The history of graphic novels

陜西寶雞市姜譚高級中學 呂 品

題材文化 說明文體裁 篇幅 建議用時454詞 8分鐘

難詞探意

1.strip /str?p/ n.連環畫

2.graphic /'ɡr?f?k/ adj.繪畫的

3.prestigious /pre'st?d??s/ adj.受尊敬的；有聲望的

4.confiscate /'k?nf?ske?t/ v.沒收

5.rot /r?t/ v.（使）腐爛；（使）腐朽

When Raina Telgemeier was a kid in the 1980s, she fell in love with comics.“They were the perfect combination of all the things I liked: characters, stories, humor and artwork,” she said.

At the time, two types of comics were widely available to kids.There were comic books about superheroes, which weren't her thing.She wanted comics that told stories she could relate to as an ordinary kid.And there were newspaper comicstrips.Telgemeier loved some of them, especially Calvin and Hobbes, but she wanted more.At around 10, she started drawing her own comics.Twenty-three years later, she published Smile.It's agraphicmemoir about Telgemeier's middle school experiences with braces and dental surgery.

Before Smile was published in 2010, it wasn't clear the book would succeed.Some people who worked in the publishing industry figured that kids wouldn't enjoy a graphic novel about an average girl.But Telgemeier suspected they were wrong.“I knew I couldn't possibly be the only kid interested in people, emotions and everyday problems,” she said.She was right.Smile became a best-seller.Since then, Telgemeier has published several more popular graphic novels.There are more than 18 million copies of her books in print.Telgemeier's success has made a big impact.Industry experts said she paved the way for many more graphic novels for kids.

Comics have been around since at least the 19th century.Traditional comic books are short—around the length of a magazine.They're mostly published monthly, and are often about adventure or superheroes.Today's graphic novels are different.In a graphic novel, the author uses comics to tell a book-length story.Many tell a serious or realistic story.Until recently, most graphic novels are for adults.As the sales of graphic novels boom, attitudes about comics are changing.Charell Coleman teaches fourth grade at Woodward Academy, in College Park, Georgia.She often uses graphic novels in class because they help students visualize the scene, and see who's talking and what the characters look like.

This year, New Kid became the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Medal, one of the mostprestigiousawards in children's literature.The book is about an African-American boy who feels out of place at his mostly white school.New Kid author Jerry Craft said that when he was young, he read only comics.His parents were supportive, but he knew some adults didn't approve.“In certain schools, if they saw you reading a comic, they wouldconfiscateit, because they thought it wasrottingyour brain,” he said.“They didn't realize the amount of imagination, storytelling and vocabulary in those comics.”

Reading Check

1.Why did Raina Telgemeier love comics when she was a kid?

A.Comics told many interesting stories. B.Comics were popular among kids.

C.Comics combined many things she liked.D.Comics included many interesting pictures.

2.What can we know about Smile?

A.It was published in the 1980s. B.It was drawn by Calvin and Hobbes.

C.It was suspected by many experts. D.It was a graphic novel about an ordinary girl.

3.Which of the following is the characteristic of traditional comic books?

A.They're designed for adults. B.They're about adventure or superheroes.

C.They're around the length of a book. D.They're mostly published once a year.

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A.Jerry Craft's parents approved of his reading comics.

B.Reading comics was supported in certain schools.

C.Comics were bad for the brain development of students.

D.New Kid was the first adventure novel to win the Newbery Medal.

Language Study

Sentence for writing

Industry experts said she paved the way for many more graphic novels for kids.業內專家說，她為更多的兒童漫畫小說鋪平了道路。

【信息提取】pave the way for...意為“為……鋪平道路”。

【句式仿寫】這個協議將為持久和平鋪路。