A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
一百年才被发现的新猫
New Wild Cat Species Discovered in Bolivia After 100 Years — The Tilcayo Tiger Cat
About this story
A simple story about the Tilcayo tiger cat, a new wild cat species found in Bolivia after 100 years — only two are known to exist. HSK 2 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 2 Chinese listening episode that runs about 3 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 家、猫、小 and walks through 6 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
In Bolivia, there is a home.
In this home, there is a small cat.
This cat is very small.
The cats in the home are big; this cat is small.
The family likes this cat very much.
They think: this is a cat that belongs to the home.
Their friends also come to see this cat.
The friends also like this cat.
The family sees this cat every day.
This cat lives in this home.
When the family sees this cat, they are very happy.
The family does not know that this is not a house cat.
There are some people who study many cats.
They know many cats.
They came.
They looked at this cat.
They looked many times.
They said, this is not a house cat.
This is a new cat.
This is a cat that many, many people do not know.
Now, people know.
People call this kind of cat Tilcayo.
Tilcayo is the name of this kind of cat.
In Bolivia, many people call this kind of cat Tilcayo.
How long is this kind of cat?
46 centimeters.
46 centimeters is 18 inches.
This cat weighs only 3 pounds.
It is very small, and also very beautiful.
Scientists looked at 38 cats.
Scientists began studying this kind of cat in 2021.
In 1923, people saw a new kind of cat.
Now it is 2026.
For a hundred years, people had not seen a new kind of cat.
Of this kind of cat, there are only two in the world.
One is male.
He lives in a place.
This place has many animals.
The people there look at these animals, and also look at this cat.
This cat has lived there for many years.
The people there like this cat very much.
One is female.
Some people hit her.
Then, people rescued her.
She went back.
Now, she lives in the mountains.
This kind of cat is a mountain cat.
This kind of cat is only in Bolivia.
In many places, people have not seen this kind of cat.
This kind of cat is very rare.
People do not know how many of this kind of cat there are in the world.
This kind of cat lives in the mountains, not in homes.
Scientists say this kind of cat is in danger.
Scientists want to protect this kind of cat.
They study this kind of cat.
They also study the place where this kind of cat lives.
They think this kind of cat is very rare.
They want to protect this kind of cat.
The name of this kind of cat is now known to many people.
However, there are only two in the world.
Two is too few.
Think about it.
A kind of cat, with only two in the world.
If it were you, what would you do?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1. Used as both noun (home) and measure word for families. In the script: 这个家里 (in this home).
HSK 1. Common noun. Measure word: 只 (zhī). In the script: 一只小猫 (a small cat).
HSK 1. Opposite of 大 (big). Used to describe size.
HSK 1. Opposite of 小. In the script: 家里的猫大 (the cats in the home are big).
HSK 1. Common verb. Can be used with people or things. In the script: 很喜欢这只猫 (like this cat very much).
HSK 1. Very common verb. In the script, used for looking at cats and studying them.
HSK 1. Common noun. In the script: 他们的朋友 (their friends).
HSK 1. Used for where someone or something lives. In the script: 住在这个家里 (lives in this home).
HSK 1. Phrase meaning 'very many'. Used before nouns.
HSK 1. Common noun. In the script: 一个地方 (a place).
HSK 1. Common noun. In the script: 很多动物 (many animals).
HSK 2 (beyond HSK 1). Unit of length. In the script: 46厘米 (46 cm).
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法Simple description with 很 as a linking adverb before adjectives.
这只猫很小。
这家人很喜欢这只猫。
它很小，也很漂亮。
Subject + 也 + Verb
Expresses 'also' or 'too' with an action.
朋友们也喜欢这只猫。
那里的人看这些动物，也看这只猫。
他们也看这种猫住的地方。
Subject + 只有 + Number + Measure Word
Emphasizes a small quantity: 'only have ...'.
这只猫只有3磅。
这种猫，世界上只有两只。
这种猫只在玻利维亚。
Subject + 不知道 + Clause
Expresses lack of knowledge about something.
这家人不知道，这不是家里的猫。
人们不知道世界上有多少只这种猫。
是 + Noun + 的 + Noun
Possessive or descriptive 的 phrase linking nouns.
这是一只家里的猫。
这是很多很多人不知道的猫。
蒂尔卡约，是这种猫的名字。
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
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