ehapter $ Des«ifuimg 53

Fact
Martha's Vineyard Nantucket
Where the movie Jawswas filmed /
Located seven miles off the Massachusetts
coast
Once the "Whaling Capital of the World"
First African-American resort (Oak Bluffs)
Old mill that still grinds corn
Rose-covered cottages in Sconset
Oldest working carousel
Where red clothing is popular
"Little Gray Lady in the Sea"
Lighthouses and cliffs at Gay Head

Discussion. After ,vou rvatch the video, discuss these questions with your class-
mates or teacher.

1. What makes Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket different from other vacation
places in the United States?
2. What other places in the United States are known as living museums?
3. What kinds of places would you like to visit on vacation?

Readaatg

Discuss this question with your classmates or teacher.

1. Look at the map in Appendix A, pages 202-203. Find Europe and draw in the
Czech Republic. What do you know about this country?

ffieodnrag

Ou¡s'eottage
by Renata Strakova
This essay was written by Renata Strakova, who is studying Human
Performance and Health Promotion at the University of New Orleans.
She is also on the track team. She wrote this essay when she was a stu-
dent in an ESL class.

When I was small, I used to go with my parents and older brother to

our cottage every weekend. I spent most of my weekends and vacations
there, and I developed a strong feeling for this place and its location. Our
54 Detrc§aping eampasition Skil;ss

cottage was about fifteen minutes from the nearest village. About c-=
hundred meters below the cottage there was a tall forest of dark gre:-
a kind of spruceo trees. On the left side there was a hill with two meadows ti=.
evergreen tree
were separated by a thin line of trees. On the right side were fields th=
had different crops every year, like potatoes or wheat. I loved these n¿:-
ural surroundings. The forest, nreadows, and fields made a peaceful a'-
beautiful view harmonious panorama.o Inot only liked nature there; lalso liked th=
house. Specifically, I liked the living room on the first floor because it r¡,,,
the place where my family was together most of the time. My family ,
very important to me and I cannot see the room without my fam .,

nosta lgic inside. I miss it for sentimentalo reasons.

ln the room were a wooden sofa with dark red cushions, a coffe=
table, and three armchairs. These things had been in our house befcr:
my parents brought them to the cottage. They were old and worn, bu:
comfortable. There was a worn red carpet on the floor that was almos:
the same color as the sofa. ln the corner was a small table with an o :
black and white TV. We didn't use it very often when we were at thr
cottage, but it was nice to have it there. lt also had come from ou"
house. On the left wall there was an old wooden cupboard. The tcc
part had glass doors. lnside on the shelves were antiques and souvenirs
from our family. The bottom part had wooden doors, and we kep:
foot-powered clothes in it. Next to the cupboard there was an antique treadle" sewinc
machine. lt had been my grandmother's. lt didn't work, but it was ¿
nice decoration in the room and it was a part of our family's history'
- Opposite to the cupboard there was a brick fireplace. I like to remem-
ber the times our family spent in this room, especially in the winter
when we used to sit together in front of the fire and talk and lister
to the sounds of the wind whistling outside.
household items The room was spacious and light. lt had n'rany antique heirlooms"
passed from older
people to their and decorations. The walls were white and covered with old pictures of
thildren and landscapes and old cottages. I loved them because many of them had
grandchildren
been in our grandparent's house. One of them, the one above the sofa,
was a picture of our cottage. My parents had asked an artist to paint it.
It looked exactly like the cottage. An arrangement of dried corn sat on
top of the cupboard. lt had been there for many years. The cupboard
held rnany of our family's heirlooms. Most of them were from my grand-
parents and great-grandparents. I especially remember a dark metal can-
complicated, delabra that held three candles. lt was very intricateo and fancy. There
heavily decorated
were also an old brown pottery vase, some ceramic mugs, and old dishes.
There was one other thing that I liked in this room. lt was a large glass
area rruith table door in the wall opposite to the entrance door. From the glass door, there
and chairs beside a was a very nice view of the grass terrace,o and you could go there di-
house
rectly from the living room. At the end of the terrace opposite to the
 E-:

f
ehagater @ ffi*scribimE 55

glass door, my mother had a rock garden with many different types and
colors of flowers planted around some pretty rocks. The terrace had a
area covered.with beautiful green lawn.o lt was always trimmed and neat because my fa-
g rass
ther mowed it every week. ln the summer, we always had a table and a
garden umbrella on the terrace and ate our lunch there. We enjoyed
being together and looking at the peaceful scene.
I liked the time spent in our cottage. I remember how my father
worked hard to build this cottage. I cannot forget all the energy that my
parents spent in fixing it up. That is why all of us considered the cottage
our special place. lt was a part of our lives.

