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 lineman John Urschel, now an MIT math professor, publishes a paper showing Gaussian elimination is close to 100% reliable — settling a question people puzzled over for. HSK 4 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 4 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 方法、担心、教授 and walks through 8 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 math paper that few people usually read.
In October 2026, many people read a math paper.
Not because of the math.
But because of the person who wrote it.
The person who wrote it used to be an NFL football player.
His name is John Urschel.
Now, he is a math professor at MIT.
This paper talks about a very old math method.
This math method is called Gaussian elimination.
Gaussian elimination is a very old method in mathematics.
This method is used to calculate many problems.
Banks use it, and computers use it too.
For example, banks use it when calculating money.
Computers use it too when calculating things.
This problem is connected to many people's lives.
When the problem is small, this method works well.
When the problem is big, many people worry.
His paper is about when the problem is big.
Many people use it, but they don't understand why it's good.
Many people worry: when the problem is big, will this method go wrong?
People have thought about this problem for thirty years.
Thirty years — that is not a small problem.
A problem can wait many years.
His paper says: this method rarely goes wrong.
Close to 100% of the time, it is correct.
A person who studies math said: this problem is big.
This person who studies math is at another university.
He also talked about this paper online.
Because of this mathematician, more people read this paper.
Many people read this paper because of his story.
Some also read it because of the result.
For many people, this is a football story.
For people who study math, this is a math story.
He played football for many years.
In 2014, the NFL drafted him.
That was the fifth round.
He studied a lot of math in college.
While playing football, he was still taking classes at MIT.
He wrote math papers.
He did not tell his team.
A team is the people who play football together.
He got a head injury.
That was August 2015.
After the injury, he was still playing football.
But he was very worried.
He worried that his head would get worse in the future.
He was afraid that in the future he wouldn't be able to think about math.
This made him think a lot.
In 2017, he retired.
Many people don't understand this.
Playing football brings a lot of money, and many people know you.
He gave it up.
Why retire?
One reason is his head.
Another reason: he loves math.
He likes both football and math.
After retiring, he had a lot of time.
He could do what he loved most.
Math is what he loves most.
He went back to school to study math.
Later, he finished his math PhD.
In 2019, he wrote a book.
This book talks about football and also about math.
Now, he teaches math and also supervises doctoral students.
His job is to teach students math and also to research math.
Sometimes he goes to conferences and talks about his math with others.
He is 35 years old.
His wife's name is Louisa Thomas.
She is a journalist and writes articles.
At MIT, his introduction does not mention football.
On his CV, football only comes up on page eight.
Once, students came to take an exam.
They were wearing his football jersey.
He said: if this gets students to come learn math, that's great.
He said: I really like that no one knows me.
He likes going to places where no one knows him.
At MIT, his job is math.
Football is his past.
He also wants to know why, and he wants to know how.
This paper is still a preprint now.
A preprint is an article that is written but not yet published.
This result still has to wait for other mathematicians to look at it.
But people have already thought about this problem for thirty years.
Many people say this is a very big problem.
Think about it.
If no one knew your name, would you still do this thing?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 3. Common measure word 种: 一种方法. Appears as 数学方法 in the script.
HSK 3. 担心 + clause: 我担心他会迟到. Also 别担心 = don't worry.
HSK 3. 数学教授 = math professor; 大学教 授 = university professor.
HSK 3. 一个原因是…… = one reason is…; 主要原因是…… = the main reason is…
HSK 3. 这个结果 = this result; also used as a conjunction meaning 'as a result'.
Beyond HSK 3 (HSK 4). 她是记者 = she is a journalist; 新闻记者 = news reporter.
HSK 3. 写论文 = to write a paper; 发表论文 = to publish a paper.
HSK 3. 退休以后 = after retiring; 他退休了 = he retired.
HSK 3. 头受伤了 = got a head injury; 受伤以后 = after the injury.
HSK 3. 很多人不明白 = many people don't understand. Softer than 懂, often about reasons.
HSK 3. 以前是…… = used to be…; contrasts with 现在 in the script.
HSK 3. 差不多100% = close to 100%. Also means 'about the same' when comparing.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法是……的 (emphasis on reason or circumstance)
The 是……的 construction highlights the reason or circumstance behind something already known. The script uses it to explain why the paper went viral.
不是因为数学。
是因为写论文的人。
很多人看这篇论文，是因为他的故事。
……的时候 (when / at the time of)
A time clause formed with 的时候, placed before the main clause. Very common in narration.
问题小的时候，这个方法很好。
问题大的时候，很多人担心。
打球的时候，他还在 MIT 上课。
用来 + Verb (be used to do something)
用来 marks the purpose of a tool or method, followed by a verb phrase.
这个方法，用来算很多问题。
银行用它，电脑也用它。
会不会 + Verb (will it or won't it — speculation)
The A-not-A pattern 会不会 asks about a possible future outcome, often expressing doubt or worry.
问题很大的时候，这个方法会不会错？
让 + Person + Verb (make/let someone do something)
The causative 让 introduces the person affected and the resulting action or feeling.
这件事，让他想了很多。
如果这让学生来学数学，那很好。
对……来说 (for / as far as … is concerned)
A frame that shifts perspective: 'for X, it is Y'. Often used to contrast two viewpoints.
对很多人来说，这是橄榄球的故事。
对研究数学的人来说，这是数学的故事。
才 + Verb (only then / not until)
才 stresses that something happens late, only, or with effort — here, football appearing only on page eight.
他的简历上，第八页才说到橄榄球。
如果……，还……吗？ (rhetorical conditional question)
A conditional question ending the script, inviting the listener to reflect. 还 adds the sense of 'still'.
如果没有人知道你的名字，你还会做这件事吗？
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
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