Mandarin Meadow
A little Mandarin, every day.

Help & FAQ 常见问题

Practising Mandarin

How do Listen, Record, Play mine and Compare work?

Listen plays the example. You can skip listening and record straight away. Tap Record, say the item, then tap Stop. A successful recording completes that item’s task. Play mine plays your voice; Compare plays the model, then your voice.

“Recorded” means you practised; it is not a pronunciation score. Listen for tones, rhythm and light syllables. You can record again. Try a few items at a time and take a break when needed.

Where do my recordings and completed tasks go?

Voice clips stay in this browser tab. Reloading, closing the tab or leaving the website clears them. Opening this help page keeps your clips available. Completed tasks remain saved even when a voice clip is gone, so Play mine and Compare become available after a new recording.

Learners have separate progress. Use the learner’s progress backup or sign-in sync to carry supported learning progress between devices. Voice clips are not included in backups or sync.

How can I read a longer text?

Use the Listen button beside each part. Pause or stop with the audio controls, then continue when ready. Pinyin + English and Useful expressions provide optional support. Short texts have one Listen button.

How do character animations and tracing work?

Flip a character card to see the writing controls. Replay shows the strokes; Trace lets you try them. The lesson’s writing focus identifies which characters to practise first. Printable pages are available in Practice.

Choosing a course & reviewing

How do I choose a starting point?

Each course page lists what to know before starting and what you will practise. Choose by what you can understand and do in Mandarin. Later literature and social themes are intended for teenagers and adults ready for extended reading and discussion; language support remains available.

How do the cumulative reviews work?

Open Review & connect on a course page, or use the extra review in the Review tab after each study block. Earlier vocabulary, sentence patterns and readings return in short recall questions, followed by a written response. First choices and retries remain saved. The written reflection is self-reviewed, with room for different supported answers.

Can I spread a long reading over several days?

Yes. Open Goals & study plan for reading sessions linked to each part. Read one part in a sitting, then connect the parts and complete the reading tasks when ready. The short Course 7 bridge readings have optional longer versions; the longer version is not required.

Chinese typing

How do I type Chinese and use written responses?

Add a Simplified Chinese Pinyin keyboard in your device’s keyboard or language settings. On iPhone/iPad, look under Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards. On Android, use your keyboard’s Languages settings. On Windows or Mac, use language or input-source settings. Select the Chinese keyboard, type pinyin, then choose the intended characters.

Later readings include a short written response. Drafts are saved to the active learner’s progress as you type. You can save a response, compare it with a possible supporting detail, and revise it. These responses are not automatically graded; different reasoned answers can work. Progress backup and supported sign-in sync include saved responses.

Microphone setup

What if microphone access is blocked?

Tap Record and allow microphone access when your browser asks. If access was denied, change this website’s microphone permission to Allow or Ask. Your device must also let the browser use its microphone. Return to the lesson and try Record again; reload only if your browser requires it. Reloading clears voice clips in this tab.

Open Mandarin Meadow directly in your browser if recording is unavailable in an embedded window. If the microphone is busy, close other apps using it. For children, a parent or carer can help with permission settings.

iPhone or iPad · Safari
  1. Open this website in Safari, then tap Record and allow the request.
  2. If blocked, open Safari’s page menu beside the address, find Website Settings (or More, then Website Settings), and change Microphone to Ask or Allow for this website.
  3. You can also check Settings → Apps → Safari → Microphone; older versions may show Safari directly in Settings. Return to Safari and try again.

Menu names vary by version. Apple’s Safari settings guide

Android phone or tablet · Chrome
  1. In Chrome, open Settings → Site settings → Microphone. Allow this website or remove its blocked permission, then try Record again.
  2. If still blocked, check Android Settings → Apps → Chrome → Permissions → Microphone, and allow access while using the app.

