阅读理解

Starting to write short stories: An online workshop with Stuart Evers

It is a common misconception that writing a short story is easier than crafting (构思) a longer form piece of fiction. Though they have fewer words, as a writer you have less time and space on the page to both capture the imagination of your readers and craft a journey for your characters that has a beginning, middle and end.

In this highly practical workshop with award—winning writer Stuart Evers, you will know about the fundamentals of the short story writing — from building tension to creating a current of events that invites interest —for constructing a story that has the emotional heft of a novel, as well as breathing life into characters that are authentic and full.

Regardless of your skillset or experience, under Stuart's expert guidance, you will take the first crucial steps in short storytelling so that you will have a newfound confidence in your ability to continue crafting short stories, far beyond the course.

Course content

What makes a short story?

How to generate ideas for short stories

How to turn something from a situation into a story

Writing techniques that can be put into practice instantly

Post-class learning material that includes short story reading list

Course Details

Tuesday, 28 February 2023, 6pm-9pm GMT

£80 plus £4.25 booking fee

A catch -up recording will be shared after the class and will be available for two weeks.

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, you will be sent a link to the workshop 24 hours and 30 minutes before the start time.

1. （1） What does the workshop with Stuart Evers focus on?

   A . Adding more words in a limited time and space B . Developing essential short story writing skills C . Planning a complete journey with the readers D . Distinguishing between a short story and a novel.
3. （2） What is said about Stuart's masterclass?

   A . It is demanding but rewarding. B . It will be replayed in two months. C . It will be free to foreigners online. D . It is practical and confidence-building.
5. （3） Where is the text probably taken from?

   A . A short story. B . A livestream website. C . An academic article. D . An examination paper.

阅读理解

It is an unpleasant extinction that will change the world and how people communicate: within 20 years, two thirds of all the planet's languages will be dead.

Experts agree that nothing can stop it happening but one academic is trying her hardest to slow it down. Professor Antonella Sorace is one of a growing number who believe learning a second language has enormous untapped benefits for the human brain. This is true not only for young children but also for adults and people at risk from dementia (痴呆), where research consistently shows that learning a new language could delay the start of the disease for four to five years — a better result than with any medication to date.

It is those benefits of bilingualism (双语) that should encourage us to preserve and protect Europe's minority languages — Gaelic, Manx, Cornish and Ulster Scots, she says.

Already her work and the project she founded three years ago in Edinburgh Bilingualism Matters — now expanding across Europe and in the US — have convinced the Scottish government to introduce languages to primary schools. From 2023 all Scottish children will be learning a language other than English in their first year at school, with two other languages to be introduced later.

Bilingualism Matters is also working to encourage businesses to consider the benefits of their staff learning languages. "In business, people say "English is the language of business, why would I need to learn another language?'" said Sorace. "Maybe it would mean you could do better business."

Just as disappearing forests take with them secrets of undiscovered medicines disappearing languages can take the key to a longer and better quality of life. The first battle is to unpick the popular assumption that bilingualism might damage children's brains. There were even suggestions it could encourage schizophrenia (精神分裂症).

Study after study has shown the opposite to be true, says Sorace. "These prejudices are deeply rooted, but we are perhaps halfway to persuading people that the brain can cope. Then we have to persuade people that it is actually of benefit."

1. （1） What will happen to the majority of the world's languages?

   A . They will become extinct in decades B . They will be learnt by more academics C . They will prevent the risk of dementia. D . They will help people better communicate
3. （2） What's Bilingualism Matters intended to do?

   A . Find a replacement for English. B . Teach businesses marketing skills. C . Promote minority language learning. D . Influence governments' policy making.
5. （3） What's the top priority in preserving minority languages?

   A . Getting rid of people's fear for mental illnesses. B . Finding the key to promoting people's welfare. C . Unlocking the secrets of undiscovered medicines. D . Correcting the misconception about Bilingualism.
7. （4） Which can be the best title for the text?

   A . The benefits of Bilingualism B . The founding of Bilingualism Matters C . A new challenge facing language teaching D . A professor fighting to save minority languages

阅读理解

There is such a thing as a free lunch, it turns out, as long as you don't mind too much what it is. Tamara Wilson found hers a few streets away from her west London home -and as well as picking up some unwanted bread and fruit that would otherwise be thrown away, she made a new friend.

Wilson is one of 3.4 million people around the world using an app designed to encourage people to give away rather than throw away surplus (剩余的) food. "It's such a small thing but it makes me feel good and my neighbour feel good. And a lot of small acts can end up making a big difference," she said.

The last few years have seen an explosion in creative ways to tackle food waste by inking supermarkets, cafes, restaurants and individual households to local communities. Olio, the app used by Wilson, saw a fivefold increase in listings during 2022, and the signs are that this rapid growth is continuing into 2023, said Tessa Clarke, its CEO and co-founder.

