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HSK 1 · Article · 165 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-chinas-sky-eye-fast-telescope

中国天眼是什么?

What is China's Sky Eye (FAST telescope)?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

你知道吗nǐzhī-dàoma?中国zhōngguó有yǒu一yì只zhī很hěn大dà很hěn大dà的de“眼睛yǎnjing”。中国zhōngguó人rén叫jiào它tā“天眼tiānyǎn”。

它tā在zài哪儿nǎr?

它tā在zài中国zhōngguó的de贵州guìzhōu,在zài山shān里li。

它tā有yǒu多大duōdà?

它tā很hěn大dà很hěn大dà!这边zhèbiān到dào那边nàbiān,有yǒu五百wúbǎi米mǐ。它tā是shì世界shìjiè上shàng最zuì大dà的de!

它tā看kàn什么shénme?

它tā什么shénme都dōu不bú看kàn。对duì,它tā不bú看kàn,它tā听tīng!

天上tiānshàng有yǒu很hěn多duō很hěn多duō东西dōngxi在zài“说话shuōhuà”。它tā能néng听见tīngjiàn,我们wǒmen不能bùnéng。

很hěn多duō人rén都dōu想xiǎng去qù看kàn它tā。你nǐ也yě想xiǎng去qù吗ma?去qù看kàn它tā,能néng带dài手机shǒujī吗ma?

不能bùnéng。你nǐ的de手机shǒujī也yě在zài“说话shuōhuà”!手机shǒujī“说话shuōhuà”的de时候shíhou,天眼tiānyǎn听不见tīngbujiàn天上tiānshàng的de“话huà”。

它tā不bú看kàn手机shǒujī,它tā在zài听tīng。你nǐ呢?你nǐ能néng一yì天tiān不bú看kàn手机shǒujī吗ma?

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
中国zhōngguóChina
有yǒuto have; there is; there are
一yìone; a; an
只zhīonly; just
很hěnvery; quite
大dàbig; large
的desentence-final 的: affirms the statement — "that is how it is"
人rénperson; people
叫jiàoto call; to shout; (of animals) to cry, bark
它tāit
在zàito be present; to exist; to be alive
哪儿nǎrwhere

Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)

HSK 1 · What is China's Sky Eye (FAST telescope)?. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 中国 and 有 in sentences of their own.

  1. Warm-up 5 min

    Write 中国天眼是什么? on the board. Ask what the class thinks it is about, then give the English: “What is China's Sky Eye (FAST telescope)?”.

  2. Key words 10 min

    Teach 中国 (zhōngguó, China), 有 (yǒu, to have; there is; there are), 一 (yì, one; a; an), 只 (zhī, only; just), 很 (hěn, very; quite), 大 (dà, big; large). 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.

  3. Listen 10 min

    Play it read aloud from mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-chinas-sky-eye-fast-telescope: once with the text face down, once reading along. Students tap any word there for its meaning.

  4. Read and check 10 min

    Students read it alone, then tell a partner in two sentences of Chinese what it says.

  5. Use it 10 min

    In pairs, each student writes two sentences of their own, one with 中国 and one with 有, 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)

Did you know? In China, there is a very, very big "eye". Chinese people call it the "Sky Eye".

Where is it?

It is in Guizhou, in China, up in the mountains.

How big is it?

It is very, very big! From one side to the other, it is five hundred metres. It is the biggest one in the world!

What does it look at?

It doesn't look at anything. That's right: it doesn't look, it listens!

Up in the sky, lots and lots of things are "talking". It can hear them, but we can't.

Lots of people want to go and see it. Do you want to go too? When you go to see it, can you bring your phone?

No. Your phone is "talking" too! When a phone "talks", the Sky Eye can't hear the "words" from the sky.

It doesn't look at phones. It's listening. And you? Could you go one day without looking at your phone?