A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
从 NFL 到麻省理工，他解开一个三十年的数学问题
Former NFL Lineman John Urschel, Now an MIT Professor, Solves a 30-Year-Old Math Conjecture on Gaussian Elimination
About this story
Former NFL player John Urschel left football for math at MIT — and his 2026 paper shows Gaussian elimination is close to 100% reliable. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 3 Chinese listening episode that runs about 4 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 担心、开始、问题 and walks through 7 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
In August 2015, John Urschel's head was very bad.
He worried it would be worse later.
At that time, he was an NFL football player.
In 2014, he started playing football.
He played in Baltimore.
Playing football, there is a lot of money, and many people watch him.
He is very tall.
He also likes math.
He likes thinking about problems.
One problem, he can think about it for a long time.
When he was at school, he was already good at math.
While playing football, he was also taking classes at MIT.
He writes math articles.
When he eats, he is also thinking about math.
When he walks, he is also thinking about math.
His head was very bad.
He was afraid that later he could not think about math.
His head was bad, but he could still play football.
After his head got bad, he was still playing football.
He was very worried.
Some football players, later their heads will be bad.
He did not want to be unable to think about math later.
In 2017, he no longer played football.
Many people did not understand.
Playing football, there is a lot of money, and many people know you.
These things, he did not want anymore.
Why?
First, his head was bad.
He worried that later his head would be worse.
Second, he loves math.
Math is his work, and also the thing he loves.
He likes math, math makes him happy.
He likes football, but he loves math most.
Playing football and doing math are two very different things.
But, he likes both of these things.
He went to MIT to study math.
He studied math at MIT for many years.
In 2019, he published a book.
In the book he talks about football, and also about math.
Now, he is a math teacher at MIT.
He is 35 years old.
His wife is called Louisa Thomas.
She writes articles.
In October 2026, many people read an article he wrote.
This article talks about a math method.
This method, many people are using it.
Banks use this method.
Computers also use this method.
Many people are afraid it is not good.
Why are they afraid?
When the problem is very big, will this method be bad?
He calculated a lot.
He said: this method is very good.
Almost 100% good.
100%, means all good, not one is bad.
Almost 100%, means very few are bad.
One problem, many people thought about it for many years.
A person who studies math said: this is a very big problem.
Many people read this article.
Many people know him because of football.
Now, many people also know his math.
The person who wrote the article, used to play football.
People who play football can also do math.
Now, at MIT, many people do not know he played football.
In MIT's introduction, it does not say he played football.
On his resume, only page eight talks about football.
Once, students came to take an exam.
They were wearing his football jersey.
On the jersey was his name.
John was very happy.
He said: if football makes students come to his class, that is very good.
He said: I really like that no one knows me.
He also wants to know why, and also wants to know how.
You think about it.
If you like one thing, but this thing does not have a lot of money, will you still do it?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 2. 担心 + something/someone: 他担心以后更不好.
HSK 2. 开始 + verb: 他开始打橄榄球.
HSK 2. Used for both a question and a math problem here.
HSK 2. 可以 + verb: 可以想很久.
HSK 2. 很多人认识你 = many people know you.
HSK 2. 数学让他高兴 = math makes him happy.
HSK 1. 数学老师 = math teacher.
HSK 1. Contrasted with 爱 (love) in the script.
HSK 2. 橄榄球运动员 = football player.
HSK 2. 以后 can follow a time or event: 头不好以后.
HSK 2. 很多人不明白 = many people don't understand.
Beyond level. 打橄榄球 = to play football; 橄榄球运动员 = football player.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法的时候 (when / while)
Marks the time or situation during which something happens. Can follow a verb phrase.
他吃饭的时候，也在想数学。
他走路的时候，也在想数学。
打橄榄球的时候，他也在 MIT 上课。
也 (also / too)
Adds 'also' to a statement; often pairs with 在 to show a parallel activity.
他也喜欢数学。
他也在 MIT 上课。
书里说橄榄球，也说数学。
不再 + Verb (no longer)
Indicates an action stops and does not continue.
2017年，他不再打橄榄球了。
是……的 (it is ... that)
Emphasizes a fact or reason; here used with 因为 to highlight the cause.
很多人知道他，是因为橄榄球。
如果……，还……吗？ (if ..., still ...?)
Conditional question asking whether something would still happen under a condition.
如果你喜欢一件事，但是这件事没有很多钱，你还会做吗？
会不会 (will or won't / whether)
A V-not-V question form asking about possibility.
问题很大的时候，这个方法会不会不好？
才 (only then)
Emphasizes that something happens late or only after a certain point.
他的简历上，第八页才说到橄榄球。
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
来源Free account
Keep learning from this story
Create a free account to keep saved words and your preferred level together.
- Keep words with their story context
- Remember your preferred level
- Build your vocabulary over time