About a third of all food produced globally is wasted, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture organisation (FAO) Almost 1.4 billion hectares of land t close to 30% of the world's agricultural land — is dedicated to producing food that is never eaten, and the carbon footprint of food wastage makes it the third contributor of CO₂. Reducing food waste is one of the most effective ways of tackling the global climate crisis.

Olio, Clarke said, was an attempt to change this on a small, local scale. "The app connects people with others who have surplus food but don't have anyone to give it to because so many people are disconnected from their communities." Users of Olio post images of surplus food that others in the neighbourhood might want. Olio also has a network of 24,000 volunteers who collect surplus food from local supermarkets and stores for app users to claim.

Despite the success of the app, it was hard to make a difference to the huge scale of food waste, Clarke added. "Even though we're doing well, we've only scratched the surface (触及表面). But if everyone makes small changes in the world, we'd dramatically reduce the amount of food that ends up in bins (垃圾桶)."

1. （1） What does the author want to show by telling Wilson's story?

   A . People tend to use apps to order food. B . People prefer to make friends on apps C . People find a high-tech fix to food waste D . People show more concern for each other
3. （2） What's the consequence of food waste according to the text?

   A . Global warming. B . Loss of land. C . World hunger. D . Poverty and inequality.
5. （3） What does Olio do to help tackle food waste?

   A . It sells surplus food to those in need. B . It allows volunteers to stay connected C . It provides a platform for people to promote food. D . It fills the information gap between green communities
7. （4） What does Clarke think of the work on reducing food waste globally?

   A . It is a great success. B . It requires joint efforts. C . It is beyond human power D . It has won public support.

阅读理解

While the benefits of Zoom and other videoconferencing tools made them absolutely essential in the pandemic (疫情), the research suggests that heavy reliance on the technology comes at a cost to creative thinking.

Brucks at Columbia University and her team started their investigation when manager reported having trouble innovating with remote workers. Brucks doubted whether videoconferencing was a factor, suspecting that difficulties coordinating (协调) large global teams online might be to blame instead.

To find out, the researchers analysed ideas for new products generated by 1, 490 engineers for a multinational company. The engineers, who were in Finland, Hungary India, Israel and Portugal, were randomly paired up and given an hour or so to brainstorm products either in person or over videoconferencing. They then selected their best idea.

Writing in Nature, the researchers report that the engineers produced more ideas, and more innovative ideas, when working face to face. "They are not only generating a larger number of creative ideas, but their best idea is better," Brucks said. Virtual teams were just as good at selecting the best ideas from a bunch as those that met in person.

Visual focus is a huge component of cognitive (认知) focus. When you're focused on the screen and ignoring the rest of the environment, that affects how you approach the task said Brucks. "It's uniquely bad for creativity because it's inhibiting broader exploration."

Brucks said the impact on the real world "could be huge", leading to a division of labour between face-to-face and virtual meetings that could "permanently reshape the office and work schedules". But she urged businesses to be cautious, because if virtual meetings are cheaper than in-person ones, they may still be more cost-effective.

Asked for tips, Brucks said people could save more creative tasks for in-person meetings or turn off their camera when coming up with ideas. "I think it unlocks more creative thinking," she said.

1. （1） Why did Brucks conduct the research?

   A . To prove her assumption. B . To clarify a new concept. C . To make a comparison. D . To explain a rule.
3. （2） What is the finding of the research?

   A . Face-to-face gatherings promote cross-culture ties. B . Workers think less creatively in virtual meetings. C . Individual work generates more innovative ideas. D . Videoconferencing has an irreplaceable role.
5. （3） What does the underlined word "inhibiting" in paragraph 5 mean?

   A . Encouraging B . Requiring. C . Beginning. D . Preventing
7. （4） What does Brucks say about virtual meetings?

   A . They should be used accordingly. B . They'll make office workers divided C . They'll give way to in-person meetings. D . They help businesses run more efficiently.

任务型阅读

People have tried everything to get more sleep. But unlike almost every other area of life, effort is not rewarded. The more you try, the less you are likely to succeed. Here are some ways to improve your sleep that might just work.

There is nothing you can do between now and bedtime to guarantee that you will sleep tonight. There is, however, plenty you can start doing to improve your chances of sleeping well next month. So instead of worrying about the night ahead, make sleeping well a long-term goal and expect to see progress in a few weeks rather than tomorrow.

Have a late night. Adults need to be awake for at least 16 hours to generate enough sleep-drive to sleep for eight hours at night. Having an early night can mean you won't be sleepy enough to fall asleep quickly and easily. Don't pay too much attention to the exact times or the hours of sleep you are getting — the details don't matter. And don't take naps(小睡) in the day.

