Week 15a: Monday, 15 December 2014

Posted by Zakumi on December 12, 2014

(1) Discussion on bad habits to continue.

Students don't have to comment on this as you have done it already.

(2) Compelling conversations: Talking about books and reading pleasures.

Please see the attachments. There are two lists of 18 questions each. We'll work in pairs and each partner will get a different list. On list 1, we'll answer only the following questions: 1 ("Did your mother read to you as a child?"), 5, 7, 8, 10, 17 and 18. On list 2, only the following questions: 5 ("What are some books you've read and enjoyed?"), 6, 12, 13, 14, 17 and 18.

For your comment, students can answer any of those questions, or tell me about a book you read and why you enjoyed it. You decide.

Compelling Conversations x1.pdf

Compelling Conversations x2.pdf

Compelling Conversations x3.pdf

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Replies

    • Zakumi December 14, 2014 15:21

      Oh, so your father read the stories to you, Hui Ying, and not your mother! Your father must love you (and your mom) very much to have made such a contribution (as father normally don't)! I guess you read "Gone with the Wind" in Chinese, right?! Maybe that's better, as the English version can't be easy to read. If you want to read English, start reading easy and simple English books first; otherwise you would put yourself off from reading any English books at all as you may find it too difficult. Good idea to develop the habit of reading! Surely it would increase your general knowledge (if it is sometimes more than fiction!).

  • lu wen jun December 14, 2014 14:08

    In my memory,I have read a lot of books in my childhood.What impressed me most is the Andersen's Fairy Tales.This book has a lot of very intersting and amazing stories.My mother buy this book for me as my birthday gift.And I very like it.My family have three childs,and my home is so small that us three childs sleep in one room.When we are going to sleep,my mother will tell some stories to make us to sleep.We think that the most interesting story is Snow White.My mother said that I and my sister is her too small princess.When I grow up,I also like reading some books to gain more knowledge.

    • Zakumi > lu wen jun December 14, 2014 15:16

      So Lu Wenjun, you were three children and you shared one room; I guess you three must be very close to one another today (but three children in China in one family?!). Yes, Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales for children was popular in many parts of the world (being translated in more than 100 languages). Oh, and you and your little sister were your mother's princesses! Hope you will not forget to start reading more books when you get older; that's one pleasant way of gaining much knowledge - I know as that is basically where I get most of my knowledge from!

  • Guo Hongtai December 14, 2014 13:50

    I am planing to read Twilight.Because it's my favourite book and I like the story between human girl and wampire,it's amazing.I have already read the book in Chinese,and see the film for several times.Last year I bought the book writen in English,but I only read a few page of it.

    • Zakumi > Guo Hongtai December 14, 2014 14:57

      Well Guo Hongtai, if you plan to read "Twilight" in English, you are a very brave girl (like Malala!), as I don't think it can be easy reading! But maybe you would enjoy the challenge and it would surely help you to further develop your language skills (though it might not be easy!). Stephenie Meyer is however a good writer. But, they say the book is not the same as the movie; I guess you have noticed that when you read it in Chinese. Hope you will enjoy the English version!

  • Xu Heyun December 14, 2014 13:29
    Recently I read a book called “The old man and the sea”.“ The old man and the sea "is created by a modern American fiction writer Hemingway in 1952 of a novella, that is also the author of the last novel published during his lifetime. This novel is based on the Hemingway's own true story. It tells the story of the Cuban old fisherman called Santiago in eighty-four consecutive days did not catch fish, at last he caught a big marlin, but this fish was too big to beat it.And his boat had to be at sea three days, finally he killed and tied to the side of the boat. Being striked by sharks on the return journey , when he came back to harbour ,the fish only had tail and spine.In the novel, the sea and sharks signify the social and natural forces, however, the old man struggle with the big fish all the time .The old is full of the incomparable strength and courage, not lose dignity. I appreciate the fisherman did not yield to the fate of the spirit, no matter how in the difficult environment.Such a "hard man", it is the quintessential Hemingway's novels. I like a tough man.
    http://spine.In/
    • Zakumi > Xu Heyun December 14, 2014 14:34

      Wow Xu Heyun, you read that great work of Ernest Hemingway! Thanks for telling about that! You know that he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954 (one year before I was born!) for that ultimate work of him! But I guess you probably read it in Chinese, right?! Well, then it was still a good reading! Oh, so you would have liked Santiago as he was a very tough man ...! ;-)

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    • Zakumi December 14, 2014 14:21

      I'm sorry to read that you've never been read to in your early childhood (or being told some childhood stories), Katrina. That is something children should all experience, I think. Luckily, you made up for that later with Shi Cheng's stories! Oh, and you have also read "A Dream in Red Mansions" like Amy! That was a great Chinese literary work (they even say it was the greatest) by Cao Zhan (he had another name too)! I am glad to read that you are continuously trying to read some books. Never give up on that! :)

  • kay December 14, 2014 13:20
    In fact I can't remember the first book I had read clearly but I can remember the first poetry I have got by accident(when my mother finishing bookshelf and find this book).It's a poetry anthology named <<Michelia floribunda>> written by XiMuRong.She is a poet from Taiwan and good at written poem about love life and nostalgia.At that time I was just six years old. I even don't understand the meanning of some words.But I am addicted to the cover so I like it very much.Once my high school teacher let us read some poems.Thus I read this poetry anthology again.I was deeply intoxicated by the beautiful words and emotion. It's about a girl's confusion of love and desires.
    I think the feeling on a poem or a book is varies from person to person.Even just at different stage and age of the same person.Maybe I will feel different from that time if I read it now.
    In my opion.The impact of a book is far larger than we expected.Some magzines is also helpful.When I was in my high school I bought a magzine named <<Touch Soul>> every month.I didn't miss every issue.I think that magazine is my meat and drink under the heavy study pressure.
    • Zakumi > kay December 14, 2014 14:14

      Sounds like a good poem from Xi MuRong, Kay! Maybe you must read it in class to us! Okay, on second thought, it is obviously a Chinese poem, and we have an English class ... So, maybe not! But what a blessing that your mother cleaned the bookshelf  and you discovered that great poetry book! Oh, and your high school classmates must have been carried away too when you shared the poem with the class!

      I agree with your opinion about the impact of books on the readers! As I am an avid reader myself, most of my knowledge came from books I read. I started reading as a hobby from a young age, and I have never stopped (and don't intend to stop!). I hope I would die reading one day! As Thomas MaCaulay said (one of the quotes in the attachment to the lesson): "I would rather be poor in a cottage full of books, than a king without the desire to read"!

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