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Europe Is Too Hot: The Hottest Summer in Decades — episode cover art
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Europe Is Too Hot: The Hottest Summer in Decades

About this story

The story of a deadly heatwave in faraway countries — why it's so hot (a giant 'lid' of hot air), why it's dangerous for the elderly, and what people do about it — told slowly in beginner-level Chinese, with a gentle reminder to check on the heat-vulnerable around you. 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 天气、热、生病 and walks through 7 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.

今天我们一个
这个天气
天气知道
下雨
都是天气
今天我们说的
一个地方
这个地方哪里
不在中国
一些国家
几个国家在一起
他们那里现在
我们慢慢
他们那里今年
以前一样
今年
今年
他们那里天天
今天明天
这个星期星期
一直
外面
很多
白天晚上
地方
白天到了四十
四十
你想一想
时候多少
他们那里那个
还有一件事
那些国家以前不太
所以很多人的家里
都没有空调
因为以前不到
现在他们想用
来不及
家里没有空调
为什么今年这么
我们慢慢
知道天上
时候天上还有别的东西
今年这些国家天上
一大片空气
空气
停在他们那里
一天
不走
就像一个盖子
这些国家上面
太阳
盖子下面越来越
热气不去
所以地上特别
这么
不只是舒服
危险
为什么危险
因为生病
特别老人
还有小孩子
他们身体
受不了这么
今年已经有
因为走了
不是一个
很多
难过
大家怎么
白天出门
空调地方
比如商店里面
那里凉快
还有老人
看看他们没有
他们送水
最后我们一起一想
以前这么
很少
几年才有一次
但是现在
这么越来越
今年去年
科学
以后
天气
我们大家
不是一个国家
最后我想一下
那里
天气时候
你会什么
身边没有老人
天气时候
忘了看看他们
他们一杯
English transcript reference

Today we'll talk about a thing.

This thing is about the weather.

The weather — you know it.

Hot days, cold days, rain —

these are all weather.

Today, what we're talking about is the heat.

We're talking about a place that's very hot.

Where is this place?

Not in China.

It's some faraway countries.

These few countries are next to each other.

Where they are, it's hot right now.

Very, very hot.

How hot?

We'll go slowly.

Where they are, this year's weather

is different from before.

This year, it's too hot.

This year, it's so very hot.

Where they are, it's hot every single day.

Today it's hot, tomorrow it's hot too.

This week it's hot, next week it'll still be hot.

Hot, hot, hot the whole time.

When people are outside,

in just a moment, they sweat a lot.

It's hot in the daytime, hot at night too.

In some places,

the daytime reached forty degrees.

Forty degrees is very, very hot.

Think about it:

at your hottest, how many degrees is it?

Where they are, it's even hotter than that.

There's one more thing.

Those countries weren't very hot before.

So many people's homes

don't have air conditioning.

Because before, they didn't need it.

Now, even if they want to use it,

it's too late.

With no air conditioning at home,

it's even hotter.

So why is it so hot this year?

We'll go slowly.

You know there are clouds in the sky.

Sometimes, there are other things in the sky too.

This year, over these countries' skies,

there's a huge patch of very, very hot air.

This patch of hot air

just sits over them.

One day, two days,

it doesn't leave.

It's like a big lid.

Covering over these countries.

The sun beats down,

and under the lid, it gets hotter and hotter.

The heat can't get out.

So the people on the ground are especially hot.

Being this hot

isn't just uncomfortable.

It's also dangerous.

Why dangerous?

Because when it's too hot, people get sick.

Especially old people.

And little children.

Their bodies

can't take this much heat.

This year, some people have already

passed away because of the heat.

Not one or two.

Many people.

This is a very sad thing.

So what is everyone doing?

Some people don't go out in the daytime.

Some go to places with air conditioning.

For example, into a big store.

It's cool there.

And some go to help the elderly.

Checking on them, to see if they're okay.

Bringing them water.

Finally, let's think together.

In the past, days this hot

were rare.

Once every few years.

But now,

days this hot are more and more common.

This year is hot, last year was hot too.

Scientists say:

in the future, it will be hotter.

The weather getting hotter

is everyone's business.

Not one country's business.

Finally, I want to ask you.

Where you are, is it hot?

When the weather is very hot,

what do you do?

Around you, are there elderly people?

When the weather is too hot,

don't forget to go check on them.

Pour them a glass of water.

Listen again

Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
tiānqìweather

HSK 1. Glossed inline: 天热、天冷、下雨,这都是天气 = hot days, cold days, rain — these are all weather.

hot

HSK 1. The whole story: 太热了 = too hot; 比那个还热 = even hotter than that.

shēngbìngto get sick

HSK 2. 太热了,人会生病 = when it's too hot, people get sick.

wǒmenwe; us

HSK 1. we; us.

tāmenthey; them

HSK 1. they; them.

shénmewhat

HSK 1. what.

degree (of temperature)

白天到了四十度 = the daytime reached forty degrees. 四十度,是很热很热 = forty degrees is very hot.

kōngtiáoair conditioning

家里没有空调,就更热了 = with no AC at home, it's even hotter. Many European homes lack it.

gàizilid; cover

Glossed inline as the heat-dome metaphor: 它就像一个大盖子,盖在这些国家的上面 = it's like a big lid covering these countries.

kōngqìair

HSK 3. 一大片很热很热的空气 = a huge patch of very hot air — the heat dome.

wēixiǎndangerous

HSK 4. 还很危险 = it's also dangerous; 为什么危险呢 = why dangerous?

lǎorénelderly person

特别是老人 = especially the elderly — the most heat-vulnerable, and the focus of the close.

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法

A 比 B + Adj (comparison)

'A is more Adj than B'.

比以前,热很多很多。

他们那里,比那个还热。

一年比一年暖。

Subject + 太 + Adj + 了 (too / excessively)

Marks an extreme degree.

今年,太热了。

因为太热了,人会生病。

X 就像 Y (X is like Y)

Simile, used for the heat-dome 'lid' image.

它就像一个大盖子。

越来越 + Adj (more and more)

Marks gradual increase.

盖子下面,越来越热。

这么热的天,越来越多了。

受不了 / 出不去 (can't bear / can't get out)

Verb + 不 + complement = unable to. Negative potential.

他们的身体,受不了这么热。

热气出不去。

为什么 ... ? 因为 ... (why? because)

Rhetorical question answered with a cause.

为什么危险呢?因为太热了,人会生病。

那为什么,今年这么热呢?

别忘了 + Verb (don't forget to...)

Gentle imperative, used in the reflective close.

天气太热的时候,别忘了,去看看他们。

Proper Nouns

专有名词
中国ZhōngguóChina

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