A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
Seedance：AI 做的视频，真人假人分不清
ByteDance Seedance AI Videos Spark Copyright Fight
About this story
A simple story about Xiao Ming watching AI tool Seedance 2.0 make fake people sing and dance like Disney stars. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 7 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 15 key vocabulary words such as 电脑、电影、唱歌 and walks through 5 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
Speaking of current new technology, it's really amazing.
I want to tell a story.
There is a person in this story.
His name is Xiao Ming.
Xiao Ming is a student.
He is twenty years old this year.
Xiao Ming likes watching movies very much.
He watches movies every day.
He watches movies at home.
He watches movies on the computer.
He also goes to the movie theater to watch movies.
He likes Chinese movies.
He also likes American movies.
Xiao Ming has a dream.
He wants to make movies.
He wants to be a big director.
But, making movies is very difficult.
Making movies requires a lot of money.
Xiao Ming has no money.
Making movies requires many people.
Someone needs to write the script.
Someone needs to speak.
Someone needs to act.
Xiao Ming doesn't know these people.
Xiao Ming is all alone.
He only has one computer.
What can be done?
Xiao Ming is unhappy.
But, today is different.
Today, Xiao Ming is happy.
Because he discovered a new thing.
This thing is inside the computer.
This is a very smart thing.
It is a new technology.
This thing can help Xiao Ming.
What can it do?
It can make videos.
It can make movies.
It doesn't need many people.
It doesn't need a lot of money.
Only a computer is needed.
Only one person is needed.
How is this done?
Let me tell you.
Xiao Ming sits on the chair.
He turns on the computer.
He looks at that new thing.
Xiao Ming has a photo.
This is a photo of a person.
The person in the photo is a man.
This man is very famous.
Everyone knows him.
He is a big star.
Xiao Ming puts the photo into the computer.
Then, Xiao Ming writes words.
He writes on the computer.
What does he write?
He writes: "This person is singing."
He writes: "This person is dancing."
He writes: "This is in China."
Xiao Ming finished writing.
He clicked the computer.
Then, he waits on the chair.
Waited for one minute.
The computer is done.
Xiao Ming looks at the computer.
There is a video in the computer.
That big star is in the video.
The big star is singing.
He sings very well.
The big star is dancing.
He dances very beautifully.
Behind him is a beautiful house.
That is a Chinese house.
Xiao Ming is very happy.
He watches the video.
The person in the video looks just like the real thing.
His eyes are moving.
His mouth is moving.
His hands are also moving.
His clothes are very beautiful.
The clothes are also moving.
Is this real?
Is this the real big star?
No.
This is fake.
This was made by a computer.
The big star did not come to Xiao Ming's home.
The big star did not sing.
The big star did not dance.
The big star is sleeping in his own home.
But, the video looks too real.
No one can tell the difference.
Xiao Ming shows the video to friends.
The friends say: "Wow, this is the big star!"
The friends say: "He is singing!"
The friends say: "This video is really good to watch."
Everyone thinks it is real.
Xiao Ming made a movie.
He didn't spend money.
He didn't hire people.
He only used a computer.
This sounds good, right?
But, there is a big problem.
What problem?
The big star is unhappy.
The big star saw this video.
He is very angry.
He says: "Who made this?"
He says: "This is not me."
He says: "I didn't sing this song."
He says: "I didn't go to that place."
The big star doesn't like this video.
Because this is his face.
But he didn't know about this matter.
No one asked him: "Is it okay?"
Xiao Ming didn't ask him.
The computer didn't ask him either.
This is not right.
There are other people who are unhappy.
Those are the big companies that make movies.
For example, Disney in America.
They have many movies.
They have many famous people.
They watch Xiao Ming's video.
They are also unhappy.
They say: "This is our stuff."
They say: "This is our movie."
They say: "You cannot use our stuff."
They say: "You need to pay money."
But Xiao Ming didn't pay money.
This new thing didn't pay money either.
So, everyone is arguing.
The people making videos are happy.
Because this is very convenient.
Because this is very fast.
But, famous people are unhappy.
Because that is their face.
What is this story talking about?
It is talking about a real matter.
This new thing is called Seedance 2.0.
It was made by ByteDance.
It is a very amazing computer technology.
It can make photos move.
It can turn dead things into living things.
It can make videos that look very real.
You can make famous people fight.
You can make famous people sing.
This is very amazing.
But, this is also very dangerous.
Because we don't know what is real.
We don't know what is fake.
Famous people also don't like this.
This is the biggest problem right now.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇Literally 'electric brain'. Used frequently in this script as the tool for creating movies.
Common object of the verb 看 (to watch) or 做 (to make).
A verb-object compound (sing + song).
A verb-object compound (jump + dance).
Describes the emotional state of Xiao Ming or the movie makers.
Used to express opinions or perceptions (e.g., everyone thinks it is real).
Refers to the ethical or legal issues arising from the technology.
HSK 1. we; us.
Refers to the new AI capability. This is HSK 4 vocabulary.
Very common modern word, but formally higher level than beginner text. Refers to the output of the computer.
Literally 'bright star'. Refers to famous actors or singers.
The person who directs a film. A specific job title.
The opposite of 真 (zhēn - real). Crucial for the theme of the story.
Used to describe the potential negative impact of the technology.
Describes how easy the new technology is to use.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法The Complement of Degree. It follows a verb to describe how the action is performed.
他唱得很好听。 (He sings very well.)
他跳得很好看。 (He dances very beautifully.)
The 'Ba' construction. It is used to indicate how an object is handled or disposed of. It emphasizes the result of an action on a specific object.
小明把照片放在电脑里。 (Xiao Ming puts the photo into the computer.)
小明把视频给朋友看。 (Xiao Ming gives the video to friends to watch.)
A simile pattern meaning 'looks like' or 'is the same as'.
视频里的人像真的一样。 (The person in the video looks just like the real thing.)
Present continuous aspect. Indicates an action is currently happening.
大明星在唱歌。 (The big star is singing.)
大家都在吵架。 (Everyone is arguing.)
Used to emphasize a detail of a past event or a characteristic (like who did it, how it was done, or where).
这是电脑做的。 (This was made by a computer.)
说的是一个真的事情。 (It is speaking about a real matter.)
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
来源Free account
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