1. Essay Number 1
2. Essay Number 2
3. Essay Number 3
Prepare the essay 'Practical Application of Idioms and Fixed Expressions' on page 66 of the Language Arts 11 Volume 1 textbook
Prepare the essay 'Practical Exercises on Idioms and Fixed Expressions, Short 1'
Exercise 1:
The poem contains the following idioms:
- 'One fate, two debts' => Depicting the image of Mrs. Tu, single-handedly shouldering the family responsibilities to support both husband and child.
- 'Five suns, ten rains': enduring the hardships of working hard for a living.
- Compared to ordinary speech: idioms are concise, condensed, with stable structures.
Exercise 2:
- 'Buffalo head, horse face': a specific comparison to express the brutal, inhumane nature of the officials.
- 'Fish in a basin, birds in a cage' (comparison) depicts a confined, helpless, and freedom-deprived life.
- 'Treading the sky, trampling the earth': a life of freedom, bold and unconstrained, refusing to submit to any authority.
Exercise 3:
Fixed expressions use specific events or stories from literature and history to convey philosophical and general meanings in life.
- Fixed expressions, although not structurally fixed, are very concise (a single word or phrase recalling past events) while containing profound and far-reaching content.
Exercise 4:
- Three autumns: an allusion in Classic Poetry indicating a day without meeting feels as long as three autumns, expressing Kim Trong's longing and sympathy for Thuy Kieu.
- Nine words: an allusion in Classic Poetry indicating the parental contributions: birth, nurture, educate, marry off, cultivate, induce, urge, bring back, and bless. Kieu reflects on her own pain and her duty as a child.
- Willow Chapter Tower: Kieu imagines the scene of Kim Trong's return, only to find her already belonging to someone else, evoking sorrow for Kim.
- Green eyes: an allusion to Nguyen Tich's life in the Tan dynasty, esteemed by others and succeeded by those with green eyes.
Exercise 5:
a)
- Old ghost bullies new ghost: relying on old acquaintances => asserting dominance and bullying newcomers.
- Wet feet, dry feet: not yet skilled, still fresh, and unfamiliar
b) Ride a horse and admire flowers: working and perceiving things superficially, without depth or meticulousness.
Exercise 6:
+ She's as round as her mother and as square as we are delighted.
+ Do you dare to argue with your mom's words? You're really smarter than a duck!
+ You must pass the upcoming graduation exam for sure, to not waste the 12 years of simmering history!
+ Ly Thong is truly a cunning and malicious character, always trying to harm Thach Sanh.
+ Nowadays, wealth begets rituals: hosting a restaurant for your father's death anniversary
+ He walks on stilts inside your stomach.
+ Speaking to it is like pouring water over a duck's head, it doesn't mean anything!
+ Being poor but indulging in luxury like a military official's son, typical of an official's family
+ Gross! Seeing someone stylish and making them wear a hat, don't they feel embarrassed?
+ Well, they are just friends! Let them enjoy their noble friendship!
Exercise 7:
- I know the exact contour of your heel A sin.
- That family owes debts like Lord Chom.
- Don't act like you're plowing the field in the middle of the road.
- Now, what we lack is those Sở Khanh guys.
- Let's proudly show the strength of Phu Dong's boys, stand up and rise.
Prepare the essay 'Practical Exercises on Idioms and Fixed Expressions, Short 2'
Question 1 (page 66 Language Arts 11 Volume 1 textbook):
In the excerpt from 'Pitying the Wife' by Tran Te Xuong, the author used idioms:
- 'One fate, two debts': implying the hardships of Mrs. Tu, single-handedly managing all household chores to support both husband and child.
- 'Five suns, ten rains': expressing hardship and toil.
Compared to common idioms, as defined above, these idioms are concise, condensed, demonstrating generality and higher expressive value. They vividly depict the image of a diligent and responsible wife in family affairs.
Question 2 (page 66 Language Arts 11 Volume 1 textbook):
People with measuring scales, those with knives,
Buffalo head, horse face rush like boiling water
The idiom 'Buffalo head, horse face' indicates the brutality, lawlessness, and disorganization of the officials when they come to Thuy Kieu's house while her family is falsely accused.
A lifetime has how many heroes?
Why play with a fish in a basin, birds in a cage
The idiom 'Fish in a basin, birds in a cage' depicts a cramped, freedom-deprived life despite outward appearances of splendor and beauty.
