2014b: Week 8b: 30 October 2014

Posted by Zakumi on October 24, 2014

Compelling conversations:

During this lesson, we are going to talk about books. As I regard reading as very important for one's intellectual development, we'll spend the complete lesson on this topic. Tell me about the book you are reading at the moment. Why is reading important to you: Or is it not important? Why, or why not? We'll work in pairs and there are two lists of questions we'll be asking and answering to each other.

Compelling Conversations x1.pdf

Compelling Conversations x2.pdf

Compelling Conversations x3.pdf

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    • Zakumi > Cao Mengtao October 30, 2014 6:16

      So Nancy, if reading is also your hobby, how many books have you read during the last year (which would mostly be during holidays as you are a student)?! Have you read The Lady of the Camellias in English? Looks like Jane Eyre was in two languages; but did you ever read the English parts?! Jane Eyre is one of the best works ever written as it also build up one's spirit. I agree totally with your last statement ... but sadly you and the other students don't really believe that .. How do I know? Because I don't see students doing that!

  • CC. October 29, 2014 14:44
    Hi,teacher.My mother is think highly of books all the time which makes

    me feel proud.When I was a child,my mother often read fairy tales for

    me.I couldn't get along well with my friends when I was young,and at

    the same time,my mother bought some books about fairy tales.so I like

    to read books because books like my best friends which accompany me

    and never leave me.I also like to read maganizes in different ways.I

    usually read Reader's Digest,Youth Digest and so on.But now,I seldom

    read books even though I don't know why and I am puzzled about it.
    • Zakumi > CC. October 30, 2014 6:09

      Yes CC, books are "like one's best friends who accompany you and never leave you"; I agree! I used to like the many stories in Readers' Digest too. I wonder whether those books still exist? I haven't seen them for years now. Maybe you should come into the habit again to read ..!

  • tianjing October 29, 2014 14:27
    hello,John.in the next class we Will introudce a book which we like Reading.i can rememebered the first book is Andersen＇s Fairy Tales in my childhood.i read the book at home.i like read short story.in my country the famous writers, for exmple moyan who won the 2012 Nobel Prize inliterature.as my growing i began to read four Major classical novels of China.the journey to the West is intersting.now i should read some book about economy,because it important to my work in the furture,i alaways borrow books from liberay .see you tomorrow.
    • Zakumi > tianjing October 30, 2014 6:05

      Tian Jing, I don't understand completely ... last night when you wrote your comment (around midnight, I guess), you ended off by telling me that you would see me today ... and ten hours later you missed the class ... I am confused! Nevertheless, I see you too are familiar with Andersen's (Grimm's) Fairy Tales like Cynthia and Zhou Yuqi. It's my guess that many Chinese mothers read those tales to their children (as it appears to have been very common in China when you grew up). Have you ever read a book in English?!

  • zhou yuqi October 29, 2014 14:24
    Hello, John. Next lesson we will discuss topics related to the reading. I like reading very much, my mother often gave me some books, for example, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Hundred Thousand Whys, in my childhood. The book is very interesting to read. When I was in middle school, the teacher told us to read some meaningful books, for example, How The Steel Was Practice, China's Four Big Classics, etc. When I was in high school, in order to pass the college entrance examination, I often read some coach book, in order to help my study. Now, I will read some book that Ilike, to expand my view. I like reading some adventure, suspense novels, And some popular science magazines. I really like the libraries and bookstores, and one of my dreams is that open a bookstore belong myself . There is a personal hobbies, I like ink flavour of the books . No matter how old we are, we should all read books to enrich themselves. Looking forward to the students different points of view, good-bye teacher.
    • Zakumi > zhou yuqi October 30, 2014 5:58

      So you and Cynthia both read Grimm's Fairy Tales, Zhou Yuqi - okay, I mean, your mothers read it to you! Those Middle school books sound like quite difficult (and boring!) books to read. I wonder if it helped any students at all?! But further you appear to be an exciting reader. I like libraries too and in the past I would sometimes go and sit in a library (about every city in South Africa has a public library for the people) and read. It is as if the quiet atmosphere has a soothing influence on the soul! Tell me one day where you would open your bookstore and I'd like to visit - great dream! ;-)

  • Cynthia October 29, 2014 14:20

    Hello,John.Mother always read to me as a child,that is the first knowledge from books.And,when i was a child,i like looking fairy tale.There is a famous writer named Andersen. Believe that most of children had seen Grimm's Fairy Tales by Andersen.And now my favourite book is The Twilight Saga.I like it because  a movie called The  Twilight Saga.The movie is made up from the book but it still has some differences .So i choose to read the original.And the author named Stephenie Meyer becomes very populer with all over the world  because of the  book.I also look some poems,my favourite poet is Wang Guozhen.Some people evaluated his poem is the colour in life.And  i am looking a book named Swan about vampire.Have a nice day.

    • Zakumi > Cynthia October 30, 2014 5:50

      Your mother is one of the good mothers, Cynthia! I grew up with the knowledge that mothers always read for their children when they were too young to read themselves. It was time-consuming, but mothers have that ability to do anything for their children out of love (nothing can be too big for their love)! I guess The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer you are referring to was translated into Chinese, right (but the movie was in English)?! And Swan, is that your English work for the year ..?! ;-)

  • Jiang Chunyu October 29, 2014 14:05
    Good evening,teacher.when i saw the pictures next class,i find the word "book" show frequently.i also learn about many good quotation.such as "i would rather be poor in a cottage full of books than a king without the desire to read."this sentence means books are important.i can feel that books are important for them,and i think they are also important to our university students.because in the university we have more free time to do something we would like to do ,but the life is full of modernization.especially phone and ipd computers.we read papery books rarely.for me,i like writing some words in my pen,to record my feelings in some time.so i like to read someone who write poetry or prose. such as Zhang Ailing and Bing Xin. tomorrow i will take the collection of prose by Zhang.she is a intellectuality woman in Shanghai.i wordhip her very much and the person she described.in the specific period,some specific person.her ideas in love and women is very classics.usually,someone likes her poems are named as petty bourgeoisie in China. that is all of i want to share.see you.
    http://time.so/
    See related links to what you are looking for.
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