Beginner Level 初级(chūjí)
What does the phrase "晚会(wǎnhuì)" mean?
     A. Celebration
     B. Meeting
     C. Evening party
     D. TV program

Intermediate Level 中级(zhōngjí)
What does the phrase "同胞(tóngbāo)" mean?
     A. Family member
     B. Fellow citizen
     C. Brother
     D. Friend

Advanced Level 高级(gāojí)
What does the phrase "戴高帽子(dài gāomàozi)" mean?
     A. Boast
     B. Criticize
     C. Slander
     D. Flatter

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Listen to the nursery rhyme   
唐僧骑马咚得了咚，  
Táng Sēng qímǎ dōng de le dōng,
Tang Seng is riding his white horse, (Dong, Dong, Dong)
后面跟着个孙悟空。  
Hòumian gēn zhe gè Sūn Wùkōng.
Following him is his apprentice named Sun Wukong.
孙悟空，跑得快，  
Sūn Wùkōng, pǎo de kuài,
Sun Wukong ran very fast,
后面跟着个猪八戒。  
Hòumian gēn zhe gè Zhū Bājiè.
Following him is Tang Seng's second apprentice named Zhu Bajie.
猪八戒，鼻子长，  
Zhū Bājiè, bízi cháng,
Zhu Bajie has a very long nose,
后面跟着个沙和尚。  
Hòumian gēn zhe gè Shā Héshang.
Following him is the third apprentice named Sha Heshang.
沙和尚，挑着担，  
Shā Héshang, tiāo zhe dàn,
Sha Heshang is carrying a heavy load,
后面跟着个老妖怪。  
Hòumian gēn zhe gè lǎoyāoguài.
Following him is an old monster.
老妖怪，心狠毒，  
Lǎo yāoguài, xīn hěndú,
The monster is very vicious,
一心想吃唐僧肉。  
Yì xīn xiǎng chī Táng Sēng ròu.
And he wants to eat the flesh of Tang Seng.
唐僧老猪上了当，  
Táng Sēng LǎoZhū shàng le dàng,
Tang Seng and Lao Zhu have fallen into a trap,
多亏孙悟空眼睛亮。  
Duōkuī Sūn Wùkōng yǎnjing liàng.
All thanks to Sun Wukong's bright eyes.
眼睛亮，冒金星，  
Yǎnjing liàng, mào jīnxīng,
The eyes are bright and shining,
火眼金星分的清。  
Huǒ yǎn jīnxīng fēn de qīng.
And he can distinguish good people from monsters by his bright eyes.
手里高举金箍辘棒，  
Shǒu lĭ gāojŭ jīn gū lu bàng,
He is holding the golden cudgel high,
妖魔鬼怪一扫光。  
Yāomóguĭguài yì sǎo guāng.
And killing all the demons and ghosts.
一扫光!  
Yì sǎo guāng!
Killing them all.

生词(shēngcí) Vocabulary:  
唐僧(Táng Sēng): n a monk going on a pilgrimage for Buddhist scriptures  
孙悟空(Sūn Wùkōng): n Tang Seng's first apprentice with bright eyes and shouldering the golden
                                            cudgel  
猪八戒(Zhū Bājiè): n Tang Seng's second apprentice with a rake in hand  
沙和尚(Shā Héshang): n Tang Seng's third apprentice with a shovel in hand  
狠毒(hěndú): adj vicious  
妖魔鬼怪(yāomóguĭguài): n demons and ghosts  

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淡定(dàndìng) Be Calm  

Origin and Meaning
It is said that the phrase 淡定(dàndìng) first appeared in the work 空山灵雨•银翎底使命(kōngshān língyŭ•yín líng dĭ shĭmìng) 许地山(Xŭ Dìshān): "Only several wild flowers in front of us are 淡定(dàndìng) enough to look at the fish thrashing in the stream, which eat their residual petals." In today's usage, the phrase often appears in the literary works of new writers, e.g. Ming Xiaoxi. During the talent search Super Girl, the judges' panel use the phrase 淡定(dàndìng) a lot, making it even more popular. The meaning of the phrase 淡定(dàndìng) is similar to "be calm," and it is widely used to describe a kind of inner state of mind. 淡(dàn) means light and indifferent and 定(dìng) means being settled.

