HSK 4Lesson 28
Everyone knows what is good or bad for them, but doing it is harder. You will talk an uncle into smoking less, find a way to eat fewer snacks, sit in a safety class, and weigh up getting up early.
You will learn to talk about good and bad habits, smoking, safety knowledge and cutting down, and to make a point with questions that expect no answer.
Part 1 · 11 new words
Contains 4 words
benefit; advantage
harm; disadvantage
dangerous
serious
Contains 3 words
to prohibit; to forbid
cigarette; smoke
Contains 4 words
effect; function
effect; result
Part 2 · 8 phrases
每天走路上班，对身体有很多好处。
Walking to work every day has a lot of benefits for your health.
晚上一个人过马路很危险。
Crossing the street alone at night is dangerous.
他的病很严重，要马上去医院。
His illness is serious; he has to go to the hospital right away.
地铁里禁止吃东西。
Eating is not allowed in the subway.
他每天吸一包烟，所以老咳嗽。
He smokes a pack a day, so he always coughs.
这种药的作用是什么？吃了有效果吗？
What does this medicine do? Does it work?
多看书，知识才会多。
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Visiting his uncle's family in Beijing, Liu Ming finds his uncle smoking indoors despite the family's no-smoking rule. He reminds him of his cough, and they agree on a plan to cut down.
刘明Liu Ming
叔叔，家里禁止吸烟，您忘了吗？
Uncle, smoking is not allowed at home. Did you forget?
叔叔Uncle
我就吸一口烟，没关系。
I'm only having one puff. It's fine.
刘明
Part 4 · 1 point
由疑问代词构成的反问句
Use a question word in a question whose answer is obvious, such as 谁不想……呢？shéi bù xiǎng … ne?, to say the opposite strongly.
Say there is nothing good
Use 有什么yǒu shénme + noun + ？.
to inhale; to smoke
knowledge
to reduce
Read more, and your knowledge will grow.
我在减少喝咖啡，现在一天只喝一杯。
I'm cutting back on coffee; now I only have one cup a day.
医生上次不是说您咳嗽很严重吗？吸烟有什么好处？
Didn't the doctor say last time that your cough was serious? What good does smoking do you?
叔叔Uncle
我也知道吸烟有坏处，可是已经习惯了，突然不吸太难了。
I know smoking is harmful too, but I'm used to it. Stopping all at once is too hard.
刘明Liu Ming
那您先慢慢减少吧。您现在一天吸几包？
Then start by cutting down bit by bit. How many do you smoke a day now?
叔叔Uncle
差不多两包吧。
About two packs, I suppose.
刘明Liu Ming
从明天开始一天只吸一包，而且要到外面去吸。
Starting tomorrow, only one pack a day, and you have to go outside to smoke.
叔叔Uncle
好吧，我先试一个星期，看看能不能做到。
All right, I'll try it for a week and see whether I can manage.
Bai Jiayue wants to eat fewer snacks, and Li Wen shares a method that worked for him.
白家月Bai Jiayue
我想少吃点儿零食，可是总是做不到。
I want to eat fewer snacks, but I never manage it.
李文Li Wen
你可以每天把吃过的零食记下来。我试过，效果很好。
You can write down the snacks you've eaten every day. I tried it and it worked very well.
白家月Bai Jiayue
记下来真的有作用吗？
Does writing it down really help?
李文Li Wen
当然有。看到自己每天吃了多少，你就不想再吃了。这个办法我用了一个月，吃的零食减少了一半。
Of course it does. When you see how much you eat every day, you stop wanting more. I used this method for a month, and the snacks I ate went down by half.
白家月Bai Jiayue
谁不想少吃点儿呢？可是零食太好吃了，一忙起来我就想吃。
Who doesn't want to eat less? But snacks are so tasty, and as soon as I get busy I want them.
李文Li Wen
那就别在桌子上放零食，先从每天少吃一包开始。
Then don't keep snacks on your desk, and start by eating one packet fewer each day.
白家月Bai Jiayue
好，我回去就把桌子上的零食都收起来。
Okay, when I get back I'll put away all the snacks on my desk.
