chinese

Category: Picture

  • 红包的故事 – Red Envelopes

    A B1 story about Chinese New Year: a family gives red envelopes, shares meals, and celebrates traditions that strengthen bonds.

    LEVEL/WORDCOUNT: HSK 4 / ~520 characters

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    text

    红包的故事

    春节 到了 。 林梅 和哥哥妹妹 一起准备 。 妈妈 说 ： “ 今晚 半夜 我们 放鞭炮 ， 给孩子们发红包 。”

    林梅 记得小时候 ， 爷爷奶奶 总是 给她红包 。 红包里 有小钱 ， 她觉得很兴奋 。 现在 她长大了 ， 也 能给别人发红包 。

    除夕夜， 全家 吃团圆饭 。 桌子上 有饺子和牛肉 。 吃完 后 ， 爸爸 发了红包 。 林梅 的 弟弟 开心地大喊 ： “ 我得了两百块 ！”

    第二天早上， 清早 ， 他们 去爷爷家 拜年 。 爷爷 下了大红包 。 林梅 帮 小孩子们 戴红包 。 大家都很高兴 。

    林梅 想 ： “ 红包 不只 是钱 ， 更是 希望和祝福 。” 今年 她决定 多给一点 。 客厅里 满是笑声 。

    The Story of Red Envelopes

    Spring Festival arrived. Lin Mei prepares with her older brother and younger sister. Mom says: “Tonight at midnight, we set off firecrackers and give red envelopes to the children.”

    Lin Mei remembers her childhood, when grandpa and grandma always gave her red envelopes. There was pocket money inside, and she felt excited. Now that she has grown up, she can give them to others too.

    On New Year’s Eve, the whole family eats the reunion dinner. There are dumplings and beef on the table. After eating, dad distributes the red envelopes. Lin Mei’s little brother shouts happily: “I got 200 yuan!”

    The next morning early, they go to grandpa’s house to pay New Year visits. Grandpa gives big red envelopes. Lin Mei helps the little kids put them on. Everyone is very happy.

    Lin Mei thinks: “Red envelopes are not just money, but more like hopes and blessings.” This year she decides to give more. The living room is full of laughter.

    Audio

    text

    Vocabulary

    HanziPinyinEnglish
    春节ChūnjiéSpring Festival
    红包hóngbāored envelope
    团圆饭tuányuán fànreunion dinner
    拜年bàiniánpay New Year visit
    鞭炮biānpàofirecrackers
    祝福zhùfúblessing
    兴奋xīngfènexcited
    长大zhǎngdàgrow up
    笑声xiàoshēnglaughter
    准备zhǔnbèiprepare

    Grammar

    1. 不只…更是 (not only…but even more)
    This structure emphasizes something is more than expected. Places contrast between two ideas.
    Example from story: 红包不只是钱，更是希望和祝福 (Red envelopes not only money, but even more hope and blessings).

    2. Verb + 完 + 后 (after finishing verb)
    Shows sequence after completing an action. Common for daily routines.
    Example from story: 吃完后 (after finishing eating), 爸爸发了红包 (dad distributed red envelopes).

    3. 总是 (always tend to)
    Indicates habitual past actions. Stronger than simple “always”.
    Example from story: 爷爷奶奶总是给她红包 (Grandpa and grandma always gave her red envelopes).

    Idiomatic Expressions

    HanziPinyinEnglish
    满是笑声mǎn shì xiàoshēngfull of laughter
    团圆饭tuányuán fànreunion dinner
    拜年bàiniánpay New Year respects
    长大了zhǎngdà legrown up

    Cultural Insights

    • Red envelopes (hóngbāo) symbolize good luck and are given to children during Chinese New Year.
    • Reunion dinner on Lunar New Year’s Eve unites families with symbolic foods like dumplings.
    • Firecrackers drive away bad spirits; now often replaced by safer fireworks displays.
    text

    10 Questions

    1. 春节什么时候发红包？ （答案）
    2. 林梅小时候谁给她红包？ （答案）
    3. 除夕夜全家吃什么？ （答案）
    4. 弟弟得了多少钱？ （答案）
    5. 第二天去哪里拜年？ （答案）
    6. 林梅帮谁戴红包？ （答案）
    7. 红包代表什么？ （答案）
    8. 今年林梅怎么做？ （答案）
    9. 客厅里有什么？ （答案）
    10. 林梅现在能做什么？ （答案）

    Multiple Choice

    1. 谁发了第一批红包？ （答案）
      a) 爸爸
      b) 爷爷
      c) 林梅
    2. 红包不只是什么？ （答案）
      a) 祝福
      b) 希望
      c) 钱
    3. 林梅记得谁给红包？ （答案）
      a) 爷爷奶奶
      b) 爸爸妈妈
      c) 哥哥妹妹

    True or False

    1. 林梅小时候不喜欢红包。 （答案）
    2. 全家吃团圆饭。 （答案）
    3. 弟弟不高兴。 （答案）
    4. 红包代表祝福。 （答案）

    Retell the Story

    用你自己的话写这个故事。用B1水平词汇和句子。

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  • Moving house

    This story describes a family moving house, their feelings, daily tasks, help from others, and how moving brings change, stress, and new beginnings.