Comprehension. Answer the following questions.

1. Where is the cottage located?

2. What surrounds the cottage?
3. U/hat furniture is in the living room? How is it arranged?
4. What heirlooms and decorations are in the living room? Where are they?
5. Name two places where the writer's family used to sit.
6. \4/hy did the writer like this place?
7. How did it make her feel?

I Discussion. Discuss these questions with your classmates or teacher.

1. What part of the writer's description do you like the best? Why?
I 2. Doés the description of this cottage remind you of a place that is special for
your family? If so, describe the place you remember. If not, describe another
place you used to visit.

NOTE: If you want to read another description of a place, read Jung Chang's
, description of her middle school in China on pages 68-69.
I

I
Fa"ep ar"isag t0 \Mr"ste

i/ilritlmg aborxt a Fnaee lm the Fast

Foearsing on a Dominant trmpression
L To describe is to tell what something looks like. When a writer describes a
place, the writer tries to create a picture in words, so that the reader can see the
place.
A writer must look carefully and closely at something to describ.e it accurately.
This ability to observe and describe precisely is important in academic writing and
in professional writing.
56 ffievefa¡simg €nmpasition Sk¡dfs

In descriptive writing, the main idea is often a dominant impression. A c: -

inant impression is the main effect or impression the place has on the writer, l..

writer focuses on that impression and tries to communicate it to the reader. --

"Our Cottage," the writer is sentimental about this place because it reminds he: -
her family and the times they spent there. She tries to show how special the c,::-
tage was to her and her family.

ACTIVITY 3-1 Foilowing are some places that you have known.
l. your old bedroom
2. the kitchen of your childhood house
3. your first classroom
4. a parkyou used to visit

Choose one of the places listed above and do üe following.

1. Freewrite about the place (see Appendix B, page 206).
2. Read your freewriting.
3. What is your dominant impression of the place? Write it here:

The topic sentence for a descriptive paragraph should give the topic (the
place you are describing) and the controlling idea (the dominant impression,
idea, or attitude). It should be narrowly focused and it should be inviting to the
reader. Look at the topic sentences below. Which one is more focused and
interesting?

Our kitchen was a comfortable place.

The old oak table in our kitchen was the center of our family life.

ACTIVITY 3-2 Look at the dominant impression you wrote in Activity 3-1. Use
the dominant impression as a controlling idea and write a focused and interest-
ing topic sentence. write it here:

Supporting with Descriptive Details

In descriptive writing, the writer supports the dominant impression with de-
scriptive details. Descriptive details are concrete and specific. They are words that
appeal to one of our five senses-sight, smell, touch, taste, or hearing.
 Chapter @ Desaríbing 57

USING SPECIFIC DETAILS

GENERAL SPECIFIC

The chair in my bedroom was comfortable The worn green chair fit my body
exactly.

The lake was pretty, The turquoise lake shimmered in the

morning sunlight.
The flowers smelled wonderful. The creamy white gardenias gave off a

heary perfume.

It was windy. The wind howled around the corner

of the house.

The park benches were rough. The old concrete park benches
scraped the skin off my legs.

