A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
纽约布鲁克林一座公寓楼倒塌，八人遇难
An Apartment Building Collapses in Brooklyn, New York, Killing Eight
About this story
An apartment building in Brooklyn, New York, collapsed on 11 November 2026, killing eight people, two of them children, and injuring 18. The city's buildings department and police are investigating. HSK 5+ Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 5+ 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 12 key vocabulary words such as 确认、彻底、隔壁 and walks through 6 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
An apartment building in Brooklyn, New York City, collapsed on Wednesday afternoon this week, killing eight people, two of them children.
The accident happened at about four in the afternoon on 11 November.
The three-storey apartment building was nearly a hundred years old, and when it collapsed it fell onto a site next door where construction was under way.
Of the eight who died, six were adults, and two of those were construction workers from the site next door.
Six people died at the scene, and two died after being taken to hospital.
Another 18 people were injured, including 14 members of the public and four firefighters taking part in the rescue; most of the injured are in a stable condition, and one is in a critical condition.
After the collapse, more than 250 firefighters and emergency workers joined the search and rescue.
The search went on until Thursday afternoon, when the fire department announced that the operation was over and confirmed that there were no more victims at the scene.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
The investigation is being carried out by New York City's Department of Buildings together with law enforcement, and covers both the collapsed apartment building and the site next door.
The Department of Buildings said the developer of that site held a valid permit for excavation and foundation work.
After the accident, the Department of Buildings issued a full stop-work order for the site.
The mayor of New York said the five entities connected with this site are also involved in about a hundred other sites across the city, and the Department of Buildings has begun checking those sites one by one.
The city government has set up a reception centre near the scene to help residents who were affected or lost their homes.
At Thursday's press conference the mayor said that a tragedy like this needs a full and thorough investigation.
He said: "We will find out what happened."
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 4. 确认现场没有更多遇难者 means to confirm there are no more victims at the scene.
HSK 4. 全面、彻底的调查 means a full and thorough investigation.
HSK 5. 隔壁的工地 means the construction site next door.
HSK 5. A formal linking word for the next event.
HSK 5. 这样一场悲剧: the measure word for a tragedy is 场 (chǎng).
HSK 4. 失去住所的居民 means residents who lost their homes.
Beyond the HSK 1 to 5 lists. Used for buildings and structures.
Beyond the HSK 1 to 5 lists. 遇难者 means a victim who died.
Beyond the HSK 1 to 5 lists. 正在施工的工地 means a site where work is under way.
Beyond the HSK 1 to 5 lists. 投入搜救 means to join the search and rescue.
Beyond the HSK 1 to 5 lists. 执法 (enforce the law) + 部门 (department).
Beyond the HSK 1 to 5 lists. The company that develops a building site.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法造成 + Number + 人 + Verb，其中…
造成 gives the harm caused, and 其中 then picks out part of that number.
纽约市布鲁克林区一座公寓楼本周三下午倒塌，造成八人遇难，其中两人是儿童。
…后，…
后 after a short event phrase means 'after'. More compact than 以后.
事发后，超过两百五十名消防和急救人员投入搜救。
仍在 + Noun + 之中
Says something is still in progress. Formal.
事故原因仍在调查之中。
既包括…，也包括…
'Includes both … and …'.
调查由纽约市建筑局会同执法部门进行，对象既包括倒塌的公寓楼，也包括隔壁的工地。
对 + Object + 下达 + Order
对 marks who or what an official order is directed at.
事故发生后，建筑局已对工地下达全面停工令。
为 + Person + 提供 + Noun
To provide something for someone.
市政府在事发地附近设立了接待中心，为受影响和失去住所的居民提供帮助。
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