Newspaper Homework Assignment One (support skills and overview).

 

Directions: Type the homework, unless otherwise specified.  Help on using Nstar can be found on pages 8-9 in the reading packet.

 

I. Dictionary work: For help, read pages 5A, 5B in the reading packet.

1. Look up and type out the following characters:

a.       Pinyin=róng;           Meaning=fine hair; velvet

b.      Pinyin=qián;            Meaning=pliers; pincers; clamps

c.       Pinyin=xīng;            Meaning=having fishy smell

d.      Pinyin=fān; Meaning=canvas

e.        Pinyin=liàn; Meaning=be in love

2.      Look up the following characters by guessing pronunciation and list the pinyin and meaning (either in English or Chinese). There may be more than one alternative guesses, all of which you may have to try to get the right character.

祃,鲃,珙,菔,炱,铒,邡,痂,棼,焙

II. Simplified/Traditional character conversion

 

Do the simplified/traditional conversion exercise in the reading packet on page 3.  Do this by hand.  (You should first look at the handout on recurring components online or in the reading packet (pages 2 and 2A.  You should then do the online matching exercise at:

http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/chinese/matchsimpltrad1.htm )

 

III. Key Words: Using any kind of dictionary, find all the words containing the three characters 报，刊，版 having to do with newspapers and publications, list them and give the pinyin and English meanings for each word. 

 

IV. Find as many kinds of Chinese newspaper as possible, wherever you find them (in the library, at supermarkets or online), and give the following information for each.  Do the following in Chinese if possible.

 

  1. The name. Where is it published?  Is it in simplified or traditional characters?  Free or not?

 

  1. Date of publication of the particular issue you saw.  Note the format of date.  Is it different from English?  If so, what it is?  (see pages 16-17 for examples)

 

  1. What did you notice in format and layout that is different from an English newspaper? 

 

V.Select the pages and/or columns (sport, business, domestic, international, arts, enterntainment,  etc., similar to those given at the beginning of the reading packet on pagea 16-25) (10 minimum) that are most interesting to you and copy down the headings (not headlines!), provide pinyin and translate.