A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
大熊猫平平和福双抵达亚特兰大：熊猫外交又一次登场
Giant Pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang Land in Atlanta as Panda Diplomacy Returns
About this story
Days after Xi Jinping's White House visit, giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang flew overnight from Chengdu on a panda-painted FedEx plane to begin a 10-year stay at Zoo Atlanta, bringing America's panda count to six. From Pat Nixon's 1972 request to today's tense summitry, what panda diplomacy does — and doesn't — do. Chinese listening practice at four levels. 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 12 key vocabulary words such as 喜欢、漂亮、飞机 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
Do you like pandas?
Pandas come from China.
Lots of people like pandas, and I like pandas a lot too.
Pandas are big, and they're beautiful too.
Today we're talking about two pandas.
One panda is called Ping Ping, and the other is called Fu Shuang.
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are both six years old.
On September 27, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang took a plane to America.
There were no passengers on the plane, just the two pandas and the food they like.
They went to a zoo in America.
The zoo is in Atlanta.
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will live at this zoo for ten years.
For now, people can't see them yet.
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang have to rest for a month first.
Why is China giving America pandas?
Last week, China's Xi Jinping went to America.
Xi Jinping and America's Trump talked a lot.
Xi Jinping said: pandas are friends of China and America.
This isn't the first time China has given America pandas.
In 1972, America's Nixon went to China.
Mrs. Nixon said she loved pandas.
At that time, China gave America two pandas.
Lots and lots of Americans went to see those two pandas.
A university teacher said: when Americans like pandas, they'll like China too.
This zoo in Atlanta used to have pandas too.
In 2024, those pandas went back to China.
Now Ping Ping and Fu Shuang have arrived.
A mother and her little daughter came to the zoo.
She said: we can't see the pandas today, but we know the pandas are here!
Now there are six pandas in America.
Would you like to go and see the pandas?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1. 你喜欢熊猫吗？
HSK 1. 熊猫很大，也很漂亮.
HSK 1. 平平和福双坐飞机，去了美国.
HSK 1. 熊猫是中国和美国的朋友.
HSK 1. 一个大学老师说.
HSK 1. 一个妈妈和她的小女儿.
熊 (bear) + 猫 (cat): a "bear-cat".
动物 (animal) + 园 (garden).
两只熊猫 — animals take 只, not 个.
它们喜欢吃的东西.
要先休息一个月.
大 (big) + 学 (school).
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法要在 + place + 住 + time
Will live somewhere for a length of time.
平平和福双要在这个动物园住十年。
这不是第一次
This isn't the first time.
中国给美国熊猫，这不是第一次。
……，可是……
…, but… — sets up a contrast.
她说：我们今天不能看熊猫，可是我们知道，熊猫在这里！
Proper Nouns
专有名词Free account
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