Category: Blog

My First Day Learning Chinese

Today I read a short story on the bus. I want to learn a little Chinese every day because work is busy, so I only study on the commute. It is hard, but the stories are interesting. I think this method is good, so I decided to start a daily routine: read one story, practice grammar and vocabulary, and strengthen my confidence. One day, I hope I can speak Chinese with people. If I keep trying, I can reach my goal. A small step is important, and I will start now.

Audio help

How to Use the Audio

The audio helps listening and pronunciation. Listen before reading for comprehension; listen after reading to shadow and improve fluency.

• Before reading: Practice listening comprehension and rhythm.
• After reading: Shadow to improve pronunciation and fluency.

Zài Xuéxiào Fùjìn de Kāfēidiàn (Pinyin)

Jīntiān, wǒ zài xuéxiào shàngkè. Xiàkè yǐhòu, wǒ hé péngyou qù fùjìn de kāfēidiàn.

Wǒmen xiǎng hē chá, yě xiǎng chī jiǎozi. Wǒ duì fúwùyuán shuō: “Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi chá. Yě gěi wǒ yì pán jiǎozi.”

Fúwùyuán wèn: “Nǐ yào shénme chá?” Wǒ shuō: “Wǒ xǐhuan lǜchá. Xièxie.”

Wǒmen zuò xià yǐhòu, wǒ wèn fúwùyuán: “Zhèlǐ yǒu wúxiàn wǎngluò ma? Mìmǎ shì shénme?” Fúwùyuán shuō: “Yǒu. Mìmǎ shì ‘1234’.”

Wǒ shuō: “Tài hǎo le, xièxie nǐ!” Wǒmen zài kāfēidiàn hěn kāixīn. Hòulái, wǒmen huí xuéxiào jìxù shàngkè.

At the Café Near the School

Today, I have class at school. After class, my friend and I go to a café nearby.

We want to drink tea, and we also want to eat dumplings. I say to the staff member, “Please give me a cup of tea. And also give me a plate of dumplings.”

The staff member asks, “What tea do you want?” I say, “I like green tea. Thank you.”

After we sit down, I ask the staff member, “Is there Wi‑Fi here? What is the password?” The staff member says, “Yes. The password is ‘1234’.”

I say, “Great, thank you!” We are very happy in the café. Later, we go back to school to continue class.

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, intonation, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.

Dìtiězhàn Lǐ Bié Huāng: Xiān Huànchéng, Zài Zhǎo Chūkǒu

Yāoqiú: Zhōngwén gùshì lǐ, Vocabulary biǎo lǐ de shí gè cí bìxū quánbù chūxiàn, bìngqiě quánbù jiā tooltip (pīnyīn + Yīngwén). Tóngshí, Zhōngwén gùshì lǐ suǒyǒu A2 yǐshàng de cí yě yào jǐnliàng jiā tooltip (pīnyīn + Yīngwén).

Zhōuliù xiàwǔ, Xiǎo Yǔ zài dìtiězhàn děng chē, zhǔnbèi qù péngyou jiā. Tā kànzhe xiànlù tú, fāxiàn zìjǐ xūyào zài xià yì zhàn huànchéng. Yīnwèi zhè zuò dìtiězhàn hěn dà, chūkǒu yě hěn duō, tā yǒudiǎnr jǐnzhāng, pà zǒu cuò lù.

Dìtiě lái le, tā shàngchē hòu zuò zài mén biān, bǎ bāo fàng zài tuǐ shàng. Tā yìbiān tīng guǎngbō, yìbiān kàn chēxiāng lǐ de dìtú, xīnlǐ jìlù bùzhòu: xiān zuò sān zhàn, zài huànchéng èr hào xiàn, ránhòu dào chūkǒu qù zhǎo péngyou. Dào le huànchéng zhàn, tā yí zhàn qǐlái jiù fāxiàn shǒujī bú jiàn le, yuánlái tā bǎ shǒujī luò zài zuòwèi shàng le. Tā gǎnjǐn huíqu ná, zhōngyú zhǎo dào le, xīnlǐ sōng le yì kǒu qì.

