UNIT 3 PEOPLES OF VIET NAM

A. PHONETICS
I. Put the words into the correct column.
space sky guest crisp festivity
discuss transport pasture risky costume
instrumental mask spicy ancestor scout
stilt respond skirt despite schedule
/sk/ /sp/ /st/

I. Underline the words having sound clusters /sk/, /sp/ or /st/.

1. A tourist asked the tour guide where to try the speciality.
2. Xoi is our traditional food which is made from steamed sticky rice.
3. The ethnic people usually wear a basket instead of a backpack.
4. They speak their own language and have their own customs.
5. Most students in this school come from far-away villages.

B. VOCABULARY
I. Unscramble the words.
1. echtin _________________ 5. uuiqen _________________
2. umcost _________________ 6. ekabts _________________
3. esvdrei _________________ 7. walhs _________________
4. cestoum _________________ 8. cypaelisit _________________
II. Fill in each blank with a phrase from the box.

sticky rice stilt houses open-air market folk dance

terraced fields heritage site ethnic minorities communal house

1. ________ are houses raised on piles over the surface of the soil or a body of water.
2. Performed on happy occasions, mua sap is a type of ________ of some ethnic groups in Viet Nam.
3. The Space of Gong Culture in Central Highlands is the World Intangible Cultural _______
4. Made with different colours, this ________ is a beautiful dish of the Tay.
5. You can buy khan pieu at the local ________ which is opened at the weekend.
6. For Bahnar people, ________ is considered as the heart of their village.
7. Geography plays a major part in the cultural practices of many ________.
8. Having no flat land, ethnic people use hillsides to create ________ which look like staircases.
III. Choose the correct answer to complete the sentences.
1. Viet Nam has 54 ethnic communities, with Kinh people making up the ________ of the total
population. (majority/ minority)

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2. Tourists can find breathtakingly beautiful terraced rice fields in the ________ Vietnam. (Northern/
Southern)
3. Although their musical instrument looks ________, it’s hard for anyone to make one. (complicated/
simple)
4. Many ethnic kids can communicate fluently in body and ________ language but they can’t write.
(spoken/ written)
5. Thai girls often perform mua xoe - their ________ dances in spring festivals. (modern/ traditional)
6. You can’t find terraced fields in the ________ because the land is flat. (highlands/ deltas)
7. Most of Khmer people are farmers, and farming plays an ________ role in their economy.
(important/ insignificant)
8. Hunting and gathering are still some ethnic groups’ ________ ways of living. (basic/ developed)
IV. Choose the best answer to complete the sentences.
1. Hmong people’s clothes are ________ with different colours and patterns.
A. special B. elegant C. simple D. diverse
2. The Cham developed their ________ dance that reflects their traditions and culture.
A. folk B. modern C. public D. typical
3. Most ethnic peoples in Viet Nam basically live on ________.
A. cutting wood B. fishing C. rice farming D. hunting
4. For Thai ethnic women, the shawl or khan pieu is an important part of their ________.
A. style B. custom C. fashion D. costume
5. The Odu is not only a ________ ethnic group but also have the smallest number of people.
A. minor B. poor C. modern D. rich
6. Hoa Ban ________ of the Thai is annually held on the fifth day of the second lunar month.
A. Ceremony B. Festival C. Anniversary D. Celebration
7. The Viet have the largest number of people, and 53 others are called ‘ethnic ________
A. cultural groups B. majority groups C. minority peoples D. local peoples
8. Most of the country’s population mainly inhabit in the deltas and ________ cities.
A. secondary B. minor C. distant D. major
9. The Bahnar ________ is a special architecture that holds important events of their community.
A. stilt house B. museum of ethnology
C. communal house D. heritage site
10. The pattern on their dress is ________ because I can’t find it anywhere else.
A. diverse B. unique C. significant D. normal
V. Write the correct form of the word in brackets.
1. The dancers leading the procession were in colourful and elaborate ________. (costume)
2. Mu Cang Chai has drawn the attention of visitors with its striking ________ fields. (terrace)
3. The tourists ________ drank can wine in a jug, using a separate tube for each one. (communal)
4. Based on ________ languages, ethnic minorities in Viet Nam are divided into 8 major groups.
(speak)
5. They had some projects to promote Vietnamese cultural ________ through cultural values. (diverse)
6. Despite suffering from modernisation, Bac Ha market still retains its identity and ________.
(unique)

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7. Sa Pa is not only famous for its natural beauty but also best known for ________. (special)
8. Those ________ visited Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and looked for opportunities for cultural
exchange. (ethnology)
9. With their rich traditions, the Hmong contribute ________ to the country’s cultural diversity.
(significant)
10. They’ve made benefits of scientific advances for the growth of poor and ________ areas. (develop)

