A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
6:07
世界杯观察：高温成了这届世界杯一个绕不开的难题
World Cup Watch: Extreme Heat Becomes an Unavoidable Problem at This Tournament
中级中文世界杯观察：十六个举办城市中有九个属于高温高风险地区，国际足联强制每半场补水暂停，球员组织呼吁更低的高温标准。含生词、语法和全文英文翻译。
This is an HSK 3-4 Chinese listening episode that runs about 6 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 影响、标准、安排 and walks through 3 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.
Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
This World Cup has a special "opponent." It doesn't belong to any team, yet it gives everyone a headache.
This opponent is the hot weather.
This World Cup is held across three countries — the United States, Canada and Mexico — and the timing falls right in the northern hemisphere's summer.
And in summer, many parts of North America are scorching, with temperatures often staying stubbornly high.
For precisely this reason, "extreme heat" has become an unavoidable topic at this World Cup.
After research, climate scientists have pointed out that at this World Cup, roughly one in every four matches is played in heat that threatens health.
Of all sixteen host cities, nine are considered "extreme-heat-risk" areas.
These cities include Miami, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City, and more.
In these places, summer daytime temperatures often exceed 35 degrees Celsius, and with direct sun, it feels even hotter.
Just imagine how exhausting it is to run continuously for 90 minutes in an environment like that.
We ordinary people are drenched in sweat even sitting still, let alone players going all-out on the pitch.
Heat not only makes people exhausted but also brings real health risks, such as heatstroke, dehydration, and even more serious problems.
In fact, at a similar event last year, the heat had already caused plenty of trouble for players and fans alike.
With that experience in hand, people are paying especially close attention to the heat issue at this World Cup.
To cope with the heat, the organizers have taken a number of measures.
The most important of these is the "hydration break" — that is, stopping midway through the match to let players take on water.
In the past, such a break was only scheduled when the temperature exceeded a certain standard.
FIFA usually sets this standard at a relatively high temperature.
But the players' organization believes the standard is set too high, and that protecting players should begin at a lower temperature.
And precisely because of voices from all sides, this World Cup made a change.
This time, no matter whether the weather is hot or not, each half has a fixed hydration break.
These few minutes may look short, but for players they're crucial.
A sip of water, a wipe of sweat, and they can recover part of their stamina and concentration.
In the heat, players burn through their energy especially fast, and their concentration drops easily too.
With a break like this, both the quality of the match and the players' safety can be somewhat safeguarded.
Beyond this, the organizers have also scheduled some matches in the evening or at night.
After the sun goes down, temperatures drop noticeably, and players are much more comfortable.
In addition, some stadiums have roofs, and even air conditioning, making the interior very cool.
Playing in a stadium like this, there's almost no need to worry about the heat.
However, the problem is that not all matches can be scheduled at cool times and venues.
There are still quite a few matches that must be played under the daytime blazing sun.
Someone might ask: then why not just put all the matches at night?
The reason is actually very practical: fans around the world keep different hours.
Scheduling matches during the day is often to accommodate the viewing times of audiences in Europe, Asia and elsewhere.
But this means players have no choice but to take the field at the hottest time of day.
For precisely this reason, many players and experts have publicly voiced their concerns.
They call for player health to be placed in a more important position when scheduling future tournaments.
Some also suggest extending the hydration breaks a bit more, and even lengthening the half-time break.
Others propose that the hottest matches should, as much as possible, avoid the period around midday.
It's worth noting that those affected by the heat are far from only the players.
The fans who travel specially to watch in person also have to sit for long stretches in stifling stands.
Some stands have no shade, with the sun beating straight down and temperatures running very high.
They face the risk of heatstroke too, and so likewise need to drink more water and guard against the heat.
For this, stadiums usually prepare ample drinking water and set up some areas where people can cool off in the shade.
At this point, we might come to understand this World Cup anew.
Here, every team's true opponent is actually not only another team.
The hot weather has become a challenge everyone faces together.
Whoever can keep better form in the heat often has more of a chance to have the last laugh.
So when we watch the matches, we might as well bring a little more understanding.
Those players running their hearts out under a blazing sun are truly remarkable.
What they have to overcome is not only their opponent, but also a heat that is hard to bear.
In a sense, simply holding on until the end in weather like this is itself worthy of respect.
This also reminds us that football is not only about technique and tactics — sometimes it also has to do with nature.
Of course, whatever happens, the most important thing is always safety.
Whether for players or fans, health is forever more important than the outcome of a single match.
I hope at this World Cup, everyone can be safe and sound while enjoying the football.
And I hope that, starting from this World Cup, people will factor in the weather earlier when organizing major tournaments.
Alright, that's where we'll leave the topic of the World Cup and extreme heat. See you next time.
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
受到高温影响的，远不止球员。
国际足联通常把这个标准定在一个比较高的温度上。
组织者还把一部分比赛安排在傍晚或者晚上进行。
应该把球员的健康放在更重要的位置。
HSK 1-3. audience.
考纲词。高温成了这届世界杯一个绕不开的话题。
课文里解释过：在比赛中途停下来，让球员补充水分。
考纲词。比如中暑、脱水。
考纲词。比如中暑、脱水，甚至更严重的问题。
考纲词。气温常常超过三十五摄氏度。
* beyond level超纲词
不仅…，还…
'not only …, but also …'.
高温不仅让人疲惫，还会带来真正的健康风险。
即便…，也…
'even if …, still …'.
我们普通人即便坐着不动，也会满身大汗。
正因为如此，…
'precisely for this reason, …'.
正因为如此，不少球员和专家都公开表达了担忧。
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