Tā gēnzhe zhǐshìpái zǒu, zǒu dào yí gè hěn cháng de tōngdào. Tōngdào lǐ yǒu hěn duō rén, fúwùtái zài qiánmiàn. Xiǎo Yǔ zǒu guòqù wèn gōngzuò rényuán: “Qǐngwèn èr hào xiàn zěnme zǒu? Wǒ yīnggāi cóng nǎ yí gè chūkǒu chūqù?” Gōngzuò rényuán shuō: “Nǐ xiān yìzhí wǎng qián zǒu, kàn dào lóutī jiù xiàqù. Dào xiàmiàn yǐhòu zài xiàng yòu zǒu, gēnzhe ‘èr hào xiàn’ de páizi zǒu jiù xíng. Děng nǐ dào le èr hào xiàn de zhàntái, zài kàn qīngchu fāngxiàng.”

Xiǎo Yǔ zhàozhe zuò, xiān xià lóutī, zài wǎng yòu zǒu, guǒrán kàn dào le èr hào xiàn de rùkǒu. Tā dào le zhàntái hòu, yòu kàn le yí cì dìtú, quèrèn zìjǐ méi zǒu cuò. Tā bǎ shǒujī fàng zài bāo lǐ zuì lǐmiàn, hái bǎ chōngdiànbǎo yě fàng hǎo, gàosu zìjǐ: zài fùzá de dìtiězhàn lǐ, xiān nòng qīngchu bùzhòu, zài màn man zǒu, jiù bú huì mílù.

Shàng le èr hào xiàn yǐhòu, tā gěi péngyou fā xiāoxi: “Wǒ yǐjīng huànchéng le, dàgài shí fēnzhōng dào.” Péngyou huífù: “Hǎo de, wǒ zài nǐ chūzhàn de chūkǒu děng nǐ.” Xiǎo Yǔ kànzhe chuāngwài, xīnqíng qīngsōng duō le.

Don’t Panic in the Subway Station: Transfer First, Then Find the Exit

Requirement: In the Chinese story, the 10 words in the Vocabulary table must all appear and must be tooltipped (pinyin + English). Also, all words above A2 level in the Chinese story should be tooltipped as much as possible.

On Saturday afternoon, Xiao Yu was waiting at the subway station and planned to go to a friend’s home. She looked at the route map and realized she needed to transfer at the next stop. Because the station was very large and had many exits, she felt a bit nervous and was afraid of taking the wrong way.

The subway arrived. After she got on, she sat near the door and kept her bag on her lap. While listening to announcements and looking at the map in the carriage, she noted the steps in her mind: first ride three stops, then transfer to Line 2, and then go to the exit to meet her friend. At the transfer station, as soon as she stood up she realized her phone was missing—she had left it on the seat. She hurried back, finally found it, and felt relieved.

She followed the signs and walked into a long corridor. There were many people, and the service desk was ahead. Xiao Yu asked the staff, “Excuse me, how do I get to Line 2? Which exit should I use?” The staff said, “First keep walking straight ahead. When you see the stairs, go down. After you go down, walk to the right and follow the ‘Line 2’ signs. When you reach the Line 2 platform, check the direction carefully.”

Xiao Yu did exactly that: she went down the stairs first, then walked to the right, and sure enough she saw the entrance to Line 2. After reaching the platform, she checked the map again to confirm she hadn’t gone the wrong way. She put her phone deep inside her bag and also secured her power bank. She told herself: in a complicated subway station, if you understand the steps first and then walk calmly, you won’t get lost.

After she got on Line 2, she messaged her friend: “I’ve already transferred. I’ll arrive in about ten minutes.” Her friend replied: “Okay, I’ll wait for you at the exit where you come out.” Xiao Yu looked out the window and felt much more relaxed.

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, intonation, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.

Wēixìn Yǔyīn Zhǐlù: Qù Chī Jiǎozi Bié Zǒu Cuò

Yāoqiú: Běn gùshì zhōng, xuéxí qū Vocabulary biǎo lǐ de shí gè cí bìxū zài Zhōngwén gùshì lǐ quánbù chūxiàn, bìngqiě quánbù jiā tooltip (pīnyīn + Yīngwén). Lìngwài, Zhōngwén gùshì lǐ suǒyǒu A2 yǐshàng de cí yě dōu yào jiā tooltip (pīnyīn + Yīngwén).