C. GRAMMAR
I. Write questions for the underlined parts.
1. I want to visit the Museum of Ethnology on the weekend.
___________________________________________________________________________
2. The Muong is famous for their traditional songs and folk dances.
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Hoa people mostly live in Ho Chi Minh City.
___________________________________________________________________________
4. They celebrate Lim Festival with traditional music performances.
___________________________________________________________________________
5. The architect Ha Duc Linh designed the exhibition building of the Museum of Ethnology.
___________________________________________________________________________
6. There are 54 ethnic groups in Viet Nam.
___________________________________________________________________________
7. The Nung has larger population than the Ede.
___________________________________________________________________________
8. The chapi is the Raglai’s musical instrument.
___________________________________________________________________________
9. Those men have to wear traditional ao dai to join in the ceremony.
___________________________________________________________________________
10. Ethnic people in this village always wear their traditional clothes in daily activities.
___________________________________________________________________________
II. Fill in each blank with an article a, an, the, or Ø for no article.
1. ________ oldest man plays ________ important role in ________ Si La village.
2. The Nung’s Lung Tung ceremony is always organized in ________ first month of ________ lunar
year.
3. ________ Dao is ________ ethnic minority group in ________ Northern Viet Nam.
4. Bru-Van Kieu people live in ________ small houses on ________ stilts near rivers or streams.
5. La Chi women have ________ tradition of weaving and ________ indigo dyeing.
6. The Bru-Van Kieu’s folk singing is ________ alternating chant between ________ men and women.
7. ________ year of the Lo Lo’s calendar has 11 months, and each month corresponds to ________
name of ________ animal.
8. San Diu people’s costumes have gradually adopted ________ Kinh style of ________ dress.
9. ________ Tay-Thai Group has ________ rich traditional folklore with all kinds of ________ poems,
songs, dances, and music.

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10. Ancestor worship is ________ religious rite of ________ Tay and many Kinh families.
III. Choose the best answer to complete the sentences.
1. _________ do the Hmong people raise? - Buffaloes, cows, pigs, and chickens.
A. How many cattle and poultry B. Which cattle and poultry
C. How much cattle and poultry D. What kinds of farming animals
2. Where can we find ethnic minorities’ open-air market? - _________.
A. In the north-west B. The Sedang C. At the weekend D. Once a week
3. The Nung people have _________ abundant wealth of folk arts and cultural activities.
A. the B. an C. a D. Ø
4. _________ are Dao women’s clothes decorated? - With traditional patterns.
A. Which B. Why C. How D. Whose
5. Co Ho people mainly live in Di Linh plateau of _________ Lam Dong province.
A. Ø B. a C. an D. the
6. A typical La Chi house has three apartments and there’s ________ altar in _________ largest
apartment.
A. an - Ø B. the - a C. an - the D. the - the
7. Why do ethnic people in the north-west region build the wheel on a stream? - _________.
A. With bamboo trees B. For a long time
C. Because it’s big D. To move water to their farm
8. Each Xo Dang village has communal house whose roof looks like _________ axe-head.
A. a - the B. the - an C. the - Ø D. a - an
9. _________ is it from the boarding school to the ethnic children’s village?
A. How long B. How far C. How often D. How much
10. The Ta Oi practice a slash-and-burn method of _________ cultivation and grow _________ wet
rice.
A. the - the B. Ø - Ø C. the - Ø D. a - a
IV. Choose the underlined word or phrase that needs correcting.
1. Lao men used to have a word and a animal tattooed on their wrist and thighs.
A B C D
2. What costume do you like better, the Hoa’s or the Kinh’s? - The Kinh’s, of course.
A B C D
3. Young Co Ho women plays an active role in marriage and their society.
A B C D
4. Do many ethnic minorities also celebrate Tet holiday as the Kinh people does?
A B C D
5. The main economic activities of Cham are rice farming and pottery making.
A B C D
6. How often do they usually go to Bac Ha open-air market? - Every Sunday.
A B C D
7. That terraced field has been one of the most beautiful terraces in the world, doesn’t it?
A B C D
8. Each Xtieng village is leading by an elderly man who is experienced in the community’s affairs.

