So, You Want to Be a Fiction Writer? Honestly, I’m glad to hear that you’re interested in becoming a fiction writer. However, I think there are a number of questions you should ask yourself before you settle on writing as a career. For example, have you consciously considered why it is that you want to be a writer? Is it because you enjoy showing off, maybe? Or is it just an arbitrary choice to avoid getting a real job? Or maybe you’ve dreamed of creating exquisite stories ever since you were an infant. Writing for a living is not an easy undertaking, and before you start, you should be sure that you are doing it for the right reasons. An important facet of being a writer is the ability to deal with the solitude. A professional writer must be ready to spend at least five hours a day alone, often in the lonely environment of a study, in front of the computer. Are you ready for this degree of isolation and confinement’? At the same time, remember that writing is a craft as well, requiring sustained intensity, precision, and extended periods of concentrated effort. No watertight plot was ever created by luck. Fine writing is created through painstaking effort. In addition to the solitude and the hard work, there is still the mysterious question of talent. How can a person know whether he or she has talent or not? Well, there is no foolproof way of detecting talent, but in my experience, people who have talent for writing fiction enjoy telling stories to people around them. They love to talk about the things they’ve done or read, and people like listening to them. It’s an exaggeration to say that all writers do this, but when I hear someone tell a good story that grabs me, I always think, “There goes a potential writer.” Now on to what I consider to be the heart of writing: inspiration and originality. Inspiration comes from inside, and in my opinion it grows out of having survived or overcome certain difficulties in life. People who have suffered seem to have more of a need to speak out. It has been said that happy people don’t make good writers. Although this is undoubtedly exaggerated, there is a grain of truth in it. Why would a completely happy and satisfied person take on the painful task of writing? Someone who wishes to do this in some way needs to do it. I believe this need is born of some kind of suffering. I cannot overstate the importance of originality in fiction writing. It is critical that you don’t let tired old ideas and phrases creep into your writing. Each work of fiction must present something truly new. A successful work is never simply created according to a dusty old diagram or according to a well-used pattern. From the first page, the reader should be greeted by a story like nothing anyone has seen before. Try to surprise your reader at every turn. Imagine making your reader say, “Wow! I never expected that to happen!” Well, if I haven’t been able to dissuade you from becoming a writer by now, it looks like you might have made up your mind to become one. Let me give you a few tips that might help you on your way to a successful writing career. First, remember that your first draft will never be perfect. It will always need work, and sometimes it will need a great deal of work. If the amount of revisions and corrections seems to be growing, don’t be afraid to throw the whole thing out and begin again. The value of that first draft was to start developing and organizing your ideas. Sometimes trying to repair a heavily flawed story is worse than starting again, and it can harm the unity of the story. Another technique I cannot stress enough is to write for a large audience. Make your best effort to be understood by the largest number of people you can. Remember that the most famous artists, writers, musicians, movie makers, etc., in history have been those that people of all types—rich, poor, young, old, well educated and not-so-well educated----have all been able to appreciate and enjoy. When you write, put yourself in the place of the reader. Try to write stories that you would like to read yourself. If you are writing a passage only because you have to or because you can’t think Of anything else, your reader is certainly not going to enjoy it. When you find yourself low on inspiration, take a break, and come back to finish writing after you’ve regained your inspiration and originality. It’s also important to remember that, as a writer, you are a kind of educator. Make sure that you are well-informed about the things you want to write about. Doing research has helped many writers to create more interesting and realistic stories. In conclusion, let me say that writing is different for every individual. I hope you will find the advice I’ve given above useful, but you will undoubtedly make new discoveries about what works best for you as you pursue your new career as a fiction writer! (1) Who did the author probably write this passage for? A. professional fiction writers B. people interested in starting a career in fiction writing C. high school English students D. teachers of fiction writing (2) According to the author, what is the source of inspiration? A. natural talent B. originality C. suffering D. training (3) Which piece of advice would the author give regarding originality? A. Don’t try to be original all the time. B. Don’t be afraid to use a plot pattern that someone has used before. C. Try to be as original as you can possibly be throughout. D. Try to copy a successful piece of fiction. (4) How can putting yourself in the place of the reader help your writing? A. You can write stories that come from your heart, B. You can make your work more original. C. You can check whether you enjoy what you’ve written. D. You can figure out how different readers think. (5) How does the author suggest a fiction writer can write more realistic stories? A. by doing more research before writing B. by spending more time on the writing process C. by only writing about past experiences D. by using language the reader can easily understand

