Unit 2, Grade 8: Life In The Countryside – Skills 1

1. Reading

1.1. Task 1 Unit 2 Grade 8

Quickly read the passage and choose the most suitable heading A, B, or C for each paragraph. (Read the passage quickly and choose the appropriate title A, B or C for each paragraph.)

NOMADIC LIFE ON THE GOBI HIGHLANDS

first. We don’t live a normal life like many other people. We live a nomadic life. This means we move two or three times a year to look for new pastures – grasslands – for our cattle. The cattle provide most of our needs: dairy products, meat, and clothing.

2. We live in a ger, our traditional circular tent. It keeps us cool in summer and warm in winter, even when the temperature drops to -50°C. It can be put up then taken down and transported.

3. For most of the year, we are surrounded by vast pastures, rivers and mountains. We see few people from the outside world. When we are small, we play on our land and with the animals. The horse is our best friend. Any nomadic child can ride a horse. We learn from an early age to help in the family, from household chores to sustained work like herding the cattle. We also learn to be brave.

Guide to answer

1. B. The importance of cattle to nomads.

2 C. The nomads’ home.

3. A. Nomadic children’s lives .

Translated:

NORMAL LIFE ON THE GOBI HIGH SERIES

first. The importance of cattle to nomads.

We don’t live a normal life like many others. We live a nomadic life. This means we move 2 or 3 times a year to find new pasture – for our livestock. Cattle provide us with most of our needs: dairy products, meat and clothing.

2. Nomad’s house

We lived in a nomad tent, a traditional cylindrical tent. It keeps us cool in the summer and warm in the winter, even when the temperature drops to -50 degrees Celsius. It can be erected then unloaded and transported.

3. The life of nomadic children

Most of the year, we are surrounded by vast grasslands, rivers and mountains. We met some people from the outside world. When we were little, we played in the field with the animals. Horses are our best friends. Any nomad child can ride a horse. We learned from a young age to help in the family, from housework to heavier work like herding cattle. We also learn to be brave.

1.2. Task 2 Unit 2 Grade 8

Match the descriptions with the words/phrases from the passage. (Match the descriptions with words/phrases from the passage.)

Guide to answer

1 – b

2 – d

3 – e

4 – a

5 – c

first. a ger – a circular tent in which Mongolian nomads live

(a cylindrical tent in which Mongolian nomads live sống)

2. dairy products – milk, butter, cheese

(dairy products – milk, butter, cheese)

3. cattle – cows, goats, buffaloes…

(riding – cow, goat, buffalo)

4. nomadic life – a life on the move

(nomadic life – moving life)

5. pastures – grasslands

(meadow – field of grass)

1.3. Task 3 Unit 2 Grade 8

Read the passage again and choose the best answer A, B, C, or D. (Read the passage again and choose the best answer A, B, C or D)

Guide to answer

1. A

2 C

3. A

4. REMOVE

5. REMOVE

6. EASY

first. We live a different life to other people.

(We live a different life from others.)

2. We have to move in order to look for food for our cattle.

(We had to move to find food for the livestock.)

3. Our cattle can provide us with most of our needs.

(Our cattle can provide us with most needs.)

4. When we move to a new place, we put up the ger.

(When we moved to a new place, we built a nomad tent.)

5. Nomadic children use nature and their animals as playthings.

(Nomad children use nature and their animals as toys.)

6. Mongolian children in the Gobi learn to help with household chores.

(Mongolian children in Gobi learn to help with housework.)

2. Speaking

2.1. Task 4 Unit 2 Grade 8

Example:

A : What do you like about their nomadic life?

B: Well, the children can learn to ride a horse.

A: And what don’t you like about it?

B: They can’t live permanently in one place.

Translated:

A: What do you like about their nomadic life?

B: Well, kids can learn to ride a horse.

A: And what do you not like about it?

B: They cannot live permanently in one place.

Guide to answer

A: What do you like about the life of the nomads?

B: You know, they grow vegetables and raise animals by themselves. They must have no worries about food safety and sanitation.

A: And what don’t you like about it?

B: They can’t get a stable job and their own accommodation, because they constantly change locations, switching from one place to another.

Translation

A: What do you like about the nomadic life?

B: You know, they grow their own vegetables and raise animals. They should not have to worry about food safety issues.

C: And what don’t you like?

D. They cannot get a steady job and a place to live of their own, because they are constantly changing locations, moving from place to place.

2.2. Task 5 Unit 2 Grade 8

a. Work in pairs. Discuss and find: (Work in pairs. Discuss and find out 🙂

– two things you like about life in the countryside (two things you like about country life)

– two things you don’t like about life in the countryside (two things you don’t like about country life)

Guide to answer

– two things you like about life in the countryside

+ People can live in the fresh atmosphere. (People live in the fresh air)

+ They can catch fish for food. (They can catch fish for food)

– two things you don’t like about life in the countryside

+ There are no shopping centers or supermarket. (No shopping malls or supermarkets)

+ There are no advanced facilities (No modern equipment)

b. Report your findings to the class (Notification your findings in front of the class.)

Example:

Both of us love picking fruits in the summer. It can be hard work but verv satisfying.

Translated:

We both love to pick fruit in the summer. It is hard work but very satisfying.

Guide to answer

Both of us love the air and the traffic in the countryside. The air is fresher and the traffic isn’t so heavy.

(We both love the countryside air and traffic. The air is fresher and the traffic isn’t too severe.)

3. Practice Task 1

Read the passage below and decide whether the statements are TRUE or FALSE?

I’m Bing. My grandmother told me that our village used to be very poor many years ago. The villagers had to work hard in the fields all day but they could not earn enough for their living. Their lives were very simple. Many people had to live in houses made of straw and mud. Nowadays my village has changed a lot. People live in big brick houses. In the evening, they can listen to the news on the radio or watch TV for entertainment. All people in my village try their best to make their living better. They raised and resurfaced the roads so that the roads would not be muddy and flooded after it rains.

Question 1: Bing’s village used to be poor in the past.

A. True B. False

Question 2: Their lives were very simple

A. True B. False

Question 3: Many people had to live in houses made of straw and mud.

A. True B. False

Question 4: Now people still live in mud houses

A. True B. False

Question 5: The road has been improved to improve living standard.

A. True B. False

4. Practice Task 2

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

They widen the roads so cars and lorries can get to the village easily. They build a medical center so people’s health can be looked (6) __________ at any time. They build a new school so their (7) __________ have better learning conditions. They build a bridge (8) __________ the river so villagers have a shorter way to town. They also build a football ground so their children can (9) __________ sports. In addition, they grown cash crops so people can export the crops and have more money.

I would like to become an agricultural engineer in the future so I can apply new technology to our farming and do more for the village (10) __________ our parents did.

Question 6: A. on B. for C. into D. after

Question 7: A. adults B. children C. parents D. husbands

Question 8: A. on B. by C. over D. to

Question 9: A. do B. play C. get D. have

Question 10: A. as B. like C. so D. similar

5. Conclusion

Through this lesson, the children will strengthen their reading comprehension and speaking skills on how to give opinions about nomadic life and memorize the following vocabulary words:

• normal /ˈnɔːml/ normal
• pasture /ˈpɑːstʃə(r)/ steppe, grassland
• vast /vɑːst/ vast
• ride /raɪd/ ride
• herd /hɜːd/ to breed, to raise
• brave /breɪv/ brave