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 A B C D
9. Young Khmer people often go to pagodas to study and improving their virtues and knowledge.
A B C D
10. Whose festival is the Ok Om Bok in Tra Vinh province? - It belongs to the Khmer’s.
A B C D
D. SPEAKING
I. Match the sentences.
1. Where is the space of Gong culture? a. Exactly.
2. Thank you for your help. b. On special occasions.
3. Join me for the Vietnamese custom project, will you? c. Never mind.
4. Is it true that Hmong people in Sa Pa speak English d. In the Central Highlands.
well? e. No, we can’t.
5. The Ma mainly live in Lam Dong province. f. Yes, it’s right up my street.
6. Do you know how to make yellow sticky rice? g. That’s interesting!
7. When do they wear their traditional clothes? h. Of course, I will.
8. Look at those terraced fields! i. How beautiful!
9. We’ll see folk dance performances in this festival. j. I see. How about the Coho?
10. Can we go to that village by bus?
II. Put the sentences into the correct order to make a conversation.
Exactly. Have you ever been there?
Who is Y Moan?
Is it true that you come from Dak Lak province?
Gongs are traditional musical instrument of the ethnic minorities. They are mainly played in the
provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, and Lam Dong. The space of gong culture
in the Central Highlands was recognized as a Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage of
Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.
OK. I’ll tell you more about them after school time.
1 Ms Xinh! May I ask you a question?
Well, Dak Lak is probably most famous for coffee industry and its distinct ethnic minority
groups. Dak Lak is well-known for gongs and it’s also the hometown of Y Moan.
Y Moan is an Ede singer and musician. He’s very talent and had performances in many
countries, but he loves a normal life at home.
Yes, of course.
No, I haven’t. Could you tell me a little about it?
How about gongs?
That’s awesome! I’d like to know more about the space of gong culture and ethnic minority
peoples.
E. READING
I. Read the passage and answer the questions.
The Hmong people are one of the major ethnic minorities of Vietnam, with a population of about
one million. Like many other ethnic groups, each year, the Hmong celebrates New Year with ritual
practices for the gods and celebrations among themselves.

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 The Hmong people celebrate their New Year festival following their own calendar. It usually falls
during the eleventh month of the Lunar calendar and lasts for at least fifteen days. However, it does not
have an exact date every year. The date of New Year’s Day is revealed some months prior to the
celebration, and the festival is organized rather subtly.
This is the most important festival of the year for them, symbolising the start of something new
and good harvest for the coming year. People from many villages gather together and share their
memories of the last year.
During the festival, there are various traditional musical shows that embody Hmong customs.
Women and girls dress up in traditional costumes, wearing silver necklaces and diadems. Some other
festive activities include tug-of-war and horse racing.
They join with the Vietnamese (Kinh) Lunar New Year about a month later, when all the
ethnicities also celebrate together.
- embody (v): tiêu biểu, biểu trưng - diadem (n): mũ cườm
1. How often do the Hmong people celebrate their own New Year?

2. How do the Hmong people celebrate their New Year?

3. When does the Hmong’s New Year festival take place?

4. Why doesn’t the Hmong’s New Year festival have an exact day every year?

5. How long does the Hmong’s New Year festival last?

6. What does the Hmong’s New Year festival symbolise?

7. Can we watch the Hmong’s traditional musical shows before their New Year festival?

8. According to the passage, which is shorter, a year following the Hmong’s calendar or a year
following the Kinh’s lunar calendar?

II. Choose the best answer to fill in the blank.

Located on a hill, 65 kilometers from Lao Cai city, Bac Ha market is the (1) ________ place to
learn about the life of the Northwest region. The market is divided into areas according to trading (2)
________ such as cloth market, horse market, poultry market, bird market, tool market, etc. Visitors
can find daily necessities and different kinds of cattle and poultry such as buffaloes, chickens, ducks,
birds, and hundreds of horses. Besides, this place is very famous for (3) ________, and the dining area
is also very wide. Each market is rich, (4) ________ and representing local ethnic identity.
Bac Ha market is also a place for cultural exchanges among ethnic groups. People always wear
colourful dresses to go to Bac Ha market because they also see this as a festival. It attracts not only (5)
________ but also domestic and foreign tourists.
1. A. idea B. ideal C. ideas D. idol
2. A. products B. names C. goods D. traditions
3. A. cuisines B. foods C. specialties D. dishes
4. A. complicated B. modern C. diverse D. poor

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5. A. villagers B. farmers C. tourists D. local people

F. WRITING
I. Write complete questions using the cues given.
1. Where/ Stieng people/ mainly/ live?

2. What/ be/ another name/ Hmong group?

3. How often/ ethnic children/ walk/ their village/ town?

4. Who/ be/ most respected person/ Xo Dang community?

5. Which/ place/ you/ like better,/ Dong Van/ Meo Vac?

6. Whose/ festival/ be/ Kate/ Ninh Thuan province?

7. Why/ groom/ come to live/ his wife’s house/ after the wedding?

8. How many/ stilt houses/ there/ be/ Co Ho village?

II. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first one.
1. Mountainous regions in northern Viet Nam are home to lots of ethnic minorities.
There are____________________________________________________________________
2. Let’s ask the guide for more information.
Why don’t we_________________________________________________________________?
3. Local people make beautiful traditional shawls.
Beautiful traditional shawls______________________________________________________
4. No other house in the village is as tall as the communal house.
The communal house is_________________________________________________________
5. The Ma people weave cloth very well.
The Ma people are_____________________________________________________________
6. How high is the mountain?
What’s______________________________________________________________________?
7. The Tay families live simply, but they enjoy their way of life.
Even though__________________________________________________________________
8. How long is it since you saw a folk dance performance?
When_______________________________________________________________________?