Intermediate
Boy Runs Away from Homework
Boy Runs Away from Homework
Look at the picture
Read the questions
Think about the topic
Pre-Reading Questions
What would you do if homework became too difficult for you to handle?
Have you ever considered running away from home?
Where did the boy live?
This is a true story about a boy who ran away to escape the stress of too much homework.
Read and Pronounce
(Your tutor will listen and give help with pronunciation.)
A 10-year-old boy stowed away on a train and ran away from home in China – because he had too much homework.
Xu Zhiqiang, 10, from Cili town, Hunan province, ended up thousands of miles away from home, reports Information Times.
He said he could not cope with the amount of homework he was expected to complete during the one month winter holiday.
Xu said: “Each of us has to finish two thick books of homework. Take the mathematics homework as an example, it has 100 pages with all kinds of questions.”
To make matters worse, Xu’s mom found a mistake on one question and punished him by getting him to correct the mistake and copy the right answer 100 times.
Note: This is an excerpt. Click here to read the full article:
Read the text aloud to your tutor. Your tutor will listen and provide you with feedback.
Discuss Talking Points from this Lesson
Do you think that kids nowadays have too much pressure to perform well in school?
Was this boy’s mother too harsh in giving punishment?
In your country, would it be safe for a child to travel alone on a train?
What would you do if your son/daughter ran away from home?
Describe a situation that was difficult for you to cope with. How did you handle it?
Tell about a time when you were lost. What did you do in that situation?
If you were lost in an unfamiliar city, how would you find your way home?
Role Play with you Tutor
You are in an unfamiliar city and want to find the post office. Ask your partner for directions.
Your child is lost at a large train station or public place. Ask your partner to help you find him/her.
You are having difficulty with mathematics. Ask a friend to help you with your homework.
Your mother gives you too much pressure to get good grades. Talk to a friend about the problem.
Imagine yourself in a difficult situation. Discuss with a partner your plans to escape.