Teacher Wang starts a class on safety knowledge, and Bai Jiayue asks why they have to learn it again.
王老师Teacher Wang
同学们，今天我们学一点儿安全知识。
Everyone, today we're going to learn some safety knowledge.
白家月Bai Jiayue
老师，这些我们小时候就学过，怎么还要再学一遍呢？
Teacher, we learned all this as children. Why do we have to learn it again?
王老师Teacher Wang
知道和做到不一样。上个月有个学生在房间里用电做饭，差点儿出了大事。
Knowing and doing aren't the same. Last month a student cooked with an electric cooker in his room, and something serious nearly happened.
白家月Bai Jiayue
学校不是禁止在房间里做饭吗？
Doesn't the school forbid cooking in the rooms?
王老师Teacher Wang
是啊，用电不小心是很危险的，出了事可能很严重。谁能说自己每次都很小心呢？
It does. Being careless with electricity is very dangerous, and if something goes wrong it can be serious. Who can say they are careful every time?
白家月Bai Jiayue
您说得对。我回去也提醒一下住在一起的同学。
You're right. When I get back, I'll remind the girls I live with too.
Anne wants to exercise early every morning and asks Liu Xiaoxue about the good and bad sides.
安妮Anne
我想每天早起运动，你觉得有什么好处？
I want to get up early and exercise every day. What do you think the benefits are?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
好处很多：晚上睡得好，白天心情也好。
Lots: you sleep well at night and feel good during the day.
安妮Anne
那有没有坏处？
Are there any downsides?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
有。如果晚上睡得太晚，早起也对身体不好。
Yes. If you go to bed too late, getting up early is bad for your health.
安妮Anne
这还用说吗？我当然要早点儿睡。
That goes without saying. Of course I'll go to bed earlier.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
那我们一起试一个月，看看效果怎么样。
Then let's try it together for a month and see how it works.
Say everyone would
Use 谁不shéi bù + verb + 呢ne？
In 谁不想少吃点儿呢shéi bù xiǎng shǎo chī diǎnr ne, everyone wants to eat less.
In sentences
Nothing good
天天在家玩手机有什么意思？我们出去走走吧。
What fun is it playing on your phone at home every day? Let's go out for a walk. (it's no fun)
有什么意思yǒu shénme yìsi denies that there is any fun.
No need
这个题老师已经讲了三遍了，你怎么还要问呢？
The teacher has explained this question three times. Why do you still need to ask? (you shouldn't)
怎么zěnme + 还hái shows the speaker sees no need.
Everyone
谁不想有个健康的身体呢？可是每天运动太难了。
Who doesn't want to be healthy? But exercising every day is so hard. (everyone does)
谁不shéi bù means everyone; the next sentence names the real problem.
Nobody
这么多作业，谁能一个晚上做完呢？
With this much homework, who could finish it in one evening? (nobody could)
A positive 谁shéi question means nobody.
A：你怎么又在玩手机？ B：学了一天，难道不能玩一会儿吗？
A: Why are you on your phone again? B: After studying all day, can't I play for a while?
早起运动对身体有好处，谁不想试一试呢？
Exercising early is good for the body; who wouldn't want to try it?
A rhetorical question looks like a real question, but the speaker already knows the answer and uses the question to make a strong point. With question words the meaning turns around. A positive question with 什么shénme says there is none: 吸烟有什么好处？xīyān yǒu shénme hǎochu? means smoking does no good. 怎么zěnme + 还hái says there is no need: 怎么还要再学一遍呢？zěnme hái yào zài xué yí biàn ne? means the speaker sees no reason to learn it again. A negative question with 谁shéi says everybody: 谁不想少吃点儿呢？shéi bù xiǎng shǎo chī diǎnr ne? means everyone wants to eat less. A positive question with 谁shéi says nobody: 谁能说自己每次都很小心呢？shéi néng shuō zìjǐ měi cì dōu hěn xiǎoxīn ne? means nobody is always careful. The sentence often ends in 呢ne. It sounds stronger than a statement and often carries criticism or a complaint, so think about who you are talking to. Do not answer such a question as if it were a real one.
