A simple A2 / HSK 2 story about a Chinese family and their friends celebrating the calendar New Year (December 31–January 1) in the city, with food, fireworks, and wishes for the new year.
LEVEL/WORDCOUNT: HSK 2 / ~500 words
Excercises fully in english is difficult, put english questions next to the fully in chinese ones MC table needs an empt row between the answers
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今天是新年前一天，张雷和他的家人在城市里很忙。妈妈在厨房做饭，爸爸在客厅打扫。妹妹在房间收拾衣服，因为明天他们要去朋友家过新年。
下午，张雷跟朋友去商场买东西。商场里有很多红色灯笼和彩灯。每家商店的门口都有一个大的新年牌子。牌子上写着“新年快乐”。人很多，大家都很高兴。
张雷想给妈妈买一件新衣服，也想给妹妹买礼物。他看见一件红色的连衣裙，很漂亮，也很便宜，就给妹妹买了。给妈妈，他买了一件蓝衣服，因为妈妈喜欢蓝色。
晚上，城市的大街上有很多人。路灯和大屏幕都亮起来了。有的人在跳舞，有的人在唱歌，还有的人在拍照片。天上有星星，大家都等夜里十二点。
爸爸带着全家去朋友家。朋友家离他们家不远，走路只要十分钟。在路上，大家一边走一边说话，谈明年的计划。
到了朋友家，门已经开着，里边传来香味儿和笑声。朋友们已经到了，大家一起坐在桌子旁边。桌子上放着很多菜，有饺子、面条、牛肉和水果。
大家边吃边聊天。有的人在看电视，有的人在玩游戏。电视上在播放新年晚会。妹妹特别喜欢跳舞，所以她跟朋友一起跳舞。
快要十二点了，大家都出去看烟花。同时，市中心的大钟开始报鸣。大家一起倒数：“十、九、八……”到“零”的时候，天上充满彩色的烟花，大家一起叫：“新年快乐！”
这个时候，张雷给妈妈、爸爸和妹妹每人一个小礼物。他说：“谢谢你们一年来的照顾，希望明年大家身体健康，学习更好。”家人听到以后都很感动。
回家的路上，城市已经比刚才安静多了。路边还能看见商店的灯光和一点烟花的烟。张雷觉得今天很特别，因为他不仅跟家人、朋友一起过新年，还写下了自己的心愿。
到家以后，他把新年卡片放在书桌上，上面写着：“努力学习，多陪家人，做个好朋友。”他笑着关灯睡觉了，希望新一年会更美好。
New Year in the City
Today is the day before New Year, and Zhang Lei and his family are very busy in the city. Mum is cooking in the kitchen, Dad is cleaning the living room, and little sister is tidying her clothes in the bedroom because tomorrow they will go to a friend’s home to celebrate the New Year together.
In the afternoon, Zhang Lei goes to the mall with his friend to shop. There are many red lanterns and colored lights in the mall, and at the door of every shop there is a big New Year sign with “Happy New Year” written on it. There are many people and everyone is very happy.
Zhang Lei wants to buy a new piece of clothing for his mum and also a gift for his little sister. He sees a red dress that is very pretty and also very cheap, so he buys it for his sister. For his mum, he buys a blue top, because blue is her favorite color.
In the evening, the streets are full of people. The street lights and big screens all light up. Some people are dancing, some are singing, and others are taking photos. There are stars in the sky, and everyone is waiting for midnight.
Dad takes the whole family to their friend’s home. The friend’s home is not far, only ten minutes on foot. On the way, they walk and talk at the same time, chatting about their plans for next year.
When they arrive, the door is already open and good smells and laughter come from inside. Their friends have already arrived and are sitting around the table together. On the table there are many dishes: dumplings, noodles, beef, and fruit.
Everyone eats and chats. Some people watch TV and some play games. On TV, a New Year’s Eve show is playing. Little sister especially likes dancing, so she dances together with the other friends.
When it is almost midnight, everyone goes outside to watch the fireworks. At the same time, the big clock in the city center starts to strike. Everyone counts down together, and when they reach zero, the sky is full of colorful fireworks and they all shout “Happy New Year!”
At that moment, Zhang Lei gives a small gift to his mum, dad, and little sister. He thanks them for taking care of him during the year and hopes that next year everyone will be healthy and that his studies will be even better. His family feel very moved after hearing this.
On the way home, the city is already quieter than before. On the sides of the road they can still see the lights from the shops and a little smoke from the fireworks. Zhang Lei feels that today is very special, because he not only celebrated the New Year with family and friends, he also wrote down his own wishes.
