A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
为 AI 花钱，越花越多：Microsoft 和 Meta 的新账单
Spending More and More on AI: Microsoft and Meta's New Bill
About this story
An easy Chinese listening story: Microsoft and Meta reported how much they will spend on AI, and the numbers keep growing, making investors uneasy about whether it can ever be earned back. HSK 2 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 2 Chinese listening episode that runs about 1 minute. 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 10 key vocabulary words such as 想、买、说 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
Microsoft and Meta are two very big American tech companies.
Right now, many companies want to build the best AI.
Building AI means buying a huge number of computers and chips, which costs a lot.
This week, both companies said how much they plan to spend.
The number is enormous.
Microsoft says that next year the money it will spend will be far more.
Meta also says the money it spends grows year after year.
They say: we will keep on spending.
Hearing this, many people who own the stock felt a little uneasy.
They worry: can they earn this money back?
The two companies say: AI is important, and this money has to be spent.
Many people are wondering: is spending all this money the right call?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇都想做最好的 AI = all want to build the best AI.
要买很多电脑和芯片 = have to buy many computers and chips.
都说了要花多少钱 = both said how much they'll spend.
做 AI = to build AI.
会多很多 = will be far more.
两家很大的公司 = two very big companies.
买很多电脑和芯片 = buy many computers and chips.
科技公司 = tech companies.
电脑和芯片 = computers and chips.
买了股票的人 = people who own the stock.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法一年比一年……
一年比一年 + adj = "more … year after year".
要花的钱，一年比一年多。
一直……下去
一直 + verb + 下去 = "keep on doing …".
我们会一直花下去。
能不能……？
能不能 = "can or can't …?".
花这些钱，能不能赚回来？
Proper Nouns
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