    LEVEL/WORDCOUNT: A2 / ~500 words

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    搬家：新的开始

    去年，我和家人决定搬家。我们以前住在一个老房子里。房子很小，也不太安静。每天早上，外面有很多车，很吵。

    新房子离工作更近，也离孩子的学校更近。我们觉得生活会更方便。所以，我们开始准备搬家。

    搬家以前，我们整理了很多东西。旧衣服、旧书和旧家具，我们都不需要了。我把一些东西送给朋友，也把一些东西卖了。

    搬家那天，我们很早起床。朋友来帮忙。大家一起搬箱子，也一起笑。虽然很累，但是气氛很好。

    到了新家以后，我们先打扫房子，然后摆放家具。晚上，我们一起吃了一顿简单的饭。那一刻，我觉得很幸福。

    现在，我们已经习惯了新生活。邻居很友好，环境也很舒适。搬家虽然不容易，但是它给我们一个新的开始。

    Moving House: A New Beginning

    Last year, my family and I decided to move house. We used to live in an old house. It was small and not very quiet. Every morning, there were many cars outside, and it was noisy.

    The new house is closer to work and to the children’s school. We felt life would be more convenient, so we started preparing to move.

    Before moving, we organized many things. We didn’t need old clothes, books, or furniture anymore. I gave some things to friends and sold others.

    On moving day, we woke up early. Friends came to help. Everyone carried boxes and laughed together. Although we were tired, the atmosphere was good.

    After arriving at the new home, we cleaned the house and arranged the furniture. In the evening, we ate a simple meal together. At that moment, I felt very happy.

    Now, we are used to the new life. The neighbors are friendly, and the environment is comfortable. Moving house is not easy, but it gives us a new beginning.

    Audio


    Vocabulary

    • 搬家 – to move house
    • 准备 – to prepare
    • 整理 – to organize
    • 方便 – convenient
    • 帮忙 – to help
    • 打扫 – to clean
    • 摆放 – to arrange
    • 邻居 – neighbor
    • 环境 – environment
    • 习惯 – to get used to

    Grammar

    1. 虽然…但是… (Although… but…)
    This structure is used to show contrast between two ideas.

    Example: 虽然很累，但是气氛很好。

    2. 已经…了 (already…)
    Used to describe a completed change of situation.

    Example: 我们已经习惯了新生活。

    Idiomatic Expressions

    • 新的开始 – a new beginning
    • 不容易 – not easy
    • 一起努力 – work together
    • 生活方便 – life is convenient
    • 气氛很好 – good atmosphere

    Cultural Insights

    • Friends often help each other when moving house in China.
    • Giving away unused items is common before moving.
    • Sharing a meal after moving is a way to celebrate a fresh start.

    10 Questions

    1. Why did the family move? (answer)
    2. Who helped on moving day? (answer)
    3. What did they do with old things? (answer)
    4. Was moving easy? (answer)
    5. How do they feel now? (answer)

    Multiple Choice

    1. What is 搬家? (answer)
      a) to move house
      b) to clean
      c) to sell

    True or False

    1. The old house was quiet. (answer)
    2. The neighbors are friendly. (answer)

    Retell the Story

    Rewrite the story in your own words.

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  • CN moving to city

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    Summary (25 words): Li Ming leaves his small hometown to study in Beijing, discovering new challenges, friendships, and opportunities while adapting to city life and pursuing his dreams.

    李明的大城市生活

    李明是一个年轻的学生，他从小城市搬到北京上大学。刚到城市时，他感到紧张和忧虑，街上人很多，交通复杂，他常常迷路。

    李明开始适应大城市的生活，他学会乘地铁、去超市买东西，还尝试交朋友。大学里有很多活动，他参加了学校活动和社团，认识了来自全国各地的同学。

    起初，李明觉得城市很忙碌，夜晚的街道灯火通明，让他有点想家。但是，他也看到机会：图书馆里有丰富的资源，老师和同学都很愿意帮助他。他每天学习中文和英语，希望将来能找到好工作。

    李明很喜欢北京的外卖和体验城市生活，他会周末去公园跑步，去市场买新鲜蔬菜。他慢慢发现，虽然生活节奏快，但也充满了精彩。

    经过几个月的努力，李明适应了城市生活。他不仅学到很多知识，还结交了新朋友，尝试新的爱好。他明白，生活中有挑战，但只要努力，就能成功。

    Li Ming’s Life in the Big City

    Li Ming is a young student who moved from a small town to Beijing to study at university. When he first arrived, he felt nervous and anxious. The streets were crowded, the traffic was complicated, and he often got lost.