ACTIVITY 3-3 Read the following sentences. Underline the concrete details and
tell which senses they appeal to.
I
1. About one hundred meters below the cottage, there was a tall forest of dark
green spruce trees.
2. On the left side, there was a hill with two meadows that were separated by a
thin line of trees.
3. On the left wall, there was an old wooden cupboard. The top part had glass
doors. The bottom part had wooden doors.
4. I like to remember the times our family spent in this room, especially in the
winter when we used to sit together in front of the fire and talk and listen to
the sounds of the wind whistling outside.
5. The terrace had a beautiful green lawn. It was always trimmed and neat be-
cause my father mowed it every week.
6. The cracked concrete birdbath in our bac§ard, which tilted slightly to the left,
was usually filled with old rainwater, soggy oak leaves, and green moss.
7. Little brown sparrows used to dart out of the bushes, turn their heads quickly
from side to side, and take a few sips of the mur§ water.
8. A raucous blue jay would dive down out of the oak tree, screeching at the spar-
rows, which would flitter away with little squawks.

ACTIVITY 3-4 Use the topic sentence you wrote in Activity 3-2 and do the
following.
 58 Dewe§aping earmpasítaam 5§<i§§s
I
l,l 1. Make a list of details with sense appeal to support that topic sentence.

i
:

2. Write complete sentences to support your topic sentence, using the details -.

your list.

A.

B.

C.

D.

Descriptive details should support the dominant impression. If you h" .

details that do not support your dominant impression, you can do the follolvin.

1. change your dominant impression (controlling idea)

2. take out the irrelevant details

ACTIVITY 3-5 Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that foIlor.,

lVly family used to spend two months every summer at a cabin i-

the mountains of Colorado. To me, the most pleasant spot at the cabi-
was the patio. The patio was small, but I liked to sit there and enjc.,
the view of the mountains. Both to the left and right, there were clif:;
that rose for hundreds of feet, almost straight up. There was also '
steep mountain to our rear, so that the cabin was enclosed on thre=
sides by mountains. To the front, as lsat on the patio, lcould see fc-
miles down the lovely valley between the two side mountains, Th=
weather was usually cool, and I enjoyed feeling the mountain breezes
and smelling the scent of the sprucé trees. Hummingbirds would f ly i'
and drink nectar from the flowers around the patio. Chipmunks an:
raccoons would occasionally come up to the patio, looking for foo:
(we never fed them, but they were cute to look at). The only probler
was the insects. Flies and small bees and gnats would start buzzin:
around my head almost as soon as I sat down. No matter how much
tried to swat them away, they would keep coming back. There wer=
also some disgusting bugs called "box-elder bugs" that crawled a
over the patio and chairs, and there were many ants too. Finally
 ehapter @ Deseribing 59

would get so irritated with the bugs that I would just go back inside
the cabin. They almost ruined the patio for me.

i. controlling idea of the paragraph?

'vVhat is the
2, Do all of the details support the controlling idea?
3. Suggest ways that the writer could revise the paragraph.
a. BeÑ is the writer's revision of the paragraph. She has added the parts in bold
print and deleted the parts crossed out. Read the revision and answer the
questions that follow.

My family used to spend two months every summer at a log cabin

in the mountains of Colorado. To me, the most pleasant spot at the
cabin was the patio. The patio, which was made of plain grey ce-
ment, was small, about 9by l}feet, but I liked to sitthere in a worn
wooden lawn chair and enjoy the view of the mountains. Both to the
left and right, there were huge red rock cliffs that rose for hundreds
of feet, almost straight up, There was also a steep spruce-covered
mountain to our rear, so that the cabin was enclosed on three sides by
mountains. W¡th mountains almost all around, I felt protected
and comfortable. To the fr.ont, as I sat on the patio, I could see for
miles down the lovely green valley between the two side mountains.
ln the valley were a series of ponds that shimmered and
sparkled in the sunlight. ln the distance was a mountain that
looked like it was covered with green velvet. What a sight! The
weather was usually cool, and I enjoyed feeling the mountain. breezes
and smelling the scent of the ipruce trees. Shimmering green hum-
mingbirds with red spots would fly in and drink nectar from the
white and red petunias around the patio. Tiny chipmunks and fat
raccoons would occasionally come up to the patio, sit on their hind
legs, and beg for food,
+eok¿L) I could spend hours sitting on the patio, sometimes
reading a book, but more often just drinking in the atmos-
phere. The enly preblern¡¡¡as the inseets' Flies and snrall bees and
gnats weHld start

m+
5. Did the writer change the controlling idea of the paragraph?
6. \{hy did the writer delete the parts crossed out?
7. \A/hy did the writer add the parts in bold print?
8. What parts did the writer add? Why did she add those parts?
,r --
60 -
I ffieve§apirag Carnpositian Skitls =
l

