A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels

胡迪尼的大象与好奇心
Economist Bartleby Column: Andrew Palmer on the Hidden Costs of Workplace Curiosity
About this story
HSK 1: Economist Andrew Palmer on curiosity's benefits and costs — Google's billboard puzzle, charity donations, and why curious employees can slow decisions.
This is an HSK 2 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 公司、喜欢、时间 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.
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原文Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
English transcript reference
A person who writes articles says that people really want to know one thing.
Really wanting to know one thing also has a bad side.
His name is Palmer.
Companies also like this kind of person.
The world is different from before, and companies need new methods.
The company says this kind of person can help the company.
Palmer says people really want to know one thing.
This kind of really wanting to know is called curiosity, and it also takes time.
When people really want to know one thing, they will go look and try.
This way, they are slow at doing other things.
There is a problem on a big billboard.
A man saw it and really wanted to do this problem.
After he finished the problem, he saw Google's name.
Google was looking for new people.
Google did not tell people to go work there.
It let people who really wanted to know the answer find their own way there.
There is another thing, which is asking people to give money.
There is a group of people doing good deeds, and they ask people to give money.
They do not say ten yuan, they say eight yuan and twenty-three fen.
When people see it, they will think this amount of money is very special.
He was very curious, so he gave money.
A person named Harrison works at a school.
He says curiosity will make people take long detours.
Taking long detours takes time.
But after taking a long detour, people may find good things.
There is also a company that has one thousand small methods being tested.
This company lets some people look at this, and lets other people look at that.
Then it sees which method is good.
Doing this takes a lot of time.
But the company may find a better method.
Palmer says companies need to accept this.
Curiosity will make people take some useless paths.
Other people often cannot see these paths.
Palmer finally says curiosity has nothing bad.
Only a little bit.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1. Common noun for a business or firm.
HSK 1. Used to express preference, as in 公司也喜欢这样的人.
HSK 1. Refers to time as a resource, as in 花时间 (spend time).
HSK 1. Can be a noun or verb, as in 去那里工作 (go work there).
HSK 1. Resultative compound meaning to catch sight of.
HSK 1. Used for people, companies, or things.
HSK 1. Place where people study or work.
HSK 1. General word for an object or matter.
Beyond HSK 1. Key theme word meaning eager to know something.
Beyond HSK 1. Refers to a signboard or placard.
Beyond HSK 1. Used for solutions to questions or problems.
Beyond HSK 1. Literally 'walk a long road', used metaphorically for detours.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法很想知道 + 一件事
Expresses a strong desire to know something, using 很 to intensify.
人很想知道一件事。
帕尔默说,人很想知道一件事。
也 + Verb
Uses 也 to mean 'also' or 'too' in a sentence.
公司也喜欢这样的人。
这种很想知道叫好奇,它也会花时间。
让 + Person + Verb
Causative pattern meaning 'to let/make someone do something'.
它让很想知道答案的人自己找过来。
这家公司让一些人看这个,让另一些人看那个。
有 + Number + Measure Word + Noun
Expresses existence or quantity with 有.
一块大牌子上有一道题。
还有一家公司,它有一千个小办法在试。
可是 + Clause
Conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however', introducing contrast.
可是走远路以后,人可能找到好东西。
可是公司可能找到更好的办法。
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
来源Free account
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