(2281 ) 4 Cheongsam: A Century-long Fashion Have you watched the movie In the Mood for Love? If so, what is the movie about? Have you watched the movie In the Mood for Love? If so, what is the movie about? Has anyone around you ever worn a cheongsam? If so, do you think the cheongsam looks beautiful? Why or why not? Has anyone around you ever worn a cheongsam? If so, do you think the cheongsam looks beautiful? Why or why not? 2 Pre-reading Scan the article and decide in which paragraph (1-8) you can find answers to the following questions: 3 SCAN AND ANSWER 1. When did the May Fourth Movement take place? 2. Who is Osmand Chan? 3. Who made the movie In the Mood for Love? 4. What is the original meaning of cheongsam in Cantonese? 5. When was the golden age of the cheongsam? Pre-reading 4 figure n. WORD BANK The man she passes,... cant help falling in love with such a figure of feminine elegance. While reading elegance n. feminine adj. 5 fascinate v. ignorant adj. evolution n. WORD BANK Chow is not alonelots of people seem to be fascinated by.... However, according to Osmond Chan, the assistant curator of..., most of them may be ignorant of the history and evolution of the dress. While reading assistant adj. 6 bride n. candidate n. must n. WORD BANK Many brides will wear one at their weddings. ..., a section featuring candidates in a cheongsam has been a must, said Chan. While reading feature v. 7 1. The company has __________ over the years into a multi- million dollar organization. 2. We all wonder how you always look so young and ____________. 3. I would have remained in ___________ if Shaun hadn't mentioned it. 4. Security was ___________ for the Queens visit. 5. He gave ___________ to me when I was in trouble. Choose an appropriate word for each sentence and fill in the blank with its proper form. evolved elegant ignorance tightened assistance elegance assistant ignorant evolution tight VOCABULARY EXERCISES While reading 8 Translate the following sentences into English. 1. (help) 2. (ignorant) 3. (feature v.) 4. (must n.) I cant help thinking about her accident. A credit card is a must for traveling around. The general public remained totally ignorant of the danger. The show features the work of local artists. VOCABULARY EXERCISES While reading 9 1. When did the cheongsam first come into being? A. During the Qing Dynasty. B. After the May Fourth Movement. C. In the 1920s and 30s. D. Not mentioned in the article. While reading COMPREHENSION Choose the best answer. 2. Which of the following statements best summarizes the differences between the cheongsam and the qipao? A. The Qipao was for men while the cheongsam wasnt. B. The Qipao was worn as a feminist trend while the cheongsam wasnt. C. The Qipao was the robe of the Manchu while the cheongsam wasnt. D. The Qipao is tight while the cheongsam isnt. 10 COMPREHENSION Choose the best answer. While reading 3. Why does Osmond Chan think the cheongsam can become a century-long fashion? A. Because its practical enough for the kitchen. B. Because its quite suitable for the living room. C. Because it looks beautiful on the wearer. D. Both A and B. 11 While reading COMPREHENSION Choose the best answer. 12 True, False or Not Given: While reading COMPREHENSION 1. We can infer from the article that the movie In the Mood for Love was set in a time after the 1930s. 2. Lots of people are fascinated by the cheongsam because it used to be a feminist trend. 3. The cheongsam was the same as the qipao during the Qing Dynasty. 4. We can tell from the article that the cheongsam enjoys a great popularity in todays Hong Kong. Therefore, its improper to call the dress a qipao, which refers to the robe of the Manchu, the ruling power of the Qing Dynasty. Some relative clauses are used to add extra information about a noun, but this information is not necessary to explain which person or thing we mean. These relative clauses are called non-defining relative clauses. Notice that we put a comma between the noun and a non-defining relative clause. When we use a non-defining relative clause to add information about a thing or group of things, we use which as the subject and object of the clause. 13 GRAMMAR TIP Language study 14 Translate the following sentences into English using non-defining clauses. YOUR TURN Language study 1. 2. 3. 4. His wife, whom you met at my house, is a teacher. This novel, which I have read three times, is very touching. Mary Smith, who is standing in the corner, wants to meet you. Beijing, which is the capital of China, is a very beautiful city. The cheongsam is one of the ethnic dresses of the Chinese. Are there any other Chinese ethnic dresses that you are familiar with? Share what you know with your classmates. 15 Question for further discussion: Hints: After reading Yes. The Hanfu is another popular Chinese ethnic dress. It is said that the Hanfu has a history of more than three millennia. It was worn by Han people from the Xia Dynasty all the way to the Ming Dynasty...