HSK 1 · Article · 144 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/is-the-air-in-beijing-better-now

北京的蓝天

Is the air in Beijing better now?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

你知道吗nǐzhī-dàoma？十多shíduō年nián前qián，北京běijīng的de天tiān很hěn多duō时候shíhou不是búshì蓝lán的de，是shì白bái的de。很hěn多duō人rén在zài家里jiālǐ，不想bùxiǎng去qù外边wàibian。

二零一三年èrlíngyīsānnián以后yǐhòu，北京běijīng做zuò了le很hěn多duō工作gōngzuò。很hěn多duō工厂gōngchǎng不bú在zài北京běijīng了le。现在xiànzài，北京běijīng的de很hěn多duō车chē是shì电动车diàndòngchē。天tiān冷lěng的de时候shíhou，很hěn多duō人rén家里jiālǐ也yě不bù烧煤shāoméi了le。现在xiànzài的de北京běijīng，人们rénmen能néng看见kànjiàn很hěn好看hǎokàn的de天tiān。

现在xiànzài，空气kōngqì里不好bùhǎo的de东西dōngxī是shì二零一三年èrlíngyīsānnián的de三分之一sānfēn-zhīyī。一yì年nián里，有yǒu两百九十liángbái-jiǔshí天tiān空气kōngqì很hěn好hǎo。

你nǐ那里nàlǐ的de天tiān，今天jīntiān好看hǎokàn吗ma？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
年	nián	year
前	qián	front; ahead
很	hěn	very; quite
多	duō	many; much
时候	shíhou	time; moment; when
人	rén	person; people
去	qù	to go
外边	wàibian	outside
做	zuò	to do
工作	gōngzuò	work; job; to work
现在	xiànzài	now; at present
车	chē	car; vehicle

English (for the teacher)

Did you know? Ten-odd years ago, Beijing’s sky was often not blue but white. Many people stayed home and didn’t want to go outside.

After 2013, Beijing did a lot. Many factories left Beijing. Now many of Beijing’s cars are electric. And in the cold months, many homes stopped burning coal. In Beijing now, people can see a beautiful sky.

Now the bad stuff in the air is a third of what it was in 2013. Two hundred and ninety days a year have good air.

Where you live, does the sky look good today?