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Mythic Mandarin

A friendly debate

HSK 4 Unit 10: Looking back, looking ahead · Lesson 4 of 8 · About 24 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can argue for a point of view, agree and disagree politely, and give reasons and examples.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 教训 mean?

    1. lesson (learned from a mistake)
    2. first of all
    3. regret, pity
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, lesson (learned from a mistake).

    教训 (jiàoxun) means lesson (learned from a mistake).

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to recall, memory”?

    1. 回忆
    2. 丝绸
    3. 贸易
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 回忆.

    “to recall, memory” is 回忆 (huíyì).

  3. Listening

    From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    年龄 niánlíng

    1. age
    2. effect, result
    3. to wait
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, age.

    You heard 年龄 (niánlíng): age.

New words

  • 观点guāndiǎnpoint of view
  • 赞成zànchéngto approve, to be in favour of
  • 举例jǔlìto give an example
  • 辩论biànlùnto debate, debate
  • 理由lǐyóureason, grounds

Arguing a point

观点 (guāndiǎn) is a point of view; 赞成 (zànchéng) is to be in favour; 理由 (lǐyóu) is a reason. 举个例子 is for example.

  • 我赞成你的观点。

    Wǒ zànchéng nǐ de guāndiǎn.

    I agree with your point of view.

  • 我不太同意，理由有两个。

    Wǒ bú tài tóngyì, lǐyóu yǒu liǎng gè.

    I don't really agree, for two reasons.

  • 举个例子，…

    Jǔ gè lìzi,…

    For example, ...

Characters

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

City or countryside?

Mark and Anna debate in their Chinese class: is it better to live in the city or the countryside?

Listen first

Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.

Helpful words: 也许 yěxǔ perhaps

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What is Mark's view at first?

    1. the city is better
    2. the countryside is better
    3. they are the same
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, the city is better.

    住在城市更好.

  2. Listening

    What is Anna's argument about work?

    1. jobs are better paid in the countryside
    2. with the internet you can work anywhere
    3. she doesn't need to work
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, with the internet you can work anywhere.

    无论在哪儿，都可以工作.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 马克

    我Wǒ的de观点guāndiǎn是shì，住zhù在zài城市chéngshì更gèng好hǎo。理由Lǐyóu是shì机会jīhuì多duō，交通jiāotōng也yě方便fāngbiàn。

    My view is that living in the city is better. The reasons: more opportunities and convenient transport.

  2. 安娜

    我Wǒ不bú太tài赞成zànchéng。城市Chéngshì虽然suīrán方便fāngbiàn，但是dànshì空气kōngqì和hé生活shēnghuó压力yālì都dōu是shì很hěn大dà的de问题wèntí。

    I don't quite agree. The city may be convenient, but the air and the stress are big problems.

  3. 马克

    可是Kěshì农村nóngcūn的de工作gōngzuò机会jīhuì太tài少shǎo了le。举Jǔ个gè例子lìzi，我wǒ朋友péngyou在zài农村nóngcūn找zhǎo了le一yì年nián工作gōngzuò都dōu没méi找到zhǎodào。

    But there are too few jobs in the countryside. For example, a friend of mine looked for work for a year in the countryside and didn't find any.

  4. 安娜

    现在Xiànzài网络wǎngluò这么zhème方便fāngbiàn，无论wúlùn在zài哪儿nǎr，都dōu可以kěyǐ工作gōngzuò。

    Now the internet is so convenient, you can work wherever you are.

  5. 马克

    这个Zhège理由lǐyóu不错búcuò。也许Yěxǔ最zuì好hǎo的de办法bànfǎ是shì：在zài城市chéngshì工作gōngzuò，周末zhōumò去qù农村nóngcūn休息xiūxi！

    That's a good point. Maybe the best solution is to work in the city and relax in the countryside at weekends!

Speak: listen, record, compare

Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.

  • 我的观点是，住在城市更好。理由是机会多，交通也方便。

    Wǒ de guāndiǎn shì, zhù zài chéngshì gèng hǎo. Lǐyóu shì jīhuì duō, jiāotōng yě fāngbiàn.

    My view is that living in the city is better. The reasons: more opportunities and convenient transport.

  • 我不太赞成。城市虽然方便，但是空气和生活压力都是很大的问题。

    Wǒ bú tài zànchéng. Chéngshì suīrán fāngbiàn, dànshì kōngqì hé shēnghuó yālì dōu shì hěn dà de wèntí.

    I don't quite agree. The city may be convenient, but the air and the stress are big problems.

  • 这个理由不错。也许最好的办法是：在城市工作，周末去农村休息！

    Zhège lǐyóu búcuò. Yěxǔ zuì hǎo de bànfǎ shì: zài chéngshì gōngzuò, zhōumò qù nóngcūn xiūxi!

    That's a good point. Maybe the best solution is to work in the city and relax in the countryside at weekends!

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 观点 mean?

    1. fragrant, smells good
    2. conscientious, serious
    3. point of view
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, point of view.

    观点 (guāndiǎn) means point of view.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to approve, to be in favour of”?

    1. 其次
    2. 赞成
    3. 观点
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 赞成.

    “to approve, to be in favour of” is 赞成 (zànchéng).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 举例 (to give an example)?

    1. jǔlì
    2. jùlì
    3. júlì
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, jǔlì.

    举例 is read jǔlì. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    辩论 biànlùn

    1. to hang
    2. (cooked) rice
    3. to debate, debate
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, to debate, debate.

    You heard 辩论 (biànlùn): to debate, debate.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “reason, grounds” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 理由

    “reason, grounds” is 理由 (lǐyóu).

  6. Fill the gap

    Complete: I agree with your view.

    我＿＿你的观点。

    1. 理由
    2. 赞成
    3. 辩论
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 赞成.

    赞成: to be in favour of.

  7. Grammar

    Which sentence means Wherever you are, you can work?

    1. 无论在哪儿，就可以工作。
    2. 无论在哪儿，都可以工作。
    3. 无论在哪儿，可以都工作。
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 无论在哪儿，都可以工作。.

    无论在哪儿，都可以工作。: 无论…都….

  8. In context

    You want to support your argument with a case. What do you say first?

    1. 理由个…
    2. 观点个…
    3. 举个例子…
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 举个例子….

    举个例子…: 举个例子: for example.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for my point of view

    Show the answer

    Answer: 我的观点

    我的观点: my point of view.

Debate

Choose a question (city or countryside, work from home or office) and argue both sides out loud.

  1. State your view and two reasons.
  2. Give an example with 举个例子.
  3. Answer the other side politely with 我不太赞成.

Sentence frames

  • 我的观点是＿＿，理由是＿＿。

    Wǒ de guāndiǎn shì ＿＿, lǐyóu shì ＿＿.

    My view is ..., because ...

  • 我不太赞成，因为＿＿。

    Wǒ bú tài zànchéng, yīnwèi ＿＿.

    I don't quite agree, because ...

Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:

Review and finish

Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.

  • I can state and defend a point of view.
  • I can agree and disagree politely with reasons and examples.

Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.

Next lesson: Plans for the future