After arriving home, he puts a New Year card on his desk. On it he writes: “Study hard, spend more time with family, and be a good friend.” Smiling, he turns off the light and goes to sleep, hoping that the new year will be even better.
Audio help
How to Use the Audio
The audio is designed to help you improve your Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:
- Before reading the text: Listen first to practice understanding spoken Chinese. This helps you focus on pronunciation, rhythm, and listening comprehension without relying on written characters.
- After reading the text: Listen again to compare your own pronunciation with the native speaker. This helps you improve speaking skills, pronunciation, and fluency.
Listening regularly with and without the text will strengthen both your comprehension and speaking abilities in Chinese.
Vocabulary
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 新年 | xīnnián | New Year |
| 城市 | chéngshì | city |
| 家人 | jiārén | family members |
| 朋友 | péngyou | friend |
| 商场 | shāngchǎng | shopping mall |
| 礼物 | lǐwù | gift |
| 新衣服 | xīn yīfu | new clothes |
| 便宜 | piányi | cheap |
| 高兴 | gāoxìng | happy |
| 烟花 | yānhuā | fireworks |
| 晚会 | wǎnhuì | evening party, gala |
| 健康 | jiànkāng | healthy |
| 学习 | xuéxí | to study |
| 计划 | jìhuà | plan |
| 特别 | tèbié | special; especially |
Grammar
一边…一边… — expressing two actions happening at the same time.
Example from the story: “大家一边走一边说话。” (Everyone walks and talks at the same time.)
快要…了 — something is about to happen soon.
Example: “快要十二点了。” (It is almost twelve o’clock.)
因为…所以… — expressing cause and effect.
Example: “因为明天他们要去朋友家过新年，所以妹妹在房间收拾衣服。” (Because tomorrow they will go to a friend’s home to celebrate New Year, little sister is tidying her clothes in the room.)
Idiomatic Expressions
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 边吃边聊天 | biān chī biān liáotiān | to eat and chat at the same time |
| 新年快乐 | xīnnián kuàilè | Happy New Year |
| 回家的路上 | huí jiā de lùshang | on the way home |
Cultural Insights
- Many people in Chinese cities now celebrate the calendar New Year (December 31–January 1) with countdown events, fireworks, and parties, similar to other places in the world.
- Students and families often make wishes for the new year, such as doing better in studies and spending more time together, which is an important value in Chinese culture.
10 Questions
- 新年前一天，张雷的家人做什么？（答案）
- 下午张雷跟谁去商场？（答案）
- 商场里有什么新年的装饰？（答案）
- 张雷给妹妹买了什么？（答案）
- 为什么他给妈妈买蓝色的衣服？（答案）
- 朋友家的桌子上有什么吃的？（答案）
- 妹妹在新年晚会的时候做什么？（答案）
- 快到十二点的时候，大家做什么？（答案）
- 新年到了以后，张雷对家人说了什么？（答案）
- 张雷在新年卡片上写了哪三件事？（答案）
Multiple Choice
| 1. 新年前一天，妹妹为什么收拾衣服？ a) 因为要去学校 b) 因为明天要去朋友家过新年 c) 因为要去旅游 （答案） | 2. 张雷在哪儿给家人买礼物？ a) 在学校 b) 在商场 c) 在朋友家 （答案） |
| 3. 晚上大家为什么出去？ a) 去买东西 b) 去看电影 c) 去看烟花 （答案） | 4. 新年倒数结束以后，天上有什么？ a) 下雨 b) 彩色的烟花 c) 很多鸟 （答案） |
| 5. 回家的路上，城市怎么样？ a) 比刚才更热闹 b) 和刚才一样 c) 比刚才安静多了 （答案） | 6. 张雷在新年卡片上没有写哪一件事？ a) 努力学习 b) 多看电视 c) 多陪家人 （答案） |
True or False
- 新年前一天，张雷的家人都在外面吃饭。（答案）
- 商场里有写着“新年快乐”的牌子。（答案）
- 张雷给妹妹买了一件蓝色的连衣裙。（答案）
- 朋友家的桌子上有饺子和水果。（答案）
- 新年到了的时候，大家一起倒数和看烟花。（答案）
- 张雷希望新的一年里，他可以多陪家人。（答案）
Retell the Story
用你自己的话写这个故事。
你可以先写新年前一天家人在家里做什么，然后写下午在商场看到的东西和买的礼物。接着说晚上去朋友家吃饭、看晚会，最后写倒数、新年愿望和回家的感受。
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