Google’s microphone guide for Android

Mac · Safari or Chrome

In Safari, use Settings → Websites → Microphone and choose Ask or Allow for this website. In Chrome, open the controls beside the address → Site settings → Microphone → Allow.

If the browser is blocked by macOS, check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and allow the browser if listed. Relaunch it if requested; relaunching clears current voice clips.

Safari website settings · Chrome microphone settings

Windows · Chrome or Edge

Open the controls beside the website address and allow Microphone in this site’s permissions. In Windows Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone, check microphone access and permission for desktop apps. On older Windows versions, look under Privacy.

Microsoft’s microphone settings guide

Firefox

Use the permissions icon beside the address to remove a blocked microphone permission, then tap Record and allow the new request. You can also review Microphone under Firefox Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions. Check your device’s microphone permission for Firefox too.

Mozilla’s permission guide

The pyramids: monuments, evidence and a different sphinx

Locate the monuments and describe their scale.

Goals & study plan
The pyramids: monuments, evidence and a different sphinx

Distinguish Giza’s monuments, Egyptian burial beliefs and a Greek myth’s riddle. Compare surviving evidence with open research questions, and connect careful records with preservation. You can pause after any study block and continue later.

  • Locate the monuments and describe their scale.
  • Separate Egyptian remains from Greek mythology.
  • Explain why unresolved details need further evidence.

Evidence, explanation & learning · Lessons 9–12

History · reading focus

Follow the sequence and context. Distinguish what this account states from an inference or judgement about the past.

Reading sessions · 4 parts
  1. Session 1 · Part 1

    Read this part, identify the main event or idea, and note one useful detail.

  2. Session 2 · Part 2

    Read this part, identify the main event or idea, and note one useful detail.

  3. Session 3 · Part 3

    Read this part, identify the main event or idea, and note one useful detail.

  4. Session 4 · Part 4

    Read this part, identify the main event or idea, and note one useful detail.

  5. Connect & respond

    Link the parts, try the reading checks, then write or explain a supported response. Complete the dialogue recordings in short blocks.

Words & sentences

5–8 minutes

Learn the core expressions and record in short blocks.

Reading & dialogue

10–15 minutes per sitting

Read one part per sitting. Use the reading sessions in this plan, then connect the parts and practise the dialogue in short blocks.

Practice & review

5–10 minutes

Practise the writing focus and revisit your first-choice answers.

Help with self-study

Try each item in a short block. Listen when needed, record when ready, and use the hints to retry. Pinyin and English can be turned off independently.

Show support:
Pronunciation & learning options

Pinyin shows how to say a word. The mark above a vowel shows its tone.

mā1. High and level
má2. Rising
mǎ3. Low, then rising
mà4. Falling

Watch the tone marks and listen for the rhythm of the whole phrase. Light syllables are short; pauses belong between meaningful groups.

Characters0 / 22 tasks
Task checklist · 0 / 22 complete

Characters · 生字

Flip each card for stroke order. This lesson’s writing focus: 文 · 石 · 块 · 明 · 迹 · 语.

Lesson text · words, sentences and reading

Words & phrases

陵墓

líng mù

tomb

遗迹

yí jì

ancient remains

石块

shí kuài

stone block

精密

jīng mì

precise

文明

wén míng

civilisation

谜语

mí yǔ

riddle

Model sentences

古埃及的金字塔与陵墓有关,反映了当时的社会和信仰。

gǔ āi jí de jīn zì tǎ yǔ líng mù yǒu guān, fǎn yìng le dāng shí de shè huì hé xìn yǎng。

The pyramids of ancient Egypt are connected with tombs and reflect the society and beliefs of their time.

考古人员通过遗迹、器物和文字材料研究过去的生活。

kǎo gǔ rén yuán tōng guò yí jì、 qì wù hé wén zì cái liào yán jiū guò qù de shēng huó。

Archaeologists study life in the past through ruins, objects and written evidence.

