The Mist of the Li River
Meiling clutched her wooden paint box tightly as the bamboo raft glided smoothly over the glassy surface of the Li River. For as long as she could remember, she had dreamed of painting the famous karst limestone towers of Guilin. These giant, green-capped mountains rose sharply from the earth like sleeping giants, their jagged shapes reflecting perfectly in the water below. Today, her grandfather, Ye Ye, was navigating his raft through the heart of this watery wonderland, giving Meiling her chance to capture their beauty.
She set up her small easel on the flat bamboo deck. She dipped her brush into the cool river water and began to mix her watercolors. She wanted to capture the exact shade of emerald green on the slopes and the deep charcoal gray of the limestone cliffs. However, as she tried to paint the first mountain, her hand shook. The lines on her paper looked stiff and heavy. They did not look like the majestic, floating giants surrounding her. They looked like giant, clumsy triangles. Frustrated, Meiling sighed and crumpled up her paper.
- Karst:
- An area of land made up of limestone that has eroded to create dramatic towers, ridges, and caves.
- Easel:
- A wooden frame used by artists to hold a picture or canvas while they are painting on it.
- Cormorant:
- A large, dark-colored water bird with a long neck that dives for fish.
- Shrouded:
- Covered or hidden from view, as if wrapped in a blanket of mist or cloth.
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Main Idea
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Purpose
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Structure
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What was Meiling carrying her painting supplies in?
- 2Where does the story take place?
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About this short story passage for Upper Elementary
“The Mist of the Li River” is a short story reading passage about Artistic Expression and the Landscape of Guilin, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (458 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.