These eight original questions practise the four skills in classical Chinese comprehension: word meaning, subjects, faithful translation and explaining a character’s action. Write your own answer first, then open the details box.
To add time pressure, use the timed original practice session builder.
Questions 1 to 3: word meaning and subjects
Question 1
Passage: 盗见犬吠而走，主人追之不及。 What does 走 mean, and what does 之 point to?
Answer
走 means “run” (the thief ran off). 之 points to 盗, the thief.
Translation: “The thief saw the dog bark and ran; the owner chased him but could not catch up.”
Question 2
Passage: 远客寄书至，母读之，泣。 What does 书 mean, and who does 读 and 泣?
Answer
书 means “letter”, since it was sent from afar (寄书至). 读 and 泣 both belong to 母, the mother, who read the letter and wept. 之 refers to the letter.
Question 3
Passage: 钱生见老妇负薪，前助之。妇谢，问其姓。笑而不答。 Name the doer of 助, 谢, 问 and 答.
Answer
助: 钱生. 谢 and 问: 老妇 (the new name 妇 appears). 不答: 钱生, the one being asked, who smiled and did not answer.
The skill is noticing that the subject changes at 妇谢 and changes back at the final clause.
Questions 4 to 6: translation
Question 4
Passage: 商人卖茶，其子在旁学之。 Who is 其子, and what is 之?
Answer
其子 is the merchant’s son (其 points back to 商人). 之 refers to what the father is doing, selling tea.
Translation: 商人卖茶，他的儿子在旁边学着做。
Question 5
Translate: 夜已深，灯犹明，书生将寝而复读。
Answer
夜已经深了，灯仍然亮着，书生正要睡觉，却又读起书来。
Small words: 已 (already), 犹 (still), 将 (about to), 复 (again). Dropping any of them changes the story.
Question 6
A student translated 客未至 as “客人不来”. What went wrong?
Answer
未 means “not yet”. 不来 means “will not come”, which turns a delay into a refusal. Correct: 客人还没有到.
Questions 7 and 8: explaining actions
Question 7
Passage: 渔人得大鱼，纵之入水。人问其故，曰：“鱼方怀子。” Why did the fisherman release the fish?
Answer
He says it himself: 鱼方怀子 means the fish was carrying young. The text links 纵之入水 (released it) with his answer.
Model answer: 渔人把大鱼放回水里，因为他说这条鱼正怀着小鱼，可见他不忍伤害它。
The closing inference, that he did not want to hurt the fish, comes from 纵 and 怀子 together. A claim such as “he was rich” has no support in the text.
Question 8
Passage: 童摘未熟之瓜，农人不怒，取熟瓜与之，曰：“熟者甘。” What does the farmer’s action show?
Answer
Before: the boy picked an unripe melon (未熟之瓜). Action: the farmer was not angry (不怒) and gave him a ripe one. After: his words 熟者甘 say that ripe ones are sweet.
Model answer: 农人没有责备摘了生瓜的孩子，反而给他熟瓜并说熟瓜甜，说明他宽厚，也温和地告诉孩子熟瓜才好吃。
If you got these wrong
- Questions 1 and 2: identifying common classical word meanings in context.
- Questions 3 and 4: tracing subjects and omitted information.
- Questions 5 and 6: translating a sentence without adding meaning.
- Questions 7 and 8: using context to explain a character’s action.
A teacher in online one-to-one Chinese tuition can set more passages for the skill you miss most.