A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
在小红书看世界杯，不要钱
Watch the World Cup on Xiaohongshu — for Free
About this story
Watch the World Cup on Xiaohongshu — for Free. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 3 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 今天、听、想 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
Today I'll tell you a news story.
This news
is about watching football.
"看球" (kàn qiú)
means watching a football match.
This summer
there is
a very big football competition.
This competition is called the World Cup.
Once every four years.
The World Cup has many matches.
There are 104 in total.
Many people all over the world
want to watch.
So the question is:
how do you watch?
In the past, in China,
to watch the World Cup,
there were mainly two places:
one was television,
and the other was an
app called "Migu."
These two
both let you watch.
But some matches
cost money.
Not every match
was free.
Today there is a new piece of news.
A new app
can also broadcast the World Cup.
This app is called "Xiaohongshu."
Have you heard of Xiaohongshu?
Xiaohongshu is a
Chinese mobile app.
Many people use it.
Many young people,
especially women,
use Xiaohongshu.
But in the past,
on Xiaohongshu
people did not usually watch football.
So why this time
is Xiaohongshu doing this?
Xiaohongshu says:
"We also want everyone,
"on Xiaohongshu,
"to be able to watch big matches.
What makes everyone even happier is:
all 104 matches
can be watched for free.
Free
means you don't have to pay.
You only need to open Xiaohongshu
and you can watch.
Many people, hearing this news,
were very happy.
Because in the past,
watching big matches
sometimes cost some money.
Now,
on Xiaohongshu,
you don't have to pay anymore.
I read this news,
and I thought of one thing.
When an app
wants to do something new,
it often gives everyone
some kind of benefit.
For example, this time,
it lets everyone watch for free.
But under the sky,
there is no free lunch.
The app doing this
also wants
more people
to use it.
So next time,
when you see
the two words "free,"
you can also think a bit:
the other side —
what do they want?
Finally I'll ask you:
Have you watched a World Cup?
Which country's team
do you like the most?
Think about it.
Okay.
That's all for today.
Talk tomorrow.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇Today. The narrator opens with 今天我给你说一个新闻 — 'today I'll tell you a news story.'
To listen, to hear. 你听过小红书吗 — 'have you heard of Xiaohongshu?'
To think, to want. The closing line: 你想一想 — 'think about it.'
To know. The episode often pauses to check: do you know this thing yet?
Happy. 很多人听到这个新闻，都很高兴 — many people, hearing the news, were happy.
To watch / look / read. The whole episode is built on 看 — 看球, 看新闻, 看 Xiaohongshu.
Beyond HSK1. The episode glosses it: 看球，就是看足球比赛 — 'watching ball' means watching a football match.
Match. Beyond HSK1. The World Cup is a 足球比赛 (football match); there are 104 比赛 in total.
An app. Beyond HSK1. The episode contrasts a TV broadcaster with a 软件 — Migu, and now Xiaohongshu.
Free. Beyond HSK1. The episode glosses it: 免费，就是不用花钱 — 'free means you don't have to pay.'
A sports team. Beyond HSK1. The closing question: 你最喜欢，哪一个国家的球队 — 'which country's team do you like the most?'
News. Beyond HSK1. The episode is structured around a 新闻 the narrator is telling the listener.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法X，就是 Y
A simple way to teach a new word: name it, then 就是, then a plain definition. The episode uses it twice — for 看球 and for 免费.
"看球"，就是看足球比赛。
免费，就是不用花钱。
以前…，现在…
Sets up a clear contrast between how things used to be and how they are now — the episode's main story shape.
以前在中国，要看世界杯，主要有两个地方。
现在，在小红书上面，不用花钱了。
不是每 + 量词 + 都…
Negates a universal claim. The episode uses it to say not every match used to be free — only some were.
不是每一场，都是免费的。
不是所有的人，都看世界杯。
你 + V 过 + N + 吗?
过 marks a past experience. Combined with 吗 it asks the listener whether they have done or experienced something. The episode uses it to engage the listener: 你听过小红书吗? 你看过世界杯吗?
你听过小红书吗？
你看过世界杯吗？
Proper Nouns
专有名词Free account
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