HSK 1 · Article · 151 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-big-is-china

中国有多大？

How big is China?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

中国zhōngguó有yǒu多大duōdà？我们wǒmen坐zuò火车huǒchē和hé飞机fēijī看一看kànyíkàn。

早上zǎoshang八bā点diǎn，你nǐ在zài北京běijīng坐zuò上shàng火车huǒchē。这个zhège火车huǒchē非常fēicháng快kuài。中午zhōngwǔ十二shí’èr点diǎn多duō，你nǐ到dào了le上海shànghǎi。北京běijīng到dào上海shànghǎi，四sì个gè多duō小时xiǎoshí。

你nǐ想xiǎng去qù广州guǎngzhōu吗ma？坐zuò火车huǒchē，要yào七八个小时qībāgèxiǎoshí。

你nǐ想xiǎng去qù乌鲁木齐wūlǔ-mùqí吗ma？坐zuò飞机fēijī，要yào四sì个gè多duō小时xiǎoshí。在zài中国zhōngguó坐zuò了le四sì个gè小时xiǎoshí飞机fēijī，你nǐ还hái在zài中国zhōngguó！

一yī月yuè的de一yì天tiān，哈尔滨hā’ěrbīn非常fēicháng冷lěng，在zài下雪xiàxuě。这天zhètiān，三亚sānyà很hěn热rè，很hěn多duō人rén在zài水shuǐ里玩wán。

中国zhōngguó很hěn大dà吧ba？在zài你nǐ那里nàlǐ，坐zuò四sì个gè小时xiǎoshí火车huǒchē，能néng去qù哪儿nǎr？

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
中国zhōngguóChina
坐zuòto sit
火车huǒchētrain
飞机fēijīairplane; aircraft
早上zǎoshangmorning
八bāeight
点diǎnto point out; to bring up
上shàngup; above; on
中午zhōngwǔnoon; midday
多duōmany; much
四sìfour
小时xiǎoshíhour

English (for the teacher)

How big is China? Let’s find out by train and by plane.

At eight in the morning, you get on a train in Beijing. This train is very fast. A little after noon, you arrive in Shanghai. Beijing to Shanghai: just over four hours.

Want to go to Guangzhou? By train, it takes seven or eight hours.

Want to go to Ürümqi? By plane, it takes over four hours. After four hours on a plane in China, you are still in China!

One day in January, Harbin is freezing and it’s snowing. On the same day, Sanya is hot, and lots of people are playing in the water.

China is big, isn’t it? Where you live, where can you get to in four hours by train?