Getting started Unit 2: Life in the countryside

1. Listen and read

• Nguyen: Nguyen speaking
• Nick: Hi Nguyen, how`s your stay there?
• Nguyen: Hi Nick! Well, it;s more exciting than I expected.
• Nick: What are you doing?
•  Nguyen: Lots of things. It`s harvest time, so we help load the rice onto buffalo-drawn carts, ride it home and dry it. Have you ever ridden a cart?
•  Nick: No, but I`d like it.
• Nguyen: And sometimes I go herding the buffaloes with the boys.
• Nick: You`ve made new friends?
•  Nguyen: Yeah - right on my fiest day. They came and we went flying kites together.
• Nick: Where can you buy a kite in the countryside?
• Nguyen: The people here don`t buy kites - they make them. My grandfather`s made me the largest, most colourful kite I`ve ever had. It looks great up there in the sky.
• Nick: Oh, I`m so envious!
• Nguyen: Ha...ha...I guess. I live more happily here, and there`s still a lot more to explore.
• Nick: Sounds great!
• Nguyen: And everything seems to move more slowly here than in the city.
• Nick: I wish I could join...

Dịch:

• Nguyen: Nguyên đang nói đây.
• Nick: Chào Nguyên, bạn ở đây thế nào rồi?
• Nguyên: Chào Nick! À, thú vị hơn mình mong đợi đấy.
• Nick: Cậu đang làm gì vậy?
• Nguyên: Nhiều việc lắm. Đến thời gian thu hoạch rồi, vì vậy nhà mình giúp tải lúa lên xe trâu, dắt nó về nhà và phơi lúa. Cậu từng lái xe đó chưa?
• Nick: Chưa, nhưng mình muốn lắm.
• Nguyên: Và thỉnh thoáng mình di chăn trâu với những bạn nam.
• Nick: Cậu có kết bạn mới không?
• Nguyên: Có - vào ngày đầu tiên của mình. Họ đã đến và chúng mình đi thả diều cùng nhau.
• Nick: Bạn có thể mua một con diều ở đâu nơi miền quê?
• Nguyên: Người dân ở đây không mua diều - họ tự làm chúng. Ông nội mình đã làm cho mình con diều đầy màu sắc nhất, lớn nhất mà mình từng có. Nó trông thật vĩ đại trên bầu trời.
• Nick: Ồ, mình ghen tị quá!
• Nguyên: Ha... ha... ha... mình đoán vậy. Mình sống vui hơn ở đây và vẫn có nhiều điều để khám phá.
• Nick: Nghe thật tuyệt!
• Nguyên: Và mọi thứ ở đây dường như diễn ra chậm hơn so với ở thành phố.
• Nick: Mình mong rằng mình có thể tham gia..

a. Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?

• 1. Nguyen didn`t think country life could be so interesting. T
• 2. Nguyen never join the boys in herding the buffaloes. F
• 3. Rice is transported home on truck. F
• 4. Nick would like to visit the countryside at harvest time. T
• 5. Nguyen thinks life in the city is faster than that in the countryside.T

b. Answer the following questions. 

• 1. Where is Nguyen now?

He’s in the countryside. Anh ấy đang ở miền quê.

• 2. When was he able to make new friend?

Right on his first day here. Ngày vào ngày đầu tiên anh ấy ở đây.

• 3. What is Nguyen’s kite like?

It’s big and colorful. Nó lớn và đầy màu sắc.

• 4. Who is Nguyen probably staying with?

His grandfather. Ông nội của anh ấy.

• 5. Does Nick want to be with Nguyen?

Yes, he does. Có

c. Complete the sentences with the words int he box.

• 1. When a thing has of bright colours, it is ___colorful ___.
• 2. When people are not in a hurry, they ___move slowly ___.
• 3. A busy time when people collect their crops is called ___ harvest time ___.
• 4. A place where rice grows is called a ___paddy fields ___.
• 5. My brother is taking his buffaloes out to feed them. He`s ___herding ___ them.
• 6. Rice is loaed onto a ___buffalo-drawn cart ___ to transport it home. buffalo-drawn cart herding harvest time colourful move slowly paddy field. 

d. In groups,  discuss and find how Nguyen feels about his stay in the countryside. Tick (v) the appropriate box. Look for expressions from the conversation to support your ideas.

• 1. He likes it
• 2. He doesn`t mind it.
• 3. He doesn`t like it.

2. Match the activities with the pictures.

Nối các hoạt động với tranh tương ứng

1 - e

2 - f

3 - a

4 - c

5 - d

6 - b

3. Can you think of some more things that children do in the countryside? Make a list.

Example: They climb trees.

They go swimming in the river.

Gợi ý:

• go fishing
• egg collecting
• feed the animals
• build the straw into a stack
• see farmer to plough the fields
• loading the rice
• herding the buffaloes
• flying a kite

4. GAME: COUNTRYSIDE CHARDES

Play charades in two teams using the class list of countryside activities from 3. The teacher whispers an activity to one person from Team 1. This person mimes the activity for their team to guess. If their team guesses incorrectly, Team 2 can try. The teams take turns until all the activities have been mimed. The team with the most points wins.