How to write a short story in a day

June 25,2016 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm London,United Kingdom

Ticket information

Event details 

Write your own story//ww scrí?c/i (从零开始) here with Alba Arikha 

Imagine you could write a great short story? Give it a try at this unique Masterclass with author Alba Arikha. In the space of just one day,you* 11 learn how to find your voice,develop your writing skills and make up a storyline. Then,you’ 11 write your own short story from scratch. .

During this highly interactive (互动的) course,you’ 11 take part in practical exercises and writing,enabling you to develop your skills and build your confidence. Along the way,you* 11 receive help,from making up a storyline to developing characters. Plus,you, 11 have the opportunity to receive feedback (反馈) on your work. By the end of the day,you’ 11 have finished writing a story of at least 500 words in length and have the skills and confidence to continue your writing journey after the class.

Content

  . The key parts of a great short story

  . Writing techniques that can be put into practice immediately

  . How to find your voice as a writer

  . Creating a storyline from scratch

  . Character development

  . Choosing th? point of view that's right for your story 

  . Examples of great short stories

  . Write your own short story during the class 

Course preparation 

Attendees are encouraged to bring in a short' story of their own to be discussed in class.

Tutor profile 

Alba Arikha is an author whose works include Walking on Ice and Muse. Alba is also a highly experienced creative writing teacher,and has written for various publications including The New Republic and Tatler. Find out more on her website.

If you have any questions about the Guardian Masterclass program,please contact US by email at masterclasses@theguardian.com,or by telephone on 0800 088 2586.

13. What can we leam about the “How to write a short story in a day”？

   A. It costs you about $250.

   B. It is hosted by Alba Arikha. 

   C. It lasts about four hours.

   D. It sells its last ticket on June25

14. During the course,you will .

   A. read Alba Arikha’ s books

   B. interact with Alba Arikha

   C. write a story about Alba Arikha   

   D. comment on other learnersJ stories

15. What should you bring in order to attend the course?

A delicious lunch. B. A story of your own. 

   C. Alba Arikha's books. D. Drinks for breaks.

16. If you want to know more about Alba Arikha,you can .

A. read hqr works，        B. send her an email 

C. give her a phone call   D. look through her,website

   In the mid-1800s,two chance events occurred in the life of a young “gold rusher” that resulted in the creation of the world's first pair of jeans. Twenty-three-year-old Levi Strauss,a Bavarian immigrant (?? R.) working at his brothers,dry goods store in New York City,didn't join the gold rush. He wanted to sell diy goods to the miners.

   So in January of 1853,Levi Strauss began selling dry goods in San Francisco. Business went well for him and Levi became a wealthy man. Then the first chance event presented itself to Levi. Levi imagined that the gold miners would require denim(牛仔布) with which to build tents. He was wrong. Pleasant California weather persuaded miners to sleep directly under the stars. Levi would have to find another use for his yards and yards of brown denim. The first generation of jeans was bom. They were named “waist overalls”.

   Then the second chance event occurred. Jacob Davis,a Nevada tailor (^ invented a method of strengthening the trousers. He placed metal rivets 4t) at pocket comers. He didn't have the money to apply for a patent i'J) for his idea,so he sent Levi a letter. Perhaps Levi would be interested in paying for the paperwork so that the two men could apply for the patent together. Levi agreed and the second generation of jeans was bom. The term jeans was bom out of the name of an Italian city,Genoa,where denim could be bought.

   Jeans didn't change the life of Levi greatly. He and Jacob Davis did earn good money from their successful riveted denim trousers,but Levi was already a wealthy man. Denim jeans did greatly alter the lives of the rest of US. Today more than a hundred years later,Levi' s  jeans are still popular all over the world.

9. Before inventing jeans,Levi Strauss was .

   A. a rich man   B. a tent builder

    C. a famous tailor   D. a miner in California

10. What do we know about the second generation of jeans?

   A. It was made in Italy.

   B. It was not given a patent.

    C. It was called “waist overalls”.

   D. It was improved by Jacob Davis.

11. The underlined word “alter” in the last paragraph probably means.

   A. guide   B. ruin

    C. change   D. shape

12. What might be the best title for the text?

   A. A clever tailor

   B. The best trousers

    C. The invention of jeans   

    D. The process of making jeans

   In 1952,I was in the 9th grade. That was the year I made friends with Rajdeo Singh,a .boy who lived in one of the villages around our small town. The son of a farmer,he was the first member of his family to go to school. Although a year older than me,Rajdeo studied in the 7th,grade at another school.

    At school,I did well in all my subjects except one: (梵语) .It was a real problem. If I failed ：in Sanskrit,I'd not pass the matriculation exams (学入学考试) .

  “How strange!” Rajdeo said. “I am weak in all subjects except Sanskrit. I could help you. Look at the verbs. First of all you have to learn their shabd roop and dhatu roop by heart."

