Please Stand By

Dear Friends,

Because of the unexpected travel required by the recent death of my father, I have fallen behind a bit in the production of my lessons; I'll catch up again in a few days. Thanks for your patience.

James

A Pig in a Poke 3

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-05/18/content_627540.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are eight expressions in this lesson. Use some of them in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Have you ever lived "high on the hog"? "Gone whole hog" or "hog wild" for something? Talk about your experiences.
3. Do you believe one shouldn't "cast pearls before swine"? Or that "you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear"? Why or why not?

A Pig in a Poke 2

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-05/14/content_623076.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are six expressions in this lesson. Use each one in a sentence or short dialogue.
2. Have you ever tried to catch "a greased pig" (literally or figuratively)? Or been used as a "guinea pig"? Talk about your experiences.
3. What do you think might happen "when pigs fly"?

A Pig in a Poke 1

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-05/12/content_619900.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are nine expressions in this lesson. Use some of them in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Have you ever bought "a pig in a poke"? Saved money in a "piggy bank"? Been "as happy as a pig in mud"? "Made a pig out of yourself?" Talk about your experiences.
3. What could make you "sweat like a pig"? "Bleed like a stuck pig"? "Pig out?"

Dog Eat Dog 2

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-05/11/content_618770.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are ten expressions in this lesson. Use some of them in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Have you ever "fought like cats and dogs" with someone? Who? Have you ever had to "put on the dog"? Been in a situation where "the tail is wagging the dog"? Met someone "as crooked as a dog's hind leg"? Talk about your experiences.
3. Do you believe that "it's a dog eat dog world"? That "every dog has its day"? That you should "let sleeping dogs lie"? That "you can't teach an old dog new tricks"? Why or why not?

Dog Eat Dog 1

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-05/07/content_614063.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are seven expressions in this lesson. Use each one in a sentence or short dialogue.
2. Have you ever been "in the doghouse"? In a situation that has "gone to the dogs"? Been "dog tired," or "sick as a dog"? Talk about your experiences.
3. Why do you think people used to believe in "the hair of the dog that bit you"?

Horsing Around 2

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/28/content_603431.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are ten expressions in this lesson. Use some of them in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Have you ever had "a charley horse"? Been in "a one-horse town"? "Backed the wrong horse"? Talk about your experiences.
3. Do you prefer to "get things straight from the horse's mouth"? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Horsing Around 1

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/27/content_602159.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are five expressions in this lesson. Use each one in a sentence or short dialogue.
2. Have you ever "closed the barn door after the horse is gone"? "Looked a gift horse in the mouth"? "Put the cart before the horse"? Talk about your experiences.
3. Do you believe that "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink"? Or that you "shouldn't change horses in mid-stream"? Why or why not?

By the Numbers

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/23/content_597113.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
Take the quiz before you answer these questions:
1. Use the expressions in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Do you work in a "nine-to-five" job? Have you ever been in "seventh heaven"? What do you do "nine times out of 10"? Talk about your experiences.
3. Do you believe that "two heads are better than one"? That "two wrongs don’t make a right"? That "two’s company, three’s a crowd"? Why or why not?

Earth Day Vocabulary

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/21/content_594657.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Use the words in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Do you practice the "Three Rs" or any part of them? Why or why not?
3. Is sustainability important? Why or why not?

You're Number One

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/20/content_593367.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
Take the quiz before you answer these questions:
1. Use these expressions in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Has anyone ever "pulled a fast one" on you? Have you ever had "one of those days"? Or "one too many"? Talk about your experiences.
3. Do you know someone who is "one in a million"? "One of the boys"? Your "one and only"? Talk about these people.

For the birds 2

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/16/content_588550.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are four "bird expressions" in this dialogue. Explain what each one means.
2. Use each one in a sentence or short dialogue.
3. Does your language have expressions that have the same meaning as these "bird expressions" but don't use the word "bird"? What are they? What do they mean?

For the birds 1

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/14/content_585303.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are seven "bird expressions" in this dialogue. Explain what each one means.
2. Use each expression in a sentence or short dialogue.
3. Do you have expressions using "bird" in your language? What are they? What do they mean?

Roman Numerals

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/13/content_584187.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Try writing the following in Roman numerals. Follow the rules in the lesson: 19, 108, 692, 3461. Answers below.
2. Where might we find Roman numerals? Try to think of some places besides the ones in the lesson.
3. Can you imagine doing mathematics with Roman numerals? Like, "What's DCXCII - CVIII"? Try it! Answer below.
Answers: 19=XIX, 108=CVIII, 692=DCXCII, 3421=MMMCDLXI.
DCXCII (692) - CVIII (108) = DLXXXIV (584)

A Graphic Description 3

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/09/content_579197.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Use each of the words in a sentence or short dialogue.
2. Learn some other words, like "sonar" or "telephoto," that use some of the other parts of the words below--like "photo," "sono," or "tele."
3. Just for fun, try creating some new words using the roots in the last few lessons. What would "calliphone," "monophone," or "seismophone" mean?

