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

Instruction:

    Read the Chinese story and answer the following questions.

Fanning the Pillow and
Warming the Quilt

Click here to read the text.

1. When did Huang Xiang's mother die?

A. She died when Huang Xiang was nine years old.
B. She died when Huang Xiang was nineteen years old.
C. She died when Huang Xiang became an official.
D. She died when Huang Xiang's father went out to work.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 2.

"When he was at the age of nine, his mother passed away due to illness."

2. In paragraph 2, what did Huang Xiang promise to himself?

A. He promised to start working to earn a living.
B. He promised to teach other people.
C. He promised to take care of himself only.
D. He promised to look after his father.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 2.

" 'My mother taught me to be a good boy. She was one of the kindest persons in the world, and I will always miss her. I will try my best to take care of my father,' Huang Xiang said to himself."

3. What did Huang Xiang do for his father?

A. He went to work to earn money.
B. He did most of the housework for his father.
C. He killed all the mosquitoes for his father.
D. He gave his father a fan to cool the bed.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 3.

"In order to give his father more time to rest, Huang Xiang always did most of the housework though he was only a young kid."

4. How did Huang Xiang cool his father's bed?

A. He used a fan to cool his father's bed.
B. He crawled into his father's bed to cool the quilt.
C. He slept in his father's bed and let the mosquitoes bite him.
D. He bought a new mattress for his father.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 3.

"Huang Xiang was afraid that his father would be too hot to sleep and bitten by mosquitoes, so he used a fan to cool his father's pillow and bed and drive away the mosquitoes."

5. How did Huang Xiang's father think about this son's behaviour?

A. His father was sad.
B. His father was shocked.
C. His father was touched.
D. His father was worried.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 3.

"His actions brought tears to his father's eyes. 'My dear son, you are so caring! I am so lucky to have you as my son!' said Huang Xiang's father."

6. What did the villagers think about Huang Xiang's behaviour?

A. They thought Huang Xiang was a poor boy.
B. They thought Huang Xiang was a good boy.
C. They thought Huang Xiang was a young boy.
D. They thought Huang Xiang was a timid boy.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 3.

"The story about Huang Xiang's behaviour soon spread throughout the village, and the villagers praised him as the role model."

7. Superlative adjectives are adjectives used in comparisons to describe something as being of the highest degree of a quality. We use superlative adjectives when making comparisons of three or more people or objects. The words "the slowest" and "the fastest" are examples of superlative adjectives.

Read the following descriptions. Fill in each blank with a superlative adjective from the list given. Each option can be used once only.

A. luckiest B. greatest C. smartest D. kindest
Description Superlative adjective
7a. Huang Xiang would never forget his mother because she was the ___________ person in the family.
7b. Huang Xiang's father thought that he was the _____________ father because his son was so caring.
7c. Huang Xiang excelled in both military and administrative affairs. He was one of the _______________ officials of the state of Wei.
7d. Because of Huang Xiang's generous actions, all the people of the State of Wei praised him as the ____________official.

Read the sentences carefully to understand their meanings.

8. Why did Huang Xiang study hard?

A. He wanted to earn as much money for his father as possible.
B. He wanted to become a rich official when he grew up.
C. He wanted to provide his father with a better living condition.
D. He wanted to please the emperor with good academic results.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 4.

"Huang Xiang understood that he had to provide his father with a better living condition, so he studied very hard."

9. How did Huang Xiang help his people when there was a severe flood?

A. He did the housework for his people.
B. He gave his people some fans to cool the house.
C. He asked his people to pay more tax.
D. He gave his savings to help his people.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 4.

"When he was serving as an official of the State of Wei, he gave his savings to help his people in a severe flood."

Fanning the Pillow and Warming the Quilt

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 "Sharing a Meal with Those We Love", which is about people returning home from different parts of the world during Chinese New Year to share a meal with their loved ones. The video also emphasises that the family are the people who make us feel safe, and we need to show our respect and love.

Acknowledgements: The China Current

https://chinacurrent.com/story/20872/sharing-a-meal-with-those-we-love

Do you care about your grandparents, parents or family members? How do you show your love and care to them during Chinese New Year and other Chinese festivals? Think and share your ideas or experiences with your parents or classmates.