Unit 3: Life Sentiments · Prose · Hong Kong Life Sketch
Unit 3 "Life Sentiments" collects several essays about everyday life. The unit explores the details, feelings and reflections in daily experience, guiding readers to appreciate the beauty in everyday life and learn to cherish what surrounds them.
The Truth of the Matter recounts the author's daily commute along a tree-lined avenue on Hong Kong Island. The avenue, lined with large banyan trees and phoenix trees, formed natural green tunnels that contrasted with the noisy city. Notice how the author describes the trees and what feelings the trees evoke.
The text opens with a recollection of the day the author moved house, describes in detail the avenue's green scenery, recounts the daily commute along the road, and reflects on how the avenue feels different from the busy city.
| Section | Content | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Para 1 | Moving house; first sight of the avenue | Recollection opening |
| Para 2 | Detailed description of the avenue | Scenery and feelings |
| Para 3 | Daily commute along the avenue | Transition |
| Para 4 | The avenue as a refuge from the city | Reflection |
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 遷居 qiānjū | qiān jū | To move house |
| 顛沛 diānpèi | diān pèi | In distress; living an unstable life |
| 豁然開朗 huòrán kāilǎng | huò rán kāi lǎng | Suddenly enlightened; heart cleared |
| 扶疏 fúshū | fú shū | Lush and airy (foliage) |
| 縱橫 zònghéng | zòng héng | Crisscrossing (roads) |
| 燈塵 dēngchén | dēng chén | Lights and dust of the city |
| 熙來攘往 xī lái rǎng wǎng | xī lái rǎng wǎng | Bustling with people coming and going |
| 幽居 yōujū | yōu jū | Secluded dwelling |
| 塵俗 chénsú | chén sú | Worldly vulgarity |
| 漸入佳境 jiàn rù jiājìng | jiàn rù jiā jìng | Gradually entering a better state |
| 戀葉 liànyè | liàn yè | Fond leaves |
| 稠密 chóumì | chóu mì | Dense, thick |
| 堅實 jiānshí | jiān shí | Solid, firm |
Through vivid descriptions of the avenue's greenery, the author conveys his love and longing for the avenue.
"fond leaves and flowers see me home all the way" — trees cannot literally accompany someone; this is personification, treating the trees as old friends.
The green avenue symbolises:
Through vivid descriptions of the avenue's scenery and the author's daily commute, the text expresses the author's love and longing for the avenue and its soothing effect on the spirit, guiding readers to appreciate the beauty in everyday life.
What does "豁然開朗" mean, and what does it describe in the text?
"豁然開朗" means suddenly becoming open and bright; it figuratively means a sudden moment of clarity or relief.
In the text it describes the author's feeling when seeing the avenue after escaping the city's troubles — a moment of relief and refreshment.
What does "扶疏" mean, and what does it depict?
"扶疏" means lush and airy (foliage). It depicts the dense yet well-spaced greenery along both sides of the avenue.
What writing techniques does the text use?
Main writing techniques:
What is the central idea of the text?
The text describes the avenue's beauty and the author's commute, expressing love and longing for the avenue and its soothing effect, guiding readers to appreciate beauty in everyday life.
What figure of speech is used in "the trees see me home all the way"?
The phrase uses personification — trees cannot literally accompany someone; this gives them human emotion.
Meaning: