黄河为什么是黄色的？
Why is the Yellow River yellow?
Name: ________________ Date: ________
中国有两条最有名的大河：长江和黄河。它们都从中国的西边开始，一直往东走，最后到了大海。
长江是中国最长的河，差不多有六千三百公里，是全世界第三长的河。黄河是中国第二长的河，有五千四百多公里。
黄河为什么是黄色的？河水一开始不是黄的。黄河中间会经过一个很大的地方，那里的土是黄色的，非常细。下大雨的时候，很多黄色的土就和雨水一起进了河里。所以，黄河的水就变成了黄色。
很久以前，很多中国人就住在黄河的两边，在那里生活。所以，中国人常常叫黄河“母亲河”。
你们国家最长的河叫什么？它是什么颜色的？
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 条 | tiáo | strip; slip (as in 纸条) |
| 走 | zǒu | to go; to leave |
| 长 | cháng | long; length |
| 开始 | kāishǐ | to begin; to start; beginning |
| 一起 | yìqǐ | together |
| 进 | jìn | to enter; to go in |
| 颜色 | yánsè | color |
| 有名 | yǒumíng | famous; well-known |
| 一直 | yìzhí | always; all along; continuously |
| 东 | dōng | east |
| 最后 | zuìhòu | finally; in the end; last; final |
| 河 | hé | river |
English (for the teacher)
China has two very famous great rivers: the Yangtze and the Yellow River. Both start in the west of China, travel all the way east, and finally reach the sea.
The Yangtze is China’s longest river, nearly six thousand three hundred kilometres, the third longest river in the whole world. The Yellow River is China’s second longest, at more than five thousand four hundred kilometres.
Why is the Yellow River yellow? The water isn’t yellow to begin with. Partway along, the Yellow River passes through a huge area where the earth is yellow and very fine. Whenever it rains hard, lots of that yellow earth goes into the river with the rain. That’s why the Yellow River’s water turns yellow.
Long ago, many Chinese people already lived on both banks of the Yellow River and made their lives there. So Chinese people often call the Yellow River the “mother river”.
What is the longest river in your country called? What colour is it?