​Chapter 1: "Pebble Beach"

HOW TO TALK ABOUT PLANS FOR SUMMER VACATION
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暑假    (shǔ jià) summer holiday; summer vacation    

马上    (mǎ shàng) at once, right away, immediately; lit. on horseback    

放假    (fàng jià) to go on holiday or vacation [VO]
  • NOTE: this specifically refers to a institutional holiday, i.e. like a school going on a holiday for the summer
  • 放    (fàng) to let go; to set free    
  • 假    (jià) holiday; vacation    

时间过得真快，马上就放假了    time passes very fast, it's almost [time for] the holiday

打算    (dǎ suàn) to plan; plan
  • NOTE: 打算 is more colloquial than 计划

Sentences:
  • 我暑假打算回北京去看父母。
  • 李友，时间过得真快，马上就放假了。
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SPEAK: it's the end of the school year! Ask each other about your plans for summer vacation.

WRITE: write a letter to your pen pal in China, telling them about your plans for summer vacation.
Mastery
​DICTATION: write the Chinese characters, English definition, and pinyin (including tones):
  • 暑假，马上，放假，打算
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.

READING: read aloud the following sentences:
  • 我暑假打算回北京去看家人。
  • 李友，时间过得真快，马上就放假了。
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.
​
​SPEAKING: perform the following conversation tasks:
  • Talk about your plans for summer vacation.​
  • TARGET: at least a 3 on ALL tasks.

Chapter 2: "The Plan is Travel"

HOW TO PLAN A TRAVEL ITINERARY
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旅行    (lǚ xíng) to travel    

旅游    (lǚ yóu) to travel; to go on a tour [VO]    

计划    (jì huà) plan; project; program; to plan; to map out
    旅行计划    travel plan
    旅游计划    travel plan

X日游    (# + rì yóu) [X number] days of travel; X days tour

五日游    5 day tour

Sentences:
  • 我马上给旅行社打电话订飞机票。
  • 你有什么旅游计划？
  • 我们要安排上海杭州五日游。
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SPEAK: discuss how to plan a travel itinerary. Ask each other if you have any travel plans coming up.

WRITE: write an email to yourself discussing preliminary travel plans during the summer vacation.
Mastery
​​DICTATION: write the Chinese characters, English definition, and pinyin (including tones):
  • 旅行，旅游，计划，五日游
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.

READING: read aloud the following sentences:
  • 喜欢旅行的人也喜欢吃饭。
  • 你有什么旅游计划？
  • 上海五日游很好玩儿！
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.
​
​SPEAKING: perform the following conversation tasks:
  • Talk about summer travel plans.
  • Discuss the length of the trip.
  • TARGET: at least a 3 on ALL tasks.

Chapter 3: "The Best Years of Our Lives"

HOW TO DISCUSS YOUR FAVORITE TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
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文化    (wén huà) culture; civilization; cultural    

风景    (fēng jǐng) natural scenery, landscape    

有名    (yǒu míng) famous    

名胜古迹    (míng shèng gǔ jì) scenic spots and historical sites [成语]

不得了    (bù dé liǎo) extremely [adj + 得 + 不得了]

多得不得了    extremely much

热得不得了    extremely hot

Sentences:
  • 中国文化跟美国文化不一样。
  • 中国的自然风景很有名。
  • 北京是中国的首都，也是中国的政治，文化中心，有很多名胜古迹。
  • 北京的好饭馆多得不得了。
  • 夏天热得不得了。
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SPEAK: discuss, and describe, your favorite tourist attractions. Are they cultural or natural? Show pictures to your partner.

​WRITE: write to your pen pal about a recent trip. Describe the trip in detail (places you visited, weather conditions, etc).
Mastery
​​DICTATION: write the Chinese characters, English definition, and pinyin (including tones):
  • 文化，风景，有名，名胜古迹，...不得了
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.

GRAMMAR: complete the following exercises:
  • Translate: There are tons of great restaurants in Beijing. [不得了]
  • TARGET: no mistakes.
​
READING: read aloud the following sentences:
  • 中国文化跟美国文化不一样。
  • 中国的风景很有名。
  • 北京是中国的文化中心，有很多名胜古迹。
  • 北京的好饭馆多得不得了。
  • 夏天热得不得了。
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.
​
​SPEAKING: perform the following conversation tasks:
  • Discuss different types of tourist attractions (i.e. cultural versus scenic attractions).
  • Discuss activities to do on the trip.
  • TARGET: at least a 3 on ALL tasks.

