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HSK 4 · Upper Int.

HSK 4 Reading Comprehension Questions 阅读理解

30 sample questions with answers, each taken from a free graded reading.
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Every HSK 4 reading on this site ends with three multiple-choice questions in English about what the text actually said. There are 165 of them across 55 readings; below is one from each of 30 readings, spread across topics. Try to answer before opening the answer, then read the text it came from.

These are comprehension checks written for learners, not official HSK exam items. The HSK 4 reading practice page has every reading.

  1. What is a 相亲 (blind date), according to the text?

    1. A trip planned by a travel agency
    2. A test required before marriage
    3. Parents or friends introducing you to someone you don't know, to see if you're a good match
    Answer

    C. Parents or friends introducing you to someone you don't know, to see if you're a good match

    From 相亲 — Blind Dates

  2. What do young people express by wearing hanfu, according to the text?

    1. Only that they think it looks fashionable
    2. Love for traditional culture
    3. Their family's wealth
    Answer

    B. Love for traditional culture

    From 汉服复兴 — The Hanfu Revival

  3. A dozen years ago, what did most people in China prefer to drink?

    1. Coffee
    2. Tea
    3. Fruit juice
    Answer

    B. Tea

    From 咖啡文化 — Coffee Culture

  4. Why did the author decide to go to the gym?

    1. The doctor told them to exercise
    2. Their trousers were getting tighter and tighter
    3. A friend invited them to go together
    Answer

    B. Their trousers were getting tighter and tighter

    From 健身房 — At the Gym

  5. What was missing from the four dragons the painter drew?

    1. Their eyes
    2. Their tails
    3. Their colours
    Answer

    A. Their eyes

    From 成语故事：画龙点睛 — Idiom Story: Dotting the Dragon's Eyes

  6. According to the text, what does the character 休 (to rest) show?

    1. A mountain with three peaks
    2. Rain falling from the sky
    3. A person leaning against a tree
    Answer

    C. A person leaning against a tree

    From 汉字的美 — The Beauty of Chinese Characters

  7. What is the biggest advantage of livestream shopping, according to the text?

    1. It's cheaper because it saves on shop and middleman costs
    2. It only sells luxury goods
    3. It requires no internet connection
    Answer

    A. It's cheaper because it saves on shop and middleman costs

    From 直播带货 — Livestream Shopping

  8. What happened to the author's wallet during last month's trip?

    1. It was stolen by a thief
    2. It was never opened even once
    3. It was left at home by mistake
    Answer

    B. It was never opened even once

    From 无现金社会 — The Cashless Society

  9. What is the scariest thing about binge-watching, according to the text?

    1. Getting halfway through and finding there's no next episode
    2. Having too many episodes to choose from
    3. The subscription being too expensive
    Answer

    A. Getting halfway through and finding there's no next episode

    From 追剧 — Binge-Watching

  10. What can you see from the town when the weather is good?

    1. The ocean
    2. A snow mountain in the distance
    3. A big modern bridge
    Answer

    B. A snow mountain in the distance

    From 迷人的丽江 — Charming Lijiang

  11. Five years ago, what was often seen in the sky of many Chinese cities?

    1. Smog
    2. Snow
    3. Rainbows
    Answer

    A. Smog

    From 雾霾与蓝天 — Smog and Blue Sky

  12. What did the two friends agree to do?

    1. Write a letter every month
    2. Visit each other every year
    3. Have a video call every weekend
    Answer

    C. Have a video call every weekend

    From 遥远的朋友 — A Faraway Friend

  13. Besides fighting, what else do kung fu movies often talk about?

    1. Cooking and travel
    2. Science and technology
    3. Friendship, family, and responsibility
    Answer

    C. Friendship, family, and responsibility

    From 功夫电影 — Kung Fu Movies

  14. What solution does the text give for friends who cannot eat spicy food?

    1. Split the pot into a spicy half and a mild half
    2. Order a different dish for them
    3. Let them drink tea instead
    Answer

