Nomadic life on the GoBi highlands

Period 13 - Unit 2: Life in the countryside
Lesson 5: Skills 1

Vocabulary:

+ dairy product (n): / 'deəri

sản phẩm sản xuất từ sữa

+ pasture (n) = grassland (n):

đồng cỏ

+ circular (adj):

có hình tròn

+ permanent (adj)

lâu dài

+ (to) drop:

giảm mạnh

+ cattle (pl):

gia súc

+ highland (n):

cao nguyên

Plaything

/ 'pleiθiɳ

. đồ chơi

Nomad

/'nɔməd /

dân du cư

Ger

Lều di động

Dairy product

Sản phẩm từ sữa

Cattle

Gia súc

Pasture

Đồng cỏ

Nomad

Dân du mục

1. Match the descriptions with the words/ phrases from the
passage.
Words/ Phrases
1. a ger
2. dairy products
3. cattle
4. nomadic life
5. pastures

Descriptions
a. a life on the move
b. a circular tent in which Mongolian nomads
live
c. grasslands
d. milk, butter, cheese
e. cows, goats, buffaloes ...

2. Quickly read the passage and choose the most suitable heading A, B, or C
for each paragraph.

NOMADIC LIFE ON THE
GOBI HIGHLANDS

A. Nomadic children's lives
B. The importance of cattle to the nomads
C. The nomads' home

1. ________________________________________
B. The importance of cattle to the nomads

We don't live a normal life like many other people. We live a nomadic life. This means we move
two or three times a year to look for new pastures - grasslands - for our cattle. The cattle provide
most of our needs: dairy products, meat, and clothing.
2. ______________________________________
C. The nomads' home
We live in a ger, our traditional circular tent. It keeps us cool in summer and warm in winter,
even when the temperature drops to -50°C. It can be put up then taken down and transported.
3. ______________________________________
A. Nomadic children's lives
For most of the year, we are surrounded by vast pastures, rivers and mountains. We see few
people from the outside world. When we are small, we play on our land and with the animals.
The horse is our best friend. Any nomadic child can ride a horse. We learn from an early age to
help in the family, from household chores to heavier work like herding the cattle. We also learn
to be brave.

3. Read the passage again and choose the best answer A, B,
C, or D.
1.
A.
B.
C.
D.

We live __________ other people.
a different life to
similarly to
the same life as
in exactly the same way as

2.
A.
B.
C.
E.

We have to move in order to __________. This means we move two or
change our lifestyle
three times a year to look for
look for better weather
new pastures - grasslands look for food for our cattle
for our cattle.
be closer to the city

3.
A.
B.
C.
F.

Our cattle can provide us with __________.
The cattle provide most of
most of our needs
our needs: dairy products,
food only
meat, and clothing.
means of transport only
anything we want

We don't live a normal life like
many other people.

It can be put up then taken
down and transported.

4.
A.
B.
C.
D.

When we move to a new place, we __________.
have to make a new ger
put up the ger
buy a new ger
share a ger with our neighbours

5.
A.
B.
C.
E.

Nomadic children __________.
play the same games as other children in the world
use nature and their animals as playthings
do not like toys
spend all their time helping with housework

6.
A.
B.
C.
D.

Mongolian children in the Gobi learn __________.
to ride a goat
to live in the mountains
to be generous
to help with household chores

It keeps us cool in
summer and
warm in summer.

SPEAKING

4. Work in pairs: Interview your partner to find out what
he/ she likes/ doesn't like about the life of the nomads.
I like …..

I don't like ……

Children learn to ride a
horse

It's very hot in summer
and very cold in winter

Children play on vast
pastures

They have to move two
or three times a year.

Example:
A:  What do you like about their nomadic life?
B:  Well, the children learn to ride a horse.
A:  And what don't you like about it?
B:  They can't live permanently in one place.

a horse

a camel

a tent

ride

put up

the cattle

the buffaloes

a pole

hay

herd

water

collect

wild flowers

apples

pick

5a. Work in pairs. Discuss and find.
- two things you like about life in the countryside
- two things you don't like about life in the countryside
I like …..

I don't like ……

Picking fruit in the summer

Because …….
Hard work but satisfying

Swimming in the river

5b. Report your findings to the class.
Example:
Both of us love picking fruit in the summer.
It can be hard work but very satisfying.

Dangerous

HOMEWORK
 Copy

down & Learn by heart the new words.

 Be ready for SKILLS 2.
 Do exercises in workbook.