A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
世界杯八强赛：贝林厄姆双响加时绝杀，英格兰二比一淘汰挪威进四强
England Beats Norway 2–1 in Extra Time
About this story
A medium Chinese listening lesson on the World Cup quarter-finals, in spoken style: Schjelderup's opener, then Bellingham's brace (equalizer plus an early extra-time winner) send England past dark horses Norway 2-1, with Haaland and Kane both blank. Talk on who the real difference-maker is. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 3-4 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 7 key vocabulary words such as 中锋、挺身而出、难解难分 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.
Read at your level
原文Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
English transcript reference
Today let's talk about a heart-stopping World Cup quarter-final: England beat Norway two to one in extra time to scrape into the semi-finals.
And the biggest hero of this win was the midfield heartbeat who kept stepping up — Bellingham.
This was a contest of superstars, and of will.
First, a word on the two teams.
Norway hold one of the most fearsome center forwards in the game today — Haaland — a side you cross at your peril.
In the last round, it was they who shocked five-time champions Brazil.
And England are packed with stars too, with captain Kane and a red-hot Bellingham.
Alright, into the game.
This was always going to be an evenly matched, hard-fought battle.
In the first half, Norway broke the deadlock first, Schjelderup scoring — zero to one.
A trailing England didn't panic.
Soon, still in the first half, their heartbeat Bellingham stepped up and scored, leveling it at one to one.
Through the rest of regulation, the two sides fought to a tight stalemate, neither able to score again.
After ninety minutes, it was still one to one, and the game went to extra time.
Yet no sooner had extra time begun than that man responded once more.
In the first few minutes of extra time, a long-range shot was parried by the Norway keeper, but the ball bounced out, and the quickest to react was Bellingham, who rushed in and coolly finished the rebound — two to one!
This was also his second goal of the game, and his sixth of this World Cup.
On the strength of Bellingham's brace, England laughed last, scraping through this crucial quarter-final.
One thing especially worth noting: in this game, the two teams' biggest stars — Norway's Haaland and England's Kane — astonishingly both blanked.
The one who really decided it was Bellingham, stepping up at the crucial moment again and again.
So, how should this game be judged?
For England, this is a highly valuable win.
A truly strong team can always lean on its core players to solve problems at the hardest moments.
And Bellingham is, without doubt, growing into this England's most reliable go-to man.
For Norway, this defeat, though a pity, is honorable.
On their run, they knocked out many strong rivals including Brazil, gave the world so much drama, and long ago won everyone's respect.
That's England two to one Norway, a game belonging to Bellingham, and to heroism.
See you next match.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇站在锋线中路、主要负责射门的球员。哈兰德是最恐怖的中锋之一。
成语。在关键时刻勇敢地站出来。贝林厄姆挺身而出，攻入一球。
成语。双方相持不下、很难分出胜负。双方杀得难解难分。
球被挡出后再补上一脚射门。他冲上前去冷静补射入网。
一个人在一场球里进两个球。贝林厄姆梅开二度。
该发挥的球星没能进球。哈兰德和凯恩竟然都哑火了。
球队最能依靠、能扛事的核心球员。贝林厄姆是英格兰最可靠的大腿。
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法正是…
'It is precisely …' — emphatic identification.
最大的功臣，正是贝林厄姆。
才刚…，就…
'No sooner had … than …' — something happens right away.
加时赛才刚刚开始，那个男人就再一次做出了回应。
竟然都没有…
'Astonishingly, neither … did …' — an unexpected absence.
两队最大牌的球星，竟然都没有进球。
Proper nouns
专有名词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