Chapter 9: "Alpha Male Conquest"

HOW TO CRITICIZE PEOPLE DEEPLY
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提    (tí) [v]; to mention, to bring up

​心里    (xīn lǐ) [n]; inside one's heart
  • 哎，别提了，他心里根本没有我。

根本    (gēn běn) [adv]; at all, simply
  • often used in negative sentences (i.e. sub + 根本 ＋ 不 ＋ verb).
  • 哎，别提了，他心里根本没有我。
  • 这些虽然都是小事儿，但是叫我非常生气，觉得他根本不在乎我。真想跟他吹了。
  • 老师今天介绍的语法，我根本不懂。= I simply don’t get the grammar that the teacher introduced today.
  • 你根本不认识他，怎么知道他的性格怎么样？= You don’t know him at all. How could you know what his personality is like?

哈    (hā) [onomatopoeia]; imitating laughter
  • 哈哈！＝［laughing sound］
Lesson
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Click: Chapter 9 STORY QUEST
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Click: Chapter 10 LEARNING SLIDES
Practice
WRITE: you just had a fight with your romantic partner. Send your partner a text criticizing him/her, and explain why. Demand to know whether your partner really loves you or not!

SKIT: in a group, write a dialogue between two friends. Memorize your skit and perform in front of the class!
  • Friend A just had a huge fight with his/her romantic partner.
  • Friend B tries to give advice about what to do next.
Mastery
​​DICTATION: write the Chinese characters, English definition, and pinyin (including tones):
  • 提，心里，根本，哈哈
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.

READING: read aloud the following sentences:
  • 哎，别提了，他心里根本没有我。
  • 这些虽然都是小事儿，但是叫我非常生气，觉得他根本不在乎我。真想跟他分手了。
  • 你根本不认识他，怎么知道他的性格怎么样？
  • 哈哈！
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.
​
​SPEAKING: perform the following conversation tasks:
  • Talk about the people you care about the most (or not).
  • Deeply criticize the actions and behaviors of other people (using 根本不／根本没有).
  • TARGET: at least a 3 on ALL tasks.

​Chapter 10: "A Thousand Regrets"

HOW TO APOLOGIZE
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不停    (bù tíng) [adv]; continuously, incessantly
  • 后来他见到我，不停地给我道歉，说对不起，态度特别好。

道歉    (dào qiàn) [vo]; to apologize
  • 后来他见到我，不停地给我道歉，说对不起，态度特别好。​

实际上    (shí jì shang) [adv]; in fact, in reality, actually
  • ​NOTE: "实际上" is very similar in meaning and usage to "其实."
  • 实际上，柯林跟天明差不多，常常忘这忘那，丢三落四的。
  • 很多人以为我同屋比我大，实际上我比她大多了。= A lot of people think my roommate is older than I am. Actually, I’m much older than she is.
  • 我一直以为整天跟数字打交道没有意思，实际上挺好玩儿的。= I always thought that it was boring to handle numbers and figures all day long. In fact, it’s quite fun.
Lesson
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Click: Chapter 10 STORY QUEST
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Click: Chapter 11 LEARNING SLIDES
Practice
SPEAK: role-play two students, gossiping about a very public fight that took place between the two members of the school's most notorious couple. Take sides - who was actually in the right?

WRITE: write a letter of apology to your romantic partner after a big fight.

TRAIN: write 3 sentences using the following grammar structure:​
  • 实际上  
Mastery
​DICTATION: write the Chinese characters, English definition, and pinyin (including tones):
  • 不停，道歉，实际上
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.

GRAMMAR: complete the following exercises:
  • Translate: In reality, Ke Lin is not much different from Tianming.
  • TARGET: no grammar mistakes.

READING: read aloud the following sentences:
  • 后来他见到我，不停地给我道歉，说对不起，态度特别好。
  • 实际上，柯林跟天明差不多，常常忘这忘那，丢三落四的。
  • TARGET: no mistakes, including tones.
​
​SPEAKING: perform the following role-play:
  • Angry Partner: you're very upset at your partner! What did he/she do? [choose your own option]
    • ​Demand a sincere apology.
    • Don't let your partner make lame excuses!
  • Apologetic Partner: your partner is very upset at you! What did you do?
    • Apologize sincerely to your partner. 
    • Make excuses for your behavior.
  • TARGET: at least a 3 on ALL tasks.

Chapter 11: "Identity Crisis"

HOW TO TALK ABOUT MOODS
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一会儿...一会儿...    (yī huir... yī huir...) sometimes [action 1], sometimes [action 2]
  • also translated as “one minute... , the next minute…”
  • this structure suggests two or more alternative actions or states.
    • The implication is that someone/something is constantly changing—very unpredictable.
    • If the “一会儿” is repeated three times, there needs to be a 又 after the third “一会儿.”
  • 柯林很丢三落四，他一会儿忘了我的生日，一会儿找不到钥匙，一会儿又... 有的时候真让人着急。
  • 小张觉得他哥哥很麻烦，一会儿叫他洗衣服，一会儿叫他出去买东西，一会儿又叫他做饭，小张根本不能做自己的事。= Little Zhang finds his older brother is a lot of trouble. One minute he’s asking him to do laundry, the next he’s asking him to go shopping or to cook. Little Zhang can’t get any of his own things done at all.
  • 你怎么了？一会儿哭，一会儿笑。= What’s wrong with you? One minute you’re crying, the next you’re laughing.
  • 这几天天气很奇怪，一会儿很冷，一会儿很热，不少人都感冒了。= The weather has been really strange the last few days. One minute it’s very cold, the next it’s very hot. Many people have caught cold.