   I did as I was told. I remembered those word 介厂所加/训5 (构词法) as if they wei*e ar/í/?m冲V:(算术) ； tables. Rajdeo had such a practical way of teaching. He told me about short-cuts and strange relationships in the rules of grammar,and I was beginning to see Sanskrit much like I saw mathematics,which I liked. Rajdeo came to my home almost daily always;prepared,without expecting or taking anything in return. Of course,Mother always gave him meals whenever he visited.

   I started to enjoy his lessons so much that I got through high school with more than 70 percent in Sanskrit!Although I never needed Sanskrit at work,learning the ancient language wasn,t useless after all. Recently,when my grandchildren,too,found Sanskrit studies difficult,I could really help them out,in the way Raj deo did.

   I've had many teachers through college and at work. Yet I always remember Rajdeo Singh as a very good teacher — a student actually,altho?gh I lost touch with him and my hometown ages ago.

5. What do we know about Rajdeo Singh?

   A. He lived in a big city.

   B. He was an excellent student,

    C. He came from a poor family.

   D. He was younger than the author.

6. The author felf that Rajdeo Singh's  way of teaching was .

   A. strange   B. old

    C. stressful   D. effective

7. After learning Sanskrit with the help of Rajdeo Singh,the author .

   A. got a good job

   B. made a lot of money

    C. found Sanskrit useful in life   

    D. graduated fròm high school successfully

8. Which of the following can best describe Rajdeo Singh?

   A. Humorous. B. Friendly,

    C. Brave.   D. Honest.

    When I was a child,everyone I knew celebrated festivals in the same way: in the family home with all kinds of sweets and delicious vegetables made according to recipes guarded by a grandmother.Days,often weeks,were spent in cutting,chopping,boiling,frying and storing them to be shared with every neighbor and relative within reach.

   My childhood was spent in Nainital,then a small,sleepy town high up in the Himalayan foothills and we lived actually on top of a hill. So I wonder,who makes those sweets and vegetables now?

   I now package these memories as popular bedtime stories to tell my wide-eyed grandchildren. And they are bestsellers: I just finish one,and then they beg another. Since my grandchildren live abroad,additional information has to be provided to serve as cultural footnotes.

   As I recycle my memories,I realize that what has also disappeared with the day-long kitchen work is the special flavor (XP?) of slow-cooked food. In the early 1960s,our food was often cooked overnight to be ready for the morning meal. This was also the secret of the melt-in-the-mouth Awadhi dum-pukht food cooked overnight.

   If you tiy overnight cooking in a modem kitchen,thea/arw (火警的警铃) will frighten your neighbors out of their beds at night. I tried making pamí/?íiy (印度煎饼) for my granddaughter in a Los Angeles kitchen at night. Just as she was waiting for her next one,the fire alarm sounded so hard.

   Somehow,our warmest memories are always those that are related to food. I have never forgotten the taste of my grandmother's wonderful dal(木豆) . Even today,when I am unable to sleep at night,I think of the taste of that delicious dal.

1. In the author* s hometown,sharing food .

   A. was very rare

   B. was a waste of time 

    C. was a festival custom   

    D. was ? children's game

2. The author's grandchildren think her childhood stories are.

   A. boring        B. interesting

    C. frightening   D. acceptable

3. The food in the author's childhood had a special flavor partly because

   A. it used special vegetables

   B. it was made in the kitchen 

    C. it was guarded by her mother   

    D. it was cooked for a long time

4. What happened while the author was making parathas for her granddaughter?

   A. Her kitchen caught fire.

   B. She troubled her neighbors,

    C. Her neighbors offered to help.

   D. Her granddaughter set off the alarm.

  I'm a teacher of fourth grade. I always expect .students to come into a grade level to be prepared for that 21,especially when it deals with 22 . I always asked students to read everything orafly in my 23

  We were reading the book Fourth Grade Nothings to take a break from the textbook since many students felt 24 with it. I had just gotten a 25 student. When it was his turn to read,I asked him to read a couple of paragraphs. He looked 26 and said, “I can't read." I 27 I had mistaken what he said,28 I asked him to read again. This time,I 29 the child could not even read any of the sight words. So I 30 over and stood beside him and helped him with the words that he could not pronounce. ,

  I taught him how to 31 words into syllables (*?~ 节) .When I couldn't 32 him,I asked another 33 to help him in his spare time. This child 34 so without question. The day he 35 his hand to read,I teared up. When he 36 and said, “Mrs. Newcome,I can read ,” I 37 like a child. He 38 not long after that for another county. Before his leaving,he 39 me and gave me a big hug,saying,UI will 40 remember what you have given me." I cried again.