Jīntiān wǎnshang, Xiǎo Chén yào dài péngyou qù yì jiā yǒumíng de jiǎozi diàn chīfàn. Péngyou dì yí cì lái zhège fùjìn, Xiǎo Chén dānxīn tā huì mílù, jiù tíqián fā le dìzhǐ, hái shuō: “Dào le dìtiězhàn gěi wǒ fā xiāoxi, wǒ lái quèrèn yíxià.”

Qī diǎn zuǒyòu, péngyou fā lái Wēixìn: “Wǒ chūzhàn le, kěshì zhèlǐ yǒu liǎng gè chūkǒu, wǒ yīnggāi zǒu nǎ yí gè?” Xiǎo Chén mǎshàng yòng yǔyīn huífù: “Nǐ xiān cóng A kǒu chūlái, chūlái yǐhòu wǎng qián zǒu. Bié jí, xiān zhǎo yí gè hónglǜdēng.”

Guò le liǎng fēnzhōng, péngyou yòu shuō: “Wǒ kàn dào hónglǜdēng le, kěshì qiánmiàn yǒu yí gè shízì lùkǒu, wǒ bù zhīdào gāi yòu guǎi háishi zuǒ guǎi.” Xiǎo Chén jìxù jiěshì: “Nǐ xiān guò hónglǜdēng, guò le yǐhòu zài yòu guǎi. Yòu guǎi yǐhòu yìzhí zǒu, dào dì èr gè lùkǒu jiù néng kàn dào yí jiā yàodiàn. Jiǎozi diàn zài yàodiàn de duìmiàn, ménkǒu yǒu hóngsè de zhāopái, hěn míngxiǎn.”

Péngyou zǒu zhe zǒu zhe yòu dānxīn qǐlái: “Rúguǒ wǒ zǒu cuò le zěnmebàn?” Xiǎo Chén shuō: “Yàoshi zǒu cuò le, nǐ jiù tíng xiàlái gěi wǒ fā dìngwèi, wǒ zài gàosu nǐ zěnme zǒu. Nǐ kànjiàn yàodiàn jiù shuōmíng fāngxiàng duì le, lí diàn bù yuǎn.”

Bùjiǔ yǐhòu, péngyou zhōngyú dào le. Tā xiào zhe shuō: “Nǐ jiǎng de tài qīngchu le, wǒ yìdiǎnr dōu méi zǒu cuò.” Xiǎo Chén yě xiào le: “Xià cì Chūnjié de shíhou, wǒmen hái kěyǐ yìqǐ bāo jiǎozi. Zài Zhōngguó, guònián chī jiǎozi hěn chángjiàn, dàjiā juéde zhèyàng hěn yǒuyìsi.”

Giving Directions by WeChat Voice: Don’t Walk the Wrong Way to Dumplings

Requirement: In this story, the 10 words listed in the Vocabulary table must all appear in the Chinese story and all be tooltipped (pinyin + English). Also, all words above A2 level in the Chinese story should be tooltipped (pinyin + English).

Tonight, Xiao Chen planned to take a friend to a famous dumpling restaurant for dinner. It was the friend’s first time in this area, so Xiao Chen worried he might get lost. He sent the address in advance and said, “When you arrive at the subway station, message me, and I’ll confirm it.”

Around seven o’clock, the friend messaged on WeChat: “I’m out of the station, but there are two exits here. Which one should I take?” Xiao Chen replied immediately with a voice message: “Come out from Exit A first. After you come out, walk straight ahead. Don’t rush—first, look for a traffic light.”

Two minutes later, the friend said again: “I see the traffic light, but there’s a crossroads ahead. I don’t know whether I should turn right or left.” Xiao Chen continued: “First cross at the traffic light, then turn right. After turning right, keep walking. At the second intersection, you’ll see a pharmacy. The dumpling restaurant is opposite the pharmacy, and there’s a red sign at the entrance—it’s very obvious.”

As the friend walked, he became worried again: “What if I walk the wrong way?” Xiao Chen said: “If you walk the wrong way, stop and send me your location, and I’ll tell you how to go. If you see the pharmacy, it means you’re going the right way. It’s not far from the restaurant.”

Soon, the friend finally arrived. He smiled and said, “You explained it so clearly—I didn’t make any wrong turns at all.” Xiao Chen smiled too: “Next time during Spring Festival, we can also make dumplings together. In China, eating dumplings for the New Year is very common, and people think it’s fun.”

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, intonation, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.
• Tip: Shadow each paragraph, then replay and focus on direction phrases like “先…再…” and “到…就…”.

