HSK 3 · Chapter 6 · 412 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-seventh-floor-episode-6-the-key-at-midnight

七楼 · 第六天

The Seventh Floor, Episode 6: The Key at Midnight

Name: ________________ Date: ________

昨天zuótiān早上zǎoshang,罗luó师傅shīfu又yòu送sòng来lái了le一个yígè七qī楼lóu的de小xiǎo快递kuàidì。它tā很hěn轻qīng,一yí动dòng就jiù响xiǎng。乔安说shuō,那天nàtiān晚上wǎnshang她tā不bù回家huíjiā了le,要yào在zài快递kuàidì站zhàn里看kàn着zhe它tā,看看kànkan是shì谁shéi来lái拿ná。

晚上wǎnshang八bā点diǎn,宁宁níngníng又来了yòuláile,手里shǒuli拿ná着zhe一个yígè大dà面包miànbāo。“这zhè是shì你nǐ的de晚饭wǎnfàn。等děng你nǐ知道zhīdào了le是shì谁shéi,再zài给gěi我wǒ买mǎi一个yígè!”

她tā一yì听tīng就jiù笑xiào了le:“好hǎo。可是kěshì你nǐ得děi回家huíjiā了le,你nǐ妈妈māma说shuō过guò,九jiǔ点diǎn以前yǐqián一定yídìng要yào回去huíqù。”

宁宁níngníng看kàn着zhe桌子zhuōzi上shàng的de那个nàge小东西xiǎodōngxi,不想bùxiǎng走zǒu。他tā说shuō:“明天míngtiān早上zǎoshang,你nǐ一定yídìng要yào第一dìyī个gè告诉gàosù我wǒ。”

九jiǔ点diǎn多duō,宁宁níngníng才cái走zǒu。她tā关上guānshàng了le灯dēng和hé门mén,坐zuò在zài几jǐ个gè大dà箱子xiāngzi后面hòumiàn。从cóng这儿zhèr,她tā能néng看见kànjiàn门mén,也yě能néng看见kànjiàn自己zìjǐ的de桌子zhuōzi。

这里zhèlǐ很hěn黑hēi,也yě很hěn安静ānjìng。外面wàimiàn有yǒu风fēng,树叶shùyè一直yìzhí在zài响xiǎng。十shí点diǎn,一yì只zhī猫māo从cóng窗户chuānghu外面wàimiàn走zǒu过去guòqu,停tíng下来xiàlai看kàn了le看kàn里面lǐmiàn。十一shíyī点diǎn,她tā的de手机shǒujī一下子yíxiàzi亮liàng了le,她tā的de心xīn马上mǎshàng跳tiào得de很hěn快kuài。

是shì宁宁níngníng:“有人yǒurén来lái了le吗ma?”

她tā回huí他tā:“没有méiyǒu。你nǐ怎么zěnme还hái不bú睡觉shuìjiào?”

十一点半shíyī-diǎnbàn,她tā开始kāishǐ困kùn了le。她tā吃chī了le一口yìkǒu面包miànbāo,对duì自己zìjǐ说shuō:“别bié睡shuì,别bié睡shuì。”

就jiù在zài这时候zhèshíhou,她tā听见tīngjiàn外面wàimiàn有人yǒurén走路zǒulù的de声音shēngyīn,很hěn慢màn,一yí步bù一yí步bù,越来越yuèláiyuè近jìn。最后zuìhòu,声音shēngyīn到dào了le门口ménkǒu,就jiù停tíng了le。她tā看kàn了le看kàn手机shǒujī:十二shí’èr点diǎn。

那nà个gè人rén没有méiyǒu敲门qiāomén。安静ānjìng了le一会儿yíhuìr,她tā又yòu听见tīngjiàn了le一yí个gè声音shēngyīn。

是shì钥匙yàoshi。有人yǒurén把bǎ钥匙yàoshi放进fàngjìn了le门锁ménsuǒ,轻轻qīngqīng地de转了le一下yíxià。

可是kěshì,这个zhège门mén只有zhíyǒu两liǎng把bǎ钥匙yàoshi。罗luó师傅shīfu那儿nàr有yǒu一把yìbǎ,还有háiyǒu一把yìbǎ,就jiù在zài她tā的de手里shǒuli。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
送sòngto give (as a present)
楼lóubuilding (with more than one story)
动dòngto move
站zhànstation; stop
拿náto take; to hold; to carry
等děngetc.; and so on
笑xiàoto laugh; to smile
过guò(particle) marks a past experience: have ever
回去huíqùto go back; to return
走zǒuto go; to leave
告诉gàosùto tell; to inform
门méndoor; gate

English (for the teacher)

Yesterday morning, Mr Luo brought another small parcel for the seventh floor. It was very light and rattled when it moved. Qiao An said she wouldn't go home that night; she would stay in the parcel station and watch it, to see who came to take it.

At eight in the evening, Ningning came over again, holding a big loaf of bread. "This is your dinner. Once you know who it is, you can buy me one back!"

She laughed as soon as she heard it: "Deal. But you have to go home now. Your mum said you must be back before nine."

Ningning looked at the little thing on the desk and didn't want to leave. He said, "Tomorrow morning, you have to tell me first."

It was past nine before Ningning finally left. She turned off the light, shut the door, and sat down behind a few big boxes. From there she could see the door, and her desk too.

It was dark in here, and very quiet. Outside there was wind, and the leaves kept rustling. At ten, a cat walked past outside the window, stopped, and looked in. At eleven, her phone suddenly lit up, and her heart began to race at once.

It was Ningning: "Has anyone come?"

She texted back: "No. Why aren't you asleep yet?"

At half past eleven, she began to feel sleepy. She took a bite of bread and told herself, "Don't sleep, don't sleep."

Just then she heard someone walking outside, slowly, step by step, coming closer and closer. At last, the sound reached the door and stopped. She looked at her phone: twelve o'clock.

The person didn't knock. After a moment of silence, she heard another sound.

A key. Someone put a key into the lock and turned it gently.

But this door had only two keys. Mr Luo had one, and the other was right in her hand.