Reading & Writing — Lesson 9阅读与写作 · 第九次课

Green underline = something I changed. Tap it to see what you originally wrote and why.

我没看过你提到的那几部电视剧,但是我听说过,它们都很好看。说实话,虽然我对历史感兴趣,但是大部分时间我看奇幻剧或者民国剧。我每星期都看中国电视剧。最近我看了一部电视剧,叫《墨雨云间》,可是我不太清楚它是哪个朝代的。我想看《甄嬛传》,因为我很喜欢有坚强女性的故事。我平时不看清朝的电视剧,因为我觉得男的发型不好看,我更喜欢发髻。
英国的孩子学英国的历史。在苏格兰,孩子也学苏格兰的历史。我们没有“朝代歌”。英国历史上也有一些王朝,但是我们主要学最重要的国王和女王。
我认为三个朝代都很有意思,但是我最想了解唐朝,因为唐朝的诗歌和艺术很有名。

练习里的几个地方 From your exercises

· 翻译 2:会被一首朝代歌 → 会背(bèi)。 A typing slip: 背 (bèi, to recite from memory), not 被 (bèi, the passive marker). Also 上学 → 上小学 — the English said “at primary school”.

· 翻译 4:两年多年 → 两千多年。 千 (qiān, thousand) was missing — 两千多年 = more than two thousand years.

· 阅读 1:一道代歌 → 一首朝代歌。 Two things: 朝 was missing, and songs and poems take the measure word 首 (shǒu), not 道.

· 阅读 5:皇朝是最后的朝代 → 清朝是最后一个朝代。 This one is worth knowing: 皇朝 isn't the name of a dynasty. It simply means “the age of emperors” (皇 = emperor + 朝 = dynasty). So 皇朝至此完 = “the age of emperors ends here” — the last dynasty itself is 清朝.

你上次问的“高中低” —— 现在我明白了,你想说的是“初中毕业的时候”。 Now I see what you meant. In Chinese you can say 初三 (chū sān, the third year of junior secondary), 初中毕业的时候 (when you finish junior secondary), or just name the exam itself: 中考 (zhōngkǎo).

三个问题,选你有话说的写就好。

• 课文说武则天的“好的一面”和“有争议的一面”都有,她自己还留了一块无字碑。你怎么看这个人?如果让你在那块碑上写一句话,你会写什么? (what do you make of her? what would you write on that blank stone?)
• 课文里提到三部跟唐朝有关的片子。你最想看哪一部?为什么?(《长安三万里》《长安十二时辰》《长歌行》) (which one would you pick, and why?)
• 《静夜思》写的是“想家”。你有没有过想家的时候?那时候你在哪儿,想的是什么? (a time you missed home — where were you, and what did you miss?)

Progress 进步

Since 7/26, your speaking speed and confidence have improved noticeably. Later recordings showed more everyday expressions, longer explanations, comparisons and personal opinions. This week, your speaking is more clearly organised, and your reading has a steadier rhythm.

Reading practice 朗读

You read the passage in clear groups and completed the whole historical rhyme. The main challenge is the pronunciation of some less familiar historical words.

· 商 shāng in 夏商与西周 sounded a little like 双 shuāng — don't add the extra u. Also remember 与 yǔ has a third tone.

· 三分魏蜀吴 — sān fēn Wèi Shǔ Wú. Watch 蜀 shǔ (third tone) and 吴 wú (rising second).

· 隋唐五代传 — suí táng wǔ dài chuán was the least clear line. Practise each syllable slowly first, then join them: tones 2–2–3–4–2.

· 皇朝至此完 — huáng cháo zhì cǐ wán, tones 2–2–4–3–2. Pay particular attention to 朝 cháo and 此 cǐ.

Speaking practice 口语

Your answer has a clear structure: you introduce the title and the actors, explain the plot briefly, and then give several reasons for your opinion. You're also using more specific vocabulary than in your earlier recordings.

· 剧 jù — the main point this week. It turns up in 古装剧、电视剧、民国剧, and wasn't always clear. Use j + ü with a falling fourth tone; don't let it drift towards 猪 zhū.

· 演 yǎn in 演员 — third tone: let the pitch dip before it rises.

· 许 xǔ in 许凯 — also third tone, and keep the x + ü clear.

· 烈火军校 — lièhuǒ jūnxiào. Practise it as one whole phrase: tones 4–3–1–4, with a steady first tone on 军 jūn and a clear falling 校 xiào.

· 鲜明 xiānmíng — this one sounded close to 先进 xiānjìn. 鲜 xiān first tone, 明 míng rising second; make sure it ends in -míng.

· 有意思 yǒuyìsi — the final 思 si stays short and light.

Expression 表达

Your meaning came across easily. Only a few small changes:

· Since you call it a 民国剧 at the end, you could open with it too: 我最喜欢的民国剧是……

· 这个故事说…… → 这个故事讲的是……

· 白鹿的人物 → 白鹿演的角色(juésè, the role someone plays)

· 所有的人物都很鲜明 is correct as it stands — only the pronunciation of 鲜明 needs to be clearer.

Your answer, lightly adjusted 你的回答

我最喜欢的民国剧是《烈火军校》。女演员是白鹿,男演员是许凯。这个故事讲的是,白鹿演的角色是一个女生。她伪装成男生,上烈火军校。我很喜欢这部电视剧,因为我觉得所有的人物都很鲜明,而且故事很有意思,衣服也很好看。

Voice homework 语音作业 🎤

请像上次一样,自己录成音频文件,再通过 italki 消息发给我。 Record as audio files and send them as attachments in an italki message.

1. Read aloud 朗读 (about 30 seconds): read the poem slowly, one line at a time, then the sentence after it. 床前明月光,疑是地上霜。举头望明月,低头思故乡。
   二十个字,写的就是一件很小的事:晚上看到月光,想家了。
2. Tell me 说一说 (about 1 minute): 《静夜思》是中国孩子都会背的诗。你们那儿呢?孩子在学校背不背诗?你自己还记得小时候背过的东西吗?
   Every child in China knows this poem by heart. Do children learn poems by heart where you are? Do you still remember anything you memorised as a child — a poem, a song, a rhyme? Useful: 我们小时候… / 我还记得… / 我们不用背… / 说实话…

Pronunciation tip: read the poem slowly, with a small pause at each comma — watch 疑 (yí, rising) and 望 (wàng, falling). 思 in 思故乡 is sī, first tone.