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Mythic Mandarin

The noise upstairs

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

HSK 3 About 7 minutes

楼上的声音

Lóushàng de shēngyīn

The noise upstairs

Story

  1. ,。

    shǔjià de shíhou, Sū Qíng zhù zài wàipó de lǎo fángzi lǐ.

    During the summer holidays Su Qing stays in her grandmother's old house.

    Words in this sentence
    暑假 shǔjià
    summer holidays Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    时候 shíhou
    time, moment (……的时候: when …) Dictionary
    苏晴 Sū Qíng
    Su Qing (name)
    住 zhù
    to stay, to live Dictionary
    在 zài
    at, in; to be at Dictionary
    外婆 wàipó
    grandma (mother's mother) Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    老 lǎo
    old Dictionary
    房子 fángzi
    flat, house Dictionary
    里 lǐ
    in, inside Dictionary
  2. ,“”。

    dì-yī tiān wǎnshang, tā tīngdào lóushàng yǒu“ dōngdōng” de shēngyīn.

    On the first night she hears a thumping sound upstairs.

    Words in this sentence
    第一 dì-yī
    first Dictionary
    天 tiān
    day Dictionary
    晚上 wǎnshang
    evening Dictionary
    她 tā
    she, her Dictionary
    听到 tīngdào
    to hear Dictionary
    楼上 lóushàng
    upstairs Dictionary
    有 yǒu
    to have; there is Dictionary
    咚咚 dōngdōng
    thump, thump Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    声音 shēngyīn
    sound, noise Dictionary
  3. ,。

    kěshì lóushàng méiyǒu rén zhù, zhǐ fàng zhe yìxiē jiù dōngxi.

    But nobody lives upstairs; there are only some old things stored there.

    Words in this sentence
    可是 kěshì
    but Dictionary
    楼上 lóushàng
    upstairs Dictionary
    没有 méiyǒu
    there is not; does not have Dictionary
    人 rén
    person, people Dictionary
    住 zhù
    to stay, to live Dictionary
    只 zhǐ
    only Dictionary
    放 fàng
    to put Dictionary
    着 zhe
    (-ing: an ongoing state) Dictionary
    一些 yìxiē
    some Dictionary
    旧 jiù
    old (not new) Dictionary
    东西 dōngxi
    thing(s) Dictionary
  4. ,。

    Sū Qíng hěn hàipà, yì wǎnshang méi shuìhǎo.

    Su Qing is frightened and sleeps badly all night.

    Words in this sentence
    苏晴 Sū Qíng
    Su Qing (name)
    很 hěn
    very Dictionary
    害怕 hàipà
    afraid Dictionary
    一 yì
    one, a Dictionary
    晚上 wǎnshang
    evening Dictionary
    没 méi
    not (in the past) Dictionary
    睡好 shuìhǎo
    to sleep well
  5. ,,“”。

    dì-èr tiān wǎnshang, shēngyīn yòu lái le, háiyǒu hěn xiǎo de“ miāomiāo” shēng.

    The next night the sound comes again, with a tiny "miaow".

    Words in this sentence
    第二 dì-èr
    second Dictionary
    天 tiān
    day Dictionary
    晚上 wǎnshang
    evening Dictionary
    声音 shēngyīn
    sound, noise Dictionary
    又 yòu
    and also, on top of that Dictionary
    来 lái
    to come Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    还有 háiyǒu
    there is still Dictionary
    很 hěn
    very Dictionary
    小 xiǎo
    small, little, young Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    喵喵 miāomiāo
    miaow
    声 shēng
    sound, noise Dictionary
  6. ,。

    Sū Qíng ná zhe shǒudiàntǒng, mànmàn de zǒu shàng le lóu.

    Su Qing takes a torch and slowly goes upstairs.

    Words in this sentence
    苏晴 Sū Qíng
    Su Qing (name)
    拿 ná
    to take, to pick up Dictionary
    着 zhe
    (-ing: an ongoing state) Dictionary
    手电筒 shǒudiàntǒng
    torch Dictionary
    慢慢 mànmàn
    slowly Dictionary
    地 de
    (turns a description into how something is done) Dictionary
    走 zǒu
    to walk, to go; to leave Dictionary
    上 shàng
    on, above Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    楼 lóu
    building; floor (上楼: go upstairs) Dictionary
  7. ,。

    zài yí gè jiù xiāngzi lǐ, tā kànjiàn le yì zhī māomāma hé sān zhī xiǎo māo.