A new system developed by a University of Washington computer vision researcher called Dreambit lets a person imagine how they would look with a different hairstyle or color, or in a different time period, age, country or anything else. Developer Ira Shlizerman and her team previously developed automated age progression software that focused only on a person’s face. The new system adds varied hairstyle options and other contextual elements. After uploading an input photo, you type in a search term—such as “curly hair,” “India” or “1930s.” The software system analyzes the input photo and minesa set of Internet photographs that fall into the desired category and also match the original photo’s face shape, pose and expression. Then the software’s algorithms (算法) seamlessly map the person’s face onto the results searched from the Internet. “It’s hard to recognize someone by just looking at a face,” said Shlizerman. “With missing children, people often dye their hair or change the style. The new image-processing software not only imagines how a missing person’s facial appearance might change over time, but also enables one to imagine what a child might look five or 10 years into the future under different circumstances—with red hair, curly hair, black hair or even a shaved head.” Another potential application is to picture how a certain actor or actress might appear in a role. For example, the system can match Internet photographs of the actress Cate Blanchett and Bob Dylan, the character archetypes (原型), to predict how she would appear playing the Dylan role in the movie I’m Not There. Dreambit draws on previous research conducted in facial processing, three-dimensional reconstruction and age progression, combining those algorithms in a unique way to create the blended images. Its ability to accurately and automatically synthesize two photographs stems from the combination of algorithms that Shlizerman assembled, as well as the numerous photos available on the Internet. “The key idea is to find photos of people who look similar enough to you that you can copy certain elements of their appearance,” said Shlizerman.1. Dreambit is a new system that ________.A) focuses on a person’s change of facial appearanceB) synthetizes a person’s image under different situations C) changes a person’s nationality as he or she likesD) compares a person’s photo with others’ on the Internet2. According to the passage, the underlined word “mine” in Para. 2 means ________.A) to search through B) to look intoC) to look forD) to go over3. A new blended image of a person is ________.A) drawn by the new system before certain search terms are typed inB) dependent on different facial appearances and hairstylesC) based on similar Internet photos satisfying certain terms D) created by putting the original photo into the desired category4. Which of the following statements about Dreambit is true?A) Dreambit is the first step in trying to imagine human appearance.B) Dreambit can be helpful in finding missing children. C) Dreambit is widely used in filmmaking industry.D) Dreambit can compare one actor with the others.5. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?A) Dreambit is a combination of many kinds of software.B) A lot of latest technologies are involved in Dreambit.C) Two photographs can be blended to be more accurate.D) Effective usage of Dreambit relies on the Internet.

Entering the library, the freshman was ______ by the numerous books on shelves, as well as by the students who were studying quietly.A. disruptedB. greetedC. expressedD. welcomed

