HSK 4Lesson 5
Famous people are a good way to practice talking about a career. You will discuss a writer and a singer, choose a student to interview a writer, and talk about a professor and degrees.
You will learn to talk about a well-known person's career: their jobs, degrees and prizes, how they became successful, and how to choose someone for a role.
Part 1 · 16 new words
Contains 6 words
writer
singer
professor
doctorate; holder of a doctorate
master's degree; master's graduate
lawyer
Contains 8 words
famous
to become
Contains 2 words
experience; to go through
impression
Part 2 · 9 phrases
北京烤鸭很著名，外国朋友来了都想吃。
Beijing roast duck is famous; foreign friends all want to try it when they come.
我哥哥想成为作家，我妹妹想成为歌手。
My older brother wants to become a writer, and my younger sister wants to become a singer.
读完硕士，他工作两年，才去读博士。
After his master's, he worked for two years and only then went for his doctorate.
他获得了去国外学习的机会，高兴极了。
He got a chance to study abroad and was thrilled.
这个小店刚开两年，就取得了成功。
This little shop opened only two years ago, and it's already a success.
他的第一本书就获奖了，书店里天天有人买。
Part 3 · 4 conversations
Liu Ming and Li Wen watch a TV interview with a famous writer and talk about the long road to his success.
刘明Liu Ming
电视上这位著名的作家，你知道吗？
Do you know this famous writer on TV?
李文Li Wen
知道，他去年获得了一个大奖。他的书我读过两本。
Yes, he won a big prize last year. I've read two of his books.
刘明Liu Ming
Part 4 · 1 point
兼语句 称谓或认定义
Use 选xuǎn or 收shōu + person + 做zuò + role to say you choose or take someone on as something.
Choose someone for a role
Use 选xuǎn + person + 做zuò + role.
to win a prize
to obtain; to gain
to achieve; to obtain
success; successful
prize; award
fresh flowers
His very first book won a prize, and people buy it at the bookstore every day.
他有很多在国外工作的经历，大家都想听他讲。
He has a lot of experience working abroad, and everyone wants to hear him talk about it.
我对北京的第一印象是：什么都很大。
My first impression of Beijing is that everything is big.
生日那天，同学们送了王老师很多鲜花。
On her birthday, the students gave Teacher Wang lots of fresh flowers.
听说他小时候过得很不容易，经历了很多事。
I hear he had a hard childhood and went through a lot.
李文Li Wen
对，他十六岁就出去工作了，三十多岁才开始写书。
Yes, he went out to work at sixteen and only started writing in his thirties.
刘明Liu Ming
三十多岁才开始，也能成为作家啊！
He only started in his thirties and still became a writer!
李文Li Wen
是啊。他的书写的都是自己的经历，所以喜欢的人特别多。
Yes. His books are all about his own experiences, which is why so many people love them.
刘明Liu Ming
我对他印象很好，他说话很幽默，一点儿也不骄傲。
I have a good impression of him. He's funny and not at all full of himself.
李文Li Wen
那周末我们去书店买一本他的新书吧。
Then let's go to the bookshop at the weekend and buy his new book.
The famous writer will visit the school, and each class must choose one student to interview him in front of everyone; Bai Jiayue wants Wang Yixue, a class leader, who is scared of speaking in public.
白家月Bai Jiayue
下周那位作家要来学校，王老师让每个班选一个人，在大家面前问他几个问题。
Next week that writer is coming to the school, and Teacher Wang wants each class to choose one person to ask him a few questions in front of everyone.
王一雪Wang Yixue
我们班选谁好呢？
Who should our class choose?
白家月Bai Jiayue
我想选你。你读过他的很多书，对他很了解。
I'd like to choose you. You've read lots of his books and know a lot about him.
王一雪Wang Yixue
可是我一在大家面前说话就害怕。
But I get scared as soon as I speak in front of people.
白家月Bai Jiayue
别担心。王老师选你做班长，是因为你做事细心。问题你先准备好就行了。
Don't worry. Teacher Wang chose you as class leader because you're careful. Just prepare your questions first.