    A. Split the pot into a spicy half and a mild half

    From 火锅与朋友 — Hotpot and Friends

  15. What finally made the author understand how important health is?

    1. A friend's advice
    2. Getting sick and being hospitalized
    3. Reading a book about sleep
    Answer

    B. Getting sick and being hospitalized

    From 熬夜的代价 — The Cost of Staying Up Late

  16. Why couldn't the sea turtle get into the well?

    1. The frog wouldn't let it in
    2. The well was too small for it
    3. It was afraid of the water
    Answer

    B. The well was too small for it

    From 成语故事：井底之蛙 — Idiom Story: The Frog at the Bottom of the Well

  17. Besides genuine academic interest, what other reason does the text give for students taking the grad exam?

    1. Finding a job is too difficult
    2. Tuition for graduate study is free
    3. Their friends are all doing it
    Answer

    A. Finding a job is too difficult

    From 考研热 — The Craze for Grad School Exams

  18. What does the college student buyer say about buying secondhand goods?

    1. It's a waste of time
    2. It saves money and is eco-friendly, since it avoids waiting for factories to make new items
    3. It's less reliable than new items
    Answer

    B. It saves money and is eco-friendly, since it avoids waiting for factories to make new items

    From 二手市场 — The Secondhand Market

  19. Why do delivery riders often ride dangerously?

    1. To save money
    2. To be a little faster
    3. Because the roads are bad
    Answer

    B. To be a little faster

    From 外卖时代 — The Food Delivery Era

  20. What does the author never do with online friends?

    1. Discuss books with them
    2. Tell them her address or lend them money
    3. Meet them in person
    Answer

    B. Tell them her address or lend them money

    From 网络交友 — Making Friends Online

  21. What did one colleague jokingly suggest?

    1. Taking a cable car back down
    2. Racing each other to the top
    3. Sitting and waiting for the Wall to walk over to them
    Answer

    C. Sitting and waiting for the Wall to walk over to them

    From 长城游记 — A Trip to the Great Wall

  22. What happened after the author threw a battery into the wrong place?

    1. Aunt Wang gave the author a ten-minute lesson
    2. The author had to pay some money
    3. Nobody noticed it at all
    Answer

    A. Aunt Wang gave the author a ten-minute lesson

    From 垃圾分类 — Trash Sorting

  23. When answering questions, what should you do instead of just saying "I work very hard"?

    1. Talk about your salary expectations
    2. Give a real example
    3. Ask the interviewer a question back
    Answer

    B. Give a real example

    From 面试技巧 — Interview Tips

  24. What does the author tell friends who want a pet?

    1. Pets are too expensive to keep
    2. Everyone should have a dog
    3. Only get a pet if you can be responsible for it
    Answer

    C. Only get a pet if you can be responsible for it

    From 养宠物的责任 — The Responsibility of Having a Pet

  25. What worries some people about pop music today?

    1. Songs are too long and boring
    2. There are not enough new singers
    3. Songs are too short and fast, as if just for repeated online plays
    Answer

    C. Songs are too short and fast, as if just for repeated online plays

    From 流行音乐 — Pop Music

  26. What does the author think a night market represents in the end?

    1. Only delicious food
    2. A city's character at night
    3. A place only for young people
    Answer

    B. A city's character at night

    From 夜市文化 — Night Market Culture

  27. How did the author feel about acupuncture over time?

    1. It was painless from the start
    2. A bit painful at first, then got used to it
    3. So painful that it was never tried again
    Answer

    B. A bit painful at first, then got used to it

    From 中医初体验 — A First Try at Chinese Medicine

  28. How is Xiao Li like the man at the end of the story?

    1. He gives up after failing once
    2. He asks his neighbour for help
    3. He fixes his weak point right after a failure
    Answer

    C. He fixes his weak point right after a failure

    From 成语故事：亡羊补牢 — Idiom Story: Mending the Pen After the Sheep Are Lost

  29. What does the author suggest travelers to China do?

    1. Speak only English to be safe
    2. Avoid regions with strong dialects
    3. Learn a few phrases of the local dialect
    Answer

    C. Learn a few phrases of the local dialect

    From 普通话与方言 — Mandarin and Dialects

  30. How do Chinese people prefer to give feedback?

    1. Say the problems loudly in front of everyone
    2. Say nothing at all
    3. Politely, mentioning strengths first and problems second
    Answer

    C. Politely, mentioning strengths first and problems second

    From 面子 — Face