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!” Q ______________________________ Grace Louise |
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? |
Actor Anthony Anderson has realized a dream 30 years in the making. The 51-year-old
Anderson finished his junior year at Howard 30 years ago.
“This spring I was
A.received | B.took | C.deserved | D.held |
A.cause | B.give | C.describe | D.hide |
A.purpose | B.identity | C.completion | D.belonging |
A.In terms of | B.With regard to | C.By comparison with | D.On account of |
A.reward | B.favor | C.job | D.break |
A.fortune | B.living | C.promotion | D.reputation |
A.took off | B.started over | C.slowed down | D.pulled up |
A.hit | B.leader | C.singer | D.director |
A.confused | B.upset | C.anxious | D.regretful |
A.assistance | B.admission | C.invitation | D.permission |
A.willing | B.cautious | C.determined | D.satisfied |
A.eventually | B.gradually | C.obviously | D.temporarily |
A.bonus | B.milestone | C.dreamland | D.wonder |
A.warned | B.taught | C.commanded | D.reminded |
A.record | B.acquire | C.further | D.finish |
Four Places Named After Scientists in Antarctica
There are many scientific breakthroughs made by women in Antarctic. Here are four landmarks in Antarctica and the female pioneers they’re named for.
Jones Terrace (梯田)
The ice-free terrace in eastern Antarctica’s Victoria Land bears Jones’ name. In 1969, geochemist Lois M. Jones led the first all-female research team from the U.S. to work in Antarctica. Jones and her team studied chemical weathering in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, an ice-free area of Antarctica. Through chemical analyses of rocks they had collected, Jones and her team discovered many geochemical characteristics of the valley’s ice-covered lakes.
Mount Fiennes
8,202-foot-high Mount Fiennes, located on Antarctica’s largest island — Alexander Island — is named for Ginny Fiennes. She established and maintained 80-foot-tall radio towers in the Antarctic. In 1985, Fiennes became the first female who was invited to join the Antarctic Club, a British supper club open to individuals who have spent extended time in the Antarctic region.
Francis Peak
The 3,727-foot-tall peak on Antarctica’s Adelaide Island is named after Dame Jane Francis, who is the first female director of the British Antarctic Survey, the national polar research institute of the UK. Her collection of fossils on Seymour Island helped conclude in a 2021 paper that Antarctica’s abundant plant fossils indicate the continent once had a much warmer climate than it currently does.
Peden Cliffs
Peden Cliffs near Antarctica’s Marie Byrd Land are proof of the labor of Irene Peden. She was the first American female scientist to both live and work in the Antarctic, where she used radio waves to study ice sheets. Peden and her team determined how very low frequency radio waves spread over long polar distances by measuring pathways in the ice. They also used varying radio wave frequencies to measure the thickness of Antarctica’s ice sheets.
1.Which place is named after a builder of radio towers in the Antarctic?A.Jones Terrace. | B.Mount Fiennes. |
C.Francis Peak. | D.Peden Cliffs. |
A.Lois M. Jones. | B.Ginny Fiennes. |
C.Dame Jane Francis. | D.Irene Peden. |
A.She could judge the thickness of Antarctica’s ice sheets. |
B.She discovered a lot of ice-covered lakes in the Antarctic. |
C.She was the first female American to explore the Antarctic. |
D.She correctly measured the spreading speed of radio waves. |
I don’t remember when my love of the protected Great Bear Rainforest began — it’s something that’s always been there, even though I haven’t spent longer than a month there in one go. I grew up in a small village by the sea and planned to study marine biology and live out on the water. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, my lack of scientific talent quickly put paid to that idea, but the love of nature remained and has been an anchor (锚) in my life and in my writing.
The Great Bear Rainforest is vast, splendid and wild but also friendly, fun and diverse. I travelled there by myself at the age of 20, planning to spend my 21st birthday camping, and hiking in the forests.
I woke up on my birthday in a tent on the edge of the water. Behind me, the trees of this largely untouched wilderness emerged. Endless carpets of pointed trees reached right down to a thin rocky shore. It seemed there was no way in. This wilderness held its secrets close. Stepping from the beach into the forest, I immediately sensed the history of the area — it felt ancient, and it was impossible not to be humbled.
With a guide for safety, I hiked a few miles through the wilderness. The sounds of the forest were everywhere. Birds sang. Insects buzzed. Something bigger moved through the undergrowth and my guide stopped dead. Listened. My heart was in my mouth. Then, after some invisible signal, my guide relaxed, and we went on.
We continued the hike and emerged onto a cliff with the most breath-taking view I’ve ever seen. From terror to wonder in only a few hundred steps. It was that sense of unsettled ground — of shifting emotion, secrets and awe, beauty and fear — that’s fed my writing across four books, none more so than Children of the Sun, and implanted in me a lifelong love of the wild.
1.What does the underlined phrase “put paid to” in paragraph 1 mean?A.Stimulated. | B.Ended. | C.Supported. | D.Proved. |
A.I was awed by the powerful nature. | B.I became modest after my 21st birthday. |
C.I was attracted by the history of the area. | D.I got curious about the secrets of the forest. |
A.Conservative. | B.Considerate. | C.Practiced. | D.Indecisive. |
A.The passion for nature. | B.The feature of 4 books. |
C.An unforgettable travel experience. | D.A vivid description of mixed emotions. |