​​V来V去    [to verbing] this way and that
  • V来V去 signifies a repetitive action
    • 走来走去＝walk back and forth
    • 飞来飞去 = fly here and there
    • 想来想去 = think over and over
    • 说来说去 = say again and again
    • 讨论来讨论去 = discuss again and again
    • 研究来研究去 = research again and again
  • 你别在房间里走来走去，大家都睡觉了。＝ Don’t pace back and forth in the room. Everybody has gone to bed.
  • 这个问题我们讨论来讨论去，最后还是没有办法解决。＝ We discussed this problem again and again. In the end we still couldn’t find a way to solve it.

想来想去        to think this way and that ["to think about over and over again"]
  • 林雪梅想来想去，想不出他们之间到底发生了什么事儿。
  • 妈妈叫我学经济，我想来想去还是选了电脑。= My mother wanted me to study economics. After thinking it over and over, I decided to study computer science.

说不定    (shuō bu dìng) [adv]; perhaps, maybe
  • used when talking about future situations
    • 说不定 + sub + verb + object (or sub + 说不定 + verb + object)
  • 哈哈！如果有一天不吵架了，说不定你们就真的会分手。
Lesson
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Click: Chapter 11 STORY QUEST
Picture
Click: Chapter 12 LEARNING SLIDES
Practice
SKIT: in a group, write a dialogue between two friends. Memorize your skit and perform in front of the class!
  • Person A is feeling very moody.
  • Person B tries to help.

WRITE: write a letter to a famous advice columnist. Your moods have been all over the place lately. One minute, you're happy, the next, you're in despair. What could be the problem?

TRAIN: write 3 sentences each using the following grammar structure:​
  • 一会儿...一会儿...
  • V来V去
Mastery
​DICTATION: write the Chinese characters, English definition, and pinyin (including tones):
  • 一会儿...一会儿...，想来想去，说不定
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.

GRAMMAR: complete the following exercises:
  • Translate: One minute he forgets my birthday, the next he can't find his keys... He sometimes really has me worried.
  • Translate: Lin Xuemei thought about it this way and that way, but she still couldn't figure out what happened...
  • TARGET: no grammar mistakes.

READING: read aloud the following sentences:
  • 柯林很丢三落四，他一会儿忘了我的生日，一会儿找不到钥匙，一会儿又... 有的时候真让人着急。
  • 林雪梅想来想去，想不出他们之间到底发生了什么事儿。
  • 哈哈！如果有一天不吵架了，说不定你们就真的会分手。
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.
​
​SPEAKING: perform the following conversation tasks:
  • Talk about different kinds of moods.
  • Complain that someone or something is constantly changing.
  • Talk about how to choose between different futures.
  • Talk about uncertainty.
  • TARGET: at least a 3 on ALL tasks.

Chapter 12: "The Sage of Shandong"

HOW TO FORGET PAST CONFLICTS
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句    (jù); measure word for sentences
  • 句子 ＝ sentence

一句话    (yī jù huà); one sentence [i.e. "in a word, in short"]
  • 中国有一句话：“小两口吵架不记仇。”

记仇    (jì chóu) [vo]; to bear a grudge, to harbor resentment

"小两口吵架不记仇"    "when a young couple fights they don't hold grudges" [a colloquial saying about lovers' quarrels]​​
  • 小两口 = A young couple
  • 吵架 = to fight, to quarrel
  • 记仇 = to bear a grudge (lit. “to remember revenge”)​
  • 中国有一句话：“小两口吵架不记仇。”
Lesson
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Click: Chapter 12 STORY QUEST
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Click: Chapter 13 LEARNING SLIDES
Practice
SPEAK: discuss the validity of the saying, “小两口吵架不记仇。” Do you think it's accurate? Why or why not?

WRITE: write an advice column on the topic of holding grudges. It's best to forget past conflicts!

​READ: read the text below and answer the following questions:
  1. What is the subject and purpose of the text?
  2. According to the text, what is one way of defining "真爱?"
  3. Name three potential causes of "小两口吵架," using vocabulary from this lesson.
  4. Why are the "小两口" able to resolve their conflicts, according to the text? Give three reasons.
《乡村爱情》
有真爱不记仇
​
在这上百集的电视剧中，从头至尾就没断了两口子吵架，尤其是小两口吵架。因为出发点不同，剧中的小两口总是在争吵，甚至是冷战，但是在观众的眼中，吵架当中的任何一方都是处于替对方着想，都是为了追求幸福生活，最重要的是，尽管吵架涉及的每一对人物，他们各自的家庭背景及文化修养各不相同，但是，在观众的心目中，他们每一个人都是那么的可爱，而每一部戏最终并非刻意让他们彼此和好，而是每对小两口都是真心实意地爱着对方，这使得打归打，闹归闹，但是没有记仇的，没有因此而分手的。这就是真爱。
Mastery
​DICTATION: write the Chinese characters, English definition, and pinyin (including tones):
  • 一句话，记仇，“小两口吵架不记仇”
  • TARGET: no more than 1 mistake, including tones.

READING: read aloud the following sentences:
  • 中国有一句话：“小两口吵架不记仇。”
  • TARGET: no mistakes, including tones.
​
​SPEAKING: perform the following conversation tasks:
  • Explain in detail the meaning of the Chinese saying, "小两口吵架不记仇."
  • Discuss whether you agree with this saying, and why.
  • TARGET: at least a 3 on ALL tasks.

 MINIBOSS #3: ACT 3 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:
    • Criticize the actions of other people.
    • Talk about constantly changing moods (using 一会儿... 一会儿...).
    • Talk about asking someone for forgiveness.
    • Consider the meaning of the Chinese saying, "小两口吵架不记仇." Do you agree with it? Explain why.​
  • TARGET: at least a 3 on ALL tasks.

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