Organizing by Spatial Arrangement =

l

in descriptive writing it is often important for the readers to be able to ''j::

=
in their minds the place being described. To help the readers see the place. -. ,
writer must organize the supporting details according to a logical arrangem.:,'
often, in descriptive writing, this arrangement is spatial. In spatial organizatic:
the writer first describes one part of the place, then moves on to describe ano::..
part of the place, and so on. The writer thus shows the relationship of things
each other in space and guides the reader through space.

back

toP

bottom
front

l-

left right left right

ACTIVITY 3-6 Look at the revised paragraph in Activity 3-5 and tell how it is
organized.

ACTIVITY 3-7 Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow

When I was in Mexico, my family used io visit my grandmother

every two weeks. Most of the time, she was in the kitchen. I en-
joyed her kitchen because it was a warm, familiar place. To get into
the kitchen, we had to bend down a little because the door was
short. As soon as we got in, my grandmother, with a happy smile,
offered us chairs and began asking questions. when we were talk-
 __
r

Chapter @ ffiesa;ribing 61

ing to her, I enjoyed looking around her kitchen, which had the ap-
pearance of an old, traditional Mexican house. lt was all made with
natural resources. The floor was made of packed earth and the roof
was made of woven palms. The walls were interlaced poles that let
the light through. ln the corner on the left side of the door was
the fireplace where she used to cook, always using firewood. She
also had a cabinet adjacent to the fireplace, where she kept her
kitchen utensils. Near the cabinet was a small table where she washed
dishes. On the right side of the door she had another table and be-
side it was another cabinet where she put her groceries. These fur-
nishings were always tidy and they were always the same. Almost
in the middle of the kitchen by the ríght side was the dinner table;
this table was bigger than the others, having six chairs. The table
and chairs were very old and pretty; they were made of wood and
the chair seats were of woven palm leaf. We spent many hours at
this table eating traditional food and talking to my grandmother. I

always enjoyed the time I spent in her kitchen, talking, eating, and
looking at the warm, familiar place she had.
Amaya
-Victor

l. Underline the topic sentence of the paragraph.

2. Circle the controlling idea.
3. Underline the details that support the controlling idea.
4. For each detail, tell which sense it appeals to.
5. The writer uses spatial organization. How does he begin the spatial descrip-
tion?
6. After he is seated in the kitchen, what does he describe next?
7. What objects does he use to show the location of the fireplace, cabinets, and
small tables (to the right of . . . , to the left of . . .)?
8. What are the last objects he describes? Where are they?
9. Where do you think the writer is sitting as he looks at the room?

Sometimes in descriptive writing the writer uses order of importance to orga-

nize the paragraph. In this case the writer will begin with the most important item,
which is often something outstanding or unusual, and then go on to describe the
less important items.

ACTIVITY 3-E Look at the topic sentence and support you wrote in Activity
3-4. Decide how you would organize these into a paragraph. Then write the
paragraph.
62 &ewedopímg f:awapasit§an ák§lls

§Mricíarg

Writing Assignment tr' : Deseriptive

Now you are going to write a paragraph describing a place'

1. PREPARE TO WRITE.
You may choose one
A. First, think about a place you would like to describe.
of the toPics listed below.

A Private Place
A room in Your childhood house
A room in Your first aPartment
The Yard or Patio of Your old house

The view from the balcony of your first apartment

A special place where you played as a child

A Public Place
Your old classroom

The office where You once worked

A room in the building where you once worked

A park You used to visit
A church or temple you used to attend
A market You used to go to
freewriting about it
B. Get ideas about your place by drawing a sketch and
(seeAppendixB,pagesz}+z}s,foranexplanationandexampleofthese
methods)'
topic sentence'
c. Decide on a controliing idea and write an interesting

D.Choosedescriptivedetailstosupportyourcontrollingidea'
or order of
E. Organize your support by spatial arrangement
imPortance.

