One item I appreciate as we approach mid-terms is that the school is sponsoring a trip to Thousand Island Lake. Thousand Island Lake is the Lake Lanier (Atlanta) or the Annapolis (DC) of Hangzhou—a nice regional hotspot a couple hours away that offers a day on the water. I appreciate that the university offers this nice treat next Friday after exams have concluded.
Yet what demands more of my attention now are the infuriating tricks we keep encountering in our listening class. Let me offer some examples (in the best English translation I can muster) of some of our listening questions. Keep in mind I am also translating only words we have been TAUGHT at this point. Test yourself to see how well you do. And yes, I am giving you exactly the information I heard. No more, no less.
1) Woman: Germans really like to drink beer, right?
Man: Yes, we German men all like to drink. Do the Chinese?
Woman: Chinese men also like to drink.
Man: Do you drink?
Woman: I also drink.
What is the correct answer?
A) They all like to drink beer.
B) Two country’s people all like to drink beer.
C) Two country’s men all like to drink beer.
D) Females don’t like to drink beer.
2) Is that shop’s fruit expensive?
A) You should ask your mother.
B) This shop’s fruit is not expensive.
C) Yes, fruit is very expensive.
D) Also very expensive.
3) Woman: shopkeeper, I want half a jin of steamed bread, not 10 steamed breads.
Man: 1 liang is liang, half a jin altogether is 10.
Woman: But isn’t one liang 3?
Man: Our steamed breads are very big, one liang is liang.
(I won’t even put in the multiple choice here—if you can figure out the math based on what I told you, then you have figured out the answer!).
So how would you score? (don’t scroll down until you are confident of your answer! :)
Well, you were supposed to guess the following: 1 (D) 2 (A) 3 (the woman wants half a jin. The math actually didn’t matter after all. Surprise!).
Honestly, I think these questions reflect more the culture here than my ability to listen. To be fair, some of the listening exercises have been helpful. And in general, we are learning a lot here.
Yet I still don’t understand by what logic someone could conclude from question one that females don’t like beer. Seems a little stereotypical and chauvinist, doesn’t it? Especially when the woman herself said she drank? And while I love you Mom (and I’m sure you are reading this :), my first instinct isn't to think, "surely I should ask my Mom about that fruit shop!"
And to address question #3, apparently “liang” is not only another word for the number two (yes Chinese has two words for “two”), but is also a measurement. A liang is 1/10 a jin. A jin is half a kilogram. Liang is also the number two. Makes for fun math in a language I am just beginning to learn!
Okay, enough complaining for now. On a happy note, I have finally procured some cinnamon here (my classmate’s Chinese-speaking friend graciously ordered some for me from the Chinese equivalent of Amazon), and I made my first batch of baked apples in my (versatile) rice cooker yesterday." By the way, the apples weren’t expensive. I hope you agree, Mom! :). I think I’ll be repeating that recipe soon, especially as a stress reliever from all this listening!
* thanks, Julie, for the rice cooker idea—it’s proving to be quite a useful appliance! :)