Usage of the Phrase
Examples:
李磊，不要那么激动，淡定一点儿。  
Lĭ Lěi, bú yào nàme jīdòng, dàndìng yì diǎnr!
Li Lei, don't be so excited, keep calm!
你这次舞台表现不错，从容淡定。  
Nĭ zhè cì wŭtái biǎoxiàn búcuò, cóngróng dàndìng.
Your performance was pretty good this time-- you did not rush anything and appeared very calm.

唠嗑(làokē) Chat　   

Origin and Meaning
phrase 唠嗑(làokē) comes from the northeastern dialect of China. With the development of northeastern opuscula, especially those performed by the famous actors 赵本山(Zhào Běnshān) Zhao Benshan and 宋丹丹(Sòng Dāndān) newmovie Dandan, the phrase 唠嗑(làokē) is used very frequently throughout these opuscula. Since then, the phrase 唠嗑(làokē) became a popular phrase, widely known and used by people now. 唠(lào) means chatting and 嗑(kē) means cracking something between the teeth. When you want to chat with others, you can use the phrase 唠嗑(làokē).

Usage of the Phrase
Examples:
我奶奶没事儿时就爱找人唠嗑儿。  
Wǒ nǎinai méi shìr shí jiù ài zhǎo rén làokēr.
My grandma loves to find someone to chat with when she has free time.
好久都没见你了，唠会儿嗑吧！  
Hǎo jiŭ dōu méi jiàn nĭ le, lào huìr kē ba!
Long time no see, let's chat for a while!

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Watch the movie  
The new movie 非常完美(fēicháng wánměi) Sophie's Revenge, released on Aug.14th, 2009, is a new kind of romantic comedy with a global vision. It stars Zhang Ziyi and Fan Bingbing together with Peter Ho, and South Korean actor Ji-seob as the male lead. It is "a war to win love" between a cartoonist, played by Zhang Ziyi, and a famous star, played by Fan Bingbing. The movie is named 非常完美(fēicháng wánměi) because of the bright colors, delicate pictures, catchy music, and romantic story, as well as the comedy sections with hilarious jokes. What's more, it brings many young pop idols together, making it even more popular.

The meaning of 非常完美(fēicháng wánměi):
非(fēi) means non or not and 常(cháng) is a word used to express frequency, 非常(fēicháng) together means very and extraordinary to refer to an extreme degree. 完(wán) means to end or to finish and 美(měi) means beautiful, but together, 完美(wánměi) means perfect. Please take a look at the following examples:

非(fēi) not:  
e.g. 这是非卖品。  
        Zhè shì fēimàipĭn.
        This is not for sale.

常(cháng) often:  
e.g. 他常去公园遛狗。  
        Tā cháng qù gōngyuán liùgǒu.
        He often walks the dog in the park.

完(wán) finish:  
e.g. 杰克已经做完家庭作业了。  
        Jié Kè yĭjīng zuò wán jiātíng zuòyè le.
        Jack has already finished his homework.

美(měi) beautiful:  
e.g. 这幅画太美了！  
        Zhè fú huà tài měi le!
        This painting is so beautiful!

非常(fēicháng) very:  
e.g. 他今天非常高兴！  
        Tā jīntiān fēicháng gāoxìng!
        He is very pleased today!

完美(wánměi) perfect:  
e.g. 这个网站已经很完美了！  
        Zhège wǎngzhàn yĭjīng hěn wánměi le!
        This website is already perfect!