21. A goal   B. plan    C. result   D. grade

22. A. spelling   B. listening

   C. reading   D. writing

23. A. class   B. house    C. office   D. studio

24. A. familiar   B. bored

   C. good   D. satisfied

25. A. new . B. smart    C. sick   D. lazy

26. A. confused   B. upset

   C. angry   D. relaxed

27. A. agreed   B. promised

   C. thought   D. proved

28. A. so   B. but    C. for   D. or

29. A. remembered   B. found

   C. said   D. imagined

30. A. went   B. looked

   C. dropped   D. stayed

31. A. move   B. express

   C. translate  D. break

32. A. raise   B. praise   C. help   D. comfort

33. A. worker   B. friend   C. volunteer . D. teacher

34. A. refused   B. did    C. guessed   D. forgot

35. A. picked up   B. put up

   C. set aside   D. gave up

36. A. finished   B. repeated

   C. prepared   D. compared

37. A. struggled   B. slept

   C. complained   D. cried

38. A. came   B. laughed

   C. left   D. appeared

39. A. caught   B. ignored

  C. thanked   D. followed

40. A. even   B. never   C. only   D. always

                Book Buddies 

Program overview 

  Children in grades 1-8 who are able to read at any level are invited to the shelter to read to the cats in our adoption room. Book Buddies will help children improve their reading skills when helping the animals by providing human interaction Cats find the rhythmic sound of a voice very comforting.

  The program was sotarted by Kristi Rodriguez. Her'son,Sean,who's a. 10-year-old boy,served as an inspiration for the program. He struggled with reading at school and so she brought him in to read to the cats. He loved it so much that he asked to come back. The program officially began in August 2013. Since then Sean has shown a rapid improvement in his reading and now often reads to their dogs at home.

  Sean's story is similar to those of many other children who have taken part in Book Buddies. The program has grown within our community and is taken advantage of by home-schooled children,parents who want their children to play with animals,parents of (患自闭症的) children and many more.

According to studies by researchers at Tufts University:

 Pets can be considered a source of support.

 Human-animal interaction can make the learning process more comfortable and enjoyable for children.

 Autistic children showed increased use of language and had improved social interaction while with the animals.

  They showed focus and kept a better state of awareness,as well as improved attitudes toward school.

  Animals can provide comfort for children without judging them.

Program rewards 

  Children can complete “book tickets” while taking part in the program. Each ticket will require the child to complete five books  (length does not matter) . After each ticket is completed,they can begin a new one. The completed ticket can then be turned in for a prize.

Program update: 4/7/16

13. The Book Buddies program invites children who

A.can read at any level   B. can take care of cats

C. like reading books about cats   D. like interacting with other readers

14. Sean's Story is mentioned to.

   A. tell us how Sean started the program

   B. tell us Sean didn't do well in school 

    C. praise Sean for what he did for animals

   D. show the program has made a difference to Sean

15. According to the studies of Tufts University,reading to cats .

   A. makes cats become more sociable

   B. helps children feel more independent

    C. benefits children socially and academically   

    D. makes children learn to judge themselves properly

16. How can a kid win a prize?

   A. By finishing reading a book.

   B. By designing five book tickets,

    C. By selling the most book tickets.

   D. By handing in h*is finished book ticket.

   When the game of fistball (浮士 德球) was invented is not known. What is certain,however,is that its roots lie in southern Europe,perhaps in Italy. The earliest report of the game was written by Roman ：Emperor Gordian III in the year 240. Rules for an Italian fistball were recorded by Antonius Scaiono in 1555.

   In the 16th century the game started to be played. However,it was seen less as a game of competitive nature and more as a game for.(贵族成员) to play for fun. In 1786,Johann Wolfgang von Goethe mentioned flstball games in his diary Italian Journey.

   It was only in 1870 that fistball was introduced to Germany by Georg Weber. The sport was soon seen as a gymnastic sport. Fistball first appeared in 1885 at the German Gymnastic Festival in Dresden. The play and scoring,however,differed greatly from those of flstball as it is known today.

   During this time the sport spread to the surrounding,mainly German-speaking,neighboring countries and German emigrants (R) also spread the sport to other continents,particularly in South America and West Africa. Fistball was first introduced to the United States in 1911 by high school teacher Christopher Carlton who had experienced it first-hand on a Slimmer vacation to Italy.

   At the 1913 German Gymnastics Festival in Leipzig,the first Gennan men' s championship was held. In 1921,the first women* s  fistball championship was held. Fistball,while still a game affiliated to the Gymnastics Association,began to grow independently. In 1927,almost 12,000 teams played organized fistball in Germany.

   In order to encourage the development of fistball,the International Fistball Association (IFA) was founded m 1960. The first IFA Men* s World Championship was held in Linz,Austria in 1968 with West Germany winning the gold. The first IFA Women,s World Championship was held in Buenos Aires,Argentina in 1994 with Germany winning the gold.