王一雪Wang Yixue
好吧。那我先想想问什么。可以问他是怎么成为作家的吗？
All right. Then I'll think about what to ask first. Can I ask him how he became a writer?
白家月Bai Jiayue
可以，还可以问他获奖以后，生活有什么变化。
Sure. You could also ask how his life has changed since he won the prize.
Anne asks Liu Xiaoxue about her uncle, a professor, and whether he can help Xiaoxue's sister, who wants a doctorate.
安妮Anne
你叔叔是做什么的？
What does your uncle do?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
他是大学的教授，在国外读的博士。
He's a university professor. He did his doctorate abroad.
安妮Anne
博士要读几年？
How many years does a doctorate take?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
一般三四年。我姐姐正在读硕士，她以后也想读博士。
Usually three or four. My sister is doing a master's now, and she wants to do a doctorate later too.
安妮Anne
那她可以跟你叔叔读博士吗？
So could she do her doctorate with your uncle?
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
不行，叔叔说他不收自己家的人做学生。
No. My uncle says he doesn't take his own family on as students.
安妮Anne
那她只能自己努力了。
Then she'll just have to work hard on her own.
刘小雪Liu Xiaoxue
是啊。叔叔常说，要取得成功，一定要有耐心。
Yes. My uncle always says that to succeed, you have to be patient.
Wang Yixue and Bai Jiayue talk about last night's show, where a singer won a prize, and about her unusual career.
王一雪Wang Yixue
昨天晚上的晚会你看了吗？那位歌手获奖了。
Did you watch the show last night? That singer won a prize.
白家月Bai Jiayue
看了。她一唱完，大家就给她送了很多鲜花。
Yes. As soon as she finished singing, everyone gave her lots of flowers.
王一雪Wang Yixue
你知道吗？她以前是律师，后来才成为歌手。
Did you know? She used to be a lawyer and only later became a singer.
白家月Bai Jiayue
真的吗？我对她的经历不了解。她为什么换工作？
Really? I didn't know her background. Why did she change jobs?
王一雪Wang Yixue
她说律师的工作太累了，而且她从小就爱唱歌。
She says being a lawyer was too tiring, and she has loved singing since she was little.
白家月Bai Jiayue
从律师到歌手，还取得了成功，真不容易。我对她的印象更好了。
From lawyer to singer, and successful too. That's not easy. I think even more of her now.
In 王老师选你做班长Wáng lǎoshī xuǎn nǐ zuò bānzhǎng, 你nǐ is both the one chosen and the one who takes the role.
Take someone on as something
Use 收shōu + person + 做zuò + role.
In 他不收自己家的人做学生tā bù shōu zìjǐ jiā de rén zuò xuésheng, 不bù goes before 收shōu.
In sentences
Choose a class leader
他做事认真，所以大家选他做班长。
He's conscientious, so everyone chose him as class leader.
做zuò follows the person directly.
Take on a student
她的硕士读得很好，那位教授就收她做学生了。
She did very well in her master's, so that professor took her on as a student.
收shōu means accept someone into a role.
Formal style
同学们选刘明为班长。
The classmates elected Liu Ming class leader.
为wéi is formal and often written.
A：谁来做这次的小老师？ B：大家选了刘明做小老师。
A: Who will be the little teacher this time? B: Everyone chose Liu Ming to be the little teacher.
刘小雪的姐姐想让叔叔收她做博士学生，可是叔叔不同意。
Liu Xiaoxue's sister wanted her uncle to take her on as a doctoral student, but he didn't agree.
The pattern is subject + 选xuǎn or 收shōu + person + 做zuò + role. The person after the first verb is the one who is chosen and also the one who takes the role, so no 是shì goes between them: 大家选他做班长dàjiā xuǎn tā zuò bānzhǎng. 选xuǎn means choose someone from a group; 收shōu means accept someone, as when a teacher takes on a student: 教授收她做学生jiàoshòu shōu tā zuò xuésheng. 做zuò is the usual spoken link; 为wéi is formal and mostly written. The role is a noun and comes last. A common error is to drop the person: say 选你做班长xuǎn nǐ zuò bānzhǎng, not 选做班长xuǎn zuò bānzhǎng.