2. WRITE THE PARAGRAPH.

Remember your audience. Your readers do not

know what your place

looks like, so you must paint a picture with words'

I
ehapten, @ trueserufu,mg 63

3. REVISE THE PARAGRAPH

A. Ask a parrner to evaluate your paragraph using the paragraph

Guidelines,
or do it yourself using the Revising Checklist.

B. Revise your paragraph.

Faragraph Guidelines
l. write out the topic sentence and circle the controlling idea.
2. List the details the writer uses.
3. Does the writer have a clear topic sentence and controlling idea?
4. Are the details descriptive? Do they appeal to your senses?
5. Do all of the details support the controlling idea?
6. What details do you especially like?
7. What kind of organization does the writer use?
8. What part of the paragraph did you enjoy the most?
9. What part would you like to know more about?

Revising Checklist
1. Do you describe a place?
2. Do you have a clear topic sentence and controlling idea?
3. Do you use sensory details to support the topic sentence?
4. Do all of the details support the controlling idea?
5. Do you organize the paragraph by spatial arrangement or order of impor-
tance?
6. Is the paragraph interesting?

Usárag E aaaguage EffeeÉáveá v

Colae slc,m : Cc,cÍr.: r:t rrtg N *

='
t ni.s rL o ¡r D es erlp tlo;n
In writing description, the rvriter needs to show the relationship of things
in
space. Spatial relationships are often shown with key words that are prepositional
phrases telling where.

KEYWORDS

above facing on
across from on either side (of)
 64 #euedmgarmg €,arnprls§t§*m §k§lls

against on top (of)

along 1n outside

around inside over

at in front (of)

in the middle (of) separated by

behind inside supported by

below surrounded by

beneath next to surrounding

beside to the left (of)

between to the right (of)

under

Examples

About one hundred meters below the cottage, there was a tall forest of dark green
spruce trees.
On the left side, there was a hill with two meadows that were separated by a thin
line of trees.
Both to the left and right, there were cliffs that rose for hundreds of feet.
li

AeTru[Y 3"9 Read the following paragraph. Underline a]l of the prepositional
phrases that show location or direction.

My old classroom was interesting because three sides of the class-

ü
room were made of glass. I enjoyed sitting close to the windows
and looking at the view. On the left-hand side of the class, I could
easily see the football field. ln the mornings, it was full of students
exercising. There was an army camp in front of the playing ground
not far away from the school. lt was fabulous to see the soldiers
marching up and down the field, Farther in the distance, I had the
il
fl advantage of seeing the city of Nicosia. lt was enjoyable to see the
houses, the buildings, the hospital, and the river close to it. The view
from the back of the classroom was also panoramic. Close to the
school there was a beautiful park with many trees around it. Not
far from the park was a hippodrome for horse racing. Since I like
horses, I was interested to see the horses running in the hippodrome.
Farther in the distance, I could enjoy the view of the snowy moun-
tains. On the right side of the class was the road. I was always in-
terested to see the drivers in a hurry in the morning. Behind the
road was a thick forest, which was appealing during the winter. The
position of the classroom with its panoramic view made me feel like

l
I
:

Chapter @ Describing 65

I was dreaming. Although I was only a child when I studied in that

classroom, I will never forget it.
Andreou
-Andreas

ACTIVITY 3-10 Find a picture of a place in a magazine. Bring it to class. With a

partner, explain the location of the items in the picture.

Granamar Review
The following grammar points will help you write description. If you want to
review them, turn to the pages listed below.

Verb Tenses Page228

Past Tensefor Past Description Page 228
Simple Present Tense for Present Description Page 228
Sentence Structure for Location Page230
There + Be Page 230
Adverb/Verb/Subject Page232
Subject-Verb Agreement Page 232

Usirag the trmtermet

INTERNET ACTIVITY Many Web sites use pictures to give informa-

tion or add interest. Choose one of the places listed below. Use a
search engine such as Google, Yahoo!, or Excite to find a picture of a
place.

