HSK 1 reading practice

Every passage here is written inside HSK 1 — the grammar and the vocabulary stay in the level, so you read rather than decode. Shortest first.

Who Cooks Tonight今天谁做饭A family works out who cooks tonight. The son wants to eat out, the mother says the restaurant is too expensive, and the father offers to cook rice an…HSK 1 · 122 characters · 1 min · dailyThe Book I Am Reading我在读的书A friend recommends a book she just finished in a week: the characters are not hard, and it is very interesting. Her friend, who thinks all books are…HSK 1 · 126 characters · 1 min · literatureBeijing Is Very Old北京很老A student asks a teacher how old Beijing is. The teacher answers in a round number of years and says how many people have lived there over that time.…HSK 1 · 131 characters · 1 min · historyWhich Film Tonight今天看什么电影Two friends stuck inside on a rainy day. David wants to watch a new Chinese movie; Lili already saw it last week with her mom. They talk it out and de…HSK 1 · 142 characters · 2 min · dailyHow Much Is Enough多少是够A friend with money wants a bigger house, then a bigger car, then more money for a still bigger house. Each time, his friend asks the same small quest…HSK 1 · 143 characters · 2 min · philosophyBring Fruit, Not Nothing去朋友家，带什么A learner is invited to a Chinese friend's family home for dinner and asks a classmate what to bring. The answer: never show up with nothing, fruit is…HSK 1 · 158 characters · 2 min · cultureThe Weather Does Not Listen天气不听我们的Rain cancels a trip to the cinema and one friend is furious at the sky. The other talks him down, question by question, until he sees the weather was…HSK 1 · 158 characters · 2 min · philosophyThe Slow Computer电脑太慢了Two classmates in the school computer room. One machine takes ten minutes to start, and the conversation turns into how long you keep a thing before y…HSK 1 · 162 characters · 2 min · techLong Life Noodles长寿面For his birthday, a grandmother makes her grandson one very long noodle and tells him not to bite it in half, because a broken noodle is supposed to m…HSK 1 · 174 characters · 2 min · foodThe Teacher from Beijing北京来的老师A new Chinese teacher introduces herself on the first day of class: where she's from, how long she's taught, what she likes. It turns out to be a firs…HSK 1 · 180 characters · 2 min · dailyThe Cat Dream我做梦是猫A child tells her mother she dreamed she was the family cat, then looks at the sleeping cat and asks whether the cat is now dreaming it is her, and ho…HSK 1 · 192 characters · 2 min · philosophyThe Train Is Late Either Way等车的时候Rain has delayed the trains and two travellers are stuck at the station. One keeps checking the time and getting more anxious. The other sits down wit…HSK 1 · 198 characters · 2 min · philosophyFirst Hotpot第一次吃火锅Xiaolong takes Mike out for his first hotpot and treats him to the meal. The pot is split into two broths, one spicy and one not, and Mike picks the s…HSK 1 · 199 characters · 2 min · foodIs the Cheap One Worth It便宜的好吗Two friends look at apples at the same stand, one basket cheap, one basket expensive. One says fruit is fruit. The other insists she can taste the dif…HSK 1 · 204 characters · 2 min · foodThe Fruit My Mother Always Buys妈妈总是买的水果A child notices his mother always buys the same three kinds of fruit at the store even though it sells many more. She explains she knows these well an…HSK 1 · 210 characters · 2 min · food

What is in HSK 1 reading practice

15 passages, each between 122 and 210 characters (1 to 2 minutes). Themes: philosophy, food, daily, literature, history and culture. The shortest is Who Cooks Tonight; the longest is The Fruit My Mother Always Buys.

How to read HSK 1 passages

Start with the shortest and work up. Each passage ends in comprehension questions (50 across this level), so you find out whether you followed it before you move on. They flag 55 new words between them. Unknown words are worth looking up in the dictionary.

Around HSK 1

Foundations readings · HSK 2 readings · printable HSK 1 word list · HSK 1 grammar · how to pass HSK 1 · free HSK 1 practice test

Questions about HSK 1 readings

How many HSK 1 readings are there?

15 passages, from 122 to 210 characters.

How long does a passage at HSK 1 take?

About 1 to 2 minutes.

What is in each HSK 1 reading?

Pinyin, a full English translation, narration, a new-word list and comprehension questions. This page shows titles and summaries; the full text opens in the study room.

Where should I start at HSK 1?

With Who Cooks Tonight, the shortest. Then work up by length.