9. Fistball has its origins in.

   A. Austria   B. Germany

    C. South America   D. . southern Europe 

10. In the 16th century,fistball.

   A. was regarded as a gymnastic sport

   B. was first reported by Antonius Scaiono

    C. was played by nobles for enjoyment

   D. began to become popular with Germans

11. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

   A. The spreading of fistball.

   B. The vacation of a school teacher.

    C. The experiences of German emigrants.

   D. The popularity of fistball in West Africa.

12. The underlined part “affiliated to” in Paragraph 5 probably means .

   A. independent of   B. connected with 

    C. separated from   D. different from

   The grizzly bear is found in rocky mountains and remote forests of North America. Grizzly bears are geiierally larger and more heavily b?i?t than other bears. Compared with black bears,they have a unique (隆肉) on their shoulders and longer claws (脚 爪) .The claws are better suited to digging rather than tree climbing. Grizzlies also have very thick fur that keeps them warm in terrible and snowy winters,and that is usually dark brown in color. The name “grizzly” comes from the gray-tipped hairs these bears get as they grow older.

   The average male grizzly bear weighs between 400 and 600 pounds (180 to 270 kg) . In spite of its huge size,the grizzly can move at a speed of up to 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour) over short distances. Like all bears,it is a good swimmer. 

   Grizzly bears sleep through the winter,and need to eat a lot in the summer and fall in order to build up enough fat reserves to survive the winter period.Ninety percent of the grizzly's diet consists of;vegetation such as roots,pine nuts,mushrooms and ：berries. It also feeds on mammals,fish and honey.However,though they have obvious physical :advantages,grizzly bears rarely view humans as prey (猎物) .Even so,they can be aggressive to humans if ：disturbed. For this reason,campers are warned to :hang food at a height beyond the bears’ reach to avoid attracting them.

5. What is said about older grizzly bears?

   A. They sleep longer.

   B. Their fur gets thicker.

    C. Their hairs change color.

   D. They become more aggressive.

6. How are grizzly bear^nd black bears alike?

   A. They are good climbers.

   B. They are able to swim well,

    C. They are very similar in size.

   D. They have a hump on their backs.

7. According to the text,what does the grizzly bear mainly feed on?

   A. Fish.       B. Honey,

    C. Mammals.     D. Plants.

8. According to the text,what are campers advised to do?

   A. Avoid feeding the bears.

   B. Stay out of sight of the bears.

   C. Keep the campsite clear and clean.

   D. Place food out of the reach of bears.

   Everything worked out so smoothly and everyone was so kind to me,an America girl,that I had the most wonderful time as a volunteer teacher there.

   I felt at home right away. Also my host family was amazing.  I really found ? secoiid family in Thailand and we got along well even without speaking the same language. My host mother made a great effort to leam some English and I did my best to learn a couple of Thai words .

   Teaching was great fun and also quite challenging because I taught many different classes at different levels of English. So I always had to first check and then quickly adapt to (适应) their levels of English.

   But luckily,all the former teachers kept a teacher’ s diary and wrote down their exp?riences with the students so I could check in advance what kind of games or exercises they had been doing. Its stress was on conversation. And this was best done through little games. Students loved the competition and teaming up against each other. It sometimes took a bit to involve them because they were often very shy. But once they warmed up it was so much fun. I must say I enjoyed all the classes.

   On Sundays I went to temple school to teach the little students together with other teachers from Prangku. All the teachers at Prajigku were willing to spend much of their own free time helping these students. And the students were so nice,polite and really eager to learn English.

  I want to share this experience with everyone who enjoys being with children,and with everyone who is interested in getting to know a new culture. This is really an unforgettable experience.

1. Living with the host family,the author .

   A. became part of the family quickly

   B. found what the family did was strange 

    C. was often misunderstood by the family   

    D. could talk with the family fluently in Thai

2. Why did the author consider teaching in Thailand a challenge?

   A. No teacher gave her a helping hand.

   B. Her students were too shy to speak English,

    C. She had difficulty dealing with large classes.

   D. Her students were at different levels of English.

3. According to the author,teachers,from Prangku

   A. recorded studentsJ activities in a diary

   B. thought highly of what the author did 

    C. had a strong sense of responsibility   

    D. were not good at organizing games

4. The author thinks her experience in Thailand is

   A. worthwhile   B. adventurous

    C. uncomfortable   D. doubtful 

       Seated me at my desk,I began to write a letter thank Gao Hui for all her help last week. Last Monday evening,my mother fall ill suddenly. Since my father was in another city on the business,I got very anxious. Have no idea what to do,I phoned my best friend Gao Hui for help. She and her mother,which is a doctor,came to help US immediately. It was under their help that my mother made a quickly recovery. Gao Hui is always ready to help me when I am in troubles. She had helped me overcome a lot of difficulties.