3StoryTravel1 min
A Night on the Train
A long journey home before the Spring Festival, heavy snow and a box of dumplings shared with strangers.
A story with a lot of description. 着 after a verb paints a state that lasts — somebody sitting, looking, wearing something. Watch also for 一……就……: the second thing happens the moment the first one does.
春节之前，小林买到了一张去北方的火车票。她要回老家看奶奶。火车晚上八点出发，第二天早上才到。
车上人很多，非常热闹。小林对面坐着一家三口：爸爸、妈妈和一个五岁的小男孩儿。小男孩儿一直看着她的书包，因为书包上有一只小熊。
夜里，外面开始下大雪。火车越来越慢，最后停下来了。广播说，前面的路不好走，火车要晚三个小时。小林有点儿着急，她怕奶奶在车站等太久。
那位妈妈拿出一盒饺子，笑着说：“别着急，先吃一点儿东西吧。”小林也把自己的水果分给他们。小男孩儿吃着苹果，很快就睡着了。
第二天中午，火车终于到了。小林一下车就看见了奶奶。奶奶穿着红大衣，站在雪里，已经等了一个上午。
春节之前，小林买了一张火车票。她要回家看奶奶。火车晚上八点出发。
车上人很多。小林对面有爸爸、妈妈和一个五岁的男孩儿。男孩儿常常看她的书包，因为书包上有一只小熊。
夜里，外面下雪了。雪太大，火车要晚三个小时。小林很担心，奶奶要在车站等她。
那个妈妈给她饺子。小林也给他们水果。男孩儿吃了苹果，就睡了。
第二天中午，火车到了。小林下车就看见了奶奶。奶奶在车站等了一个上午。
Click a word to look it up in this site’s vocabulary.
More sentences on this in “Language in use”: Chinese for travelling
- Words
- 169
- Sentences
- 16
- Words per sentence
- 10.6
- in the vocabulary
- 100 %
- measured level
- 3
- Reading time
- 1 min
Grammar in this text
These forms appear in the text in real use. Switch on “Show grammar” above the text to highlight them.
坐着 · 看着 · 穿着
着 after a verb describes a lasting state: 坐着 (sitting there), 穿着红大衣 (wearing a red coat). Zhe: a lasting state →
越来越慢
越来越 + adjective: “more and more” — 火车越来越慢. More and more: yuèláiyuè and yuè … yuè →
一下车就看见
一……就……: as soon as one thing happens, the next one does — 一下车就看见了奶奶. As soon as: yī … jiù →
The words from 3 up in this text
Not the hard words in general, but those at your level: all 8 of the 116 words in this text are at 3 or above. You will know everything else by the time you get here.
一直
all along; continuously; straight
3北方
the north (of a country)
3广播
radio broadcast; announcement; to broadcast
3春节
the Spring Festival; Chinese New Year
3着急
anxious; in a hurry
3终于
finally; at last
3老家
home town, family home
3越来越
more and more
3
The word lists for this text
The words in this text appear in 28 lists on this site; the number after each says how many come from that list. Having read the text, you have just needed these very words — and can practise exactly them.
Comprehension questions
4 questions on the text. With each answer the sentence it comes from appears — a question whose answer you cannot find in the text tests nothing.
1. Why is Xiao Lin taking the train?
Look at the first paragraph.
Look for 看奶奶.
她要回老家看奶奶
2. Why does the little boy keep looking at Xiao Lin’s bag?
Read the paragraph about the family opposite her.
Look for 因为.
因为书包上有一只小熊
3. Why is the train three hours late?
Read the third paragraph and what the announcement says.
Look for 雪 and 路.
前面的路不好走，火车要晚三个小时
4. What does Xiao Lin give the family?
Look at the fourth paragraph, after the mother shares her food.
Look for 分给他们.
小林也把自己的水果分给他们