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Beginner Level/初级 chūjí   
A: 听说你换工作了，现在在哪儿上班呢？  
    Tīngshuō nĭ huàn gōngzuò le, xiànzài zài nǎr shàngbān ne?
    I heard that you changed jobs. Now where do you work?
B: 在玫瑰大楼附近的一家软件公司。  
    Zài méiguī dàlóu fùjìn de yì jiā ruǎnjiàn gōngsī.
    Now I am at a software company near Rose Mansion.
A: 玫瑰大楼？那离你这儿挺远的呀，坐公交方便吗？  
    Méiguī dà lóu? Nà lí nĭ zhè'ér tĭng yuǎn de ya, zuò gōngjiāo fāngbiàn ma?
    Rose Mansion? That's so far from here. Is it convenient to take a bus there?
B: 不太方便啊，我这儿没有直接到那儿的车，所以要倒两次车呢。  
    Bú tài fāngbiàn a, wǒ zhèr méiyǒu zhíjiē dào nàr de chē, suǒyĭ yào dǎo liǎng cì chē ne.
    No, there is no direct bus to that place, so I have to change two buses.

生词(shēngcí) Vocabulary:   
附近的(fùjìn de): adj nearby  
软件(ruǎnjiàn): n software  
方便(fāngbiàn): adj convenient   

Intermediate Level/中级 zhōngjí   
A: 看今天的新闻了吗？  
    Kàn jīntiān de xīnwén le ma?
    Have you watched today's news yet?
B: 还没来得及看呢，有什么新的消息吗？  
    Hái méi lái de jí kàn ne, yǒu shénme xīn de xiāoxi ma?
    I haven't had time to watch it, was there any good news?
A: 有啊，还是好消息呢，新闻上说因道路维修部分公交线路改道了，210路公交车通到这儿
    了。  
    Yǒu a, hái shì hǎo xiāoxi ne, xīnwén shàng shuō yīn dàolù wéixiū bùfen gōngjiāo xiànlù gǎi dào le, 210 lù     gōngjiāochē tōng dào zhèr le.
    Yes, there's some good news. The news said that because of road maintenance and traffic diversion, some     buses will change their routes and the #210 bus will pass by here.
B: 210？哦，对啊，210可以直接到玫瑰大楼呢！  
    210? Ò, duì a, 210 kěyĭ zhíjiē dào méiguī dà lóu ne!
    The 210 bus? Oh, right, the 210 goes directly to the Rose Mansion!
A: 才意识到啊，呵呵，看你反应慢的！  
    Cái yìshi dào a, hehe, kàn nĭ fǎnyìng màn de!
    Now you get it? Ho-ho, what a slow response!
B: 对我来说的确是件好事哦，要是一直改成这样就更好了呀！  
    Duì wǒ lái shuō díquè shì jiàn hǎoshì ò, yào shì yìzhí gǎi chéng zhèyàng jiù gèng hǎo le ya!
    For me, it is really a good thing. If it were to stay this way forever, that would be much better!

生词(shēngcí) Vocabulary:  
维修(wéixiū): v to repair, to maintain   
直接(zhíjiē): adj direct  
意识(yìshi): v to realize  
反应(fǎnyìng): n response, reply  

