绿灯了，车怎么还在开？
How to cross the road safely in China
Name: ________________ Date: ________
你在中国，想去那边的商店。现在是绿灯，你过马路。车怎么还在开？很多人来中国，都想问这个。
在中国，你还要看车。看什么车？
第一，看右转的车。在中国，红灯的时候，它们也能开。你这边是绿灯，也会有车开到你这儿来。
第二，看电动车。中国的电动车非常非常多。你听，什么都没有。你再看，它到你这儿了！
车要看人，人也要看车，还要看电动车！
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 你 | nǐ | you |
| 在 | zài | to be present; to exist; to be alive |
| 中国 | zhōngguó | China |
| 想 | xiǎng | to think; to believe; to think about |
| 去 | qù | to go |
| 那边 | nàbiān | over there; that side |
| 的 | de | sentence-final 的: affirms the statement — "that is how it is" |
| 商店 | shāngdiàn | store; shop |
| 现在 | xiànzài | now; at present |
| 是 | shì | is; am; are (links two things); yes |
| 车 | chē | car; vehicle |
| 怎么 | zěnme | how; why; how come |
Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)
HSK 1 · How to cross the road safely in China. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 你 and 在 in sentences of their own.
Warm-up 5 min
Write 绿灯了，车怎么还在开？ on the board. Ask what the class thinks it is about, then give the English: “How to cross the road safely in China”.
Key words 10 min
Teach 你 (nǐ, you), 在 (zài, to be present; to exist; to be alive), 中国 (zhōngguó, China), 想 (xiǎng, to think; to believe; to think about), 去 (qù, to go), 那边 (nàbiān, over there; that side). Say each one, the class says it back, then ask for its meaning with the word covered. The rest are in the handout’s table.
Listen 10 min
Play it read aloud from mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-cross-the-road-safely-in-china: once with the text face down, once reading along. Students tap any word there for its meaning.
Read and check 10 min
Students read it alone, then tell a partner in two sentences of Chinese what it says.
Use it 10 min
In pairs, each student writes two sentences of their own, one with 你 and one with 在, and reads one to the class.
Homework. Students read it again at home and Review its words. Put it in a free class (mandarinthewild.com/teachers/class) and you see who read it.
English (for the teacher)
You're in China and want to go to the shop over there. The light is green now, so you cross the road. Why are the cars still moving? Lots of people who come to China want to ask this.
In China, you still have to watch the cars. Which cars?
First, watch the cars turning right. In China, they can go even when the light is red. Even when your side is green, a car may drive right up to you.
Second, watch the e-bikes. China has a great, great many e-bikes. Listen: nothing at all. Look again, and it's right next to you!
Cars have to watch out for people, people have to watch out for cars, and for e-bikes too!