Beginner Level 初级(chūjí)
What does the phrase "裙子(qúnzi)" refer to?
     A. Shirt
     B. Shoe
     C. Trousers
     D. Skirt

Intermediate Level 中级(zhōngjí)
What does the phrase "毕业(bìyè)" refer to?
     A. Examination
     B. Graduation
     C. Marriage
     D. Enrollment

Advanced Level 高级(gāojí)
What does the phrase "难为情(nánwéiqíng)" refer to?
     A. Embarrassed
     B. Excited
     C. Heart-broken
     D. Unbelievable

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Listen to the song   
(白) 门前大桥下，游过一群鸭。
(Bái) Mén qián dà qiáo xià, yóu guò yì qún yā.
(Lyrics) A group of ducks are swimming in   
              the river under the bridge in front of  the door.

              快来快来数一数，二四六七八。
              Kuài lái kuài lái shǔ yī shǔ, èr sì liù qī bā.
              Come and count the ducks, 2,4,6,7,8.

(唱) 门前大桥下，游过一群鸭。
(Chàng) Mén qián dà qiáo xià, yóu guò yì qún yā.
(Sing)  A group of ducks are swimming in the river
             under the bridge in front of the door.

             快来快来数一数，二四六七八。
             Kuài lái kuài lái shǔ yī shǔ, èr sì liù qī bā.
             Come and count the ducks, 2,4,6,7,8.

             咕嘎咕嘎真呀真多鸭！
             Gūga gūga zhēn ya zhēn duō yā!
             Guga guga there are so many ducks.

             数不清到底多少鸭。
             Shǔ bù qīng dàodǐ duōshǎo yā.
             The number of ducks is countless in the end.

             数不清到底多少鸭。
             Shǔ bù qīng dàodǐ duōshǎo yā.
             The number of ducks is countless in the end.

             赶鸭老爷爷，胡子白花花。
             Gǎn yā lǎo yéye, hú zi bái huāhuā.
             The beard of the old man following the ducks is grizzled.

             唱呀唱着家乡戏，还会说笑话。
             Chàng ya chàng zhe jiāxiāng xì, hái huì shuō xiàohua. 
             He is singing opera and making jokes.

             小孩小孩快快上学校。
             Xiǎo hái xiǎo hái kuàikuài shàng xuéxiào.
             Little children should go to school as soon as possible.

             别考个鸭蛋抱回家。
             Bié kǎo ge yādàn bào huíjiā.
             Don't go home with a duck egg (a score of zero on an exam).

             别考个鸭蛋抱回家。
             Bié kǎo ge yādàn bào huíjiā.
             Don't go home with a duck egg (a score of zero on an exam).

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秀(xiù) Show   

Origin and Meaning
The word 秀(xiù) comes from the transliteration of the English word "show." Literally, it means handsome and elegant. But now it is more commonly used as the verb "to show."

Usage of the Phrase

他又在秀自己的新发明。  
Tā yòu zài xiù zìjǐ de xīn fāmíng.
He shows his new invention to us again.
大家快来秀一秀自己的想法，看谁的最棒！  
Dàjiā kuài lái xiù yi xiù zìjǐ de xiǎngfǎ, kàn shuí de zuì bàng.
Let's all show our ideas and see which one is the best.

做/作秀(zuòxiù) Make a Show     

The phrase 做/作秀(zuòxiù), or "make a show," originates from the entertainment circles in Hong Kong and Taiwan and means "to perform." Now people usually use the phrase to describe someone who does something superficially in order to gain others' approval. 做/作(zuò) means "to make" here. You can say: "别做/作秀了,你那点儿花花肠子我还不了解吗? (Bié zuòxiù le, nǐ nà diǎnr huāhuā chángzi wǒ hái bù liáojiě ma?)" Don't pretend (make a show), you think I don't know what you're plotting.

脱口秀(tuōkǒuxiù) Talk Show    

脱口秀(tuōkǒuxiù), or "talk show," is a kind of TV program. The Chinese phrase originates from the transliteration of the English phrase "talk show." 脱(tuō) literally means to take off, but here it means to say something quickly and fluently. 口(kǒu) refers to mouth. 秀(xiù) means to show.

时装秀(shízhuāngxiù) Fashion Show   

时装秀(shízhuāngxiù), or fashion show, is a kind of stage art. 时(shí) literally refers to time, but here it means fashion. 装(zhuāng) means costume and dress.

模仿秀(mófǎngxiù) Imitation Show    

Now 模仿秀(mófǎngxiù), or imitation show, is a very popular TV program in China in which many people try to imitate the stars they adore. 模(mó) refers to a model, or someone trying to imitate, and 仿(fǎng) means to imitate.

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Introduction

夜店(yèdiàn) One Night in Supermarket is a new movie (released on July 24th, 2009) that has been receiving rave reviews. Because the production costs were low, but the gross was high, this film has widely become known as "The Gross Dark Horse." Why is it so popular? Here's a short synopsis of the movie. In this film, a group of people come across each other in a 24-hour supermarket one night, causing a string of interlocking, interesting and funny stories to happen. 徐峥(Xú Zhēng) Xu Zheng and 乔任梁(Qiáo Rènliáng) Qiao Renliang play a pair of kidnappers who eventually change dramatically into "good brothers" as they share ups and downs together.

Humorous quotes from One Night in Supermarket:
哥！哥们儿要火啦!    
Gē! Gēmenr yào huǒ la!
Brother! I'm going to be famous!
亲爱的，你慢慢飞，小心前面带刺的玫瑰 …   
Qīn'ài de, nǐ mànmàn fēi, xiǎoxīn qiánmiàn dài cì de méiguī…
Darling, please fly slowly and carefully, and watch out for thorned roses in front of you…
不多说了，我忒忙。  
Bù duō shuō le, wǒ tuī máng.
Don't talk so much, I am very busy.
110的电话号码是多少？    
110 de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshǎo?
What's the phone number of 110 (emergency services)?

