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

  • Yaze Li December 14, 2014 23:00
    When I see the topic of this comment, I can’t help introducing a book to be honest. That is ‘your loneliness is glory though not successful’ written by Liu Tong, my favorite idol. It’s that book I took this class several weeks ago as one of my rare things. In his book, He just described his own experience and told us several loneliness in our life, what impressed me deeply is Relative Loneliness, He described he and his father’s story, when he was young, he went to the university his father didn’t want him to go, because of it, they had no words many years, but when he succeed in his career, his father was out of tears when they were invited to a program. In fact, sometimes we don’t understand why our parents object to something, but whatever they are right or wrong, they just want us to be better and better.
    • Zakumi > Yaze Li December 15, 2014 3:55

      Well, Li Yaze, that sounds very interesting about that book you mentioned. I vaguely remember one or more students bringing a book to class when we talked about those three objects each had to bring to class. I guess you liked it much as the writer referred to Chinese life in reality and you could identify with it! Sad to read about him and his father not speaking to each other for years, and that because his father was angry with him for not following his father's advice. Luckily it had a happy ending. Yes, this issue with parents is not always a simple one. I also believe one should be obedient to parents and respectful, but what does one do when their actions or advice is incorrect or unfair? When can one be disobedient to one's parents? When does one have to accept their decisions while knowing (or feeling) it is wrong? Maybe you are right that parents (mostly) mean well for their children, but I have also seen how selfish parents can be, and when making decisions or demands about their children, they only have their own well-being and benefit in mind, and not what is best for the child's future (for instance when it comes to choosing marriage partners ...!). Not a simple solution here!

  • ZhangKe December 14, 2014 22:54
    Wolf Totem, is a book which I like best. First have to say is that it's really very long, I look for a long time. The book is the background of the Cultural Revolution when the educated youth to the countryside to Inner Mongolia, tells the story of the protagonist is a wolf, the wolf is here the fearless, aggressive, with strong family consciousness and team spirit. This paper describes a lot of grassland between man and wolf conspiracy stories, the advocacy of human harmony with nature, and seek the balance in.
    • Zakumi > ZhangKe December 15, 2014 3:35

      You mean you read the book for a long time as it was such a thick volume/book, Zhang Ke?! I'm surprised that you read that book as it was written in the 1960's during the infamous cultural revolution! It was written by a student from Beijing being sent to Inner Mongolia to work there and he compared the ethnic Mongolian nomads with the Han Chinese farmers and due to a coincidence (or accident) when he stumbled upon a pack of wolves one day, he studied their behaviour and made comparisons between the two groups of people. I think that must have been a very interesting book! I hope you have enjoyed it despite it being such a lengthy work! I noticed that the book has received various awards and they've made a movie on it which is about to be released in 2015. So, you may look forward to watching the movie (though I expect it would not be completely the same as the book content)!

  • yaozengjun December 14, 2014 22:51
    In my childhood,my mother always read to me.I always yearn to the night.Before sleeping,my mother must tell me a story,cinderella is my favourite.When i become a little mature,i prefer reading fiction novel,Harry potter,Harry Potter is series of seven novels written by the british author,J.K.anRowling.It tells about Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione,all of whom are students.They try to overthrow the evil forces,finially they succeed.The journey of adventure is exciting.
    • Zakumi > yaozengjun December 15, 2014 3:23

      Glad to hear your mother's also read night time stories to you, Yao Xengjun. I read here that many students didn't have that privilege as their parents were sadly too busy. I guess Cinderella was your favourite as you could identify with the daughter of a prince! I personally don't like the Harry Potter books, but I am glad for you that you found it exciting to read!

  • Liu Weifang December 14, 2014 16:15
    Since the childhood,I was a quiet girl in the eyes of others.I like fantasy and dislike novels which are full of actions. Perhaps it's due to my personality. Compared with the poetry, I would rather prefer novels,no matter long or short.Like the short stories written by O.Henry,they showed me the dynamic images vividly through his humor words.Besides,I understood the intention of the writer wanted to express profoundly . In a word, I like to the books most that can be able to keep me in the book, regardless of type, such as Harry Potter series written by J.K. Rowling.I firstly known it through a film,at that moment,I was attracted by it.So I can't wait to buy the rest of the books.These books accompanied with me from primary school to high school,in detail, I have seen more than 10 times.Like the books that just mentioned,it can make people reverie!
    • Zakumi > Liu Weifang December 15, 2014 3:18

      Oh, you liked O. Henry's short stories, Liu Weifang! Yes, he was also a writer from the 1800's (the period it seems to me that has created most brilliant writers!). But I never read some of his humorous works. I'm surprised that they'd translated it into Chinese! I don't fancy the Harry Potter books, but I am happy for you that you found it so entertaining!

  • LuoYuanyuan December 14, 2014 16:15
    I read the book called " Alice in Wonderland "when I was in high school,and fell in love with it.It's a dreamlike story. The beginning of the story is that a girl named Aliceand her sister in an accident when reading a book into the world. There, she experienced a lot in reality things are not exit. Talking rabbits, can change into small pills, and the moves of the poker, and when she suddenly woke up after a crisis, she find that this is only a long dream of her own......
    The book aroused my deep thinking. I think everyone should have a beautiful dream and believe that it will be come true one day.Life is beautiful,we should be optimistic ,and may be lively and full of curiosity like Alice.
    • Zakumi > LuoYuanyuan December 15, 2014 3:09

      That book was also prescribed to us as part of English literary when I was young. It's a fairy tale (or more fantasy) written by Lewis Carroll (not his real name) about Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a wonderland! Haha, of course all was fantasy and a dream! But it was great!

      I agree what you said about dreams. Walt Disney (you know about him  - the creator of Disneyland) used to say: "If you can dream it, you can do it"! And he proved that by building his Disneyland dream!

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