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HSK 3 · Chapter 19 · 500 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-seventh-floor-episode-19-the-tin-of-letters

七楼 · 第十九天

The Seventh Floor, Episode 19: The Tin of Letters

Name: ________________ Date: ________

昨天晚上zuótiān-wǎnshang下xià大雨dàyǔ，乔安、宁宁níngníng和hé罗luó师傅shīfu跑pǎo上shàng七qī楼lóu，帮bāng邹zōu爷爷yéye把bǎ花huā搬进bānjìn了le小xiǎo房间fángjiān。后来hòulái，他们tāmen在zài旧jiù桌子zhuōzi后面hòumiàn找到zhǎodào了le一个yígè铁tiě盒子hézi。

盒子hézi又yòu脏zāng又yòu旧jiù，她tā想xiǎng打开dǎkāi，可是kěshì怎么zěnme拉lā也yě拉不开lābukāi。罗luó师傅shīfu试shì了le好几háojǐ次cì，终于zhōngyú打开dǎkāi了le。

宁宁níngníng马上mǎshàng跑pǎo过去guòqu：“是shì钱qián吗ma？一定yídìng是shì很hěn重要zhòngyào的de东西dōngxi！”

可是kěshì里面lǐmiàn没有méiyǒu钱qián，只有zhíyǒu纸zhǐ，很hěn多duō很hěn多duō纸zhǐ。是shì信xìn。

乔安小心xiǎoxīn地de拿起náqǐ一yì张zhāng。上面shàngmiàn第一dìyī句jù是shì：“孙女sūnnǚ，你nǐ最近zuìjìn好hǎo吗ma？”她tā又yòu看kàn了le几jǐ张zhāng，每měi一yì张zhāng都dōu是shì写xiě给gěi孙女sūnnǚ的de。

邹爷爷看kàn了le看kàn，声音shēngyīn一下子yíxiàzi小xiǎo了le：“是shì她tā的de字zì。”

罗luó师傅shīfu说shuō：“上面shàngmiàn没méi写xiě寄jì到dào哪儿nǎr。这些zhèxiē信xìn，一yì张zhāng也yě没méi寄jì出去chūqu过guo。”

邹爷爷慢慢mànmàn地de坐zuò在zài旧jiù椅子yǐzi上shàng：“我wǒ的de眼睛yǎnjing不好bùhǎo。乔安，你nǐ读dú给gěi我wǒ听tīng吧ba。”

她tā拿起náqǐ上面shàngmiàn的de一yì张zhāng，读dú了le起来qǐlai：

“今年jīnnián春天chūntiān，七qī楼lóu的de花huā开kāi得de很hěn好hǎo，红hóng的de、黄huáng的de都dōu有yǒu，很hěn香xiāng。你nǐ的de椅子yǐzi已经yǐjīng不能bùnéng坐zuò了le，你nǐ爷爷yéye说shuō不bù买mǎi新xīn的de了le。可是kěshì我wǒ知道zhīdào，他tā每天měitiān都dōu会huì看看kànkan那个nàge地方dìfang。他tā没méi忘记wàngjì你nǐ。”

他tā什么shénme也yě没méi说shuō，一直yìzhí看kàn着zhe那nà把bǎ新xīn椅子yǐzi。

宁宁níngníng看kàn着zhe那些nàxiē信xìn，小声xiǎoshēng说shuō：“我wǒ刚才gāngcái说shuō错cuò了le。这些zhèxiē比bǐ钱qián重要zhòngyào。”

最zuì下面xiàmiàn的de一yì张zhāng，字zì不太bútài清楚qīngchu，好像hǎoxiàng是shì最后zuìhòu写xiě的de。她tā慢慢mànmàn地de读dú：

“我wǒ身体shēntǐ不好bùhǎo，可能kěnéng等不到děngbudào你nǐ回来huílái了le。你nǐ爷爷yéye不会búhuì先xiān说shuō对不起duìbuqǐ，你nǐ爸爸bàba也yě不会búhuì。他们tāmen两liǎng个gè一样yíyàng。”

“这些zhèxiē信xìn，我wǒ放fàng在zài七qī楼lóu。我wǒ知道zhīdào，有yǒu一天yìtiān他tā会huì找到zhǎodào。老头子lǎotóuzi，如果rúguǒ是shì你nǐ看到kàndào了le这些zhèxiē信xìn，就jiù别bié等děng了le，先xiān给gěi孩子háizi打电话dǎdiànhuà吧ba。”

房间fángjiān里li很hěn安静ānjìng，只能zhǐnéng听见tīngjiàn外面wàimiàn的de雨yǔ。

邹zōu爷爷yéye拿出náchū手机shǒujī，手shǒu一直yìzhí在zài动dòng。过guò了le很hěn久jiǔ，他tā才cái说shuō：“可是kěshì，我wǒ没有méiyǒu她tā的de电话号码diànhuà-hàomǎ。”

她tā看kàn了le看kàn罗luó师傅shīfu，他tā点diǎn了le点头diǎntóu。

她tā拿出náchū自己zìjǐ的de手机shǒujī：“爷爷yéye，我wǒ有yǒu。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
后来hòuláiafterwards; later
旧jiùold; used; worn
脏zāngdirty; filthy
可是kěshìbut; however
试shìto try; to test
终于zhōngyúfinally; at last
马上mǎshàngright away; immediately
一定yídìngsurely; certainly; must
重要zhòngyàoimportant
只有zhíyǒuonly; only if; unless
纸zhǐpaper
信xìnletter

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.

  1. 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”.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Read and check 10 min

    Students read it alone, then tell a partner in two sentences of Chinese what it says.

  5. 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."