Advanced level/高级 gāojí  
A: 嗨，你今天下班挺早的啊！  
    Hāi, nĭ jīntiān xiàbān tĭng zǎo de a!
    Hi, you got off work so early today!
B: 不是下班早，是今天的车比较快啊。  
    Bú shì xiàbān zǎo, shì jīntiān de chē bĭjiào kuài a.
    It's not that I got off work early. It's because of how fast the bus is.
A: 是吗？坐的210直接就到这儿了吧。  
    Shì ma? Zuò de 210 zhíjiē jiù dào nĭ zhèr le ba.
    Really? You take the #210 bus, and it takes you here directly.
B: 是啊，我刚走到210 站牌，车就来了。  
    Shì a, wǒ gāng zǒu dào 210 zhànpái, chē jiù lái le.
    Yes, the bus comes as soon as I get to the station.
A: 车上人多吗？挤不挤啊？  
    Chē shàng rén duō ma? Jĭ bù jĭa?
    Are there many people on the bus? Is it crowded or not?
B: 有点多，但是我发现只要有老人和孕妇上车，大家都会主动让座。  
    Yǒu diǎn duō, dànshì wǒ fāxiàn zhĭyào yǒu lǎorén hé yùnfù shàngchē, dàjiā dōu huìzhŭdòng ràngzuò.
    A little bit more, but I have found that everybody will take the initiative to give their seats to the old and the     pregnant.
A: 就是，我经常坐车也注意到了，我觉得这种风气挺好的。  
    Jiù shì, wǒ jīngcháng zuòchē yě zhùyì dào le, wǒ jué de zhè zhǒng fēngqì tĭng hǎo de.
    Yes, I've also found that when I take a bus. I think this kind of atmosphere is really good.
B: 是啊，我也是，尽管那会儿我特累，但我还是把我的座位给了一位老人。  
    Shì a, wǒ yě shì, jínguǎn nà huìr wǒ tè lèi, dàn wǒ hái shì bǎ wǒ de zuòwèi gěi le yí wèi lǎorén.
    Yes, even though I'm very tired, I still offer my seat to an old lady.
A: 哦，搞了半天你是在吹捧自己呢(笑)！  
    Ò, gǎo le bàntiān nĭ shì zài chuīpěng zìjĭ ne! ( xiào )
    Oh, turns out you're just talking yourself up! (Laugh)

生词(shēngcí) Vocabulary:  
站牌(zhànpái): n station board  
孕妇(yùnfù): n pregnant women  
风气(fēngqì): n atmosphere  
累(lèi): adj tired  
吹捧(chuīpěng): v to flatter  

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The competition between search engines 百度(bǎidù) Baidu and 谷歌(gŭgē) Google is always a hot topic. As the most popular Chinese search engine in the world, 百度(bǎidù) Baidu recently published its new platform concept-框计算(kuàng jìsuàn) Box Computing, which obviously challenges the 云计算(yún jìsuàn) Cloud Computing platform from the largest international search engine 谷歌(gŭgē) Google. Here are the explanations of these two search engines' Chinese names:

百度(bǎidù) Baidu  
The phrase 百度(bǎidù) Baidu originates from a sentence in an ancient Chinese poem-众里寻他千百度,蓦然回首, 那人却在灯火阑珊处. Zhòng lĭ xún tā qiān bǎidù, mòrán huíshǒu, nà rén què zài dēnghuǒ lánshān chù. Having searched for him or her hundreds and thousands of times in the crowd, suddenly when I turn back, he or she is there by the dim light. 百度(bǎidù) here means hundreds and thousands of times. 百(bǎi) literally refers to a hundred, but here it means many times. 度(dù) here refers to degree. You can always hear people say 你去百度一下就知道了(Nĭ qù bǎidù yí xià jiù zhīdào le) Just go Baidu it and you'll know.

谷歌(gŭgē) Google  
In China, the phrase 谷歌(gŭgē), the Chinese name for Google, came into use in 2006. 谷歌(gŭgē) literally means song for millet or corn. 谷(gŭ) means millet or corn and 歌(gē) means song. The phrase here refers to the song for harvesting. It shows Chinese people's hope for happiness and luck.

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To Learn Chinese Characters Effectively 
If you are learning Mandarin Chinese now or you are just beginning to learn it, you will find that Chinese characters play an important part in learning Chinese. But for many learners, they think that the Chinese language is hard to learn with its written structure and Pinyin. Actually, the characters are all formed according to a set of rules. The structure of the Chinese characters is divided into two main types-single characters and compound characters. There are also different forms of compound characters such as the left-right structure, up-down structure, half-encircled structure and so on. As long as you grasp these laws, learning Chinese characters will be an easy thing. Nowadays, online Chinese is a popular way to learn Chinese, which also can supply you with good opportunities to study the Chinese language. The professional Chinese teachers of online Chinese can teach you Chinese characters effectively either, so you will feel that Mandarin Chinese is not so hard after all.

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