A Graphic Description 2

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/07/content_576569.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Based on the information below, can you guess the meaning of "geology," "homophone," and "phonology"? Look them up after you guess.
2. Use each of the words in a sentence or short dialogue.
3. One who studies "oceanography" is an "oceanographer." Can we say one who uses a "phonograph" is a "phonographer"? Why or why not?

A Graphic Description 1

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/06/content_575154.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What is the difference between "an autographed copy" and "an autograph copy"?
2. In what sense is "choreography" related to writing or drawing?
3. Why are "ECG" and "EKG" (for "electrocardiogram") both correct?

Some University Degree Abbreviations

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/02/content_571192.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Look up other degrees (M.A., J.D., and others) and explain what they mean.
2. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs never finished college. How important is it for the rest of us?
3. Why do you think a list of degrees is sometimes called "alphabet soup"?

Latin Expressions 6

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/31/content_568404.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Can you think of other English abbreviations besides the ones given in today's (and yesterday's) lessons? Make a list and say what they mean.
2. Use the abbreviations in this lesson in sentences or short dialogues. Be sure to pronounce them properly.
3. In the age of computers, is there any need for "p.s." any more? How could it be used?

Latin Expressions 5

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/30/content_567036.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What abbreviations are used in your language? What do they mean?
2. Use the abbreviations in this lesson in sentences or short dialogues. Be sure to pronounce them properly.
3. Describe the difference between "e.g." and "i.e."

Latin Expressions 4

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/26/content_562370.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Practice using some of these expressions (and the ones from yesterday) in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Can you think of examples of these? For example, do you know of a book or movie that starts "In medias res"?
3. Two Latin prepositions on the list are the same as in English ("in" and "in," "per" and "per"); others are different. Why do you think this is?

Latin Expressions 3

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/24/content_559901.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What is a preposition? How are they used in English? In your language?
2. Learn the meanings of the eight Latin prepositions here.
3. Where else do we see these prepositions? For example, "ante" is in "anteroom," "de" is in "deplane," and so on.

Latin Expressions 2

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/23/content_558642.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Using the pronunciation guide, try to say these expressions.
2. Choose some of today's expressions and use them in a sentence or a short dialogue.
3. Have you seen some of these words (like "curriculum" or "magnum") in other uses? Talk about them.

Latin Expressions 1

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/19/content_554329.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What are the main periods of the Latin language? Why do you think there are so many?
2. Using the pronunciation guide, try to say the three expressions at the end of the article.
3. Use each of those expressions in a sentence or a short dialogue.

Classical Proverbs 3--Latin

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/17/content_551273.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
Be sure to do the quiz in yesterday's lesson first. Then answer these questions.
1. There are six proverbs in today's lesson. Make a short dialogue using each one.
2. Do you have any interesting proverbs in your language that mean the same as these? Talk about them.
3. Which proverb is the most useful for you? Why?

Classical Proverbs 2--Latin

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/16/content_550034.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

First, do the quiz. Then answer these questions.
1. There are four proverbs explained in today's lesson. Make a short dialogue using each one.
2. Do you have any interesting proverbs in your language that mean the same as these? Talk about them.
3. Which proverb is the most useful for you? Why?

Classical Proverbs 1

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/12/content_545370.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are four proverbs in today's lesson. Make a short dialogue using each one.
2. Do you have any interesting proverbs in your language that mean the same as these? Talk about them.
3. Which proverb is the most useful for you? Why?

Classical Idioms 2

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/10/content_542037.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Use today's idioms in a sentence, or write a short dialogue.
2. Do you have any interesting idioms in your language that mean the same as these? Talk about them.
3. What do you know about Nero and other Roman emperors? Talk about them, or learn more if you need to.
Today's idioms: to fiddle while Rome burns, the golden mean, a Pyrrhic victory

Classical Idioms 1

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/09/content_541065.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Use today's idioms in a sentence, or write a short dialogue.
2. Do you have any interesting idioms in your language that mean the same as these? Talk about them.
3. What do you know about Julius Caesar, or about Alexander the Great? Talk about them, or learn more if you need to.
Today's idioms: to cross the Rubicon, to cut the Gordian knot

The Eras of Western History

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/05/content_536810.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What do you know about any of the periods described here?
2. Which period do you think is most interesting? Why?
3. If you could live in any period besides this one, which would you choose? Why?