Wēixìn Yǔyīn Zhǐlù: Qù Chī Jiǎozi Bié Zǒu Cuò

Jīntiān wǎnshang, Xiǎo Chén yào dài péngyou qù yì jiā tèbié yǒumíng de jiǎozi diàn chīfàn. Péngyou dì yí cì lái zhège fùjìn, Xiǎo Chén dānxīn tā huì mílù, jiù tíqián fā le dìzhǐ, hái shuō: “Dào le dìtiězhàn gěi wǒ fā xiāoxi, wǒ lái quèrèn yíxià.”

Qī diǎn zuǒyòu, péngyou fā lái Wēixìn: “Wǒ chūzhàn le, kěshì zhèlǐ yǒu liǎng gè chūkǒu, wǒ yīnggāi zǒu nǎ yí gè?” Xiǎo Chén mǎshàng yòng yǔyīn huífù: “Nǐ xiān cóng A kǒu chūlái, chūlái yǐhòu wǎng qián zǒu. Bié jí, xiān zhǎo yí gè hónglǜdēng.”

Guò le liǎng fēnzhōng, péngyou yòu shuō: “Wǒ kàn dào hónglǜdēng le, kěshì qiánmiàn yǒu yí gè shízì lùkǒu, wǒ bù zhīdào gāi yòu guǎi háishi zuǒ guǎi.” Xiǎo Chén jìxù jiěshì: “Nǐ xiān guò hónglǜdēng, guò le yǐhòu zài yòu guǎi. Yòu guǎi yǐhòu yìzhí zǒu, dào dì èr gè lùkǒu jiù néng kàn dào yì jiā yàodiàn. Jiǎozi diàn zài yàodiàn de duìmiàn, ménkǒu yǒu hóngsè de zhāopái, hěn míngxiǎn.”

Péngyou zǒu zhe zǒu zhe yòu dānxīn qǐlái: “Rúguǒ wǒ zǒu cuò le zěnmebàn?” Xiǎo Chén shuō: “Yàoshi zǒu cuò le, nǐ jiù tíng xiàlái gěi wǒ fā dìngwèi, wǒ zài gàosu nǐ zěnme zǒu. Nǐ kànjiàn yàodiàn jiù shuōmíng fāngxiàng duì le, lí diàn bù yuǎn.”

Bùjiǔ yǐhòu, péngyou zhōngyú dào le. Tā xiào zhe shuō: “Nǐ jiǎng de tài qīngchu le, wǒ yìdiǎnr dōu méi zǒu cuò.” Xiǎo Chén yě xiào le: “Xià cì Chūnjié de shíhou, wǒmen hái kěyǐ yìqǐ bāo jiǎozi. Zài Zhōngguó, guònián chī jiǎozi hěn chángjiàn, dàjiā juéde zhèyàng hěn yǒuyìsi.”

Giving Directions by WeChat Voice: Don’t Walk the Wrong Way to Dumplings

Tonight, Xiao Chen planned to take a friend to a particularly famous dumpling restaurant for dinner. It was the friend’s first time in this area, so Xiao Chen worried he might get lost. He sent the address in advance and said, “When you arrive at the subway station, message me, and I’ll confirm it.”

Around seven o’clock, the friend messaged on WeChat: “I’m out of the station, but there are two exits here. Which one should I take?” Xiao Chen replied immediately with a voice message: “Come out from Exit A first. After you come out, walk straight ahead. Don’t worry—first, look for a traffic light.”

Two minutes later, the friend said again: “I see the traffic light, but there’s a crossroads ahead. I don’t know whether I should turn right or left.” Xiao Chen continued: “First cross at the traffic light, then turn right. After turning right, keep walking. At the second intersection, you’ll see a pharmacy. The dumpling restaurant is opposite the pharmacy, and there’s a red sign at the entrance—it’s very obvious.”

As the friend walked, he became worried again: “What if I walk the wrong way?” Xiao Chen said: “If you walk the wrong way, stop and send me your location, and I’ll tell you how to go. If you see the pharmacy, it means you’re going the right way. It’s not far from the restaurant.”

Soon, the friend finally arrived. He smiled and said, “You explained it so clearly—I didn’t make any wrong turns at all.” Xiao Chen smiled too: “Next time during Spring Festival, we can also make dumplings together. In China, eating dumplings for the New Year is very common, and people think it’s fun.”

