A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
印尼监狱惊现“豪华公寓”：大电视、豪车和高尔夫模拟器
Luxury Apartments Inside an Indonesian Prison: Big TVs, Fancy Cars and a Golf Simulator
About this story
In a surprise inspection on Sept. 23, 2026, Indonesia's Ombudsman found inmates at Cibinong prison near Jakarta living in staff houses with flat-screen TVs and a gym, luxury cars parked outside, a golf simulator under construction and an unguarded exit into the forest. Five officials, including the warden, have been suspended while investigators look for bribes. Chinese listening practice at four levels. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 3-4 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 相信、发现、调查 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.
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原文Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
English transcript reference
If someone told you that some prisoners were living in apartments with big TVs, with luxury cars parked outside, would you believe it?
In Indonesia, it's true.
On September 23, Indonesia's watchdog made a surprise inspection of Cibinong prison, near the capital, Jakarta.
At first, the prison guards wouldn't let the inspectors in.
Once inside, they found prisoners living in at least ten houses outside the prison.
These houses were originally meant for staff; they were spacious, with flat-screen TVs and a gym.
Expensive cars were parked next to the houses, and a golf simulator was being built.
The inspectors also found an unguarded exit at the back, where people could come and go freely, with a forest just outside.
The watchdog said facilities like these had never been found anywhere else.
One prisoner also admitted to living in one of the houses.
Now the government is investigating whether these prisoners paid prison staff for this treatment.
It's still unclear exactly which prisoners lived here, and for how long.
Last Saturday, the ministry in charge of prisons announced that five officials, including the warden, had been suspended and placed under investigation.
The ministry said it had already questioned dozens of prisoners and staff.
The head of prison administration also said the investigation had found thirteen unregistered staff residences in the prison.
The case has caused a lot of anger in Indonesia.
Indonesia's prisons have long been overcrowded, with too few guards, who are also poorly paid.
Experts who study prisons say some corrupt staff give wealthy prisoners drugs, chances to go out, and all kinds of luxury goods.
In 2017, prisoners at a prison on the island of Bali dug a tunnel and escaped.
In 2018, the government also found that prisoners at another prison had paid for special treatment.
A member of the watchdog told parliament: this is only the tip of the iceberg; if it's not fixed at the level of the system, the problem will get bigger.
What do you think it would take for everyone in a prison to be treated the same?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 2. 你会相信吗？
HSK 3. 他们发现.
HSK 3. 政府正在调查.
HSK 3. 突然检查了奇比农监狱.
HSK 3. 如果不从制度上解决.
HSK 3. 给有钱的犯人提供毒品.
监狱 (prison) + 长 (head).
停 (stop) + 职 (post).
腐败的员工.
奢侈 (luxurious) + 品 (goods).
引起了很多人的愤怒.
冰山 (iceberg) + 一角 (one corner).
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法至少
At least.
进去以后，他们发现，有犯人住在监狱外面至少十套房子里。
从来没有 + verb + 过
Never (before)…
监察机构说，这样的设施，以前在别的地方从来没有发现过。
如果不……，……会……
If not…, then… will…
监察机构的一名成员在议会上说：这只是冰山一角，如果不从制度上解决，问题以后会更大。
Proper nouns
专有名词Free account
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