    In an old box she finds a mother cat and three kittens.

    Words in this sentence
    在 zài
    at, in; to be at Dictionary
    一 yí
    one, a Dictionary
    个 gè
    (measure word for people and things) Dictionary
    旧 jiù
    old (not new) Dictionary
    箱子 xiāngzi
    box, case Dictionary
    里 lǐ
    in, inside Dictionary
    她 tā
    she, her Dictionary
    看见 kànjiàn
    to see Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    一 yì
    one, a Dictionary
    只 zhī
    (measure word for animals and some objects) Dictionary
    猫妈妈 māomāma
    mother cat
    和 hé
    and Dictionary
    三 sān
    three Dictionary
    只 zhī
    (measure word for animals and some objects) Dictionary
    小 xiǎo
    small, little, young Dictionary
    猫 māo
    cat Dictionary
  8. ,,。

    yuánlái, māomāma měitiān wǎnshang cóng huài le de chuānghu jìnlai, gěi háizi men sòng chī de.

    So that was it: every night the mother cat came in through a broken window to bring food to her babies.

    Words in this sentence
    原来 yuánlái
    so it turns out Dictionary
    猫妈妈 māomāma
    mother cat
    每天 měitiān
    every day Dictionary
    晚上 wǎnshang
    evening Dictionary
    从 cóng
    from Dictionary
    坏 huài
    broken; bad Dictionary
    了 le
    (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary
    窗户 chuānghu
    window Dictionary
    进来 jìnlai
    to come in Dictionary
    给 gěi
    to give; for Dictionary
    孩子 háizi
    child Dictionary
    们 men
    (plural for people) Dictionary
    送 sòng
    to take (someone somewhere); to give Dictionary
    吃 chī
    to eat Dictionary
    的 de
    (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary

Grammar focus

  • 原来 "so it turns out"
  • 又 "again" (something happens once more)

Vocabulary

Questions

1苏晴为什么害怕?Sū Qíng wèishénme hàipà?Why is Su Qing frightened?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. Sentences 2 and 3: a sound upstairs, but 楼上没有人住.

  • A: Her grandmother's mood is not mentioned.
  • C: The size of the house is not the problem.
2箱子里有两只小猫。Xiāngzi lǐ yǒu liǎng zhī xiǎo māo.There are two kittens in the box.
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. False. Sentence 7: 一只猫妈妈和三只小猫, three kittens.

  • A: Sentence 7 counts three (三只) kittens and their mother.
3猫妈妈怎么进房子?Māomāma zěnme jìn fángzi?How does the mother cat get into the house?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: C. Sentence 8: 从坏了的窗户进来.

  • A: The story says the window.
  • B: Grandma doesn't know about the cats.
4“原来”在这儿是什么意思?"Yuánlái" zài zhèr shì shénme yìsi?What does 原来 mean here?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. 原来 introduces the explanation of a mystery: "so it turns out".

  • A: 原来 can mean "originally", but here it explains the noise.
  • C: 原来 does not mean "later".
5哪个句子对?Nǎ gè jùzi duì?Which sentence is correct?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: A. Manner + 地 comes before the verb: 慢慢地走上了楼.

  • B: 慢慢地 goes before the verb 走.
  • C: Subject first, then 慢慢地, then 走上了楼.

Writing task

你害怕过什么声音吗?后来你知道那是什么了吗?

Nǐ hàipà guò shénme shēngyīn ma? Hòulái nǐ zhīdao nà shì shénme le ma?

Has a sound ever frightened you? Did you find out what it was?

Tips

  • 后来 means "later on".
Try it yourself first, then show the model answer

小时候,我晚上常听到窗户外面有声音。后来我知道了,那是风。

Xiǎo shíhou, wǒ wǎnshang cháng tīngdào chuānghu wàimiàn yǒu shēngyīn. Hòulái wǒ zhīdao le, nà shì fēng.

As a child I often heard noises outside my window at night. Later I found out it was the wind.

About the HSK 3 level