Popup Chinese

Our advanced listening test for today is entirely spontaneous: something we caught on tape almost accidentally when Apple and Kang were fooling around in the studio. While the vocabulary itself is not terribly demanding, the recording is fast-paced and somewhat unforgiving. There's a lot here: if you can keep up try paying attention to the way emotions are expressed, especially exasperation.
There are a few things worth noting grammatically, such as the repeated, instinctive reliance on 然后 when stringing together complex sentences. Also the phrasing for expressing insistence in the first sentence. As with our other listening tests, we recommend listening to the recording once through before taking our quiz. Once you know what you've missed you can listen again while reading our annotated transcript for instant enlightenment.

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"How hot do you like it," he had asked, which was how they ended up in the latest Sichuan restaurant to open in downtown Paris. The setting was a coy pairing of Continental elegance and Oriental exoticism. And it would have made for a perfect date except for some unspoken fear that flitted in the air around them, like the shadow from a bird of prey circling far above.
When the waiter appeared with the menu, her date had simply passed it to her and turned his attention to the nearby Seine, the last rays of the setting sun disappearing over the Île de la Cité, and the few couples winding their ways home through the cobbled streets. Had something in their relationship changed? Was he disinterested, or simply distracted? Deborah was on the verge of broaching the question when their server reappeared and her date snapped to attention. It was time to order.

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Our title isn't meant to be cruel, but running the poverty gauntlet gets old fast, which might be why some of the harshest comments we've heard about the homeless have come from Chinese friends and students. Nonetheless, while we recommend ignoring the professional beggars, it's a good habit to keep some change in your pocket and dispense with it liberally when you meet someone in real need. It's also important to keep the pickpockets at bay, so in this podcast we teach you how.

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The creak of the door stirred Tuan Tuan from the depths of his slumber. It was eleven o'clock, and Yuan Yuan, who had been sleeping peacefully in the thicket beside him, growled quietly at the disruption. On this they could agree: what fools they had for keepers! The great beast briefly entertained the thought of shifting to express his displeasure at the intrusion, but natural lethargy and his ongoing digestive battle with the the previous evening's bamboo won out. He remained prone.
Nonetheless, the giant panda did keep a groggy eye on the two figures who had emerged into his dwelling, huffing and puffing in their white gowns as they wheeled in what appeared to be a giant black box. Disappointment settled in his heart at seeing this most unimaginative of gifts, until it occurred to him that perhaps this too would be filled with bamboo. There was always room for more bamboo.

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Look on the bright side of being bedridden: you'll have a lot more time to study Chinese. The doctors say the scars will probably heal too. In a few years you probably won't even notice them yourself. The important thing is really keeping this sort of thing in perspective.

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The Lusitania story was my thing. I pitched it to Warner Brothers with a star-crossed lovers theme back in the day when Internet access was still dial-up. They signed on for financing but the project sank when Brad and Julia bailed. Which is really too bad because it would have been a smash at the box office. There was even a subplot about a secret treasure - that's why the Germans sunk the boat, didn't you know?
Anyway, I moved to Britain after the dot-com bust and started writing this book. Mostly for my kids, but maybe other people will like it. I don't usually share details about my work with strangers, but the plot is brilliant - the sort of thing that'll get kids excited about reading again. Why don't you take a look at the first few chapters? Then we can grab coffee and go over the whole thing later.
Note: Today we are pleased to bring you an intermediate listening exercise. Listen to the podcast and then test your listening comprehension with our quick quiz. If you have any questions, ask them below or check out annotated transcript on the text tab.

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Trapped on the roof and under fire from the encroaching Triads, our intrepid hero whips out his Hello Moto and speed dials our leading lady, who guns her Porche faster down the Second Ring Road in answer. "I'll be down in a minute," he says cooly before stepping off the parapet and plunging a few stories in a matter of seconds.
We will be the first to admit that life in Beijing is much like the movies. Except in real life our leading lady is Apple, and she's a bit more difficult to contact than you'd expect. In this podcast, culled from our real-life experience, we'll teach you the basics of telephone etiquette. Or the basics of repeatedly asking for someone until either you or they hang up in frustration.

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We have good news for gourmands. When it comes to ordering food in China, you're on a level playing field with the most famous Sinologists. Want to know how John Fairbank and John DeFrancis ordered beef noodles back in the day, or how Victor Mair gets his chicken and peanuts to this very day?
The secret is that no matter how high-class the restaurant, China is a country where you can still get away with pointing at the menu and grunting. Chinese menus actually encourage this. And while grunting may be frowned upon in some finer establishments, we can replace those with a few choice words and you'll be good to go, charming serving staff throughout the Orient and blending in with the locals. Listen up and learn how.

Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:

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You've read the usual books on parenting. You may have even purchased a DVD or two filled with helpful tips. Now it is time to listen to our podcast. In our intermediate lesson for today, Popup Chinese gives you the lowdown on an unconventional but surprisingly effective way of managing a particularly rambunctious child. And we also teach a bunch of Chinese in the process. What more could you want?

Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:

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As the Western world lurches to the brink of financial Armageddon, people worldwide are searching for leaders who can chart a course through the wreckage. Who will define the next generation of Asian leadership? In this podcast we are proud to present our own candidate for the role, along with a healthy dose of advanced but useful contemporary vocabulary.

Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:

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