A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
美国和以色列攻击伊朗的情况
The US and Israel Attack Iran — What's Happening in the Middle East Now
About this story
A simple story about the US and Israel attacking Iran — what is happening, what Khamenei said, and what people hope for. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 7 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 17 key vocabulary words such as 飞机、事情、坏 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
Speaking of current events, we want to take a look at airplanes.
Look at the airplanes in the sky.
Airplanes can take you to many places.
You can go to Beijing.
You can go to the hospital.
You can go home.
However, today is different.
Today many airplanes are not flying anymore.
Why are they not flying?
Because it is not safe.
Why is it not safe?
Because people are fighting a war.
Where is the fighting?
In a place very far away.
That place is called Iran.
Iran is a country.
In this country, there is now a lot of fire.
There are many scary sounds.
What is going on?
Let's talk about it.
There are two countries that do not like Iran.
One is the United States.
One is Israel.
The United States is very big.
Israel is very small.
But they both have many things.
They have many airplanes.
They have many bombs.
What is a bomb?
A bomb is a very bad thing.
Bombs fall down from the sky.
After falling down, there will be a big fire.
Things will break.
People will die.
This is very scary.
The United States and Israel went to Iran.
They used airplanes to hit Iran.
They hit many places.
This is a very big matter.
Iran has a person.
This person is very important.
Who is he?
His name is Khamenei.
He is Iran's biggest leader.
He is Iran's "father".
Everyone listens to him.
Where is he?
He is in the capital of Iran.
That place is called Tehran.
However, now he is gone.
He died.
Who killed him?
It was the United States and Israel.
Their airplanes flew over.
Their bombs fell down.
That place broke.
That house is gone.
That person also died.
The United States has a person.
His name is Trump.
He is the President of the United States.
He said: "Yes, we did it."
He said: "That person was a bad person."
He said: "Now that he is dead, this is a good thing."
Trump is very happy.
But the people of Iran are not happy.
The people of Iran are very angry.
Their leader died.
Their houses are broken.
Their schools are also broken.
Many students died.
There were more than one hundred students.
They were inside the school.
The bombs came.
They all died.
This is a very sad thing.
Iran is very angry.
Iran said: "We want to fight back."
Iran also has things.
They have missiles.
What is a missile?
A missile is like a very big airplane.
But there are no people inside.
Inside is fire.
Missiles fly very fast.
The missiles flew to other places.
Where did they fly to?
They flew to American bases.
A base is a place where American soldiers live.
There are American airplanes there.
There are American ships there.
Iran's missiles hit there.
Some things broke.
Some radars broke.
Iran also hit many other countries.
Why hit other countries?
Because those countries are friends of the United States.
For example, Bahrain.
For example, Kuwait.
For example, Qatar.
These places are all next to Iran.
Iran's missiles flew over.
The people in those places are very scared.
There is fire in the sky.
There is smoke on the ground.
Everyone dares not go out.
Now, the situation in Iran is very bad.
Do you want to call a friend in Iran?
You cannot get through.
Do you want to write an email to them?
You cannot write it.
Why?
Because there is no internet.
Computers cannot be used.
Mobile phones cannot be used.
We do not know how things are there.
We also cannot see the people there.
It is dark there.
It is chaotic there.
Therefore, airplanes cannot fly.
If you are at the airport.
You want to buy a ticket.
You want to go to that place.
That ticket-selling lady will say: "Sorry."
She says: "There are no flights today."
You ask: "Are there any tomorrow?"
She says: "There are none tomorrow either."
You ask: "When will there be any?"
She says: "I don't know."
Many big companies are not flying anymore.
British airplanes are not flying.
German airplanes are not flying.
This is really troublesome.
Everyone is waiting.
Everyone wants to go home.
But they cannot go back.
This is the current situation.
What is this story talking about?
It is talking about "war".
War is fighting battles.
The US and Israel fight Iran.
Iran fights the US and Israel.
Many people died.
Many things broke.
This is called "revenge".
Revenge is you hit me, I also hit you.
It is very unsafe there now.
We hope things will get better there soon.
We hope everyone can be safe.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇A common vehicle for air travel. Measure word: 架 (jià).
Refers to abstract affairs or events, not physical objects.
Can describe an object that is damaged or a person/thing that is morally bad.
Used here in '听他的话' meaning to listen to someone's words (obey them).
Adjective describing distance.
Used to express a wish for the future.
Water transport vehicle. Measure word: 艘 (sōu) or 只 (zhī).
A document giving right of admission or travel.
HSK 1. to make a phone call.
Common term for engaging in combat.
Adjective describing freedom from danger.
Explosive weapon dropped from the sky or placed.
Guided projectile weapon.
The person in charge of a group or country.
Head of state in many republics.
A center of operations for military forces.
Action taken in return for an injury or offense.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法Subject + 在 + Place (+ Verb)
Used to indicate the location where a subject is or where an action takes place.
哪里在打仗？
他在伊朗的首都。
他们在学校里。
Place + 有 + Object
Used to express existence ('there is/are') at a specific location.
在这个国家里，现在有很多火。
那里有美国的飞机。
天上有火。
Subject + Verb + 了
The particle '了' (le) is used here to indicate a change of state (something has happened or is now the case).
今天很多飞机不飞了。
他死了。
有些东西坏了。
是...的 (Shì... de)
A structure used to emphasize a specific detail (like the actor, time, or place) of a past event. Sometimes the '是' is omitted, but the '的' remains at the end for emphasis.
是谁杀了他？是美国和以色列。
这个故事说的是什么？
Verb + 得 + Adjective/Complement
Used to describe how an action is performed (degree or manner).
导弹飞得很快。
因为... (所以)...
Used to express cause and effect. '因为' means 'because'. The result follows.
为什么不飞了？因为不安全。
因为没有网... 所以，飞机不能飞。
Proper Nouns
专有名词Sources
来源Free account
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