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OpenAI Shut Down Sora — episode cover art
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OpenAI Sora

OpenAI Shut Down Sora

About this story

A simple story about Sora, OpenAI's video app on your phone, and why the company decided to close it down. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.

This is an HSK 1 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 手机、电脑、贵 and walks through 4 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.

一个手机东西
Sora
可以视频
视频就是
一句
视频
好玩
很多喜欢
但是现在没了
Sora公司做了
这个公司OpenAI
很大
很有
做了很多东西
但是Sora做了
为什么
因为视频很多电脑
电脑
公司不够
不是真的不够
是有别的东西重要
公司别的
比如写字
比如问题
这些赚钱
视频赚钱
所以做了
Sora什么时候
四年
时候很多看到
大家厉害
做的视频很好
有人
动物
有风
都很真的
但是有人开心
开心
电影
他们
什么
电脑电影
他们工作
后来Sora变得更好
视频更好
还有声音
做了一个手机东西
大家都去
第一很多
人们做了什么
他们做了很多视频
好玩
的是电影
的是游戏
问题
因为那些不是他们
别的公司
迪士尼也来
迪士尼知道
米老鼠
很多电影
迪士尼OpenAI很多
多少钱
十亿美元
很多很多
它们一起东西
迪士尼人物视频
但是现在Sora没了
所以这个也没
迪士尼没关系
它们别的公司
现在OpenAI别的
赚钱东西
现在很多
七千三百亿美元
这个数字很大
非常
刚刚一千一百亿
所以
但是要用好的地方
视频不是最好的
文字代码更好
代码就是电脑语言
所以Sora没了
以前Sora
如果
你要你的视频
因为以后没了
这个故事告诉我们什么
时候一个东西很好
很多喜欢
但是公司还是做了
因为重要东西
就是OpenAI关掉Sora故事
English transcript reference

There was something on phones.

It was called Sora.

You could use it to make videos.

A video is a moving picture.

You say one sentence.

It makes a video for you.

Very fun.

Many people liked it.

But now it's gone.

The company that made Sora stopped.

This company is called OpenAI.

It is very big.

Very rich.

It made many things.

But Sora is stopped now.

Why?

Because making videos needs many computers.

Computers are expensive.

The company doesn't have enough money.

Not really not enough.

There are other more important things.

The company wants to do other things.

Like writing.

Like thinking about problems.

These make more money.

Making videos makes less money.

So they stopped.

When did Sora start?

In 2024.

At that time many people saw it.

Everyone said how amazing.

The videos it made were very nice.

There were people.

There were animals.

There was wind.

There was water.

They all looked very real.

But some people were not happy.

Who was not happy?

People who make movies.

They were scared.

Scared of what?

Scared that computers make movies.

Then they would have no work.

Later Sora got even better.

The videos were nicer.

There was also sound.

It made a phone app.

Everyone went to download it.

On the first day many people downloaded it.

What did people do?

They made many videos.

Some were very fun.

Some had movie characters.

Some had game characters.

This was a problem.

Because those characters were not theirs.

They belonged to other companies.

Disney also came.

Do you know Disney?

It has Mickey Mouse.

It has many movies.

Disney gave OpenAI a lot of money.

How much money?

One billion dollars.

A lot of money.

They wanted to make things together.

Using Disney characters to make videos.

But now Sora is gone.

So this plan is also gone.

Disney said it's okay.

They will work with other companies.

Now OpenAI wants to do other things.

It wants to make things that earn more money.

It is worth a lot of money now.

730 billion dollars.

This number is very big.

Very very big.

It just got 110 billion.

So it has money.

But money should be used in good places.

Making videos is not the best.

Making text and code is better.

Code is the language of computers.

So Sora is gone.

Have you used Sora before?

If you have.

You should save your videos.

Because later they will be gone.

What does this story tell us?

Sometimes something is very good.

Many people like it.

But the company still stops it.

Because there are more important things.

This is the story of OpenAI closing Sora.

Listen again

Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
shǒujīphone

A mobile phone. 手机上的东西 means something on the phone.

diànnǎocomputer

A machine for working and playing. Making videos needs many computers.

guìexpensive

Costs a lot of money. 电脑很贵.

to be scared

To be afraid. Movie people were scared of AI.

méiguānxiit doesn't matter

HSK 1. it doesn't matter.

wǒmenwe; us

HSK 1. we; us.

shìpínvideo

A moving picture with sound. Sora makes videos.

gōngsīcompany

A business. OpenAI is a big company.

zhòngyàoimportant

Matters a lot. There are more important things than Sora.

zhuànqiánto make money

To earn money. Writing makes more money than videos.

lìhaiamazing

Very impressive. 大家说好厉害.

xiàto download

Short for 下载. 大家都去下 means everyone downloaded it.

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法
因为...所以...

Because... so... — expresses cause and effect.

因为做视频要很多电脑,所以不做了。

很 + Adjective

Very + adjective. Basic way to describe something.

它很大。

电脑很贵。

视频很好看。

可以 + Verb

Can do something. Expresses ability or permission.

你用它可以做视频。

...的时候

When... — marks a time.

那时候很多人看到了。

Proper Nouns

专有名词
SoraSoraSora (OpenAI's video generation tool)OpenAIOpenAIOpenAI (AI company)迪士尼DíshìníDisney

Sources

来源

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