Question

Do you know what family instructions (家训) are? They are common beliefs (信仰) that family members follow. In ancient China, people passed down their family instructions from generation (一代) to generation.

Some schools in Zhejiang are encouraging students to learn more about their own family instructions. It is a part of students’ winter vacation homework to learn about their family instructions.

Meng Yao, 16, from Hangzhou Xuejun High School, looked at her family instructions. One of them is “don’t take the wrong way”, a piece of advice that has been passed down for 100 years. Her father told her how her grandfather stuck to his “right way”—to become an engineer. “It inspired (激励) me to go after what I love”, she said.

Shen Duanjie, 14, from Hangzhou Gongyi Middle School, has also benefited (受益) from his family instruction—“democratic and equal (民主、平等). It helps him get along with his parents.

The school has also published books family instructions—The Family Instructions of Zhu Xi and Family Instructions of Yan Clan. The books include short conversations and pictures drawn by students.

Gong Zhenyue, 14, drew pictures for one of the book. She was impressed (感动) by one instruction. It says that parents should not only love their children, but also educate them. “It made me understand why my parents are strict with me,” she said. She made it her own family instruction.

1.What are family instructions?

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2.Did all the students in Zhejiang have to learn about their family instructions?

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3.What do the students think of the family instructions? __________________________________________________________

4.Please make your own family instruction and explain your reason.

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Answer 1