The Forbidden City

upturned eaves

Hutong Siheyuang

Look at the photos and the title, and predict where these people lived and what the article is about.

1. Have you ever been to Beijing? If you have, what impresses you most? 2. Do you know something about Beijing’s hutong? 3. Have you ever been to Beijing’s hutong? Give me some details Talking

Scanning Read the article quickly and check your prediction. Then choose the best title for the article from the list below. a). Beijing Urban Planning b). Chinese Buildings c). Beijing’s Hutongs d). The History of Hutongs

The longest Hutong (3km) The oldest Hutong (900)

The narrowest Hutong (40cm)

Listening Listen to each paragraph. Match the headings to the correct paragraphs. Para Aa). Bad times for hutongs Para Bb). When and why hutongs were built Para Cc). Beijing’s hutongs today Para Dd). What is a hutong? Para Ee). Connecting lives

Note-taking 1. Hutongs are ___________ that connect the courtyards of traditional Chinese houses. 2. The term hutong is nowadays used to describe the alleys, courtyards and the ___________ that live there. 3. The Emperors organised Beijing in blocks of houses because this made the city easier to _____________________. 4. Most of Beijing’s hutongs were built during the _____ _____ and _____ Dynasties. little alleys communities control/supervise YuanMingQing

5. Wealthy and important people lived in hutongs built close to the _________________________. 6. Near the end of the Qing Dynasty, conditions in Beijing’s hutongs went done because of _________________________. 7. After the People’s Republic of China was set up, conditions in Beijing’s hutongs __________. 8. Hutongs are still an important part of Beijing. They attract many ________ each year. royal palace/the Forbidden City the unstable political situation improved tourists

Reading Strategies: Summarising Read the text to get the general idea and identify paragraph topics. Underline the key sentence in each paragraph (often the beginning but not always). Then find information that backs it up. Write notes of the main points and the key information. Use your own words.

Pairwork Work in pairs, using the reading strategies to summarise the main information of the first paragraph.

A possible version Hutongs are a feature of ancient Chinese architecture. Nowadays, the word “ hutong” has come to mean more than just the alleys that connect the courtyards. It also refers to the courtyards themselves and even to the communities that live there.

Conclusion In the rich and historical culture of Beijing, the hutongs have a very special and important position. It is not only a kind of architecture, but also serves as a window into Beijing folk life and the encyclopedia of the history and culture of Beijing.

Homework Write down the summary of the whole passage

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