熊猫 The Panda — HSK 3 Reading

上shàng个gè月yuè，我wǒ和hé几jǐ个gè朋友péngyou坐zuò了le三sān个gè小时xiǎoshí的de车chē，去qù看kàn熊猫xióngmāo。

Last month a few friends and I took a three-hour bus ride to go and see the pandas.

熊猫xióngmāo是shì中国Zhōngguó最zuì有名yǒumíng的de动物dòngwù，很多hěn duō人rén来lái中国Zhōngguó，就是jiùshì为了wèile看看kànkan它们tāmen。

The panda is China's most famous animal, and many people come to China simply in order to see them.

那nà天tiān早上zǎoshang下xià着zhe小雨xiǎoyǔ，可是kěshì公园gōngyuán里lǐ的de人rén还是háishi特别tèbié多duō。

It was drizzling that morning, but there were still an awful lot of people in the park.

我们wǒmen等děng了le半bàn个gè小时xiǎoshí，终于zhōngyú看见kànjiàn了le一yì只zhī小xiǎo熊猫xióngmāo。

We waited half an hour and finally saw a little panda.

它tā坐zuò在zài草cǎo上shang，一边yìbiān吃chī竹子zhúzi，一边yìbiān看kàn我们wǒmen，一点儿也不yìdiǎnr yě bú害怕hàipà。

It sat on the grass eating bamboo and watching us, not the least bit afraid.

我wǒ发现fāxiàn熊猫xióngmāo走路zǒulù很hěn慢màn，可是kěshì爬pá树shù的de时候shíhou非常fēicháng快kuài。

I noticed that pandas walk very slowly, but they are extremely fast when they climb trees.

书shū上shang说shuō，一yì只zhī大dà熊猫xióngmāo一yì天tiān要yào吃chī十几shíjǐ个gè小时xiǎoshí的de竹子zhúzi。

Books say that a giant panda has to spend more than ten hours a day eating bamboo.

现在xiànzài中国Zhōngguó的de熊猫xióngmāo越来越yuèláiyuè多duō了le，我wǒ希望xīwàng以后yǐhòu我wǒ的de孩子háizi也yě能néng看见kànjiàn它们tāmen。

There are more and more pandas in China now, and I hope that one day my children will be able to see them too.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

熊猫xióngmāopanda

竹子zhúzibamboo

动物dòngwùanimal

终于zhōngyúfinally; at last

害怕hàipàto be afraid

只zhī(measure word for animals)

为了 + purpose — in order to

为了 introduces the goal of an action. It stands before the main clause, or right after 就是 to mean 'just in order to'.

很多人来中国，就是为了看熊猫。 — Many people come to China just in order to see pandas.

一点儿也不 + adjective — not … at all

一点儿也不 (or 一点儿都不) before an adjective or verb is a strong negative: 'not even a little'.

它一点儿也不害怕。 — It was not the least bit afraid.

终于 + verb — finally

终于 goes before the verb and marks a result that came after a long wait or effort. Use 然后 or 后来, not 终于, when you are simply listing steps.

我们等了半个小时，终于看见了一只小熊猫。 — We waited half an hour and finally saw a little panda.

1. How long did they wait before they saw a panda?

2. What was the panda doing when they saw it?

3. According to the text, how long does a giant panda eat each day?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.