A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
伯纳姆：一个"北方的王"，要当英国的大领导
Burnham, the 'King of the North,' Is About to Lead Britain
About this story
Burnham, the 'King of the North,' Is About to Lead Britain. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 2 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 9 key vocabulary words such as 名字、喜欢、爱 and walks through 2 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.
Read at your level
原文Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
English transcript reference
Today, we're talking about a person.
This person is called Burnham.
Burnham is British.
He's from the north of England.
In the north of England, many people really like him.
Many people listen to him, and love him too.
People call him "the King of the North."
"King of the North" is a name for him.
Now, Burnham really wanted to be England's top leader.
England's top leader is the most important person in the country.
He wanted it badly, but he didn't get it.
Twice, he failed to get it.
Burnham was very unhappy.
Later, Burnham went to a big city.
In this big city, he became the leader.
He did a lot, and everyone really liked him.
Many people said: Burnham is a good leader.
Now, England is going to have a new top leader.
The current top leader is leaving.
England has to choose a new one.
Many people thought: Burnham is great.
Everyone wanted to choose him.
In the end, England chose Burnham.
Burnham is going to be England's top leader.
This time, he got it.
Before, he didn't get it; now he has.
Many people are very happy.
A man from the north is going to be England's top leader.
From "King of the North" to England's top leader.
Burnham has come a long way.
Now, many British people are talking about him.
The King of the North has arrived.
OK, that's it for today.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇"北方的王"，是他的一个名字 — "King of the North" is a name for him.
北方的人，都很喜欢他 — people in the north all really like him.
很多人都听他，也都爱他 — many people listen to him and love him.
现在的大领导，要走了 — the current top leader is leaving.
很多人都很高兴 — many people are very happy.
Beyond HSK 1. 伯纳姆是一个好领导 — Burnham is a good leader.
Beyond HSK 1. 英国选了伯纳姆 — Britain chose Burnham.
Beyond HSK 1. 他想当英国的大领导 — he wanted to be England’s top leader.
Beyond HSK 1. 他去了一个大城市 — he went to a big city.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法很想 + Verb
"really want to do something" — 很 intensifies the desire.
伯纳姆很想当英国的大领导。
都 (all / both)
Placed before the verb to mean "all / both" of the subjects.
两回，他都没有当上。
很多人都很喜欢他。
Proper Nouns
专有名词Free account
Keep learning from this story
Create a free account to keep saved words and your preferred level together.
- Keep words with their story context
- Remember your preferred level
- Build your vocabulary over time