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, intonation, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.

Yīyuàn Fùjìn Mílù: Bié Chídào!

Xiǎo Zhōu jīntiān yào qù yīyuàn zuò jiǎnchá, shíjiān shì jiǔ diǎn bàn. Tā bā diǎn wǔshí jiù dào le dìtiězhàn, kěshì yí chūzhàn jiù fāxiàn fùjìn yǒu liǎng gè chūkǒu, lùpái yě bù tài qīngchu. Tā yǒudiǎnr zháojí, pà zìjǐ chídào.

Tā xiān dǎkāi dìtú, kěshì dìtú yìzhí zhuǎn lái zhuǎn qù, kàn qǐlái bù tài kěkào. Tā xiǎng: háishi wèn rén gèng fāngbiàn. Yúshì tā zǒu dào lùkǒu, kàn dào yí wèi shūshu, jiù shuō: “Qǐngwèn, Rénmín Yīyuàn zěnme zǒu? Lí zhèlǐ jìn ma?”

Shūshu shuō: “Bù yuǎn. Nǐ cóng zhège chūkǒu wǎng yòu zǒu, yìzhí zǒu dào dì yī gè hónglǜdēng, zài guǎi wān wǎng zuǒ zǒu. Nǐ huì kàn dào yì jiā yàofáng, yīyuàn jiù zài yàofáng de duìmiàn. Yàoshi nǐ zǒu cuò le, yě bié dānxīn, zài huílái jiù xíng.”

Xiǎo Zhōu yìbiān zǒu yìbiān zài xīnlǐ jìlù: yòu zǒu, hónglǜdēng, guǎi wān, yàofáng, duìmiàn. Zǒu dào hónglǜdēng shí, tā kàn dào qiánmiàn yǒu liǎng tiáo lù, yòu yǒudiǎnr bù quèdìng, jiù gěi péngyou dǎ diànhuà quèrèn. Péngyou shuō: “Nǐ kàn dào yàofáng ma? Kàn dào yàofáng jiù duì le, yīyuàn jiù zài duìmiàn, hěn hǎo zhǎo.”

Tā zhōngyú kàn dào le yàofáng, táitóu yí kàn, yīyuàn jiù zài duìmiàn. Xiǎo Zhōu sōng le yì kǒu qì, xīn xiǎng: yǐhòu qù xīn dìfāng, chúle kàn dìtú, hái yào xuéhuì yòng dìbiāo lái quèrèn fāngxiàng, zhèyàng gèng bù róngyì mílù.

Lost Near the Hospital: Don’t Be Late!

Today Xiao Zhou needed to go to the hospital for a checkup at 9:30. He arrived at the subway station at 8:50, but as soon as he came out, he found there were two exits nearby and the signs weren’t very clear. He felt anxious because he was afraid of being late.

He opened the map first, but the map kept spinning and didn’t seem reliable. He thought: asking people is more convenient. So he walked to the intersection, saw an older man, and said, “Excuse me, how do I get to People’s Hospital? Is it near here?”

The man said, “Not far. From this exit, go to the right and keep walking to the first traffic light. Then turn and go left. You’ll see a pharmacy, and the hospital is opposite the pharmacy. If you go the wrong way, don’t worry—just come back.”

As Xiao Zhou walked, he noted it in his mind: go right, traffic light, turn, pharmacy, opposite. When he reached the traffic light, he saw two roads ahead and felt unsure again, so he called a friend to confirm. The friend said, “Do you see the pharmacy? If you see the pharmacy, you’re correct—the hospital is right across from it. It’s easy to find.”

He finally saw the pharmacy and looked up—there was the hospital across the street. Xiao Zhou felt relieved and thought: next time going somewhere new, besides using a map, it’s important to use landmarks to confirm directions. That way, it’s harder to get lost.

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, intonation, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.

Zài Shāngchǎng Lǐ Zhǎo Lù: Lí Diàntī Jìn Ma?

Zhōuliù xiàwǔ, Xiǎo Lǐ zài yí gè hěn dà de shāngchǎng lǐ mǎi dōngxi. Mǎi wán yǐhòu, tā tūrán xiǎng qù xǐshǒujiān, kěshì tā zhǎo le jǐ fēnzhōng háishi méi kàn dào zhǐshìpái. Yúshì tā zǒu dào fúwùtái, lǐmào de wèn: “Qǐngwèn xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr? Lí zhèr jìn ma?”

