A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
飞机能上网了，旁边的人开始开会了
Fast Plane Wi-Fi Brings Noisy Work Calls
About this story
HSK 1 Chinese listening. Fast airplane Wi-Fi enables work calls, raising questions about airline rules and other passengers wanting quiet.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 3 minutes. The full Mandarin script is shown with tap-for-pinyin and a line-by-line English translation, so you can listen and read at once — comprehensible input in the sense of Stephen Krashen's i+1 theory. It teaches 12 key vocabulary words such as 飞机、睡觉、工作 and walks through 4 grammar patterns, each explained in English with examples. The same news story is retold at 4 difficulty levels — use the level selector above to find the version that is challenging but still understandable for you.
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原文Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
English transcript reference
On a plane, some people want to sleep, but some people keep having meetings.
Having a meeting is many people talking about work together.
This person is sitting on a plane, but he still has to work.
He is on the plane, having a meeting with people in other places.
How can a plane have a meeting?
Because the internet on the plane got fast.
The internet is the thing that lets computers and phones talk with other computers and phones.
With the internet, you can go online.
When you go online, you can look at things and talk with people.
In the past, the internet on planes was very slow.
People wanted to go online, but the internet was too slow, so it was hard to use.
Now, on some planes, the internet is very fast.
With fast internet, some people can work on the plane.
But some people go online and start making phone calls and having meetings.
On the plane, some people want to sleep.
They want to sleep, but they keep hearing the sound of meetings.
Sound is the thing you hear.
When you hear a person speaking, you are hearing his voice.
People sitting on the plane hear others talking about work.
They do not want to have a meeting, but they hear it too.
Once, a person had a two-hour meeting on a plane.
Many people wanted to sleep, but they heard this person's voice.
Can you make phone calls on a plane?
Some airlines say no.
An airline is a company that has planes and takes you to other places.
United Airlines is an airline.
United Airlines says you cannot make phone calls or hold phone meetings on a plane.
But Qatar Airways, an airline, says you can make phone calls.
Qatar Airways asks people making calls to speak quietly.
Quietly means to make your voice a little softer.
When your voice is a little softer, the sound other people hear is also a little softer.
You want to talk, but other people want to sleep.
If you speak quietly, you can bother other people less.
The internet is fast now, so people can do more work on planes.
But people on the plane also want to sleep.
You have your work, and other people have their own things.
Think about it: if you want to sleep on a plane but hear someone having a meeting, who would you ask for help?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1. A common noun for airplane; appears in 飞机上 (on the plane).
HSK 1. Often used as 想睡觉 (want to sleep).
HSK 1. Can be a noun or verb; here it means work or to work.
HSK 1. Used in 打电话 (make a phone call) and 电话会议 (conference call).
HSK 1. Expresses permission or possibility, as in 可以打电话 (can make phone calls).
HSK 1. Appears in 听见 (hear) and 听 (listen).
Beyond HSK 1. Common word for internet or network; appears in 飞机上的网络 (the plane's internet).
Beyond HSK 1. Verb-object phrase meaning to hold or attend a meeting.
Beyond HSK 1. Compound noun: 航空 (aviation) + 公司 (company).
Beyond HSK 1. Used as an adverb or adjective to mean speaking softly.
Beyond HSK 1. Refers to a sound or someone's voice.
Beyond HSK 1. Verb-object phrase meaning to access the internet.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法有 + Person + 想 + Verb
Expresses that someone wants to do something. 有 here introduces an indefinite person or people.
飞机上有人想睡觉，可是有人一直在开会。
飞机上有人想睡觉，可是有人一直在开会。
可是 + Clause
Used to contrast two clauses, meaning 'but' or 'however'.
这个人坐在飞机上，可是他还要工作。
他们想睡觉，可是一直听见开会的声音。
是 + Noun + 的 + Noun
A simple way to define or explain what something is, often using 是...的 structure.
网络，是电脑、电话和别的电脑、电话说话的东西。
声音，是你听见的东西。
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
来源Free account
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