Shoppers in the UK are spending less money on toilet paper to save money, research has shown.Penny-pinching UK consumers choose cheaper products from discounters such as Aldi and Lidl rather than luxury alternatives.This has wiped 6% off the value of the soft tissue paper market in the UK. It has shrunk from £1.19 billion in 2011 to £1.12 billion in 2015, according to a new report from market research company Mintel. Furthermore, the future of the market looks far from rosy, with sales expected to fall further to £1.11 billion in 2016.In the last year alone, despite an increase in the UK population and a subsequent rise in the number of households, sales of toilet paper fell by 2%, with the average household reducing their toilet roll spending from £43 in 2014 to £41 in 2015.Overall, almost three in five people say they try to limit their usage of paper — including facial tissue and kitchen roll — to save money. "Strength, softness and thickness remain the leading indicators of toilet paper quality, with just a small proportion of consumers preferring more luxurious alternatives, such as those with flower patterns or perfume," said Mintel analyst Jack Duckett. "These extra features are deemed unnecessary by the majority of shoppers, which probably reflects how these types of products are typically more expensive than regular toilet paper, even when on special offer."While consumers are spending less on toilet paper, they remain fussy — in theory at least — when it comes to paper quality. Top of Britons,toilet paper wish list is softness （57%） followed by strength （45%） and thickness （36%）.One in 10 buyers rank toilet rolls made from recycled paper among their top considerations, highlighting how overall the environment is much less of a consideration for shoppers than product quality. In a challenge for manufacturers, 81% of paper product users said they would consider buying recycled toilet tissue if it were comparable in quality to standard paper.The market sales of toilet paper have decreased because .A.Britons have cut their spending on itB.its prices have gone up over the yearsC.its quality has seen marked improvementD.Britons have developed the habit of savingWhat does the author think of the future of the tissue paper market in the UK?A.It will expand in time.B.It will remain gloomy.C.It will experience ups and downs.D.It will recover as population grows.What does Jack Duckett say about toilet paper?A.Special offers would promote its sales.B.Consumers are loyal to certain brands.C.Luxurious features add much to the price.D.Consumers have a variety to choose from.What do we learn about Britons concerning toilet paper?A.They are particular about the quality of toilet paper.B.They emphasize the strength of toilet paper the most.C.They prefer cheap toilet paper to recycled toilet paper.D.They reject using toilet paper with unnecessary features.What can we infer from the last paragraph?A.More and more Britons buy recycled toilet paper to protect the environment.B.Toilet paper manufacturers are facing a great challenge in promoting its sales.C.Toilet paper manufacturers compete with one another to improve product quality.D.Environmental protection is not much of a concern when Britons buy toilet paper.

Entering the library, the freshman was ______ by the numerous books on shelves, as well as by the students who were studying quietly.A. expressedB. welcomedC. greetedD. disrupted

Entering the library, the freshman was ______ by the numerous books on shelves, as well as by the students who were studying quietly.A. welcomedB. disruptedC. greetedD. expressed

