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

Instruction:

    Read the Chinese story and answer the following questions.

Whole-hearted Devotion

Click here to read the text.

1. What was Yi Qiu good at?

A. He was good at playing weiqi.
B. He was good at shooting.
C. He was good at catching birds.
D. He was good at making arrows.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 1.

"Once upon a time, there was a famous chess player named Yi Qiu. He was highly respected by people because of his superb chess skills in weiqi."

2. How did Yi Qiu teach the two students?

A. He taught the students one after the other.
B. He taught the two students the same skills.
C. He taught more difficult skills to the clever student.
D. He told the two students to play a chess game and then ask questions.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 2.

"Once he was teaching two students the same skills in a class."

3. Which of the following adjectives best describes the student who listened to Yi Qiu's words?

A. Playful
B. Absent-minded
C. Attentive
D. Talkative

Your answer:

Read paragraph 2.

"One of the students listened to his words very carefully and had full concentration in class."

4. What did the other student do when he attended Yi Qiu's class?

A. He looked at the sky and daydreamed during lessons.
B. He listened to Yi Qiu's words carefully.
C. He answered Yi Qiu's questions eagerly.
D. He shot the birds during lessons.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 2.

"When he attended Yi Qiu's class, he always looked at the fields outside the windows, and dreamed of shooting and catching wild geese which were flying in the sky."

5. What tools would the absent-minded student use to catch the birds?

A. He would use chess pieces.
B. He would use a chess board.
C. He would use a cooking knife.
D. He would use a bow and some arrows.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 2.

" 'If I have a bow and some arrows, I will shoot the wild geese and cook them.' "

6. How did Yi Qiu know about the learning performance of the two students?

A. He asked the two students to take a chess test on paper.
B. He asked the two students to talk about how to play chess.
C. He asked the two students to play a chess game.
D. He asked the two students to hand in a learning file.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 3.

"After a few months, Yi Qiu asked his two students to play a game of weiqi in order to see how well they learnt."

7. The suffix "-ion" is added to the end of a word to form a different word class. For example, the verb "collect" is changed to the noun "collection" after the suffix "-ion" is added. When the suffix "-ion" is added after a word that ends with a silent letter "e" , the silent letter "e" has to be dropped. For example, the silent letter "e" is dropped after the verb "pollute" is turned into the noun "pollution".

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

A. demonstration B. suggestion C. concentration D. reflection
Description Noun
7a. The attentive student had full ___________ in class, so he won the chess game.
7b. Yi Qiu's _____________ of chess skills was clear and easy to understand. For this reason, the attentive student could master the skills well.
7c. Yi Qiu asked the absent-minded student to pay more attention in class. However, he did not listen to Yi Qiu's _______________, so he lost the chess game.
7d. In the end, the absent-minded student was sorry for his poor learning attitude. On ____________, he decided to change and improve himself.

Read the sentences carefully to understand their meanings.

8. Why did the absent-minded student lose the chess game?

A. He ran away when he was playing the chess game.
B. He did not concentrate and learnt far less than the other student.
C. The other player took away the chess board.
D. The other player could not master the chess skills well.

Your answer:

Read paragraphs 3 and 4.

"However, he lost in the last few rounds because of his poor chess skills ... 'You need to practise hard and concentrate if you want to master the skills well.' "

9. How did the attentive student play the chess game?

A. He played the chess game slowly.
B. He played the chess game carelessly.
C. He played the chess game quickly.
D. He played the chess game carefully.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 3.

"On the other hand, the attentive student gradually fought back in a calm and thoughtful manner."

Whole-hearted Devotion

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 "My Journey from Poverty to College", which is about how Elvis Cao, a young Chinese scholar in renewable energy and a PhD candidate at Cornell University, USA, has changed his fate, become knowledgeable and risen above poverty through perseverance and determination.

Acknowledgements: The China Current

https://chinacurrent.com/story/20101/my-journey-from-poverty-to-college

What was the biggest dream for Elvis Cao in his childhood? What did he do to make his dream come true? What have you learnt from him? Think and share your ideas or experiences with your parents or classmates.