Virtues 2--The Seven Deadly Sins

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/03/content_534123.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you see a way in which the "Christian virtues"-- Faith, Hope, and Charity--might be important even for non-Christians?
2. Which of the Seven Deadly Sins is the most serious: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, or Pride? Why?
3. Which of the "seven heavenly virtues" is most important: Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, or Humility? Why?

Virtues 1--Greco-Roman Ideas

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/02/content_533066.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Which do you think is most important: The Good, The True, or The Beautiful? Why?
2. Which of Plato's five virtues-- Temperance, Prudence, Fortitude, Justice, or Piety--do you think is most important? Why?
3. How about the seven Christian virtues: Temperance, Prudence, Fortitude, Justice, Faith, Hope, or Charity? Which is most important? Why?

The Olympians III

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-02/16/content_515407.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. "The sun and the moon are certainly the most notable things in the sky." Are there interesting stories about them in your culture?
2. There are three different words for "earth" in this lesson. Talk about where they came from. What does this tell you about English?
3. Describe the days of the week and how they got their English names.

The Olympians II

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-02/12/content_511042.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Name these five of the second generation of Olympians, and say what they're famous for.
2. Look for the common English words from these names (martial, mercurial, volcano, etc.) and use them in sentences.
3. Summarize the names of planets learned in this lesson and the previous one, and tell which god each is named after. (You'll see the full list in the next lesson.)

The Olympians I

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-02/10/content_509151.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What is the connection between "Olympos" (or "Olympus"), "Olympia," and "the Olympics"?
2. Who are the king and queen of the Olympians? Who were their parents?
3. Name the rest of the first generation of Olympians, and say what they're famous for.

Two Titanic Battles

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-02/09/content_507834.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Why did humans invent stories of one generation of gods rebelling against and overthrowing another?
2. Why do you think Kronos hated his father Ouranos? (Remember, no reason is given; just make a good guess and explain it.)
3. This stories are quite bloody, filled with bad behavior. Why do you think that is?

The Titans II

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-02/05/content_504911.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What does it mean to say the sun, the moon, and the dawn were the children of the god of light (Hyperion) and sight (Theia)?
2. Many of the Titans are responsible for different aspects of time. Why do you think this is so important to humans?
3. Why do you think there are twelve Titans? That is, what is so important about the number twelve?

The Titans I

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-02/03/content_503144.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. How could a human write about "the origin of the gods"?
2. Look at the names Ouranos, Gaia, and Okeanos. What do they mean? How important are these things as natural phenomena?
3. Why would the Titan in charge of fresh-water springs be called "grandmother" or "nurse"? How important is she?

Fates, Furies, and Harpies

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-02/02/content_502296.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Look at the meaning of the names of the three fates, and each one's role. Explain how they match.
2. Why would the Romans call the Furies a name that would make them happy? Look up the word "euphemism" and see how it applies.
3. Look at the explanation by Fulgentius. Does it make sense to you? Why or why not?

The Muses II

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-01/22/content_497660.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Why do you think the "Muse of Epic Poetry" is considered the "Chief of the Muses"?
2. Look at some of the word roots here (calli-, ero-, poly-). Can you think of other words that use these roots? Try using them in sentences.
3. Did you ever think of history and astronomy as "arts" in the same way as poetry, music, and dance? What do you think of this?

The Muses I

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-01/20/content_495723.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What do you often "muse upon"?
2. What's your favorite museum? How is it connected to "the Muses"?
3. Do you like poetry? If so, what's your favorite kind? If not, why not?

Homer IV

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-01/19/content_494640.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What "siren song" calls to you? Money? Fame? Something else?
2. Have you ever had to pass "between Scylla and Charybdis"? Tell the story.
3. Three goddesses tried to bribe Paris with wealth, wisdom, love. Which one would you take? Or would you refuse them all?

Homer III

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-01/15/content_489841.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Use the word "odyssey" in its common meaning. Have you ever been on an odyssey? If so, talk about it. If not, would you like to?
2. What are some other modern English words that come from "The Odyssey"? Use them in sentences.
3. Does your language use allusions? Give some examples and explain them in English.

Homer II

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-01/13/content_486651.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What is "The Iliad" about? What led to this?
2. Talk about Achilles. Why is he "complex"?
3. Discuss some ways that "The Iliad" contributed to the modern English language.

Homer I

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-01/12/content_485363.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. This lesson goes back to the beginning of my "great books" columns in 2009. What are the so-called "Great Books"? Are you interested in reading them?
2. Are you familiar with "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" by Homer? If so, what do you know about them?
3. Can you think of any books or movies that are "Homeric"?

