七楼 · 第十九天
The Seventh Floor, Episode 19: The Tin of Letters
Name: ________________ Date: ________
昨天晚上下大雨，乔安、宁宁和罗师傅跑上七楼，帮邹爷爷把花搬进了小房间。后来，他们在旧桌子后面找到了一个铁盒子。
盒子又脏又旧，她想打开，可是怎么拉也拉不开。罗师傅试了好几次，终于打开了。
宁宁马上跑过去：“是钱吗？一定是很重要的东西！”
可是里面没有钱，只有纸，很多很多纸。是信。
乔安小心地拿起一张。上面第一句是：“孙女，你最近好吗？”她又看了几张，每一张都是写给孙女的。
邹爷爷看了看，声音一下子小了：“是她的字。”
罗师傅说：“上面没写寄到哪儿。这些信，一张也没寄出去过。”
邹爷爷慢慢地坐在旧椅子上：“我的眼睛不好。乔安，你读给我听吧。”
她拿起上面的一张，读了起来：
“今年春天，七楼的花开得很好，红的、黄的都有，很香。你的椅子已经不能坐了，你爷爷说不买新的了。可是我知道，他每天都会看看那个地方。他没忘记你。”
他什么也没说，一直看着那把新椅子。
宁宁看着那些信，小声说：“我刚才说错了。这些比钱重要。”
最下面的一张，字不太清楚，好像是最后写的。她慢慢地读：
“我身体不好，可能等不到你回来了。你爷爷不会先说对不起，你爸爸也不会。他们两个一样。”
“这些信，我放在七楼。我知道，有一天他会找到。老头子，如果是你看到了这些信，就别等了，先给孩子打电话吧。”
房间里很安静，只能听见外面的雨。
邹爷爷拿出手机，手一直在动。过了很久，他才说：“可是，我没有她的电话号码。”
她看了看罗师傅，他点了点头。
她拿出自己的手机：“爷爷，我有。”
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 后来 | hòulái | afterwards; later |
| 旧 | jiù | old; used; worn |
| 脏 | zāng | dirty; filthy |
| 可是 | kěshì | but; however |
| 试 | shì | to try; to test |
| 终于 | zhōngyú | finally; at last |
| 马上 | mǎshàng | right away; immediately |
| 一定 | yídìng | surely; certainly; must |
| 重要 | zhòngyào | important |
| 只有 | zhíyǒu | only; only if; unless |
| 纸 | zhǐ | paper |
| 信 | xìn | letter |
Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)
HSK 3 · The Seventh Floor, Episode 19: The Tin of Letters. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 后来 and 旧 in sentences of their own.
Warm-up 5 min
Write 七楼 · 第十九天 on the board. Ask what the class thinks it is about, then give the English: “The Seventh Floor, Episode 19: The Tin of Letters”.
Key words 10 min
Teach 后来 (hòulái, afterwards; later), 旧 (jiù, old; used; worn), 脏 (zāng, dirty; filthy), 可是 (kěshì, but; however), 试 (shì, to try; to test), 终于 (zhōngyú, finally; at last). Say each one, the class says it back, then ask for its meaning with the word covered. The rest are in the handout’s table.
Listen 10 min
Play it read aloud from mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-seventh-floor-episode-19-the-tin-of-letters: once with the text face down, once reading along. Students tap any word there for its meaning.
Read and check 10 min
Students read it alone, then tell a partner in two sentences of Chinese what it says.
Use it 10 min
In pairs, each student writes two sentences of their own, one with 后来 and one with 旧, and reads one to the class.
Homework. Students read it again at home and Review its words. Put it in a free class (mandarinthewild.com/teachers/class) and you see who read it.
English (for the teacher)
Last night in the heavy rain, Qiao An, Ningning and Mr Luo ran up to the seventh floor and helped Zou Yeye carry the flowers into the little room. Then, behind the old table, they found a tin box.
The box was dirty and old; she tried to open it, but no matter how she pulled, it wouldn't open. Mr Luo tried several times and finally got it open.
Ningning rushed over at once: "Is it money? It must be something really important!"
But there was no money inside, only paper, lots and lots of paper. Letters.
Qiao An carefully picked one up. The first line said: "Granddaughter, how have you been?" She looked at a few more, and every one was written to the granddaughter.
Zou Yeye looked, and his voice suddenly went quiet: "That's her handwriting."
Mr Luo said, "There's no address on them. Not one of these letters was ever sent."
Zou Yeye slowly sat down in the old chair: "My eyes aren't good. Qiao An, read it to me."
She picked up the one on top and began to read:
"This spring the flowers on the seventh floor are doing so well, red ones and yellow ones, and they smell lovely. Your chair can't be sat on any more, and your grandpa says he won't buy a new one. But I know he looks at that spot every day. He hasn't forgotten you."
He said nothing, and kept looking at the new chair.
Ningning looked at the letters and said softly, "I was wrong just now. These are more important than money."
The one at the very bottom was hard to read, as if it had been written last. She read slowly:
"I'm not well, and I may not live to see you come back. Your grandpa won't say sorry first, and neither will your dad. The two of them are just the same."
"I'm leaving these letters on the seventh floor. I know that one day he'll find them. Old man, if it's you who has found these letters, then stop waiting, and call the child first."
The room was quiet; all they could hear was the rain outside.
Zou Yeye took out his phone, his hand shaking. After a long time, he said, "But I don't have her number."
She looked at Mr Luo, and he nodded.
She took out her own phone: "Grandpa, I do."