A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
世界杯淘汰赛：梅西刷新纪录，卫冕冠军阿根廷加时三比二险胜佛得角
World Cup Knockout: Messi Sets a New Record — Holders Argentina Survive Cape Verde 3-2 in Extra Time
About this story
A medium Chinese listening lesson on the World Cup knockouts, in spoken style: Messi's 20th WC goal, but the tiny 'Blue Sharks' of Cape Verde twice level before Argentina win 3-2 in extra time. Talk on a giant nearly toppled and an underdog's heroics. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 3-4 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 7 key vocabulary words such as 国家、世界、结果 and walks through 3 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 let's talk about a heart-stopping World Cup knockout game: defending champions Argentina edged Cape Verde three to two in extra time to scrape through, but the ride left them in a cold sweat.
This was almost a classic case of the small taking on the mighty.
First, a word on Argentina.
Argentina are the champions from the last World Cup, packed with stars, and above all their Messi is a living legend of the game.
Before kickoff, almost no one doubted Argentina would win easily.
Their opponents Cape Verde are a sparsely populated island nation, reaching a World Cup knockout for the first time in their history.
On paper, the two teams were in completely different classes.
Alright, into the game.
In the twenty-ninth minute, Messi broke through first, giving Argentina a one to zero lead.
This goal was momentous: it took Messi's World Cup goal tally to twenty, extending his own all-time record.
Yet what followed the goal defied everyone's expectations.
Facing the defending champions, tiny Cape Verde showed not a flicker of nerves, and only grew more assured as the game went on.
In the second half, Duarte leveled it for Cape Verde — one to one.
Regulation ended still at one to one, and the game went to extra time.
In extra time, Argentina's defender Martínez stepped up and scored, two to one, seemingly about to kill the game off.
But Cape Verde's "Blue Sharks" pulled off a miracle once more.
They doggedly scored again, hauling the score back to two to two!
For such a tiny nation to level twice against the defending champions stunned the whole stadium.
Luckily, Argentina do have deep pedigree after all.
In the one-hundred-and-eleventh minute, they finally forced home a decisive third goal amid a scramble — three to two.
This time, a Cape Verde side drained of energy could conjure no new miracle, and went out with both regret and pride.
You could say that, were it not for the sheer depth of Argentina's star quality, the result of this game might well have been rewritten.
So, how should this game be judged?
For Argentina, this is a win that was as scrappy as it was important.
They exposed plenty of problems and were pushed to the edge of the cliff, but at the crucial moments, Messi and the team's pedigree preserved their dignity.
For Cape Verde, this defeat is honorable, and they are heroes in every sense.
For an island nation of just a few hundred thousand people to push the world champions to the final moments of extra time is itself a miracle fit for the history books.
That's Argentina three to two Cape Verde, a game belonging to Messi, and to Cape Verde's courage.
See you next match.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1-3. country.
HSK 1-3. world.
HSK 1-3. result; outcome.
HSK 1-3. match, game.
上一届的冠军、这届来卫冕的球队。阿根廷是卫冕冠军。
成语。用弱小去挑战强大。这几乎是一场以小博大的经典战役。
由岛屿组成的国家。佛得角是一个人口很少的岛国。
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法非但没有…，反而…
'Not only did not…, but on the contrary…' — a reversal of expectation.
弱小的佛得角非但没有露怯，反而越踢越有底气。
竟然…
'Astonishingly / to one's surprise…' — marks the unexpected.
一个如此弱小的国家，竟然两度逼平了卫冕冠军。
如果不是…，很可能就…
'If it weren't for…, it very likely would have…' — a counterfactual.
如果不是阿根廷底子太厚，结果很可能就要被改写了。
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