Poe, Hawthorne, Melville

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/31/content_2335295.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you know anything about Poe, Hawthorne, or Melville? Have you read any of their works?
2. Do you like detective stories? Why or why not?
3. Do you like "creepy" stories? Why or why not?

British Women Novelists

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/27/content_2331011.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you like "chick lit" (women's literature)? Why or why not?
2. What are some modern examples of "chick lit"? What do you think of them?
3. Why did some women authors publish anonymously, and others use men's names?

Four Poets in English

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/25/content_2327926.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you know anything about Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, or Yeats? Have you read any of their works?
2. Blake's and Yeats's poetry is often about mystical things. Why is this a good subject for poetry?
3. All of these poets can be considered "Romantic." What does that mean? (It's NOT about love between a man and a woman!)

Goethe, Mann, Kafka

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/24/content_2326493.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you know anything about Goethe, Mann, or Kafka? Have you read any of their works?
2. Goethe's Faust made a "deal with the devil." Have you ever heard of this idea? What do you think it means?
3. Kafka's character Gregor Samsa becomes a "giant cockroach." What do you think this symbolizes?

British Novelists

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/20/content_2322528.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Have you heard of any of the novels or authors mentioned? Have you read any of them? What do you know about them?
2. Are you familiar with the singer Tom Jones? How does Sunny say he got his name? What do you think of this?
3. "Vanity Fair" is called "A Novel without a Hero." What does that mean?

British Political Philosophers

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/18/content_2319025.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What do you think would be included in the "social contract"?
2. What is "epistemology"? Have you ever thought about "how we know what we know"?
3. Are you an "empiricist"? Why or why not?

Allegory and Satire

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/17/content_2317784.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Aside from the works mentioned here, are you familiar with any other allegories or satires?
2. How do allegory and satire "teach people about themselves and society"?
3. Becky says great literature "can be read from many points of view." Can you give an example from the literature of your culture?

Great French Writers

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/13/content_2313552.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you know anything about Descartes, Pascal, Molière, or Voltaire? If "yes," talk about them; if "no," look them up.
2. Does the expression "I think therefore I am" mean anything to you? Talk about it.
3. Two of these writers used pseudonyms. Do you know of other famous writers who also took "pen names"?

John Milton

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/11/content_2309932.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you know anything about "Paradise Lost" or its characters--God and Satan, Adam, and Eve?
2. Milton knew a lot of languages: Latin, Italian, Greek, Hebrew, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Old English, in addition to English. How do you think this helped make him "a brilliant ... master of English letters"?
3. Becky says, "Education ain't what it used to be." Do you think it was better in the old days, or now? Why do you think so?

John Donne

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/10/content_2308582.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you agree that "No man is an island"?
2. Donne's "Meditation XVII," like a lot of literature, is about death. Why do you think this is such a popular topic for writers?
3. Are you surprised to learn that a minister wrote poems about love and sex? Why or why not?

Great Essays

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/06/content_2304467.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you enjoy reading--or writing--essays? Why, or why not?
2. Are you familiar with Montaigne or Bacon? If "yes," talk about them; if "no," look them up.
3. Why do you think the great essayists mentioned kept the titles of their works so simple?

Classic Chinese Novels II

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/04/content_2301932.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Do you know anything about Xuanzang, the monk who really went to India? Find out about him, if you can.
2. "Journey to the West" is a fictional book based on an historical event. Can you think of other examples of this sort of book (or film)?
3. Ming mentions that "The Dream of the Red Chamber," along with other books, is extremely complicated. Why do you think readers in another time enjoyed that sort of story?

Classic Chinese Novels I

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-12/03/content_2299793.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Are there other works in your culture that have inspired art, music, films, and TV shows, as these great works have in China?
2. The heroes in "The Water Margin" are good guys--but outlaws. Mark mentions "Robin Hood" as being similar. Can you think of other stories in your culture where "bad guys" are "good guys"?
3. In "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms," the three friends swear to support each other in a peach grove. What is the importance of loyalty in your culture?

Don Quixote

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/29/content_2295406.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Have you read Don Quixote, or anything about him? Or have you seen a movie about him? Talk about the character.
2. Do you think a man like him is noble? Or just crazy?
3. What's a "foil"? Can you think of any stories that use a foil to show more about the main character? Talk about one.

Machiavelli

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2012-11/27/content_2293178.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What do you think of the quotes from Machiavelli in this lesson? Talk about each one.
2. Why do you think some people in history admired Machiavelli?
3. Do you think it's possible that "Machiavelli was writing satire"? Or do you think he meant everything he wrote? Why do you think so?