A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
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Prefrontal Cortex Meme Excuses Bad Decisions
About this story
Why people are blaming their 'undeveloped prefrontal cortex' for bad choices — and why it's a ridiculous excuse. HSK 2 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 2 Chinese listening episode that runs about 8 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 10 key vocabulary words such as 大脑、决定、借口 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.
English transcript reference
Speaking of young people often making mistakes, today let's talk about the brain.
Everyone has a brain.
The brain is inside our head.
The brain is very important.
We use our brain every day.
We use our brain when eating.
We use our brain when reading.
The brain helps us think about problems.
The brain also helps us make decisions.
The body grows fast, but the brain grows very slowly.
When you're a teenager, you're already very tall.
Some people are even taller than their parents.
The front part of the brain has an area.
This area is very important.
It is responsible for thinking about things.
It tells us what is right.
It tells us what is wrong.
This area grows very slowly.
It doesn't fully develop until age twenty-five.
Before age twenty-five, it is still growing.
It hasn't fully developed yet.
Young people under twenty-five — their brains haven't fully developed.
They often make mistakes.
Because they haven't thought things through clearly.
They do things too quickly.
For example, going to a store to buy something.
A young person sees a piece of clothing.
The clothing is very pretty.
He really likes this piece of clothing.
But the clothing is very expensive.
He doesn't have that much money.
If his brain were fully developed, what would he think?
He would think, I don't have money, I can't buy it.
But he's not yet twenty-five.
His brain hasn't fully developed.
So he didn't think it through clearly.
He immediately bought the clothing.
After buying it, he had no money for food.
This is making a wrong decision.
Next, let's talk about another example.
It's eleven o'clock at night.
The young person should go to sleep.
He has class tomorrow morning.
Or he has to go to work tomorrow.
But he's looking at his phone.
The stuff on the phone is really interesting.
He thinks it's very fun.
He keeps looking at his phone.
He doesn't go to sleep.
At two in the morning, he's still looking.
Because his brain didn't tell him to stop.
The front part of his brain hasn't developed.
It can't make him stop.
The next morning, he can't get up.
He feels extremely tired.
He gets to school very late.
The teacher is very unhappy.
This is also making a mistake.
Also, young people get angry very easily.
For example, a good friend said something.
What was said made him unhappy.
He immediately got angry.
He spoke loudly to his good friend.
He said a lot of bad things.
The good friend felt very sad after hearing this.
Actually, the good friend didn't do it on purpose.
If his brain were fully developed,
he would think about it first.
He would ask his friend what they meant.
But his brain hasn't fully developed.
So he can't control himself.
He lost his temper badly.
Afterward, the good friend stopped talking to him.
Only then did he realize something was wrong.
At this point, what does he say?
He says, I'm sorry, I'm a young person.
The front part of my brain hasn't developed.
So I can't control my temper.
It's not my fault, it's the brain's fault.
See, he's using his brain as an excuse again.
It's the same at school too.
The teacher asks the student to do homework.
There's a lot of homework.
The student doesn't want to do it.
He wants to go out and play.
He wants to go play soccer with friends.
He thinks playing soccer is more fun than doing homework.
So he went to play without doing his homework.
The next day, the teacher asks why he didn't do it.
He says, teacher, my brain hasn't developed.
My brain made me go play.
It can't make me sit in a chair and study.
What would the teacher think after hearing this?
The teacher would definitely think this reason is ridiculous.
Although the brain is still developing, people have minds.
People can control themselves.
If everyone used this reason,
then the world would be in chaos.
Children wouldn't study.
Young people wouldn't work.
Everyone would say their brain hasn't developed.
This definitely would not be acceptable.
In the past, when young people made mistakes,
they would say sorry.
They would say they wouldn't do it again next time.
But now it's different.
Now young people have a new reason.
After they make a mistake, they don't think it's wrong.
They say, it's the brain's fault.
Because my brain hasn't fully developed.
I'm not yet twenty-five.
So I'll make mistakes.
They don't think it's their own problem.
They push all their mistakes onto the brain.
The brain has become their excuse.
Being late? It's the brain's problem.
Spending money recklessly? It's the brain's problem.
Getting angry? That's also the brain's problem.
They think saying this is great.
Because then they don't have to say sorry.
Is saying this correct?
Science books say so.
The front part of the brain does indeed grow slowly.
It really doesn't fully develop until age twenty-five.
This is true.
But we can't keep blaming the brain.
Although the brain hasn't fully developed, we can learn.
We can learn to think about things.
Before doing something, we can wait a moment.
Wait five minutes, then make a decision.
That way, we won't make mistakes.
If we really do make a mistake, we should also admit it.
We need to know what is our own fault.
We can't just do whatever we want because our brain hasn't developed.
People are meant to grow up.
We're growing up day by day.
We learn new things every day.
Today we know more than yesterday.
Tomorrow we'll know even more than today.
Also, we can ask other people.
For example, you want to buy something very expensive.
You can ask your mom and dad.
Mom and dad are older than you.
They passed twenty-five a long time ago.
Their brains developed a long time ago.
They think about things very clearly.
They can tell you whether you can buy it or not.
If you listen to them, you won't make mistakes.
Also, we can read more books.
Books contain many good methods.
They teach us how to think about things.
They teach us how to be a good person.
The brain is like our body.
The body needs exercise.
The brain also needs exercise.
If you think more, the brain develops faster.
If you don't think, the brain develops slower.
So we should use our brain more.
Slowly, the brain will fully develop.
What we just talked about is actually a phenomenon.
This phenomenon is called: the prefrontal cortex has become a scapegoat.
The prefrontal cortex is that part at the front of the brain.
A scapegoat is what we've been calling an excuse.
Many young people use science as an excuse.
They say their brain hasn't developed, so they're not responsible.
Actually, regardless of whether the brain has developed or not,
we must all take responsibility for our own actions.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇The organ inside the head that controls thinking, feeling, and body functions. 大 (big) + 脑 (brain).
Making a choice about what to do. A very common and important word.
A reason given to explain or justify a mistake, often not the real reason. 借 (borrow) + 口 (mouth).
A person's tendency to get angry, or their general disposition. 发脾气 means "to lose one's temper."
To take responsibility for something. 负 (carry) + 责 (duty/responsibility).
Doing something deliberately, not by accident. 故 (reason) + 意 (intention).
Something so silly or absurd that it deserves to be laughed at. 可 (worthy of) + 笑 (laugh).
To manage or direct something, including one's own emotions or behavior.
A person or thing that is blamed for the mistakes of others. Literally: substitute + sin + goat.
The part of the brain behind the forehead, responsible for decision-making and self-control. A scientific term.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法如果...就... (rú guǒ... jiù...)
The basic conditional structure meaning "if... then..." 如果 introduces the condition, and 就 introduces the natural result.
如果大脑长好了，他会怎么想？
如果每个人都用这个理由，那这个世界就乱了。
虽然...但是... (suī rán... dàn shì...)
Means "although... but..." Used to present a fact and then contrast it with an opposing point.
虽然大脑还在长，但是人有思想。
虽然大脑没长好，但可以学习。
比如说 (bǐ rú shuō) — "for example"
A common way to introduce examples in spoken Chinese. More conversational than 例如.
比如说，去商店买东西。
比如说，好朋友说了一句话。
...以前 / ...以后 (yǐ qián / yǐ hòu)
Time markers meaning "before" and "after." They follow the time reference or event they modify.
二十五岁以前，它还在长。
买完以后，他没有钱吃饭了。
Proper nouns
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