Xiaomei comes to Xiaobao's house to play and notices that his room is a bit messy. They clean it up together.

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小美: Xiaobao, I'm here. May I come in?
小宝: Sure, please come in!
小美: Your room is different from mine.
小宝: How is it different?
小美: Your books are on the bed, and your toys are on the floor.
小宝: Yeah, I played with the toys this morning and didn’t put them away.
小美: Are you like this every day?
小宝: Sometimes. Mom says I should clean up, but I forget when I'm playing.
小美: Let’s clean up together. It’ll be cleaner that way.
小宝: Okay! You help me put the books away, and I’ll put away the toys.

Bella, an American girl who was found by Sichuan villagers 23 years ago, seeks her biological parents in China through an online video.

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大卫: Teacher Liu, did you see that news? An American girl named Bella is looking for her Chinese biological parents.
刘娜: Yes, I saw it. Twenty-three years ago she was found and taken in by a kind person in Sichuan, and later adopted by an American family. Now that she’s grown up, she wants to return to China to find her family.
大卫: I’m really moved. She said she only remembers a little Chinese and especially mentioned a place called 定水镇.
刘娜: Yes, her video has spread all over the internet, and many volunteers have already gone there to help look for clues. I truly hope her wish comes true.
大卫: My mom is also Chinese, so I really understand her feelings about wanting to find her ‘roots’. This is what people call ‘落叶归根’, right?
刘娜: That’s exactly right! Chinese people often say ‘叶落归根’, meaning that no matter how far one goes, they still hope to return to their homeland in the end.
大卫: I feel that this isn’t just her own story, but also a special connection between China and the United States.
刘娜: Yes. Love and family bonds have no borders, and I hope her story helps more people understand the deep meaning of ‘blood is thicker than water’.

A discussion about the Russian Prime Minister’s use of a Chinese proverb during his visit to China and why it drew attention.

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刘娜: Xiao Pan, did you see the news? The Russian Prime Minister said a Chinese proverb while in China.
小潘: I saw it. He said, “Above there is heaven; below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou,” and his pronunciation was very good.
刘娜: Yes, that line made many people feel warm and was also a form of cultural exchange.
小潘: No wonder foreign media paid close attention. A simple sentence can express friendliness.
刘娜: Right. Besides cooperation, cultural understanding between countries is also important.
小潘: I think learning Chinese is the same. Understanding the language helps you understand a country better.
刘娜: Well said. When you study history in the future, these cultural details will also be useful.
小潘: Yes, I’ll keep working hard so I can understand more Chinese stories.

The phenomenon of milk tea packaging bags being collected and resold on second-hand platforms.

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刘娜: Yuko, did you see the news? Many people are now collecting milk tea bags, and they can even sell them for money.
优子: Huh? Aren’t bags thrown away after use? How can they be sold?
刘娜: Because some bags are collaborations or limited editions. People who like them buy them to collect, just like stamp collecting.
优子: I see! I used to collect anime merchandise too—feels kind of similar.
刘娜: Some people even buy three or four cups of milk tea at once just to get the new bags.
优子: Wow, drinking that much isn’t healthy, but collecting is really fun.
刘娜: Yes, but it should be done in moderation. Otherwise it becomes “over-consumption,” which isn’t good.
优子: I understand. It’s okay to like them, but don’t buy blindly just for the bags. That way it’s fun and not wasteful.

Exploring how Chinese uses animals to describe people's traits, from '牛人' (awesome person) to '菜鸟' (newbie).

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小潘: Teacher Liu, my Chinese classmates often say 'You're really 牛' to compliment someone, and also call themselves '菜鸟'. Why do they use animals to describe people?
刘娜: That's a big feature of Chinese! Using animals as metaphors makes expressions more vivid. In Chinese culture, '牛' (ox) represents hard work and strength, so '你真牛' means 'You're amazing!'
小潘: Then what about '菜鸟'? '菜' means vegetable, and '鸟' means bird—what does it mean together?
刘娜: '菜鸟' refers to a beginner or a newbie. Imagine a newly hatched little bird, soft-feathered and inexperienced—just like someone new to learning. It’s a vivid and cute expression.
小潘: Interesting! I’ve also heard of '纸老虎'—what does that mean?
刘娜: '纸老虎' describes something or someone that looks strong and scary on the outside but actually lacks real strength. Like a tiger made of paper—fierce-looking but fragile.
小潘: These metaphors are really expressive! It seems Chinese people are great at observing animals to describe human traits.
刘娜: Exactly! Animal metaphors are an essence of Chinese expression—they give the language strong imagery. Mastering them will make your Chinese more lively and help you understand the wisdom of Chinese culture better.

Xiaobao and Xiaomei meet in the morning and talk about the interesting dreams they had last night.

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小美: Xiaobao, did you have a dream last night?
小宝: Yes! I dreamed that I could fly.
小美: Really? How did you fly?
小宝: I flew into the sky like a bird.
小美: That sounds so fun! I want to fly too.
小宝: Did you have a dream last night?
小美: I dreamed of lots of candies, and they were all mine.
小宝: That’s great! Were the candies tasty in your dream?
小美: Yes, they were! But sadly, they were gone when I woke up.

Chengdu is piloting 12-year through-schools where students can enter high school without taking the Zhongkao, drawing both controversy and expectations from society.

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陈花: Honey, did you see that education news from Chengdu? Some schools have started piloting a 12-year through-school system. Students can skip the high school entrance exam and move straight from primary school to high school.
黄刚: I saw it. As long as a child gets into such a school in first grade—and is selected by lottery—then later on there’s no need to worry about the transition to junior high or the Zhongkao. It’s a seamless pathway. Parents will definitely scramble for spots.
陈花: Indeed, it reduces a lot of pressure. In the past, everyone was most afraid of being tracked by the Zhongkao, worried their kids wouldn’t get into a regular high school. Now with through-school classes, many people feel it’s an opportunity.
黄刚: But some are worried that this might create new educational inequality. Some parents say only a portion of students can benefit, the spots are limited, and it still depends on luck.
陈花: Actually, Beijing and Xi’an also have similar pilots, but they seem to mainly select top-performing students. This time Chengdu is putting more emphasis on equal opportunity.
黄刚: Right, it’s not about cherry-picking the best students, but random lottery. In theory, every child has a chance. It’s just that the college entrance exam in the end is still unavoidable.
陈花: Still, even so, it can greatly reduce anxiety for families and students. I hope more schools will join in the future so that everyone has one more path to choose.
黄刚: Yes, education reform can’t be one-size-fits-all, but someone has to be the first to ‘eat the crab’. When this first batch of through-school students graduates, people will naturally see the results.

Li Fang and Xiao Mei discuss the speed and features of different means of transportation, comparing buses, subways, and walking.

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李芳: Xiao Mei, shall we play a transportation race game?
小美: Sure! I guess the subway is the fastest.
李芳: Yes, the subway is fast and doesn’t get stuck in traffic.
小美: What about the bus?
李芳: The bus is slower than the subway, but you can enjoy the scenery along the way.
小美: Walking is the slowest, but it's good exercise.
李芳: Exactly, and you can stop anytime to rest or look around.
小美: Then if I want to arrive faster, I’ll take the subway; if I want to enjoy the scenery, I’ll take the bus.
李芳: Right, each type of transportation has its own advantages.
小美: Next time I want to try different transportation methods myself!