Describe a person who visited you/ a time when someone visited you
You should say:
Who the person was
When the person visited you
and explain how you felt about the visit.
Sample:
Well, I have entertained a lot of friends and relatives at my home. But I'd like to talk about a small boy who came to visit me months ago. He was so
naughty that he impressed all of my families.
Being one of my nephews, he is four years old and is living in another city. So I had just seenhim once when he was still a little baby. On an evening in March, we received the visitby his parents and him. He caught our eyes at the first sight, for his eyes are very big. Like most children in his age, he had lots of energy and was curious about everything. After a long journey, he didn't show any signs of tiredness at all and went around all of our rooms
immediately after his arrival. Finally he decided to stay in my bedroom because there is a computer and some furry toys. To my surprise, such a young boy could play the computer game "angry birds" soskillfully. A moment later, being tired of my computer and furry toys, he enjoyed himself by playing with my green plants. He tortured the poor plants by ripping off the leaves from them. Fortunately, soon the dinner saved my beloved plants. After dinner, he began to sing and dance for us. We were all deeply attracted by his amusing performance.
Several hours passed by quickly, I really felt exhausted when I had to say goodbye to him. But I felt carefree with his company. Later I began to think it may be also a good way to relieve my pressure to be with such a lovely kid. Now I often miss his innocence and naughtiness a lot, and hope someday he will pay another surprising visit to me.
Sample2:
Two weeks ago, my niece paid a two-day visit to my home, which caused much trouble. My niece, Guaiguai, a six-year-old girl is lovely and talent. That day, my cousin called my mother up, and asked if my mother could help look after Guaiguai, for she went to go back home to look after her father who fell ill expectedly, and had been sent to hospital. My cousin decided to go alone as her parents were in another province. Her husband, however, just went out for business the day before, so she had no choice but turned to my mother for help, for it's impossible to find a baby-sitter in short time. My mother agreed. The day after Guaiguai arrived, she enjoyed herself with the snacks my mother prepared for her, and she busied herself with the various toys of my brother's and mine. She finally fell asleep by 5 pm. Then my mother got me to call my cousin to tell her everything was OK, so she wouldn't be worried. Hearing that, my cousin, however, still was not at ease, as Guaiguai had never been away from her for a single night since her birth.
Things happened as my cousin had worried. Guaiguai woke up at about 9 and kept crying until all my family were awakened. Though we tried our best to comfort her, she just didn't stop crying. At last, we had to leave her crying alone, and finally, she fell asleep again because of tiredness.
Early the next morning, she called her mother and told her how sad she was, being unable to eat well and unable to have a sound sleep, for she missed her mother. Fortunately, my cousin told her that her father would finish his
business trip ahead and would return to pick her up the following day. On hearing that, Guaiguai calmed down and enjoyed herself as nothing had happened.
We were relived to say goodbye to Guaiguai.
An occasion when visitors came to your home
Sample
Last week, my cousin with her husband and son who live in another city, paid a visit to my home before they went to attend a wedding party- of a friend of theirs the next day. The last time I saw them was during the Spring Festival. My brother and I drove to pick them up at the train station. My nephew Kimi. a five-year-old. was very active after the three-hour trip. The moment he saw us. he run to us and called us sweetly On the way to my home, the little boy looked through the window excitedly and kept asking his Dad about what he saw.
By the time we got home, it's just tune for lunch. Mum made a big meal for them, and Kim was so happy to eat the lobster, his favourite dish. On
finishing his lunch, he said loudly that the lobster cooked by Mum was the most delicious food in the world, which made us laugh. Then my cousin and brother-in-law decided to go to shopping mall to buy gifts for the party, but Kimi insisted on going along with them and even cried. To stop him crying, my brother took out a box of toys including a book about dinosaurs, which worked well. Kimi picked out some guns and played his favourite game with my brother as he always did when coming to my home. He made my brother to be a hidden robber and himself a policeman, and then they had a ‘gun fight'. He enjoyed himself running around the house to find my hidden brother. Mum stopped them and offered him some snack later. He then lay on the sofa and began reading the book. He's a big fan of dinosaurs and is never tired of reading anything related to dinosaurs. He's able to tell the names of
dinosaurs printed on the book: I however cannot read many of the names for they are obscure. About an hour later, he fell asleep for tiredness till his parents returned.