1. Go to a museum's Web site and find a picture of a painting that you like.
2. imagine that you are going to take a trip to your favorite city and you
need to find a hotel. Go to a Web site that lists hotels in that city and
find a hotei that shows pictures of its rooms. Choose the room you want to
stay in.
3. Imagine that you are going to take a trip to a place you have never visited be-
fore. You want to see what the place looks like. Find a picture of the place.
(Choose a specific place like Mount Fuji, Glacier Lake, the Pyramid of the Sun,
the Great Wall of China.)

Now do the following.

1. Without showing the picture to a partner, describe the place. As you de-
scribe it, ask yotir partner to draw the place on a piece of paper. In your de-
scription, Lrse connecting words to indicate spatial relationships, the simple
 66 Dev*§agaimg Campasituan iilll¡:§ifls;

present tense, sentence structures for locatior-r, and correct subiec. :

agreenren t.
2. \A4ren you have finished describing the picture, compare it with four par. :

drawing. How well did you describe the place?

3. Your teacher may ask you to write a paragraph describing the pictuie.

Freperis?g'üffi l¡frrte
Vt/a"rtiiag al-:,cut a9lan¿e iE eÉ?* Fl'es:r ,
: In the previous assignment, you wrote about a place you remembered i:.
your past. A writer can also describe a place he or she is currently ¡upili¿¡ i
:'

For exantple, a rlriter might describe a favorite room or view.

ACTIVETY 3-'¡'¡ Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that iol

The first thing we did as soon as we came to the U.S,A. abc-"

I

:": l two years a§o was to search for an apartment in order not to l , =
.

¡i "i,
with one of our relatives. After looking for one month to f '-
:

;1. a suitable apartment, I finally found the apartment where ',',=

have been living. lt includes a living room, three bedrooms, a--
i"
]lrr.

,.\|
i
a l<itchen. Probably the living room is my favorite room of all b.
,,,;
, I rl.,
:
cause we often gather together after we come home from work c-
I Iir' r,

,i1
'l ' school. lt is a comfortable room for our family. Entering the livir-:
I ill,,; I
il,'r,r,r room from the fi"ont door; we can see a new piano in the corne-
ll , .lrr

ll[r"r*r.
1. with a vase of colorful flowers on it. In the opposite corner stanc,
: 1., a Sony television, which I bought for my children to watch cartoo,-,
,r.l:,
and for us to see films and get the daily news. There is a so'=
j"j:,:' next to the piano, a loveseat beside the TV and also a low tab =
lrr:11. between them. This is a comfortable place to sit while we watch T.
.'l:.I
:r ¡l

i..
or talk. On one of the light blue walls is a tranquil picture of th:
i'r"t:rr. r sea. The floor is covered with a darl< red carpet, which my childre-
iike to play on. They also like to sit on it when they watch '1',
The large window is shaded by a light colored curtain, givin:
the room a soft, bright feeling. A ceiling fan with small lights ,
hanging from the ceiling; whenever the fan and lights are on, \.,:
can see dangling images, which are reflected from the furniture l-
the room. Generally, our living rcom is a place where we recerr=
our guests, gather together to discuss any topic, and enjoy our leisur.
time.
Doa-
-Bachvan
 ehapten @ ffieserib§mg 67

L Write out the topic sentence and circle the controlling idea.
2. Make a list of details the writer uses to support her dominant impression.

Writiaag

Wrltire g Asslgrnrale¡rt 2 : Desee"ip'cive

For this assignment, you are going to write a paragraph describing a place you
are familiar with now.

1. PRXPARE TO WRITE.

A. Choose a place that you want to write about. You may choose one of the
topics listed below

A room in your current house

Your dormitory room

The view from your balcony

This classroom
A place in the library where you often study
Another place on campus
A park you often go to

B. Get ideas about your place by using one of the methods given in Appen-
dix B.

C. Decide on a controlling idea and write an interesting topic sentence.

D. Choose descriptive details to support your controlling idea.

E. Organize your support by spatial arrangement or order of importance.

2. WRITE THE PARAGRAPH.

3. REVISE THE PARAGRAPH.

A. Use the Revising Checklist to evaluate your paragraph, or ask a partner to

do it.

