Chinese Beginners

Future plans and aspirations

Listenings

Activity 1 – conversation 对话

Mark and Xiaoli are classmates. Listen to their conversation.

Conversation.mp3

Questions

  1. Explain the conflict between Xiaoli and her mother.
  2. What are Mark’s plans for the future?

Concluding questions

  1. Imagine you are Mark. Write a letter to Xiaoli’s mother, persuading her to let Xiaoli follow the career of her choice.
  2. Imagine you are Xiaoli. After this conversation with Mark, you are having a conversation with your mother. Write the dialogue in Chinese.

Provide your answers to your teacher for review and feedback.

Item 1

Listen to the audio:

chn_beg_t6_l_track_01.mp3

Outline the girl's plan.

Item 2

Listen to the audio:

chn_beg_t6_l_track_02.mp3

Why is Meiyi feeling upset?

Item 3

Listen to the audio:

future_plans_t3.mp3

Is the trip to China worthwhile for Zhonghua? Justify your answer with textual references.

Readings

Activity 1

Read the following text, then answer the questions in English.

我是李华,今年十七岁,是十一年级的学生。明年,我就要考大学入学试了。爸爸、妈妈都很紧张,常常要我用功读书,还要我上补习班。我觉得生活很没有意思,每天不是上学,就是做作业、温习功课。我对生物、物理、数学挺有兴趣,爸爸就要我读医科,将来当医生。我本来不喜欢当医生,因为做医生很辛苦,晚上常常要上班。可是,妈妈说,做医生是很好的工作,钱多、社会地位也高。我想,从小,爸爸、妈妈都要我听话,做他们喜欢的事。我不想他们不高兴。现在,我只有用功读书,努力考进医学院吧!

Question 1

Which choice best describes the text?

a) an autobiography of Li Hua.

b) about how Li Hua’s struggles to meet the expectations of of his parents.

c) about the subject choices of Li Hua.

d) about Li Hua’s parents’ expectations.

Question 2

Do you think that Li Hua will make a good doctor? Why?

Activity 2

Read the following text, then answer the questions in English.

你好!我叫彼得,今年十七岁,是澳大利亚人。我爸爸是医生、妈妈是会计师。爸爸、妈妈都想我当医生。他们给我看很多医学的书,告诉我很多医生的故事。我知道,做医生要学习成绩好,可是,我不喜欢学习。我喜欢唱歌、跳舞,做一个电影明星。今年,我已经是十二年级的学生了。我对爸爸说,我不喜欢上大学,我想上工艺学院学摄影,还要学唱歌和跳舞。爸爸虽然很失望,但是他说,如果这是我喜欢的工作,他不会反对。我非常感谢我的父母,在我生日的时候,他们送给我一个照相机,要我拍一些漂亮的照片。我想,两年后,我会去美国的荷里活,看看有没有机会当电影明星!

Question 1

What career does Peter want to pursue? What will he do to achieve his goal?

Question 2

How do his parents view Peter’s choice of career?

Activity 3

Read the following text, then answer the questions in English.

老师、同学们,大家好!很高兴和你们谈谈我想做的工作。从小我就对语文很感兴趣。从七到十二年级,我学了法文、意大利文和中文。我希望以后做一位语言老师,教中文和法文。

读完十二年级后,我会去欧洲旅行三个月,然后去北京语文学校学习汉语。我打算学习一年。最后,我会回悉尼上大学,学习教育课程。

我认为语言环境很重要,所以,我会在法国和中国生活一段时间。在法国,我会住三个月,练习法文和认识法国的文化。我觉得中文比法文难很多,所以,我要在北京住一年。在北京,我可以有很多机会听和说中文。这样,我的中文,一定会进步得很快。

同学们,再过两个月,我们就要考大学入学试了。你有什么打算呢?希望所有的同学都有美好的将来!谢谢!

Question

Describe how the writer will pursue his goal.

Activity 4

Read the following passage then answer the questions that follow in English.

我爱吃东西,也爱做饭。放假的时候,我常在家做饭。家人和朋友都很喜欢吃我做的菜。我朋友开生日会的时候,常常请我帮忙做一些菜。大家都说我做的菜比饭馆做的更好。

现在我是十二年级的学生,我要开始考虑以后的工作问题。我很想做厨师。我不要做小饭馆里的厨师,我要做悉尼有名的大厨师。首先,我上两年厨师的课程,然后,我去大饭馆做厨师的助手。我还想出国学习厨艺。我想去法国、意大利工作,学习做法国和意大利菜。回悉尼后,我打算先在饭馆打工,存些钱,然后自己开饭馆。我想在悉尼最漂亮的街道上开饭馆。

起初,我父母不同意我的想法,他们很想我做会计师。后来,他们发觉我对做饭很有兴趣,所以也不再反对我做厨师了。

Question 1

How do people compliment on the writer’s cooking?

Question 2

What is the writer’s future plan?