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Power of ‘Dougong’

 

江苏省南菁高级中学高中英语“读写结合”课题组  范克强

 

I. Pre-reading:

The Forbidden City is one of China’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting visitors worldwide each day. What do you think attracts so many visitors?

 

[VIDEO]

 

Reading task 1

 

Detailed-reading 

Task 1: Read the passage and then fill in the following blanks.

 

 

Reading task 2

1. What is the secret of the Forbidden City surviving over 200 earthquakes?

It used a centuries-old building method called 'Dougong'.

 

2. According to the article, what is dougong?

(1)Dougong – a centuries-old building method invented in China. (Para7)

(2) This is the name for special brackets on buildings. (Para 8)

(3) Dougong design is an important earthquake-resistant feature of classical Chinese structures because the framework changes in shape when under pressure. (Para 9)

 

 

Reading task 3

What's the significance of using dougong in traditional Chinese architectures?

As a centuries-old building method, Dougong is very common in ancient Chinese architecture. Its significance lies in that the brackets can be held together tightly without any nails or glue. Dougong design is both enduring and aesthetically pleasing and reveals our ancestors’ advanced understanding of mathematics, architecture, materials, and structural science.

 

Writing 

Task 1: 

Write a summary of the article and try to be as concise as possible.

This article mainly explores the design feature that’s kept the Forbidden City standing for all these years.

 

Task 2: 

An exchange student will take an great interest in understanding dougong after he visits the Forbidden City this upcoming National Day. Could you write several sentences to introce the extraordinary dougong. 

You can use the following expressions and attributive clause as much as possible. 

 

Useful expressions：wonder, survived, special brackets, earthquake-resistant, change in shape

 

Discussion and homework

In recent years, many historical buildings have been disappearing from Beijing. It’s reported that in the past 50 years, around 80 percent of Beijing’s siheyuan have been wiped out. 

Discussion: 

Do you think the government and public should try to preserve Beijing’s siheyuan? Please voice your opinion logically.

 

Transitional words and phrases

当谈论到··· When it comes to```

例如 take```for instance; for example

总的来说 in conclusion; in a word; to sum up

相反的是 in contrast; on the contrary

我认为；就我而言 as far as I’m concerned```; in my opinion; from point of my view

 

Discussion and homework

As far as I am concerned, old architecture is part of history. The ancient form of architecture is part of Beijing’s history and should be preserved as much as possible. There are hundreds of remaining siheyuan in Beijing of very high historic and cultural value, not just a few. If these were torn down for new developments, the city would lose an important part of its cultural heritage. In many other countries, ancient buildings, which are not necessarily of particular cultural or artistic value, are still being preserved with great care and cost, just for the sake of history. There are always alternatives for new developments in a big city like Beijing. In addition, a city needs old buildings, not just as cultural relics, but to show the young generations what their ancestors’ lives were like, and for those willing to continue to live as their ancestors did.

 

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