race, he / she should __________.
A.roll as much cheese down the hill as possible |
B.find the largest piece of cheese rolling downhill |
C.perform the best grimace when chasing the cheese |
D.be the first one to catch the cheese rolling downhill |
According to the writer, a girl above 17 should be careful when enjoying __________.
A.the worldwide championship of wife lifting |
B.the world championship of grimaces |
C.the Boryeong Mud Festival |
D.the Monkey Buffet Festival |
Why do I volunteer with Big brothers / Big sisters of America? I have many reasons. Perhaps the biggest reason is that people once volunteered to help me.
Years ago, I was on the other side of the table. I was lonely and I felt lost. It’s a little embarrassing to talk about it now, but whatever the right direction in life was, I was going the opposite way. More than once, I found myself on the wrong path. If someone hadn’t stepped in when he did, I probably wouldn’t even be here now. I’d rather be in a prison or somewhere a lot smaller and deeper.
I’ve seen the work that big brothers / sisters have been doing all over the country and I’m pleased to be part of it. I’ve never done anything that made me prouder than my volunteer work. Big brothers and sisters helped me get over sadness and depression as soon as possible. Then, if I can help anyone like they helped me, I am willing to serve for as long as they will have me serve them. There are no words to describe the joy I get from helping somebody turn their life around. Every time I think that that’s me now, I’m proud and happy.
Volunteering is how I want to leave my mark on the world. I recommend volunteering work to everybody, especially to somebody who isn’t sure where they are going in life. Helping someone find their path is often the best way to find yours. Be a volunteer, and you will find your purpose in life.What’s the main reason why the writer volunteers?
A.He has a lot of free time. |
B.He is lonely and wants to be with others. |
C.He wants others to know he is a good man. |
D.He is grateful for what volunteers once did for him. |
It is implied in Paragraph3 that the writer __________.
A.is eager to help others |
B.often feels sad and depressed |
C.hopes he will be helped at any time |
D.travels around the country to help others |
We can infer from the passage that the writer probably __________.
A.spent some days in prison |
B.didn’t know his purpose in life |
C.is dissatisfied with his life |
D.doesn’t live a meaningful life |
What is the writer’s purpose in writing this passage?
A.To share his past with us. |
B.to ask for some volunteer work. |
C.To encourage us to enjoy our life. |
D.To call on us to do volunteer work. |
Doctors say anger can be an extremely damaging emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that anger can lead to heart disease, stomach problems, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer.
___1___ Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Others burst with anger, and scream and yell. But other people keep their anger inside. They can not or will not express it. This is called repressing anger.
For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person’s health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones (荷尔蒙). They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood, etc. ___2___
Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger violently may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.
___3___ They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, “___4___ Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably.”
Doctors say that a good way to deal with anger is to find humor in the situation that has made you angry. ___5___
A.In general the person feels excited and ready to act. |
B.They said that laughter is much healthier than anger. |
C.Expressing anger violently is more harmful than repressing it. |
D.Anger may cause you a cancer. |
E. Do not express your anger while angry.
F. Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time.
G. Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger.
I was 15. She looked like she was over 70. But on that day. I think she understood me more than anyone else.
Walking into the church that Sunday was hard. I had never let anyone see me cry. But I knew I would cry that day .My grandfather was suddenly ill .The doctors said he might not live much longer. Everyone in my family was crying .Grandpa was the sweetest man in the world .Why was he leaving us?
There weren't many people at church that day. One of them was an old lady sitting at the end of my row. She was smiling. I closed my eyes and prayed (祷告)for my grandfather to get better. Soon, my eyes were full of tears. I opened my eyes and saw a hand in front of me. It was giving me a tissue(纸巾)。
The old lady was sitting next to me, smiling. She didn't say a word. She just gave me a tissue and a smile. I tried to thank her, but only tears came out. Then she took my hand. I looked into her eyes. They were clear and blue, and they make me feel peaceful. Her smile said to me :I am with you. Everything will be OK. I closed my eyes again. When I opened them, she wasn't there. I left the church but still couldn't find her. I never saw her again.
My grandfather died the next week. We all cried a lot. But when I thought of that old lady's warm smile, I felt a little better.
How did she know how I was feeling ? I wish I could see her again, to say thank you.The author went to church to _____.
A.pray for grandfather. |
B.ask the old lady for help. |
C.avoid being seen crying. |
D.thank the old lady. |
Whose hand does the underlined word "It" in Paragraph 3 refer to
A.Grandfather's | B.The old lady's. | C.The author's. | D.Father's. |
What do we know about the old lady ?
A.She knows the author. | B.She can't speak. |
C.She needs understanding. | D.She is very kind. |
What made the author feel better after Grandfather died ?
A.The old lady's words. | B.The old lady's smile. |
C.The old lady's eyes. | D.The old lady's hand. |
This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers (young people aged from13~19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize(批评)American schools,” he said. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”This year ________teenagers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.
A.twenty-three hundred | B.thirteen hundred |
C.over three thousand | D.less than two thousand |
The whole exchange programme is mainly to__________.
A.help teenagers in other countries know the real America |
B.send students in America to travel in Germany |
C.let students learn something about other countries |
D.have teenagers learn new languages |
Fred and Mike agree that__________.
A.America food tasted better than German food |
B.German schools were harder than American schools |
C.Americans and Germans were both friendly |
D.There were more cars on the streets in America |
What is particular in American schools is that________.
A.there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings |
B.there are a lot of after-school activities |
C.students usually take fourteen subjects in all |
D.students go out side to enjoy themselves in a car |