Trampling the sky, treading the earth in life
The Từ family, named Hai originally, are people from the Vietnamese East
The idiom 'Trampling the sky, treading the earth' expresses boldness, determination, and a free-spirited lifestyle, refusing to submit to any authority of Tu Hai.
Question 3 (page 66 Language Arts 11 Volume 1 textbook):
Two fixed expressions, 'That bed' and 'That orchestra,' are used to talk about close, enduring friendships, adhesive and everlasting. Words used are concise yet profound in meaning.
Fixed expressions refer to specific events or stories from the past, or phrases from past literature, used to convey similar ideas. Each fixed expression is like a representative event, a typical example that, when mentioned, contains what the speaker wants to express.
Question 4 (page 67 Language Arts 11 Volume 1 textbook):
- Three autumns: This fixed expression takes the idea from a line of poetry in Kinh Thi: Nhất nhật bất biến kiến như tam thu hề (A day without seeing each other feels like three autumns) – expressing the intense longing of humans. In this fixed expression, the verse in 'The Tale of Kieu' wants to convey: When Kim Trong longs for Thuy Kieu, not seeing her for a day feels like three years.
- Nine words: Kinh Thi tells about nine words talking about the merits of parents for their children: birth, upbringing, covering, feeding, nurturing, teaching, encouraging, assisting, and blessing. Thuy Kieu thinks about the merit of her parents towards her, while Kieu lives in a foreign land and has not had the opportunity to repay her parents' merits.
- Willow Tower: Evoke an ancient story of people working as officials in distant places, writing letters to visit wives and children with the sentence: The willow tree in Willow Tower was once green – Now, is it still there – Or has another hand twisted it away?. This fixed expression is used to describe Thuy Kieu's feelings when she thinks of Kim Trong returning to the old appointment, but Kieu already belongs to someone else.
- Green eyes: Legend has it that Nguyen Tich, in the Tan dynasty, respects those he appreciates with green eyes (the black part of the eye), and dislikes others with white eyes (the white part). This fixed expression is used to talk about Tu Hai's perspective on Kieu's reputation; even though she has to live in a green tower, meet many guests, she is not esteemed by anyone.
Question 5 (page 67 Language Arts 11 Volume 1 textbook):
a,
- Old devil bullies new devil: relying on familiarity to bully and intimidate newcomers.
- Feet wet, feet dry: just arrived, still unfamiliar.
Alternative: Hey guys, don't bully the newcomer. He just arrived, we should find ways to help him.
b, Riding a horse to see flowers: doing things superficially, roughly, without thorough understanding.
Alternative: They don't go sightseeing, they don't do things superficially, but they fight for real, performing the tasks of ordinary soldiers.
If replacing idioms with common words, only basic meaning is guaranteed without expressive nuances. Moreover, the sentence also loses its imagery and may become lengthy.
Question 6 (page 67 Language Arts 11 Volume 1 textbook):
Create sentences with idioms
- Congratulations to her family, round mother square child.
- That little girl is still young but already acts like an egg smarter than a duck.
- For years of boiling historical events, she has passed the university entrance exam.
- She seems gentle, but surprisingly, she is a person with a cunning and malicious heart.
- Uncle is thoughtful, even arranging gifts, truly rich and generous.
- I walk in your shoes now.
- Talking to him is like pouring water on a duck's head, it doesn't mean anything!
- We are all one family, so we must be considerate, harmonious and precious.
- That guy has the right son of a soldier, official temperament.
- He sees the rich as seeing someone wearing a hat and grabs it.
Question 7 (page 67 Language Arts 11 Volume 1 textbook):
Create sentences with each fixed expression:
- My company has found that person's A-sin foot.
- Lately, my family is indebted like Lord Chom.
- What he does is always without opinions, it's like plowing between the road.
- Fortunately for you to escape him, truly a Sokhanh.
- He is still young but has done many wonderful things, truly the strength of a Phu Dong boy.
Compose Exercise on Idioms and Allusions, Short 3
Question 1: Identify idioms and analyze the idiomatic value with common language.
In addition to the above content, students can delve into the section on Analyzing Character Scenes in The Death Row Lettering to prepare for this lesson.
Moreover, Examining the Literary Ode of the Heroic Residents of Cần Giuộc to Highlight the Beauty of the Image of Patriot Farmer Heroes is a crucial lesson in the 8th-grade Language Arts program that students need to pay special attention to.
