A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
每天一定要走一万步吗？研究发现七千步也有好处
Must You Walk 10,000 Steps? Research Finds Benefits Around 7,000
About this story
A 2025 review of 57 studies on daily steps, the pedometer ad behind the 10,000-step goal, and lower risks at 7,000 steps. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 3-4 Chinese listening episode that runs about 1 minute. 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 走、人、多 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
Many people use their phones every day to see how many steps they have walked, and some people think you must walk 10,000 steps to be healthy.
The number 10,000 comes from a Japanese pedometer advertisement in the 1960s, not from a standard set by scientific research.
In 2025, researchers reviewed 57 studies and found that people who walk more have better health.
For example, people who walk 7,000 steps a day have a 47 percent lower risk of death, a 25 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and a 14 percent lower risk of diabetes compared with people who walk 2,000 steps.
However, these studies only compare many people's step counts and health; they cannot say that everyone who walks these numbers of steps will not get sick.
Some benefits are about the same at 5,000 to 7,000 steps, but walking more steps may have other benefits.
Research has found that walking 4,000 steps can also show some benefits.
So 10,000 steps is not a must; how much you walk depends on your own situation.
For example, going to the store today, or going out for lunch, both involve a stretch of walking.
Which stretch of road will you choose to walk first?
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Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1. A basic verb used throughout the script for walking steps, as in 走了多少步 and 走路多的人.
HSK 1. Common noun; in this script it appears in 很多人 and 走路多的人.
HSK 1. Used for quantity and comparison, as in 很多人 and 走路多的人.
HSK 3. Key topic word in the script: 科学研究, 研究人员, 五十七项研究, 研究发现.
HSK 3. Refers to physical health in the script: 身体更好 and 步数和身体.
HSK 3. Used in 才健康, meaning 'to be healthy'.
Beyond HSK 3. A compound of 步 'step' + 数 'number'; used for the number of steps recorded by a phone or pedometer.
Beyond HSK 3. A device that counts steps; 计 'count' + 步 'step' + 器 'device'.
Beyond HSK 3. Medical term: 心血管 'cardiovascular' + 病 'disease'.
Beyond HSK 3. Medical term: 糖尿 'sugar in urine' + 病 'disease'.
Beyond HSK 3. Used with percentages: 死亡风险低百分之四十七, 心血管病风险低百分之二十五.
Beyond HSK 3. In the script: 科学研究定的标准, meaning a standard set by scientific research.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法每 + Time/Unit + 都
Expresses 'every... all...' or 'each... without exception'. 每 introduces each unit, and 都 in the following clause marks the inclusive meaning.
很多人每天用手机看自己走了多少步，有人觉得一定要走一万步才健康。
一定要 + Verb Phrase + 才 + Adjective/Verb
Means 'must... only then...' or 'it is necessary to... in order to...'. 一定要 marks a strong requirement, and 才 introduces the result that follows only if the requirement is met.
很多人每天用手机看自己走了多少步，有人觉得一定要走一万步才健康。
比 + Noun + Adjective + 低/高 + Percentage
A comparison structure meaning 'compared with..., the degree is lower/higher by...'. 比 introduces the comparison target, and the adjective plus percentage states the difference.
比如每天走七千步的人，比走两千步的人，死亡风险低百分之四十七，心血管病风险低百分之二十五，糖尿病风险低百分之十四。
不过，……只是……，不能……
A concession-and-limitation pattern: 不过 'however' introduces a contrast, 只是 'only/merely' limits the scope, and 不能 'cannot' states what the evidence does not prove.
不过，这些只是比较很多人的步数和身体，不能说每个人走这些步数就不会生病。
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
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