HSK 5 · Article · 325 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-beidou-chinas-gps

天上的北斗

What is BeiDou, China’s GPS?

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很hěn久jiǔ以前yǐqián,晚上wǎnshang在zài野外yěwài走路zǒulù的de人rén,会huì抬头táitóu找zhǎo七qī颗kē很hěn亮liàng的de星星xīngxing,它们tāmen连lián起来qǐlai像xiàng一yì把bǎ勺子sháozi。这zhè就是jiùshì“北斗七星béidǒu-qīxīng”。顺着shùnzhe它们tāmen,就jiù能néng找到zhǎodào北方běifāng。

今天jīntiān,中国zhōngguó把bǎ自己zìjǐ的de卫星wèixīng导航dǎoháng系统xìtǒng也yě叫作jiàozuò“北斗béidǒu”。它tā和hé美国měiguó的de全球定位系统quánqiúdìngwèixìtǒng做zuò的de是shì一样yíyàng的de事shì:告诉gàosù你nǐ,你nǐ现在xiànzài在zài地球dìqiú上shàng的de什么shénme地方dìfang。

为什么wèishénme中国zhōngguó要yào自己zìjǐ做zuò一个yígè?因为yīnwèi导航dǎoháng不bù只是zhǐshì用来yònglái开车kāichē找zhǎo路lù。飞机fēijī、轮船lúnchuán、银行yínháng、电网diànwǎng,都dōu需要xūyào非常fēicháng准zhǔn的de位置wèizhì和hé时间shíjiān。如果rúguǒ全quán靠kào别的biéde国家guójiā的de系统xìtǒng,一yì出chū问题wèntí,影响yíngxiǎng就jiù很hěn大dà。

北斗béidǒu不是búshì一yì年nián就jiù建jiàn好hǎo的de。二零零零年èrlínglínglíngnián,中国zhōngguó发射fāshè了le第一dìyī批pī北斗béidǒu卫星wèixīng,那nà时候shíhou只能zhǐnéng用yòng在zài中国zhōngguó附近fùjìn。二十èrshí年nián后hòu,二零二零年èrlíng’èrlíngnián,北斗系统béidǒu-xìtǒng全部quánbù建成jiànchéng,全世界quánshìjiè都dōu能néng用yòng了le。

现在xiànzài,北斗béidǒu就jiù在zài很hěn多duō人rén身边shēnbiān。很hěn多duō手机shǒujī能néng同时tóngshí收到shōudào北斗béidǒu和hé美国měiguó系统xìtǒng的de信号xìnhào;送sòng外卖wàimài的de小哥xiǎogē靠kào它tā找到zhǎodào你nǐ家jiā的de楼lóu;农民nóngmín用yòng它tā让ràng拖拉机tuōlājī自己zìjǐ在zài地dì里走zǒu直线zhíxiàn;海上hǎishàng的de渔船yúchuán用yòng它tā报告bàogào自己zìjǐ在zài哪里nálǐ。

你nǐ的de手机shǒujī能néng用yòng北斗béidǒu吗ma?你nǐ可以kéyǐ在zài手机shǒujī的de设置shèzhì里找zhǎo一yì找zhǎo。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
抬头táitóuto raise one's head
亮liàngbright; shiny; to shine; to light up
星星xīngxingstar (in the sky)
叫作jiàozuòto be called; to be known as
地球dìqiúthe earth; globe
用来yòngláito be used for
准zhǔnaccurate; exact
全quánwhole; all; entire; complete; completely; entirely
全部quánbùall; whole; entire; completely
同时tóngshíat the same time; simultaneously
信号xìnhàosignal
颗kēclassifier for small round things (grains, pearls, teeth, hearts, stars)

English (for the teacher)

Long ago, people walking in the wild at night would look up for seven very bright stars that join up like a ladle. That is the Big Dipper, the “Beidou seven stars”. Follow them, and you can find north.

Today, China calls its own satellite navigation system “BeiDou” too. It does the same job as America’s GPS: it tells you where on Earth you are right now.

Why did China build its own? Because navigation isn’t only for finding your way in a car. Planes, ships, banks and power grids all need very precise positions and times. If you rely entirely on another country’s system, any problem has a big impact.

BeiDou wasn’t built in a year. In 2000, China launched its first BeiDou satellites, which could only be used around China then. Twenty years later, in 2020, the whole BeiDou system was finished, and the entire world could use it.

Now BeiDou is all around many people. Many phones can receive BeiDou and American GPS signals at the same time; delivery riders rely on it to find your building; farmers use it to make tractors drive straight lines by themselves; fishing boats at sea use it to report where they are.

Can your phone use BeiDou? You can look for it in your phone’s settings.