1 MAN1501 ASSIGNMENT 1

ASSIGNMENT 1 FOR FIRST SEMESTER (10% of final mark)

Due date: 20240223 23:00 / Unique number: 253656

The scope of this assignment covers Lesson 1 and Lesson 2. Please study the two lessons in
conjunction with listening to the provided audio recording carefully and completely before you do
this assignment.

This assignment includes voice recording tasks and writing tasks. Please convert your
completed written tasks into PDF format, then save them and your recorded files together in one
single folder, and then submit the folder. Should you encounter any difficulty in submitting the
folder, please either zip the folder and submit or try to submit the assignment files individually.

Lesson 1

Assignment Questions:

1. Open the provided audio recording to listen to the pronunciation of the following
initials and finals. Then, record your own pronunciation of the initials and finals.

声母 (shēngmŭ) Initials: 1) b 2) p 3) m 4) n 5) l 6) h

韵母 (yùnmŭ) Finals: 1) a 2) o 3) e 4) i 5) u 6) ü

7) ao 8) en 9) ie 10) in 11) ing 12) uo

Open Rubric
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2. 四声(sìshēng) The four tones: Listen to the pronunciation of the four tones in 1) – 13)
in the recording provided for this question, and then record your own pronunciation of
them. Pay attention to the four-tone tone marks that are placed over the syllables.

1) ā á ă à
2) nī ní nĭ nì
3) hāo háo hăo hào nĭ hăo
4) lī lí lĭ lì
5) bō bó bŏ bò Lìbō
6) līn lín lĭn lìn
7) nā ná nă nà Lín Nà
8) lū lú lŭ lù
9) yū yú yŭ yù (Pronounce yu as ü.)
10) pīng píng Lù Yŭpíng
11) wō wŏ wò
12) hén hěn hèn Wŏ hěn hăo
13) yē yé yě yè Yě hěn hăo
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3. 三声变调(sānshēng biàndiào) Third-tone sandhi: Listen to the provided recording for

the following phrases and sentences in 1) – 4) that include third-tone sandhi. Then,
record your pronunciation of them.

Tips: Third-tone sandhi

A third tone, when immediately followed by another third tone, should be pronounced
in the second tone, but with the tone mark “v” remaining unchanged. For example:

nĭ hăo: Pronounce as “ní hăo”.

hěn hăo: Ponounce as “hén hăo”.

Wŏ hěn hăo: Pronounce as “Wó hén hăo”.

1) Nĭ hăo

2) hěn hăo

3) yě hăo

4) yě hěn hăo
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5. Translate the following dialogue into English in writing, including the translation of the
speakers in the dialogue in writing. Submit your translation in writing.

Lù Yŭpíng: Nĭ hăo ma?

Lín Nà: Wŏ hěn hăo.
Lù Yŭpíng: Lìbō ne? Lìbō hăo ma?
Lín Nà: Yě hěn hăo.
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6. Write each character three times. The illustration for the order of writing the strokes of
the character is given to show you how to write. You don’t have to write each of the
steps. Just write three complete characters for each given character.

6.1 Write the basic characters three times each

一: one. This character is composed of one stroke. The numeral “1” in the first box
indicates the total number of strokes, that is, the total 1 stroke; while the other
numeral “1” in the second box indicates that it’s the first stroke.

八: This character has 2 strokes.

力: strength. This character has 2 strokes too. The 1st stroke starts horizontally, then
bends down to the bottom with a slight incline to the left, and then turns up to the left
like a small hook. Please ignore the tiny little line at the corner of the horizontal stroke
and the bend down stroke. It doesn’t belong to the 1st stroke but is produced due to
the influence of the computer system on the font used. The font was designed to
represent characters written with Chinese ink and brush. The 2nd stroke starts at the
top centre and falls to the bottom left.
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门: door. This character is written in three strokes. In the 3rd stroke, ignore the
tiny little line at the upper right-hand corner of the horizontal stroke and the bend
down stroke. Just continue from the horizontal stroke to the bend down stroke
and the hook.

也: too; also.

马: horse

女: female

五: five
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木: wood; tree. Ignore the risen thickness on the right end of the horizontal 1st
stroke. Just write the 1st stroke as a normal even line from left to right.

火: fire. This character has 4 strokes. The last picture shows the complete character.

6.2 Write the character appearing in the texts three times

林: forest, or used as a surname as is in this lesson. Ignore the risen thickness on the
right ends of the horizontal 1st and 5th strokes, which represents the end of strokes
written with ink and brush. Just write them in normal even lines from left to right.
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Lesson 2

Assignment Questions:

1. Listen to the pronunciation of the following initials and finals in the recording provided
for this question. Then, record your own pronunciation of them.

声母 (shēngmŭ) Initials: 1) d 2) t 3) g 4) k 5) f

韵母 (yùnmŭ) Finals: 1) ei 2) ou 3) an 4) ang 5) eng 6) iao

7) iou(-iu): Pronounce as “iou” despite abbreviating to “iu”

after an initial. For example, liù, qiú.
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2. 四声(sìshēng) The four tones: Listen to the pronunciation of the four tones in 1) – 14)
in the provided recording, and then record your pronunciation of them.

1) tā tă tà
2) mēn mén mèn tāmen
3) wō wŏ wò wŏmen
4) nī ní nĭ nì nĭmen
5) nān nán năn nàn
6) pēng péng pěng pèng
7) yōu yóu yŏu yòu nán péngyou
8) bū bú bŭ bù
9) máng măng bù máng
10) gē gé gě gè gēge
11) dī dí dĭ dì dìdi
12) hē hé hè
13) kā kă
14) fēi féi fěi fèi hē kāfēi
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3. 轻 声 (qīngshēng) The neutral tone: Listen to the pronunciation of the following

syllables that include neutral tone, and then record your pronunciation of them.

Tips: The neutral tone

A syllable that is unstressed and pronounced in a “weak” tone is known as the neutral
tone. The neutral tone is indicated by the absence of a tone mark. For example, 吗
ma， 呢 ne，们 men.

1) bàba 2) māma 3) gēge 4) dìdi

5) nĭmen 6) wŏmen 7) tāmen 8) hăo ma

9) nĭ ne 10) Nĭ nán péngyou ne?

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5. Translate the following dialogues into English in writing.

1) Bàba、māma hăo ma?

Tāmen dōu hěn hăo.

2) Gēge、dìdi dōu máng ma?

Tāmen dōu bù máng.

3) Nĭmen yào kāfēi ma?

Wŏmen dōu hē kāfēi.
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6. Write each character three times. The illustration of the order of writing the strokes
of the character is given to show you how to write. You don’t have to write each of
the steps. Just write three complete characters for each given character.

6.1 Write the basic characters three times each. Ignore the tiny little line that stands
outward at the corner of strokes.

丁: nail

刀: knife

又: again

大: big

口: mouth
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土: earth

六: six

不: no, not

尼: Buddhist nun

可: can, may
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6.2 Write the characters that appear in the texts, three times each. Ignore the tiny little
line that stands outward at the corner of strokes.