Read and listen to simple popular-science explanations and research summaries.
Restate a scientific idea with cause, process and result.
Write a short explanation of a scientific fact, experiment or research result.
LEARN IN CONTEXT
Read and listen across several real contexts
This lesson uses the number and type of texts that fit the topic. Learn the same language across different situations instead of forcing everything into one dialogue.
Core textShort article
看到一个研究结果，先问四个问题
Why this text is here: Teach basic science-reading literacy: question, method, evidence and conclusion.
Kēpǔ wénzhāng lǐ chángcháng huì chūxiàn ‘yánjiū fāxiàn’, ‘diàochá xiǎnshì’ zhèyàng de biǎodá. Kàndào yí ge yǒuyìsi de jiéguǒ shí, bù xūyào mǎshàng xiāngxìn huò mǎshàng fǒudìng, kěyǐ xiān wèn sì ge wèntí: yánjiū xiǎng huídá shénme? Yòng le shénme fāngfǎ? Shùjù láizì duōshao rén huò duōshao cì guānchá? Zuìhòu de jiélùn hé zhèngjù zhījiān shì shénme guānxì?
科普文章里常常会出现“研究发现”“调查显示”这样的表达。看到一个有意思的结果时，不需要马上相信或马上否定，可以先问四个问题：研究想回答什么？用了什么方法？数据来自多少人或多少次观察？最后的结论和证据之间是什么关系？Popular-science articles often say 'research found' or 'a survey shows'. When you see an interesting result, you do not need to accept or reject it immediately. Ask four questions: What was the research question? What method was used? How many people or observations produced the data? What is the relationship between the evidence and the conclusion?
Yóuqí yào zhùyì, ‘liǎng ge xiànxiàng yìqǐ chūxiàn’ bù yídìng děngyú ‘yí ge xiànxiàng zàochéng lìng yí ge’. Diàochá kěyǐ fāxiàn guānxì, dàn yào zhèngmíng yuányīn, tōngcháng hái xūyào gèng wánzhěng de yánjiū shèjì hé qítā zhèngjù.
尤其要注意，“两个现象一起出现”不一定等于“一个现象造成另一个”。调查可以发现关系，但要证明原因，通常还需要更完整的研究设计和其他证据。Most importantly, two phenomena appearing together does not necessarily mean one caused the other. A survey can find a relationship, but proving cause usually requires a fuller research design and other evidence.
Support textPractical information
课堂示例调查：复习方法
Why this text is here: Provide fictional classroom data for practicing percentages and careful interpretation, clearly marked as an example rather than a real published study.
Xiàmian shì wèile liànxí yuèdú yánjiū xìnxī ér shèjì de kètáng shìlì shùjù, bú shì zhēnshí yánjiū jiéguǒ.
下面是为了练习阅读研究信息而设计的课堂示例数据，不是真实研究结果。The following data are a classroom example designed to practice reading research information; they are not real research results.
参加人数
200人liǎngbǎi rén200 participants.
方法A
每天复习少量内容；120人选择měitiān fùxí shǎoliàng nèiróng; yìbǎi èrshí rén xuǎnzéMethod A: review a small amount daily; chosen by 120 people.
方法A占60%，方法B占40%fāngfǎ A zhàn bǎifēnzhī liùshí, fāngfǎ B zhàn bǎifēnzhī sìshíMethod A: 60%; Method B: 40%.
ExtensionExplainer
“更多人选择”不等于“效果一定更好”
Why this text is here: Use the classroom example to separate observed proportion from causal or effectiveness claims.
Zài kètáng shìlì lǐ, bǎifēnzhī liùshí de rén xuǎnzé fāngfǎ A. Zhège shùjù shuōmíng de liǎo ‘xuǎnzé A de rén gèng duō’, què zhèngmíng bu liǎo ‘fāngfǎ A yídìng gèng yǒuxiào’. Yīnwèi shìlì zhǐ jìlù le xuǎnzé, méiyǒu bǐjiào měi ge rén zuìhòu de xuéxí jiéguǒ.
在课堂示例里，百分之六十的人选择方法A。这个数据说明得了“选择A的人更多”，却证明不了“方法A一定更有效”。因为示例只记录了选择，没有比较每个人最后的学习结果。In the classroom example, 60% chose Method A. This can show that more people selected A, but it cannot prove that A is definitely more effective, because the example records only the choice and does not compare final learning outcomes.
Learn the words this communication task needs first. Use the Level Vocabulary page to review the complete official inventory instead of treating every assigned reference word as a Course focus card.
01kēxué科学
science; scientific knowledge; scientific
02yánjiū研究
research; a study; to research
03jiéguǒ结果
to bear fruit; outcome; result; consequence; in the end; as a result
04zhèngmíng证明
proof; certificate; identification
05yuányīn原因
cause; origin; root cause
06guòchéng过程
course of events; process
07diàochá调查
investigation; inquiry; to investigate
Vocabulary in context
These short sentences and mini-scenes make additional lesson words usable instead of leaving them as isolated cards.
科学研究调查
Kēxué yánjiū bù néng zhǐ kàn yí ge tèbié de lìzi, ér yào tōngguò shíyàn huò diàochá shōují zúgòu shùjù.
科学研究不能只看一个特别的例子，而要通过实验或调查收集足够数据。Scientific research cannot rely on one unusual example; it needs enough data from experiments or surveys.
调查发现，大约六成参加者改变方法以后效率提高了百分之二十左右。The survey found that about sixty percent of participants improved efficiency by around twenty percent after changing methods.
结果证明原因研究过程
Yí ge jiéguǒ néng bu néng zhèngmíng yuányīn, xūyào kàn yánjiū guòchéng, shùjù zhìliàng hé qítā kěnéng de jiěshì.
一个结果能不能证明原因，需要看研究过程、数据质量和其他可能的解释。Whether a result proves a cause depends on the research process, data quality and other possible explanations.
Study the grammar point, then replace the example information with details from your own situation.
Approximate numbers, percentages and multiples
大约… / …左右 / 百分之…
HSK4 includes approximate quantities, decimals, fractions, percentages and multiples; state the unit and comparison clearly.
Zhè xiàng diàochá yǒu liǎngbǎi lái rén cānjiā, qízhōng bǎifēnzhī liùshíwǔ de rén xuǎnzé le dì-yī zhǒng fāngfǎ.这项调查有两百来人参加，其中百分之六十五的人选择了第一种方法。About two hundred people joined the survey, and sixty-five percent chose the first method.
Potential complement: verb + 得/不 + 了
做得了 / 做不了
Use 得了 or 不了 after a verb to express whether an action can be completed under the circumstances.
Yàngběn tài shǎo, zhège jiéguǒ shuōmíng de liǎo xiànxiàng, què zhèngmíng bu liǎo zhēnzhèng de yuányīn.样本太少，这个结果说明得了现象，却证明不了真正的原因。With such a small sample, the result can describe the phenomenon but cannot prove the real cause.
Step 6 · Guided practice
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Step 7 · Communication task
Explain a research result carefully
Summarize a simple study or science article for a classmate. Explain what was studied, the result and what the evidence does or does not prove.
Your task
State the research question and method.
Include one approximate number, percentage, fraction or multiple.
Separate observed result from claimed cause.
Use 得了/不了 to explain one limit of the evidence.
Write at least 95 non-space characters to continue
Self-check rubric
At least three lesson words are used accurately.
At least one lesson grammar point is complete.
The response completes the communication target.
The Chinese can be read aloud without relying on English.
Step 8 · Review
Complete the mastery check
A lesson is complete only after the quiz, communication task and self-review requirements are met.