HSK 3 · Chapter 5 · 283 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-many-meals-for-a-cat-on-a-diet

一天吃几顿饭？

How many meals for a cat on a diet?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

从cóng阳阳家出来chūlái，爷爷yéye走zǒu得de很hěn快kuài。“我们wǒmen写xiě寻xún猫māo启事qǐshì去qù！快kuài！”

阳阳yángyáng画huà了le一yì张zhāng豆腐dòufu，画huà得de跟gēn真的zhēnde一样yíyàng。乐乐lèlè在zài下面xiàmiàn写xiě：“白bái猫māo，很hěn胖pàng，叫jiào豆腐dòufu。看见kànjiàn它tā的de人rén，请qǐng给gěi三sān号hào楼lóu一楼yìlóu的de赵zhào老师lǎoshī打电话dǎdiànhuà。”

他们tāmen在zài门口ménkǒu、树shù上shàng、电梯diàntī里，都dōu贴tiē了le一yì张zhāng。

下午xiàwǔ三sān点diǎn，赵zhào老师lǎoshī的de电话diànhuà来lái了le：“有人yǒurén看见kànjiàn一yì只zhī白bái猫māo在zài树shù上shàng！”

大家dàjiā跑pǎo过去guòqu一yí看kàn，树shù上shàng是shì一个yígè白色báisè的de塑料袋sùliàodài。

五wǔ点diǎn，又yòu有人yǒurén打电话dǎdiànhuà来lái。这次zhècì真的zhēnde是shì一yì只zhī白bái猫māo，可是kěshì很hěn瘦shòu。赵zhào老师lǎoshī看kàn了le一眼yìyǎn：“不是búshì。我wǒ的de豆腐dòufu，比bǐ它tā胖pàng多duō了le！”

回到huídào家jiā，乐乐lèlè打开dǎkāi本子běnzi，写下xiěxià：中午zhōngwǔ，钱阿姨的de小鱼xiǎoyú；晚上wǎnshang六liù点diǎn，赵zhào老师lǎoshī的de饭fàn；八bā点diǎn，阿亮āliàng的de火腿肠huótuǐcháng；十shí点diǎn，阳阳yángyáng的de猫māo粮liáng。

“一yì天tiān四sì顿dùn饭fàn，”乐乐lèlè说shuō，“这zhè叫jiào减肥jiǎnféi？”

可是kěshì还有háiyǒu一yí件jiàn事shì，她tā不bù知道zhīdào：早上zǎoshang六liù点diǎn，豆腐dòufu一yì出门chūmén，去qù了le哪儿nǎr？

乐乐lèlè抬起táiqǐ头tóu。爷爷yéye的de衣服yīfu上shàng，有yǒu一yì根gēn白色báisè的de猫māo毛máo。

“爷爷yéye，”她tā说shuō，“你nǐ每天měitiān早上zǎoshang六liù点diǎn去qù‘上班shàngbān’，是shì一yí个gè人rén去qù的de吗ma？”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
快	kuài	fast; quick
画	huà	to draw; to paint; painting; picture
下面	xiàmiàn	next; following
门口	ménkǒu	doorway; entrance; gate
跑	pǎo	to run (a program, test, model)
白色	báisè	white
打开	dǎkāi	to open
出门	chūmén	to go out
头	tóu	head
张	zhāng	surname Zhang
胖	pàng	fat; plump
树	shù	tree

English (for the teacher)

Once they were out of Yangyang’s flat, Grandpa walked very fast. “Let’s go and write lost-cat posters! Quick!”

Yangyang drew a picture of Tofu that looked just like the real thing. Underneath, Lele wrote: “White cat, very fat, called Tofu. If you see it, please call Teacher Zhao, ground floor, Building 3.”

They stuck one up at the gate, on the trees and in the lifts.

At three in the afternoon, Teacher Zhao called: “Someone’s seen a white cat up a tree!”

Everyone ran over to look. Up the tree was a white plastic bag.

At five, someone else called. This time it really was a white cat, but a thin one. Teacher Zhao took one look. “No. My Tofu’s much fatter than that!”

Back home, Lele opened her notebook and wrote: noon, Auntie Qian’s little fish; six in the evening, Teacher Zhao’s dinner; eight, A-Liang’s ham sausage; ten, Yangyang’s cat food.

“Four meals a day,” said Lele. “And this is a diet?”

But there was one thing she didn’t know: at six in the morning, when Tofu went out, where did it go?

Lele looked up. On Grandpa’s coat was a white cat hair.

“Grandpa,” she said, “when you go to ‘work’ at six every morning, do you go on your own?”