A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
6:57
黄金价格稳定与中东石油危机
Gold Holds Steady as Iran, Hormuz, and a Middle East Oil Crisis Rattle Markets
HSK 3 Chinese listening practice. Gold stays stable while Iran tensions, the Strait of Hormuz, and a Middle East oil crisis shake the global market.
This is an HSK 3-4 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 12 key vocabulary words such as 市场、稳定、保护 and walks through 4 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 the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
Speaking of the recent financial markets, let's take a look at the price of gold.
Recently, the price of gold has been very stable.
People who buy and sell gold are carefully observing the market.
Currently, the price of gold is very high.
The price of one ounce of gold has exceeded five thousand dollars.
Although the price dropped a little bit a few days ago.
It quickly returned to above five thousand dollars again.
Why has the price of gold remained so high?
Because many people feel insecure in their hearts.
In the financial market, gold is like a safe house.
If the weather outside is good, people might go buy other things.
But if it's windy and rainy outside, people will exchange their money for gold.
What are the 'wind and rain' in the market right now?
There are mainly two big problems.
The first problem is the rise in prices.
That is what we commonly call inflation.
The second problem is that difficulties have appeared in the oil supply.
Let's talk about the first problem first.
Now, things in many countries have become more expensive than before.
Whether it's food or items for use, prices are rising.
If prices keep rising, the money in your hand will become less valuable.
At this time, smart people will take their money to buy gold.
Because the value of gold is very stable.
It can not only protect wealth, but also give people peace of mind.
Then let's look at the problem of oil.
Oil is too important to our lives.
Cars need gasoline, and airplanes also need oil.
Factories also need oil to produce things.
If there is less oil, the price of oil will become expensive.
Recently, some wars have occurred in the Middle East.
This has caused great trouble for the world's oil supply.
Iran attacked some very important energy facilities.
These facilities are all near the Persian Gulf.
The Persian Gulf is the place that produces the most oil in the world.
The oil of many countries is transported out from there by ship.
If the facilities there are destroyed.
It will be difficult for oil to be transported out smoothly.
Therefore, the price of oil has been rising recently.
Although it fell for one day in between.
But it quickly started to rise again.
Because everyone discovered that the problem had not been solved.
There is another very important place in the Middle East.
This place is called the Strait of Hormuz.
It is like the gateway for oil transportation.
Many large oil tankers in the world have to pass through here.
But now, this gateway is almost closed.
Because it is very unsafe there.
Large oil tankers dare not go through there anymore.
This makes business people very worried.
If oil cannot be transported out, many countries will have no oil to use.
To solve this problem, the United States has started to find a way.
The United States is preparing to take out the emergency oil they have stored.
Every country stores some oil in huge tanks.
This oil is usually not allowed to be used.
It is only taken out when encountering big trouble.
The United States is taking out this emergency oil now.
It is just to make a bit more oil available on the market.
If there is a bit more oil, the price might not rise too fast.
In addition, US President Trump also made a request.
He hopes other countries can also come to help.
He thinks everyone should protect that important strait together.
If everyone sends ships to protect it together.
Large oil tankers might dare to pass through there.
But, this is not an easy thing.
Because the situation there is very complex.
It cannot be solved in a day or two.
Therefore, the worry in the market has not decreased.
Everyone is still watching how the situation will develop next.
What if other countries are unwilling to help?
What if the war becomes more serious?
These are questions everyone is thinking about every day.
Let's look at these things together in connection.
Because there is war in the Middle East, oil cannot be transported out.
Because oil cannot be transported out, oil is more expensive than before.
If oil becomes expensive, the cost of transporting things becomes high.
For example, apples in the supermarket might also increase in price.
Because transporting apples to the supermarket requires large trucks.
Large trucks need to use more expensive gasoline.
So in the end, everything will become more expensive.
This is the price increase we just mentioned.
When people see prices rising, they will worry more about the money in their hands.
They don't want their money to become less.
So they decide to buy more gold.
This is why the price of gold is so stable now.
Even if the price of the US dollar sometimes changes.
Gold can still stand firmly above five thousand dollars.
Traders are calculating these risks every day.
They are looking at the Middle East oil supply on one hand.
And looking at global price changes on the other.
They have to put all the news together to compare.
If the oil problem becomes more serious.
The price of gold might continue to go up.
If the oil problem is solved.
People might not need to buy gold so much.
But as it stands currently, the oil trouble is continuing.
We can imagine every day of a trader.
They sit in front of the computer, looking at all kinds of data.
Red numbers and green numbers are constantly jumping.
They not only have to care about US policies.
But also care about news from every corner of the world.
For example, how much emergency oil the US released today.
What new conflict happened in the Middle East tomorrow.
Every tiny bit of news will affect their decisions.
Actually, this is not just a matter for the financial markets.
These numbers also have a great relationship with our lives.
Although we might not buy gold or do oil business.
Changes in oil prices will bring impact to everyone.
If we go to the gas station to refuel, we can feel the change immediately.
If we go to buy groceries, we can also find the difference in prices.
Therefore, understanding these major international events is very useful.
It can help us understand how the world operates.
It can also let us know why some things have become more expensive.
Now, all eyes are on the Middle East.
Everyone is waiting for a new result.
To see when that important strait can reopen.
To see when the oil ships can safely sail out.
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
A place where trade and business occur. Commonly used in '金融市场' (financial market).
Steady and not likely to change. Used to describe both prices and situations.
To keep something safe from harm or loss.
Complicated or consisting of many different parts.
To feel anxious or concerned about something.
HSK 1-3. country.
Refers to the management of large amounts of money, especially by governments or companies.
A general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money.
A narrow passage of water connecting two seas or two other large areas of water.
Buildings, equipment, or services provided for a particular purpose.
A unit of weight used for precious metals.
A person who buys and sells goods, currency, or shares.
* beyond level超纲词
Used to express 'not only... but also...', adding further information to a point.
它不但能保护财富，而且还能让人安心。
他们不但要关心美国的政策，还要关心世界上每一个角落的新闻。
Meaning 'no matter' or 'regardless of'. It indicates that the result remains the same under any condition.
不管是吃的还是用的，价格都在涨。
A standard conditional structure meaning 'if... then...'.
如果外面刮风下雨，大家就会把钱换成黄金。
如果石油少了，石油的价格就会变贵。
如果那里的设施被破坏了，石油就很难顺利地运出来。
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