阅读理解In North America, most students go to school by bus. The subway is also widely used in some cities. In small towns and cities, walking is still popular.The yellow school bus is a familiar sight all over North America. It is a very convenient form of transportation because it takes students right to the entrance to the school. It also gives students the chance to chat with their friends. However, the bus is slow and does not always pick up the students on time.The subway is a means of getting around quickly in many cities. However, it is expensive and can be very crowded(拥挤的)during the rush hour. Another disadvantage(劣势)of the subway is that the stops are not so close to the school, and students often have to walk very far or take a bus from the subway stop to the school.Walking has a lot of advantages for those who live close to school. It's free and it is a form of exercise. However, it's no fun if you have a large backpack full of books to carry. It's also unpleasant if the weather is too hot, cold or wet.(1)In North America, most students usually go to school by ________.A.school bus or subway B.car or bicycle C.taxi or car D.taxi or boat(2)For many students, the yellow school bus is convenient but it is ________.A.too expensive B.slow and sometimes late C.crowded and dirty D.quick(3)Subways are fast but the stops are often a little bit ________ the school.A.close to B.busy for C.far away from D.near to(4)Walking is a good way for the students that live close to school and it is ________.A.not convenient B.bad for health C.good for health D.too expensive(5)This passage is about ________ in North America.A.transportation B.students C.schools D.lessonsBill, 12,CanadaI want to be a doctor when I grow up because I like helping people and making them feel better.John, 13,AmericaIn the future, I would love to be a writer. Writing is one of the things that make me really happy. But if that doesn't come true, a musician is also OK.Jenny, 13,EnglandI'm going to be a teacher. I love children and I love teaching them. So this job is the best for me.Peter, 14,EnglandI want to be an engineer. I'm interested in studying maths. And I want to live in China.(1)Bill wants to be ________.A.a doctor B.an engineer C.a teacher D.a musician(2)The underlined word "that" refers to ________.A.reading B.being happy C.being a writer D.teaching children(3)Who loves children?A.Bill. B.Jenny. C.John. D.Peter.(4)Where does Peter want to live?A.In Canada. B.In England. C.In America. D.In China.(5)What can we know from the chart?A.Bill loves reading very much.B.Jenny and John are of the same age.C.Both John and Peter are from England.D.Peter likes to help people and make them feel better.A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apple trees he grew.One day, his friend gave the farmer a young apple tree and told him to plant it. The farmer was pleased with the gift, but he did not know where to plant it.He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the fruit. If he planted the tree in one of his fields, his neighbors would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit. Finally he planted the tree in his wood. But without sunlight and good soil(土壤), the tree soon died.Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a poor place. "What's the difference?" the farmer said angrily and then told what he had thought."Yes," said the friend, "but at least someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now you not only have robbed everyone of the fruit, but also you have destroyed(毁掉)a good apple tree!"(1)What did the farmer's friend give him one day?A.n apple. B.Some apples. C.A young apple tree. D.Some young trees.(2)Why didn't the farmer want to plant the tree in his field?A.He thought strangers would steal the fruit.B.He thought the tree would die.C.He thought his children would take the fruit.D.He thought his neighbors would steal the fruit.(3)Where did the farmer plant the young tree?A.Near the road. B.In his field. C.In his woods. D.Near the house.(4)Why did the young tree die in the end?A.Strangers pulled out the tree.B.His neighbors cut down the tree.C.His children broke the tree.D.There was less sunlight and poor soil.(5)What does the story tell us?A.We should care about others' feelings.B.We should share beautiful things.C.The young tree can provide apples for us when it grows up.D.The young tree can grow up one day.阅读短文,并按要求完成下列各题。In the U.K., bus journeys are very common. Buses are very convenient for people. Passengers can avoid heavy traffic and do not have to pay for the parking. However, taking the bus is just a necessary but boring part of life: they get on the bus, pay for it and sit down or find a place to stand when it is crowded. Everyone seems sad and bored.In Latin America, however, bus trips can be wonderful. For a start, films are showed on the buses between cities for passengers to have fun along the journey. Local buses do not show films, but drivers usually turn on the radio and it can be great for passengers to listen to songs and get relaxed.Even better than films and music are the sights and sounds on the buses. Local buses always go to parts of the town that passengers would not visit by themselves. There passengers can see shops that they have never heard about. And they can also see other cultures of the town.Besides, passengers' luggage(行李)is also interesting. It is common to see a happy dog's head getting out of somebody's bag. Once on a bus in Peru, a farmer even tied a sheep to the top of the bus. It was quite surprising.All in all, taking the bus in Latin America is really fun and unforgettable.(1)(2)题完成句子;(3)题简略回答问题;(4)题找出并写下全文的主题句;(5)题将文中画线句子译成汉语。 (1)On the local buses, drivers usually turn on the radio and it can be great for passengers to listen to songs and ________. (2)Local buses always go to parts of the town that passengers would not visit ________. (3)How do passengers in the U.K. probably feel on the buses? ________ (4)________ (5)________

The explorers, ______ all the necessary safety equipment, entered a huge cave.A. wornB. wearingC. to wearD. wore

The police set a ______ to catch the thieves.（ ）A. planB. deviceC. trapD. trick

cognitive compulsory burdensome trivial insular stubborn I. 1. To some extent, the _ journey is the result of a globalized world and the by-product of the development of science and technology. 2. Getting away from tellous life is an essential way of solving our most _ problems. 3._ things can be grasped from a slightly more interesting and abstract perspective for an open-minded traveler. 4. Cultural contrasts can expand the circumstances of our _ input and make us more open to ambiguity. 5. People who are socially isolated tend to take _ attitude toward fresh insight into a new event. 6. Traveling is not a_ option but a gift that most people don't intend to waste.