生词(shēngcí) Vocabulary:   
火(huǒ) n fire, here it means getting famous.    
带刺的玫瑰(dài cì de méiguī) n rose with thorns, here it means all kinds of beautiful, but dangerous
                                                        things.    
忒(tuī) adv very(a dialect)    

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Beginner Level/初级 chūjí   
A: 嗨，几天没见你，还以为你消失了呢！  
    Hāi, jǐ tiān méi jiàn nǐ, hái yǐwéi nǐ xiāoshīle ne!
    Hi, long time no see. I thought you had disappeared.
B: 怎么会呢，我忙着看球赛呢。  
    Zěnme huì ne, wǒ mángzhe kàn qiúsài ne.
    How could I? I am busy watching the ball games.
A: 什么球赛呀，看把你忙的。  
    Shénme qiúsài ya, kàn bǎ nǐ máng de.
    What ball games? You're so busy!
B: 斯坦科维奇杯.    
    Sītǎnkēwéiqí Bēi.
    The Stankovic Continental Champions Cup.

生词(shēngcí) Vocabulary:    
忙(máng): adj busy    
消失(xiāoshī): v to disappear    

Intermediate Level/中级 zhōngjí   
A: 好久没见你了，这几天忙什么呢?    
    Hǎo jiǔ méi jiàn nǐ le, zhè jǐ tiān máng shénme ne?
    Long time no see. What have you been up to these past few days?
B: 那还用问，当然是看斯坦科维奇杯了。  
    Nà hái yòng wèn, dāngrán shì kàn Sītǎnkēwéiqí Bēi le.
    Of course I have been watching the Stankovic Continental Champions Cup.
A: 斯坦科维奇杯，最近好像很多人都在看。  
    Sītǎnkēwéiqí Bēi, zuìjìn hǎoxiàng hěn duō rén dōu zài kàn.
    The Stankovic Continental Champions Cup? It seems that a lot of people have been watching it lately.
B: 那是，这个比赛是一直在中国举办的国际性比赛。  
    Nà shì, zhè ge bǐsài shì yìzhí zài zhōngguó jǔbàn de guójì xìng bǐsài.
    Certainly! This tournament is held in China every time.
A: 很遗憾，我没有时间看直播的，错过了很多精彩比赛。  
    Hěn yíhàn, wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān kàn zhíbō de, cuòguò le hěnduō jīngcǎi bǐsài.
    It's a pity that I have no time to watch it live and have missed so many wonderful games.

生词(shēngcí) Vocabulary:    
最近(zuìjìn): adv recently    
举办(jǔbàn): v to hold    
遗憾(yíhàn): n pity    

Advanced level/高级 gāojí    
A: 一直找你呢，我抽时间看了看斯坦科维奇杯，的确很精彩。  
    Yìzhí zhǎo nǐ ne, wǒ chōu shíjiān kàn le kàn Sītǎnkēwéiqí Bēi, díquè hěn jīngcǎi.
    I' ve been looking for you these days. I' ve been watching the Stankovic Continental Champions Cup, and it
    is really wonderful.
B: 四天的激战真够刺激的，想着都兴奋。  
    Sì tiān de jīzhàn zhēn gòu cìjī de, xiǎng zhe dōu xīngfèn.
    I'm also excited about the four days of heated competition.
A: 是啊，我看的时候一直在喊加油。  
    shì a, wǒ kàn de shíhou yìzhí zài hǎn jiāyóu.
    Yes, I' ve been shouting and cheering while watching.
B: 你都想象不到我们看直播的场面呢，可壮观了。  
    Nǐ dōu xiǎngxiàng bú dào wǒmen kàn zhíbō de chǎngmiàn ne, kě zhuàngguān le.
    You can't imagine the scene we make when we're watching it live. So spectacular!
A: 不就是啦啦队的架势呗，又喊又唱又跳的。  
    Bú jiù shì lālāduì de jiàshi bei, yòu hǎn yòu chàng yòu tiào de.
    Just like cheerleading, there's shouting, singing and dancing.

生词(shēngcí) Vocabulary:    
的确(díquè): adv really; certainly    
刺激(cìjī): adj exciting    
兴奋(xīngfèn): v to excite; to warm up    
壮观(zhuàngguān): adj wonderful; spectacular    
架势(jiàshi): n posture; stance; manner   

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What is HSK and why take HSK?
HSK, which is researched by Beijing language institute, is an exam that tests the Chinese language proficiency of non native speakers. It can be taken by all age groups and all levels, so if your mother language is not Chinese and you want to test your Chinese level, you can take it. If you learn Chinese, here it should refer in particular to learning Mandarin; HSK is one of the most professional exams to test your language ability. If you learn Mandarin, you can test your ability by taking different levels of HSK. Firstly, HSK is a systemic and comprehensive exam, designed to test all aspects of the Chinese language, when you prepare to take HSK you will need to review listening, reading and writing. HSK tends to focus on the systematic learning of listening, reading and writing. Speaking is not tested as intensively and so will need to be practiced outside of HSK preparation. Spoken Chinese is important when working for a Chinese organization, so remember to practice your oral Chinese, especially your business Chinese, and interactive Chinese. Speaking practice should involve a lot of interactive communication and will help your career in the future. By doing so, I believe that you will improve significantly, and when you hunt for a job, you will be more confident because of your fluency in Chinese.

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