B. Revise your paragraph.

lRe'rzisiia g Claeek.fl is'r.

t. Do you have a topic sentence that focuses on your dominant impression of the
place?
2. Do all of the ideas in the paragraph support the dominant impression?
3. Do you have enough support, or do you need to add more?
68 ffievelopíng Aow'tp*sit§on Skɧ§s

4. Is your support descriptive and detailed? Do the details paint a picture for - ,

reader?
5. Have you used spatial organization or some other logical method?
6. Have you used appropriate connecting words?
7. Have you used appropriate verb tenses?
8. Is the paragraph interesting?

Moa"e Reading amd Writing

fficmdimg

Fram W¡§d Swans: Three Daughters of e hsma

by Jung Chang

ln this reading, jung Chang describes the middle school she at-
tended in Sichuan province, China, in 1964, when she was twelve years
old. Today Jung Chang teaches at London University.

I loved the school from the moment I walked in. lt had an imposing
edges of a roof gate with a broad roof of blue tiles and carved eaves.o A flight of stone
stairs led up to it, and the loggia was supported by six red-timber
added to columns. Symmetrical rows of dark-green cypresses enhancedo the at-
mosphere of solemnity leading into the interior.
The school had been founded in 141 a,c. lt was the first school set up
Chinese teacher by a local government in China. At its center was a magnificent temple,
and philosopher formerly dedicated to eonfuci¡.¡s." lt was well preserved, but was not
who lived in
functioning as a temple any longer. lnside were half a dozen ping-pong
500 s.c..
tables, separated by the massive columns. ln front of the carved doors,
very large down a long flight of stairs, lay extensive" grounds designed to provide
building a majestic approach to the temple. A two-story teaching blocko had been
erected, which cut off the grounds from a brook crossed by three little
arched bridges, with sculptures of miniature lions and other animals
sitting on their sandstone edges. Beyond the bridges was a beautiful
something that is garden surrounded by peach and plane trees. Two giant bronze incenseo
burnecl to qive a
pleasant smell
burners were set at the bottom of the stairs in front of the temple,
although there was no longer any blue smoke curling up and lingering in
the air above them. The grounds on the sides of the temple had been
converted into basketball and volleyball courts. Farther along were two
lawns where we used to sit or lie in spring and enjoy the sun during lunch
breaks. Behind the temple was another lawn, beyond which lay a big
orchard at the foot of a small hill covered with trees, vines, and herbs.
 Chapter @ tseseribing 69

located here and Dotted a¡"oLlndo were laboratories where we studied biology and
there chemistry, learned to use microscopes, and dissected dead animals. ln the
lecture theaters, we watched teaching fílms. For after-school activities, I

joined the biology group which strolled around the hill and the back gar-
den with the teacher learning the names and characteristics of the dif-
ferent plants. There were temperature-controlled breeding cases for us to
observe how tadpoles and ducklings broke out of their eggs. ln the
spring, the school was a sea of pink because of all the peach trees. But
what I liked most was the two-story library, built in the traditional Chi-
nese style. The building was encircled on both floors by loggias, and the
outside of these was enclosed by a row of gorgeously painted seats which
were shaped like wings. I had a favorite corner in these "wing seats" (fei-
lai-yi) where I used to sit for hours reading, occasionally stretching my
arm out to touch the fan-shaped leaves of a rare gingko tree. There was
a pair of them outside the f ront gate of the library, towering and elegant.
take my thoughts They were the only sight that could distract meo from my books.
away from
Comprehension. Answer these questions.

l. Describe the gate.

2. What building is at the center of the school?
3. What is the temple used for?
4. What other buildings are on the school grounds?
5. What are some of the activities Chang participated in?
6. 't{here was Chang's favorite place? What did she do there?
7. How does Chang feel about this place? How do you know?

Discussion. Discuss the following questions with your classmates or teacher.

1. What kind of a person do you think Chang is? \,Vhy?

2. What part of the reading do you especially like? Why?
3. Do you have mostly huppy or unhappy memories of your middle school?
\ryhy?

T'opies for Dlseussion and Writimg

Your teacher may ask you to discuss or write about one or more of the fol-
lowing topics.

L A famous place in your country that does not exist any more
2. A place you visited that you had negative feelings about
3. A place you visited recently in this country
4. A rnysterious place
5. Your favorite movie theater