Unit 2 Language

Project

By Lynn

The development of Chinese characters

Skimming

1. When did Chinese writing begin?

2. Who invented Chinese characters?

3. When did the Chinese government

introduce simplified Chinese characters?

Read the text again and find the main idea of each paragraph.

Part 1 (para 1)

Part 2(para 2)

Part 3(para 3-7)

Part 4(para 8)

The origins of Chinese characters

Simplified Chinese characters

Brief introduction to Chinese characters

Form and development of Chinesecharacters

How did Cang Jie invent Chinese writing?Cang Jie saw the footprints of birds and animals in the snow and he got the idea that he could use different shapes or pictures to represent objects.

Cang Jie

Form and development of Chinese characters

Some information about Chinese characters

Facts Examples

Describing ___________

Pictograph

Describing ___________

Combining two or more elements together

Describing ________ and _________

Different or opposite forms

up and______

How to ___________ some characters

one part indicating ________ and the other showing ________

objects

ideas numbers

directionspronounce

down

meaning

sound

财、护

山、目日、月

休、囚

漢字擁有悠久的歷史，它是中國文化的象徵，是中國勞動人民智慧的結晶。

汉字拥有悠久的历史，它是中国文化的象征，是中国劳动人民智慧的结晶。

simplified characters

traditional characters

ExtensionA brief introduction to the development of Chinese calligraphy （书法）

甲骨文 金文 小篆Oracle Bone Inscriptions

Bronze Inscriptions Lesser Seal Characters

隶书 草书Official Script Cursive Script

行书

永和九年，岁在癸丑，暮春之初，会于会稽山阴之兰亭，修禊事也。群贤毕至，少长咸集。此地有崇山峻岭，茂林修竹。又有清流激湍，映带左右，引以为流觞曲水 ......

楷书Formal Script

Running Script

Difficult sentences

1. The Chinese language differs from many

Western languages in that it uses characters

which have meanings and can stand alone

as words. (line 1)

in that 在于，因为

人与动物不同因为人能思考和说话。

Humans differ from animals in that they can thinkand speak.

Animals suffered at the hands of Man ______ theywere destroyed by people to make way for agriculturalland to provide food for more people.

A. in which B. for which C. so that D. in that

D

动物在人类手中遭殃，因为为了给更多的人提供食物，人们把它们消灭来腾出地方作农田。

2. There are many other examples reflecting the development of Chinese writing... (line 19)

There is a car _________ rubbish over there. (collect)

There was a wallet _____ on the floor. He picked itup and handed it to the police. A. lie B. lay C. lying D. lied

collecting

C

Discussion

Do you think it is possible for

Chinese to become the most widely

used international language some

day? Why or why not?

Homework

Read the text again carefully and

remember the key expressions.

Finish the related exercises.