Homework

Sailing for Gold Mountain

Hui stood on the dock with her
parents. Her family was leaving China
to settle in America. Her dad pointed
to a large ship. "That ship will take us
to California," he said.
Hui's family was escaping from a
famine in 1852. With the lack of food,
many people in their village were
starving. Hui's parents were full of
hope for the future. But Hui was
nervous about moving to a new
country. Hui looked at her dad. "Why
are we going to California?" asked Hui.
"In California, there is a place called Gold Mountain," said her dad.
"People dig nuggets of gold out of the ground there. They sell the gold
for a lot of money. They can make a fortune. When we get to California,
we'll ride a train along a railroad to a new town. I'll dig for gold. If I'm
lucky, I'll find a lot of it. We can live without fear of being hungry
again."
But Hui still felt worried and scared. She didn't want to leave
her friends and relatives, "Mom, I'll miss my friends, cousins, and
grandparents," said Hui.
"Don't worry, Hui," said her mom. "You can write letters to them.
You will make new friends. You will also learn interesting things about
American culture."
Hui thought about her life so far. Then she said, "I'm excited about all
the new things I'll see. Yes, I'm ready to go to Gold Mountain!"

航向金山
辉和她的父母站在码头上。她的家人要离开中国去美国定居。她爸
爸指着一艘大船。“那艘船会带我们去加利福尼亚，”他说道。 (Hui
stood on the dock with her parents. Her family was leaving China to
settle in America. Her dad pointed at a large ship. "That ship will
take us to California," he said.)
船 - chuán (ship) 码头 - mǎtóu (dock) 加利福尼亚 - Jiālìfúníyà
(California)
1852 年，辉的家人为了逃离饥荒而离开。由于食物短缺，村里很多
人都在挨饿。辉的父母对未来充满希望。但辉对搬到一个新国家感
到紧张。辉看着爸爸。“我们为什么要去加利福尼亚？”辉问道。 (In
1852, Hui's family left to escape a famine. Due to a shortage of
food, many people in their village were starving. Hui's parents were
full of hope for the future. But Hui felt nervous about moving to a
new country. Hui looked at her dad. "Why are we going to
California?" Hui asked.)
饥荒 - jīhuāng (famine) 挨饿 - āi'è (starving) 紧张 - jǐnzhāng
(nervous)
“在加利福尼亚，有个地方叫做金山，”她爸爸说道。“人们在那里从
地里挖金块。他们卖掉金子赚很多钱。他们可以发财。当我们到达
加利福尼亚时，我们将沿着铁路乘火车到一个新城镇。我会挖金子。
如果我幸运的话，我会找到很多。我们就不用再害怕饥饿了。” ("In
California, there is a place called Gold Mountain," her dad said.
"People there dig nuggets of gold from the ground. They sell the
gold and make a lot of money. They can become rich. When we
reach California, we'll ride a train along a railroad to a new town. I'll
dig for gold. If I'm lucky, I'll find a lot. We won't have to fear hunger
again.")
金山 - Jīnshān (Gold Mountain) 金块 - jīnkuài (nuggets of gold) 铁
路 - tiělù (railroad)
但辉依然感到担忧和害怕。她不想离开她的朋友和亲戚，“妈妈，我
会想念我的朋友、堂兄弟姐妹和祖父母，”辉说道。 (But Hui still felt
worried and scared. She didn't want to leave her friends and
relatives. "Mom, I'll miss my friends, cousins, and grandparents,"
Hui said.)
担忧 - dānyōu (worry) 堂兄弟姐妹 - tángxiōngdì jiěmèi (cousins
from the father's side)
“别担心，辉，”她妈妈说道。“你可以给他们写信。你会交到新朋友。
你也会学到有趣的美国文化。” ("Don't worry, Hui," her mom said.
"You can write letters to them. You will make new friends. You will
also learn interesting things about American culture.")
有趣 - yǒuqù (interesting)
 辉想了想自己的生活。然后她说，“我对我将要看到的所有新事物感
到兴奋。是的，我准备好去金山了！” (Hui thought about her life so
far. Then she said, "I'm excited about all the new things I'll see. Yes,
I'm ready to go to Gold Mountain!")

Exercise 1: Vocabulary Matching

Match the words (Column A) with their definitions (Column B):

Column A Column B
. Famine | A. A large ship used for long journeys over water.
. Fortune | B. A severe shortage of food, leading to starvation.
. Nervous | C. Feeling worried or afraid about what might happen.
. Excited | D. A very large amount of money or wealth.
. Settle | E. To establish a home or residence in a new place.

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the story:

. Hui's family was leaving China to ____________ in America.

. Her parents were full of hope for the future, but Hui was ____________ about
moving.
. Hui's dad explained they were going to California for a chance to find
____________.
. Her mom assured Hui that she could write letters to her friends and
____________.
. Hui felt both worried and ____________ about leaving her home.

Exercise 3: True or False

Decide if the following statements are true or false based on the story:

. Hui's family was leaving America to settle in China. (False)

. Hui's dad explained they were going to California to find gold. (True)
. Hui felt only excited about moving to a new country. (False)
. Her mom said Hui wouldn't make new friends in America. (False)
. Hui's dad hoped to find enough gold to live without fear of hunger. (True)
 Exercise 4: Sentence Completion

Complete the sentences with the correct words:

. Hui's family was leaving China due to a ____________ in 1852.

. Hui's dad hoped to find ____________ in Gold Mountain.
. Her mom assured Hui that she could write letters to her ____________.
. Hui felt both ____________ and scared about leaving her friends.
. Hui was excited about the new things she'd see in ____________.

Vocabulary Matching:

Match the words (Column A) with their definitions (Column B):

Column A Column B
. Famine | A. A severe shortage of food leading to starvation.
. Settle | B. To establish a home or residence in a new place.
. Fortune | C. A significant amount of wealth or money.
. Nervous | D. Feeling worried or anxious about an upcoming event.
. Escaping | E. To leave quickly or evade a difficult situation.

Grammar Exercises:

Present Simple:

. Hui ______________ (stand) on the dock with her parents.

. Her family ______________ (leave) China to settle in America.
. Her dad ______________ (point) to a large ship.
. People ______________ (dig) nuggets of gold in California.

Past Simple:

. Hui's family ______________ (escape) from a famine in 1852.

. Hui ______________ (ask) her dad why they were going to California.
. Her dad ______________ (explain) the concept of Gold Mountain to Hui.

Present Perfect:

. Hui ______________ (feel) both worried and excited about the move.
. Her mom ______________ (assure) Hui that she could write letters to her
friends.
. Hui ______________ (think) about her life before expressing her excitement.

Other Tenses:

. When we get to California, we'll ride a train along a railroad. (Future Simple)
. Hui said she was ready to go to Gold Mountain. (Reported Speech - Past
Simple)
. Her parents were full of hope for the future. (Past Continuous)

Comprehension Questions:

. Why was Hui's family leaving China?

. What did Hui's dad explain about Gold Mountain in California?
. How did Hui feel about the move initially? Did her feelings change?
. How did Hui's mom reassure her about leaving her friends and relatives?
. Why was Hui excited about going to Gold Mountain?

Bonus Critical Thinking:

Consider the challenges and opportunities Hui faced when moving to a new
country during the 1852 famine. Reflect on the implications of leaving
behind one's home, friends, and culture for the promise of a better future.
Discuss how Hui's perspective might have evolved throughout the story and
what lessons can be learned from her experience