It's harvest time.
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 to.
Nguyen: And sometimes I go herding the buffaloes with the boys.
Nick: You've made new friends?
Nguyen: Yeah - right on my first 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...
a. Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?
| T | F | |
| 1. Nguyen didn't think country life could be so interesting. 2. Nguyen never joins the boys in herding the buffaloes. 3. Rice is transported home on trucks. 4. Nick would like to visit the countryside at harvest time. 5. Nguyen thinks life in the city is faster than that in the countryside. |
b. Answer the following questions.
1. Where is Nguyen now?
2. When was he able to make new friends?
3. What is Nguyen's kite like?
4. Who is Nguyen probably staying with?
5. Does Nick want to be there with Nguyen?
c. Complete the sentences with the words in the box.
buffalo-drawn cart herding harvest time colourful move slowly paddy field
1. When a thing has lots of bright colours, it is __________.
2. When people are not in a hurry, they __________.
3. A busy time when people collect their crops is called __________.
4. A place where rice grows is called a __________.
5. My brother is taking his buffaloes out to feed them. He's __________ them.
6. Rice is loaded onto a __________ to transport it home.
d. In groups, discuss and find how Nguyen feels about his stay in the countryside. Tick (✔) 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.
1. flying a kite
2. herding buffaloes
3. riding a horse
4. collecting water
5. drying the rice
6. loading the rice
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.
Share your list with the class.
4. GAME: COUNTRYSIDE CHARADES
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.