I treated them m a restaurant for dinner and we had a great time out. Early the next morning, they set for the party and Kimi reluctantly said goodbye to us.
PART 3: Discussion topics
1. How do people in China welcome visitors to their homes?
The host will wait at the door to welcome visitors, and lead them to lounge or dining room to have tea and snacks. Then the host will talk with visitors, making them comfortable and feel free.
2. In China, when someone is a guest in another person's house, in what ways should he or she express their respect to the host?
On arrival, as a guest, one will go to say hello to the host and the elder in the family; on leaving, he should say goodbye, which is basic politeness. Then if offered food or drinks, it's polite to take them and say thanks.
3. Should the guest offer help to the host?
No, guests are not expected to offer any help. In general, female of the host family will be in charge of preparing food, and male will entertain or have a talk with guests. If there are many guests coming for a party or visiting, the host will hireothers to help with food, and they themselves treat guests.
4. In China, when you have visitors, do you usually eat at home or outside the home(at a restaurant)?
Well, it depends. As usual, my parents will cook a meal to treat visitors and have snacks served at teatime. Sometimes, they may prepare days ahead to make a delicious meal for guests. But for me, as I don't have much
experience of cooking, I prefer to book a meal at a restaurant, so do people who are busy with their work, especially for those couples both working, which will save much effort and is convenient as well.
5. How do people entertain guests at home?
For adults, the host may spend some time to have a talk with them. And then the most common entertainment is card-playing as well as mahjong-playing, as almost everyone can do. For children, offering them video games, or computers will be no better choice.
6. In China, what do people generally do when they visit each other?
What people do differs. In general, talking is a common way if they haven't seen each other for a long time. On some occasions like birthday and marriage parties, people will give best wish to the host and enjoy the performances and activities on the party.
7. What do they talk about?
Well, as relatives or close friends, people will talk about something private, such as the changes to them, the problems happened and the result, happy and upsetting things they encountered, their jobs and their future plans. If people know each other through work or if they are not quite familiar with each other, they may talk about current news which is known to everyone, or they can talk about interests they show.
8. Do people in China treat different kinds of visitors in different ways?
People will treat visitors who are close to them more freely than those who are not. There's no doubt, if people know their guests well, they will talk about personal matters and do something they all like together. In contrast, treating those acquaintances, the host may politely start a talking which everyone can take part in, making them not feel lonely.
9. Is there much difference between having relatives visit and having friends visit?
Of course, in some ways, people will treat relatives and friends differently. With relatives, people can do things causally as they are so familiar with each other. While with different kinds of friends, people will do something special to entertain them and make them feel at home.
10. In your country, when people visit others, do they usually bring anything (as a gift) to give to their host?
On different occasions people bring different things and things change with time. Traditionally, when going to a birthday party, people will bring some eggs and noodles which mean a long-life wish to the person, as well as money put in a red paper pocket as a gift. But now, people no longer take eggs or noodles, instead,theywill buy toys for children, or nutriments for the elder. Other gifts like flowers or chocolates among friends are common now.
11. How would you welcome a foreigner who was visiting your home (or, who was visiting China)?
If a foreign friend comes to visit my home, I will wait for him/her at the gate of the community, for it may be difficult for him/her to find my home. On arrival, I will introduce him/her to my parents. After some rest and food, I will show him/her around my house and introduce something special here in China to him/her and have a talk. If he/ she has some interest in cooking, I can show him/her how to cook, do you like this?
12. And what do you think a foreign guest needs to pay attention to when visiting someone's home in your country?
We Chinese people are friendly and there are not so many rules at home. One thing foreign guests should know in advance and get used to is that food is served on plates and they should use chopsticks or spoons to get what they want to eat. At times, it is common for hosts to get food for their guests and to keep offering them food. However, more Chinese people know about foreign table manners, and they will leave foreign guests free to eat by themselves.