A2 · Culture and grammar
Ancient China Explorer
Talk about China: what's there, what is bigger and older, what locals usually do.
01 Goal ~ 3 min
By the end of this lesson you'll be able to talk about China: what's there, what is the biggest and the oldest, and what locals usually do.
Start
First you'll meet the vocabulary for places, food and culture.
Route
Then four grammar focuses: there is/are, comparatives, superlatives, and Present Simple for habits.
Finish
At the end · a Mei + Liu dialogue, three short texts with T/F, and your own mini-talk about China.
02 Vocabulary tap a card to flip
18 words in three themes. Flip at least 12 cards to complete this block. The back shows the translation and an example sentence.
03 Focus A: there is / there are
Use there is for one object and there are for several. It helps describe what exists in a country, city, or room.
| Form | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Statement | There is a Great Wall. | There are many pandas. |
| Negative | There isn't a beach in Beijing. | There aren't tigers in cities. |
| Question | Is there a metro in Shanghai? | Are there pandas in the zoo? |
Typical mistake
There is many temples. → There are many temples.
04 Focus B: bigger, the biggest, usually
Three forms in one table: compare two places, point out the most extreme, describe what locals usually do.
| Form | Short words | Long words | Irregular |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative | Beijing is bigger than Xi'an. | Shanghai is more modern than Lhasa. | Tea is better known than coffee. |
| Superlative | The Great Wall is the longest wall in the world. | The Forbidden City is the most famous palace in China. | The Terracotta Army is the best example of imperial art. |
| Habits | People drink tea every day. A panda eats bamboo. We usually visit temples in spring. | ||
Typical mistakes
Shanghai is more bigger than Xi'an. → Shanghai is bigger than Xi'an.
A panda eat bamboo. → A panda eats bamboo. (habits: -s after he / she / it)
05 Choose the correct word 20 sentences · all 4 focuses
You need at least 14 of 20 correct to pass this block.
06 Build the sentence 8 sentences · tap words in order
Tap words in the correct order. Tap a placed word to send it back. You need at least 5 of 8 correct.
07 Listening dialogue: Mei and Liu
Listen to Mei and Liu talking about Beijing. You can replay it and slow it down. You need 4 of 5 correct.
08 Three places in China read + 6 T/F + 1 gist
Read three short texts. Each has 2 TRUE/FALSE questions, plus one gist question over all three. You need at least 5 correct.
09 Talk about China 30–45 sec by rubric
To earn +10 points, hit all three:
Template: I want to visit ... because it is ... There is/are ... It is one of the most ... places in China.
10 Now I can
Tick what you can do now. At least 3 ticks closes the lesson.