Chapter 4: "Relax…What Could Go Wrong?"

HOW TO TALK ABOUT DIFFERING PREFERENCES AND PLANS
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有的[sub]...，有的[sub]...    【some [sub]... ，some [sub]...】
  • 我们的同学，有的去暑期班学习，有的去公司实习，有的回家打工。

有的人喜欢文化，有的人喜欢风景    some people like culture, some people like scenery

对了...    (duì le) "ah": an expression often used when one suddenly thinks of something
  • 对了，我朋友也想去北京旅游    Ah, my friend also wants to travel to Beijing

父母    (fù mǔ) parents
  • NOTE: 父母 is more formal than 爸爸妈妈​
  • 我暑假打算回北京去看父母。

BONUS: [question pronouns as indefinite references*]
  • A question pronoun repeated in two separate but related clauses of the same sentence forms the equivalent of the "question pronoun + ever" expression in English.
  • Its first occurrence refers to an indefinite person, object, time, place, etc. Its second occurrence then refers to that same person, object, time, place, etc.
  • There is usually a 就 in the second clause.
  • 他去哪儿，我就去哪儿    wherever he goes, i'll go there too
  • 谁想去，谁就去 whoever wants to go can go
  • 你吃什么，我就吃什么 i'll have whatever you're having
  • 哪家的便宜，就买哪家的。​
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TRAIN: write 3 sentences using the following grammar structure:​​​
  • 有的[sub]...，有的[sub]...
  • question pronouns as indefinite references

SPEAK: discuss how you like to travel vs. how your parents like to travel. Do you have differing preferences? If so, what are the differences?

WRITE: write an advice column about traveling with people who prefer to travel in a different way than you do.

READ: read the passage below and answer the following questions:
  1. 熊老师放暑假做什么 (list three things)? 为什么？
  2. ​你放暑假要做什么？为什么？
  3. 你放暑假想做什么？为什么？(what you want to do vs. what you will do)
大家好！我叫熊老师。我今年放暑假有一个很有意思的计划。第一，我先打算坐飞机回纽约。我不但能看看我家人，而且可以看我的朋友。第二，我七月份打算从纽约坐飞机到北京，在那里上一门中文课。除了上课以外，我也想看看北京有名的“名胜古迹”。然后，我打算飞到重庆（chóng qìng=中国的大城市）去旅游。重庆是我家人以前住的地方，我有很多家人住在附近。我想和家人在重庆一边旅游，一边聊天儿。最后，我打算坐飞机回蒙特瑞(méng tè ruì=Monterey)。
Mastery
​​DICTATION: write the Chinese characters, English definition, and pinyin (including tones):
  • 有的...有的...，对了...，父母
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.

GRAMMAR: complete the following exercises:
  • Translate: Some of our classmates are going to summer school; some of them are going to go home and work.
  • BONUS (Rule): in English, explain what "question pronouns as indefinite references" are. Describe the structure, and then give examples.
  • BONUS (Translate with "indefinite references"):  
    • Q: Which airline company's [ticket] do you want to buy?
    • A: Whichever airline is the cheapest, that's the one I'll buy.
  • TARGET: no mistakes.

READING: read aloud the following sentences:
  • 我们的同学，有的去暑期班学习，有的回家打工。
  • 有的人喜欢文化，有的人喜欢风景。
  • 对了，我朋友也想去北京旅游。
  • 我暑假打算回北京去看父母。
  • 他去哪儿，我就去哪儿。
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.
​
​SPEAKING: perform the following conversation tasks:
  • Talk about differing preferences and plans.
  • TARGET: at least a 3 on ALL tasks.

 MINIBOSS #1: ACT 1 REVIEW

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Pika, Pika! Can you beat me?
Mastery Challenge 1 (Vocabulary and Grammar): ​
​Mastery Challenge 2 (Speaking):
  • Perform the following conversation tasks:
    • Talk about going on summer vacation.​
    • Talk about summer travel plans (including length of the trip).
    • Discuss different types of tourist attractions.
    • Talk about differing preferences and plans.
    TARGET: at least a 3 on ALL tasks.

BONUS CHALLENGES:
  • ​GODLIKE: Achieve a 100% score on all mastery challenges—zero mistakes!