Smile more. Smiling can reduce tension and promote relaxation. As you turn the light out at night, try to think of something funny and smile to yourself in the dark. Ever a fake smile is enough to send a message to the brain to change your mood and retrain the brain to be comfortable with being awake, thus reducing tension and allowing sleep to follow.

Stop reading articles about sleep. None of the researching, monitoring or analyzing actually leads to better sleep. In fact, constantly looking for a solution is undoubtedly making things worse. Make this the last article you read on the subject, then go and find something more interesting to think about.

A. Try to stay awake at night.

B. In fact, it is actively punished

C. Give up trying to sleep tonight.

D. So give sleep less of your attention.

E. They take the edge off your appetite for sleep

F. It doesn't have to be a genuine, heartfelt smile

G. You have to do things differently to get a different outcome

完形填空

At 20, I was scared and lonely. My laptop was filled with the beginning of novels, half-finished song lyrics (歌词) — things I'd started with teenage 1 only to be disappointed by my lack of creativity. I was 2 trying to find a new way to approach life, with no one to 3 me in the right direction.

One Saturday, I went to a training day for my school's new journalism team. The teacher suggested I start a blog as a good way to get into 4. Bored and in need of a 5, I immediately set up a Blogger account.

As I typed post after post in the months that followed, I assumed I would run out of 6. But somehow writing about the news and, later. about 7, came easily. Here was something interesting that required only a laptop and an 8. I loved the research that went into each post, loved being able to 9 what interested me and loved finding just the right phrase to describe how I 10. I found something I was good at and more importantly, something I 11.

I kept posting and slowly I got better. I 12, edited and even learned how to employ a metaphor. It wasn't long until my mind was made up: I was going to be a(n) 13 Seven years later, I am. Having just completed a fantastic placement (实习) in a local newspaper, I have never been so 14 to my younger self for actually listening to the one piece of advice that turned out to 15 most.

语法填空

Home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers, the Sanjiangyuan area on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (青藏高原) is known as "China's water tower." It is a (whole) unique plateau wetland ecosystem and serves as important ecological defense for the country.

Decades ago, serious environmental degradation (恶化) in Sanjiangyuan, was caused by climate change and human activities, resulted in a large number of lakes drying out and wildlife numbers falling sharply. In 2016, the pilot program for the Sanjiangyuan National Park management system (launch). Through painstaking practice, development and Innovation, efforts have been made (turn) the park into a symbol of the progress of China's ecological civilization.

Over the past years, the ecological environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (experience) comprehensive changes. Water conservation in the area has risen 11 percent every year, compared with 10 years ago.

Local residents enjoy the gifts given by nature, and the (establish) of the national park has enabled them to transform from exploiting (开发) nature to becoming its protectors and benefiting from it. Some work as tour guides, (assist) visitors from home and abroad.

Today, as people walk on the vast land of Sanjiangyuan, looking at the expansive mountains, glaciers, lakes, and pastures, catching sight of wild animals and birds, they cannot help but be impressed by the vastness and beauty of nature.

假定你是李华，春节期间你和朋友Mike一起出游，你刚收到他发给你的照片。请你给他回一封邮件，内容包括:

1）收到照片表示感谢;

2）回顾一起度过的时光;

3）邀请他周末来家作客。

注意：

1）写作词数应为80左右;

2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Dear Mike,

……

Yours,

Li Hua

阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段, 使之构成篇完整的短文。

On Saturday, we gathered at the hall to witness the award ceremony for the senior scouts (童子军). Receiving an award on such a day was a great honor for any scout, and all desired to be the scout selected to give the summary of the year's activities for the association.

I was not the one selected to give the summary and for that, I was grateful. I could hardly stand in front of a large crowd to make a speech, but Sean could. He was selected to do the honor because he was the President of the Boy Scouts for schools. My job was much simpler. Being the Vice-President, I was very much behind the scenes, content to ensure that everything was in smooth running order.

It was an hour to go before the ceremony began, and I had put the finishing touches to the stage. Walking down the stage, I saw my teammates in a state of panic. When they saw me, they ran to me to tell me that Sean met with a traffic accident and would not make it to the award ceremony. Someone else had to give the summary. All of them looked hopefully at me, and I could feel my knees beginning to collapse.

All their arguments against my unwillingness were valid. I had a copy of the speech as well as the benefit of having seen Sean rehearse (排练) it. I was the Vice-President and therefore should take his place. Finally, I was firmly told not to decline any longer and they said that they were convinced that I would do the right thing. I sank down onto the floor, totally shocked by the situation.

I knew I was not a confident speaker, and the thought of presenting a summary in front of so many distinguished guests horrified me. To think that the fame of the scouts would take a beating because of me! The burden of responsibility troubled me greatly.

注意：

1）续写词数应为150左右;

2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

But there was really no way out of the situation.

……

As I stood on the stage, my heart beat violently.