One of the best-known designs on British plates is the "Willow Pattern". Normally this kind of plates is kept only for important occasions when important guests come to dinner. The Willow Pattern Plate was based on Chinese designs, which is a mixture of different elements from Chinese designs. The first plates of this kind included a bridge with three people crossing it, a boat, a teahouse, a fence in the foreground and two songbirds flying overhead.

Behind the scene pictured on the plate is a very touching love story. Once there was a girl named Kun Xi, who was the daughter of a rich Mandarin. She fell in love with his father's gardener. Despite her father's strong objection, she still loved him deeply. At last the two escaped to an island. But the Mandarin and his servants followed there, and set fire to the hut where they stayed. The two of them were killed in the fire, but their souls were transformed into songbirds, which you can see singing at the top of the picture.

Step Ⅱ Writing (Page 38)

Activity 1 Complete the sentences about the story on Page 35.

Get the students to go over the story on Page 35. Make sure the students know how to write a coherent and fluent passage. Ask them to think it over, have a discussion in pairs and then ask two or three students to report their answers.

Suggested answers:

1) One evening the King of England was entertaining the ruler of a small island in the Pacific.

2) As soon as the Polynesian guest tasted the asparagus he remarked how delicious it was.

3) When the King found the Polynesia throw the hard part over his shoulder onto the floor, he said nothing.

4) Before long everybody else at the dinner was following his example.

5) At the end of the meal, the carpet was rather dirty.

6) In the end most people had to agree the king had been a perfect host, saving his guest and everybody else from the embarrassment.

Activity 2 Complete the sentences with at the end or in the end.