A Treasury of Literary Classics -
Chinese Fables and Tales Series (1)

Instruction:

    Read the Chinese story and answer the following questions.

Three Liars Make a Tiger

Click here to read the text.

1. What is the purpose of forming alliances during the Warring States Period?

A. To cease wars
B. To initiate wars
C. To attack each other
D. To weaken national power

Your answer:

Read paragraph 1.

"In order to avoid years of war, some states had signed friendship treaties with other states, forming alliances and no longer attacking one another.”

2. Which one from the State of Wei was sent to the State of Zhao as a hostage?

A. The king himself
B. The king’s son
C. The king’s daughter
D. The king’s father

Your answer:

Read the paragraph 1.

“To show that the king of the state would definitely keep his promise, he would send his prince to another state as a hostage. Against this background, the Prince of Wei was sent to the State of Zhao as a hostage ..."

3. How was the attitude of the people in the imperial palace towards Pang Cong?

A. Friendly
B. Caring
C. Hostile
D. Indifferent

Your answer:

Read paragraph 2.

“Pang Cong knew that there were often rumours in the imperial palace that would seriously slander him.”

4. What did Pang Cong worry about after he went to the State of Zhao?

A. The tiger would appear on the street.
B. The king would believe those people who slandered him.
C. He was not able to come back to the State of Wei.
D. People in the imperial palace would slander him.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 2.

“Pang Cong knew that there were often rumours in the imperial palace that would seriously slander him … He was afraid that the King of Wei would believe these rumours.”

5. In paragraph 3, “There is definitely no tiger on the street. But as the number of people spreading the rumours increases, people can't help believing them.” What does the word “them” refer to? It refers to …

A. the people.
B. the countries.
C. the rumours.
D. the tigers.

Your answer:

Read the sentence again to get the correct answer.

6. In paragraph 4, “After Pang Cong left the State of Wei, many people spoke ill of him in front of the king.” What does “spoke ill of” mean? It means that …

A. the people said he was ill.
B. the people praised him.
C. the people bad-mouthed him.
D. the people missed him.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 3.

“After I have gone to the State of Zhao, there must be many people who would take advantage of my absence, criticise and slander me in front of the lord.”

7. A synonym is a word or phrase that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or phrase in the same language. For example, “Please be careful not to be deceived by rumours!” The word “deceived” means “tricked”.

Read the following descriptions. Choose a synonym from the list given for each of the words underlined. Each option can be used once only.

A. uncertain B. unions C. dependable D. unhappiness
Description Synonym
7a. States attacked one another, which often resulted in weak national power and misery of people.
7b. Some states formed alliances and no longer attacked one another.
7c. "If another person said that there were tigers on the street, would the lord believe it?" The king replied, "Then I would be doubtful."
7d. We need to look for relevant evidence through reliable sources and make correct judgments based on facts.

Read the sentences carefully to understand their meanings.

8. Read paragraph 4. What was TRUE about the king?

A. He no longer trusted Pang Cong as he believed the rumours.
B. He had problems with his heart, which affected his judgment.
C. He assigned another important task to Pang Cong.
D. He was grateful for Pang Cong’s assistance in accompanying the prince.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 4.

“After Pang Cong left the State of Wei, many people spoke ill of him in front of the king. Although the king didn't believe it at first, as time passed by, his heart was shaken. After the prince and Pang Cong returned to the State of Wei, the king alienated Pang Cong and stopped appointing him as minister.”

9. What should we do when we encounter rumours?

A. Tell our family and friends about the hearsay.
B. Post the information on the Internet to let more people know.
C. Believe it without checking the authenticity of the information.
D. Be skeptical and search for truth from reliable sources.

Your answer:

Read paragraph 5.

“Instead of believing in hearsay, we need to look for relevant evidence through reliable sources and make correct judgments based on facts.”

Three Liars Make a Tiger

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?

11. Information is easily accessible on the Internet nowadays. However, we may sometimes come across misinformation. If the misinformation spreads, people may be misled and the consequences can be serious. How can we differentiate facts from misinformation? What actions would you take when you come across information that is uncertain to you? Share them with your parents or classmates.

Extension Activity

Watch the video clip "Plogging", which is about how an activity of jogging while picking up litter has gathered people across China to turn collective efforts into something good to their communities and the environment.

Acknowledgements: The China Current

https://chinacurrent.com/story/22706/plogging-kyle-obermann

The activity "plogging" has become popular as it provides a way for people to exercise and clean the environment. People's concerted efforts can make great contribution to society. What activities can you do with other people to help others or serve the community? Think and share your ideas or experiences with your parents or classmates.