A Treasury of Literary Classics -
Chinese Fables and Tales Series (2)

Instruction:

    Read the Chinese story and answer the following questions.

Holding a Book in the Hand
All the Time

Click here to read the text.

1. Lu Meng was a ________ during the Three Kingdoms Period.

A. king
B. scholar
C. teacher
D. general

Your answer:

Read paragraph 1.

"During the Three Kingdoms Period, there was a military general called Lu Meng."

2. Lu Meng ________ because he did not like reading.

A. joined the army when he was young
B. was unable to enrich his knowledge
C. was courageous and fought in battles
D. had incisive opinions on military issues

Your answer:

Read paragraph 1.

"Despite his bravery and achievements in battles, he did not like reading. It was difficult for him to widen his knowledge."

3. Why did the King of Wu encourage Lu Meng to read more books?
It was because ________.

A. the king found out that Lu Meng had nothing to do when he was free
B. the king wanted to ask Lu Meng to help him deal with the state’s affairs
C. the king wanted Lu Meng to acquire more military knowledge and skills
D. the king wanted Lu Meng to be a proficient reader and writer in the future

Your answer:

Read paragraph 2.

"The king said, 'You are now the military leader. Try to read more military books and history books. These books help equip you with military knowledge and skills.' "

4. How did Lu Meng respond to the king’s advice?

A. He was hesitant.
B. He was excited.
C. He was amused.
D. He was grateful.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 3.

"After listening to the king’s advice, Lu Meng held back and said, 'My king, I have to handle a mountain of complicated issues in the army. I'm afraid I won't be able to spend time reading books.' "

5. Which of the following descriptions are correct?
(i) Lu Meng’s workload was much heavier than the King of Wu's.
(ii) The King of Wu recommended some good books to Lu Meng.
(iii) The King of Wu hoped that Lu Meng could gain insights through reading.
(iv) The King of Wu was too busy and did not spend any time reading books.

A. (i) & (ii)
B. (ii) & (iii)
C. (iii) & (iv)
D. (ii), (iii) & (iv)

Your answer:


Was Lu Meng’s workload much heavier than the King of Wu's?
Did the king recommend any books to Lu Meng?
What did the king expect Lu Meng to gain through reading?
Did the king spend time reading when he was busy?

6. As advised by the king, reading military classics and history books could ________.

A. arouse Lu Meng’s interest in reading and help him learn better
B. help Lu Meng learn how to read and allocate the time better
C. help Lu Meng learn how to note down his battle experience better
D. help Lu Meng learn from the past and gain new knowledge

Your answer:

Read paragraph 6.

"He said, 'You can first study some military classics such as Sun Tzu and Liu Tao, and then read some history books such as Zuo Zhuan and Records of the Grand Historian. You can learn from the past experience and broaden your horizons by reading these books.' "

7. An adverb or adverbial phrase of frequency is used to describe the frequency of an action. For example, "In the past, King Guangwu of Han held a book in his hand all the time, even when he was fighting in a war." "All the time" is used to describe the action (i.e. holding a book) without stopping at any time.

Read the following descriptions. Fill in each blank with an adverb or adverbial phrase of frequency from the list given. Each option can be used once only.

A. once in a while B. all the time C. often D. rarely
Description Adverb / adverbial phrase of frequency
7a. After listening to the king’s advice, Lu Meng read military books and history books _____________ and therefore his opinions on military issues became incisive.
7b. Lu Meng told the King of Wu that he _____________ had time to read books because he needed to handle many issues in the army.
7c. The King of Wu talked to Lu Meng _____________ and encouraged him to improve himself through reading books.
7d. The King of Wu _____________ spent time reading although he was always busy dealing with the state's affairs.

Read the sentences carefully to understand their meanings.

8. Who always held a book in his hand when fighting in the war?

A. Sun Quan, the King of Wu
B. The soldiers of Wu
C. King Guangwu of Han
D. The soldiers of Han

Your answer:

Read paragraph 6.

" 'In the past, King Guangwu of Han always held a book in his hand, even when he was fighting in a war.' "

9. How did reading books change Lu Meng?

A. He showed a good understanding of military issues.
B. He collected many military books and history books.
C. He did not want to express opinions on military issues.
D. He found that it was challenging to express good ideas.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 7.

"He became a capable director general with remarkable intelligence. His incisive opinions on military issues impressed knowledgeable ones."

Holding a Book in the Hand All the Time

Score Sheet

Questions Results
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
Question 6
Question 7a
Question 7b
Question 7c
Question 7d
Question 8
Question 9
Total

10. What is the moral lesson of the story? Based on the story, which Chinese saying can you think of?

Extension Activity

Watch the video clip "Chinese Culture in Africa's Tanzania", which is about a teacher from China called Li Ya Ya who shares her language, cuisine and culture with the young people in Tanzania, a country in East Africa.

Acknowledgements: The China Current

https://chinacurrent.com/story/23805/chinese-culture-in-africas-tanzania

What does the teacher Ya Ya teach her students? How can the young people in Tanzania improve their lives after learning from Ya Ya? After reading the Chinese story and watching the video, can you tell the importance of education? How does reading influence your learning? Think and share your ideas or experiences with your parents or classmates.