    Li Ming began to adapt to life in the big city. He learned to take the subway, go shopping, and meet new friends. The university had many activities, and he joined clubs where he met students from all over China.

    At first, he found the city very busy. The streets were bright at night, and he sometimes missed home. But he also saw opportunities: the library had many resources, and teachers and classmates were willing to help him. He studied Chinese and English every day, hoping to get a good job in the future.

    Li Ming enjoyed food delivery and experiencing city life. On weekends, he ran in the park and bought fresh vegetables at the market. He slowly realized that although life was fast-paced, it was also exciting and full of new experiences.

    After a few months, Li Ming adapted to city life. He not only learned a lot, but also made new friends and tried new hobbies. He understood that life has challenges, but with effort, he could succeed.

    • 搬到 (bān dào) – move to
    • 适应 (shìyìng) – adapt
    • 机会 (jīhuì) – opportunity
    • 紧张 (jǐnzhāng) – nervous
    • 成功 (chénggōng) – succeed

    In Chinese, to express the idea of adapting or getting used to something, we can use 适应 + object. For example, 李明适应大城市的生活 means “Li Ming adapts to city life”.

    We can also indicate sequence with 起初 (at first) and 然后 (then) to narrate events over time.

    Example: 起初他很紧张，后来慢慢适应了。– “At first he was nervous, later he slowly adapted.”

    • 紧张 – feeling nervous or stressed
    • 迷路 – get lost
    • 交朋友 – make friends
    • Chinese students often move from small towns to big cities for university education, which is a major life change.
    • Food delivery (外卖) is very popular among students in big Chinese cities.
    • Universities often have clubs (社团) where students can make friends from all over China.

    Audio.

    10 Perguntas de Compreensão

    1. 李明从哪里搬到北京？(resposta)
    2. 他刚到北京时有什么感受？(resposta)
    3. 李明如何适应城市生活？(resposta)
    4. 他参加了哪些大学活动？(resposta)
    5. 起初他想家吗？(resposta)
    6. 他在图书馆做什么？(resposta)
    7. 他学习哪些语言？(resposta)
    8. 他周末做什么？(resposta)
    9. 他慢慢发现城市生活怎样？(resposta)
    10. 经过几个月，他学到了什么？(resposta)

    Recontar o Texto

    1. Quem é o protagonista da história?
    2. De onde ele se mudou para a cidade grande?
    3. Como ele se sentiu ao chegar?
    4. Como ele se adaptou à vida na cidade?
    5. Que atividades universitárias ele participou?
    6. O que ele sentiu sobre a cidade inicialmente?
    7. Que oportunidades ele encontrou?
    8. Que atividades ele faz nos fins de semana?
    9. O que ele aprendeu sobre a vida na cidade?
    10. Como a história termina para ele?

    Múltipla Escolha

    1. 李明搬到北京是为了？
      a) 找工作
      b) 上大学
      c) 旅游
    2. 李明刚到北京感到？
      a) 高兴
      b) 紧张
      c) 无聊
    3. 李明在大学参加了？
      a) 学校活动
      b) 家庭聚会
      c) 打工
    4. 他学习的语言有哪些？
      a) 英语
      b) 中文和英语
      c) 法语
    5. 李明周末常做什么？
      a) 去电影院
      b) 去公园跑步
      c) 打游戏
    6. 他适应城市生活的方法是？
      a) 迷路
      b) 交朋友
      c) 在家看电视
    7. 城市生活节奏如何？
      a) 慢
      b) 快
      c) 无变化
    8. 李明如何看待挑战？
      a) 放弃
      b) 努力
      c) 担心
    9. 他是否想家？
      a) 是
      b) 否
      c) 不确定
    10. 故事结尾李明？
      a) 失败
      b) 适应并成功
      c) 回家

    Verdadeiro ou Falso

    1. 李明来自大城市。(resposta)
    2. 他刚到北京很紧张。(resposta)
    3. 李明没有朋友。(resposta)
    4. 他每天学习中文和英语。(resposta)
    5. 李明周末去公园跑步。(resposta)
    6. 他喜欢城市生活。(resposta)
    7. 故事中没有提到食物。(resposta)
    8. 李明最后适应了城市生活。(resposta)
    9. 他不参加学校活动。(resposta)
    10. 李明觉得努力很重要。(resposta)
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