Gōngzuò rényuán shuō: “Bù yuǎn. Nǐ cóng fúwùtái wǎng qián zǒu, kàn dào diàntī yǐhòu yòu zhuǎn, xǐshǒujiān jiù zài diàntī hòumiàn. Nǐ zǒu dào nàr jiù dào le.” Xiǎo Lǐ diǎn diǎn tóu, háishi quèrèn le yíxià: “Shì zài èr lóu ma?” Gōngzuò rényuán huídá: “Duì, èr lóu.”

Qù wán xǐshǒujiān, Xiǎo Lǐ zhǔnbèi zuò dìtiě huí jiā. Tā yòu yǒudiǎnr dānxīn, yīnwèi shāngchǎng hěn dà, chūkǒu yě hěn duō. Tā kànjiàn yí wèi bǎo’ān, jiù wèn: “Qǐngwèn cóng zhèlǐ dào dìtiězhàn zěnme zǒu? Lí zhèr yuǎn bù yuǎn?” Bǎo’ān shuō: “Bù yuǎn, nǐ xiān yīzhí wǎng qián zǒu, dào dì yī gè lùkǒu zuǒ zhuǎn, zài zǒu liǎng fēnzhōng jiù néng kàn dào ‘dìtiě’ de páizi. Dìtiězhàn zài yàodiàn duìmiàn.”

Xiǎo Lǐ àn bǎo’ān shuō de lùxiàn zǒu, hěn kuài jiù kàn dào le páizi. Tā xīnlǐ xiǎng: wèn lù de shíhou, yòng ‘cóng… dào…’ hé ‘lí… jìn/yuǎn’ zhēn de hěn fāngbiàn. Xià cì péngyou lái shāngchǎng, tā yě néng qīngchu de gěi biérén zhǐlù le.

Finding Your Way in a Mall: Is It Near the Elevator?

On Saturday afternoon, Xiao Li was shopping in a very large mall. After he finished buying things, he suddenly wanted to go to the restroom, but after looking for a few minutes, he still couldn’t see any signs. So he walked to the service desk and politely asked, “Excuse me, where is the restroom? Is it near here?”

The staff member said, “It’s not far. Walk forward from the service desk. After you see the elevator, turn right. The restroom is behind the elevator. When you walk there, you’ll arrive.” Xiao Li nodded, but still confirmed: “Is it on the second floor?” The staff member replied, “Yes, the second floor.”

After using the restroom, Xiao Li planned to take the subway home. He felt a little worried again because the mall was very big and there were many exits. He saw a security guard and asked, “Excuse me, how do I get from here to the subway station? Is it far from here?” The guard said, “Not far. First, keep walking straight ahead. At the first intersection, turn left. Walk another two minutes and you’ll see a ‘subway’ sign. The subway station is opposite the pharmacy.”

Xiao Li followed the route the guard described and soon saw the sign. He thought: when asking for directions, using ‘from…to…’ and ‘far/near’ is really convenient. Next time his friends come to the mall, he can also give clear directions.

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, intonation, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.

Choosing a Place for a Department Dinner

On Friday afternoon, the manager asked us to discuss where to eat for the department dinner on the weekend. Everyone had different ideas.

Some people wanted hotpot, some wanted barbecue, and others wanted a quieter restaurant.

Everyone talked and laughed at the same time, and the manager wrote down everyone’s suggestions.

In the end we chose hotpot, because everyone can eat together and it’s convenient to chat. As a result, everyone was satisfied.

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, tones, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.

Watching a Football Match

On Saturday night, my family and I watched a football match together in the living room. At the beginning, we were all nervous and kept staring at the TV.

Every time our favorite team attacked, my dad loudly said “Come on!” We also shouted along, very loudly.

Later the other side made a mistake, and our team scored a goal. Everyone suddenly stood up and felt extremely happy.

After the match ended, we ate fruit and chatted at the same time. I feel that winning or losing is not always the most important part—what matters most is that the family is together.

Help

How to Use the Audio

The audio is designed to help you improve your Mandarin Chinese listening skills and pronunciation. You can use it in two ways:

• Before reading: Listen to understand rhythm, tones, and natural speech.
• After reading: Listen again to compare pronunciation and improve fluency.