巨大的石块怎样开采、运输和安放,需要结合多种证据解释。

jù dà de shí kuài zěn yàng kāi cǎi、 yùn shū hé ān fàng, xū yào jié hé duō zhǒng zhèng jù jiě shì。

Explaining how the enormous stone blocks were quarried, transported and positioned requires several kinds of evidence.

建筑方向和尺寸十分精密,但测量结果仍应注明方法和误差。

jiàn zhù fāng xiàng hé chǐ cùn shí fēn jīng mì, dàn cè liáng jié guǒ réng yīng zhù míng fāng fǎ hé wù chā。

The orientation and dimensions are highly precise, but measurements should still state their methods and margins of error.

理解古代文明不能只看宏大建筑,还要研究普通人的生活。

lǐ jiě gǔ dài wén míng bù néng zhǐ kàn hóng dà jiàn zhù, hái yào yán jiū pǔ tōng rén de shēng huó。

Understanding an ancient civilisation requires studying ordinary people's lives as well as monumental buildings.

尚未解开的谜语可以引导研究,却不能让没有证据的说法变成事实。

shàng wèi jiě kāi de mí yǔ kě yǐ yǐn dǎo yán jiū, què bù néng ràng méi yǒu zhèng jù de shuō fǎ biàn chéng shì shí。

An unresolved mystery can guide research, but it cannot turn an unsupported claim into fact.

世界奇迹金字塔

在埃及吉萨,巨大的金字塔立在沙地与天空之间,宽阔的底部向上收拢,形成鲜明的轮廓。

zài āi jí jí sà, jù dà de jīn zì tǎ lì zài shā dì yǔ tiān kōng zhī jiān, kuān kuò de dǐ bù xiàng shàng shōu lǒng, xíng chéng xiān míng de lún kuò。

At Giza in Egypt, enormous pyramids stand between sand and sky, their broad bases narrowing into distinct outlines.

走近时,可以看见许多石块排列在一起,一个人在建筑旁边显得很小,规模的对比格外令人惊叹。

zǒu jìn shí, kě yǐ kàn jiàn xǔ duō shí kuài pái liè zài yì qǐ, yí ge rén zài jiàn zhù páng biān xiǎn de hěn xiǎo, guī mó de duì bǐ gé wài lìng rén jīng tàn。

Closer up, many stones form the structure, dwarfing nearby people and making its scale astonishing.

从不同方向看,建筑的轮廓会改变,近处的一面显得宽,转到另一边,又能看到斜面的关系。阳光在石面上留下明暗,沙地与天空成为背景,建筑并不需要复杂的颜色,也能给人强烈的感受。

cóng bù tóng fāng xiàng kàn, jiàn zhù de lún kuò huì gǎi biàn, jìn chù de yí miàn xiǎn de kuān, zhuǎn dào lìng yì biān, yòu néng kàn dào xié miàn de guān xì。 yáng guāng zài shí miàn shàng liú xià míng àn, shā dì yǔ tiān kōng chéng wéi bèi jǐng, jiàn zhù bìng bù xū yào fù zá de yán sè, yě néng gěi rén qiáng liè de gǎn shòu。

Different viewpoints reveal changing outlines, sloping faces and light and shade, creating a strong impression without elaborate colours.

古埃及的金字塔与王室墓葬及相关仪式联系密切,建筑的用途也与当时人们关于生命和来世的信仰有关。

gǔ āi jí de jīn zì tǎ yǔ wáng shì mù zàng jí xiāng guān yí shì lián xì mì qiè, jiàn zhù de yòng tú yě yǔ dāng shí rén men guān yú shēng mìng hé lái shì de xìn yǎng yǒu guān。

Ancient Egyptian pyramids are closely associated with royal burials and rituals linked to beliefs about life and the afterlife.

吉萨的大金字塔与胡夫有关,附近还有其他金字塔和建筑,整片遗迹并不只是一座孤立的塔。

jí sà de dà jīn zì tǎ yǔ hú fū yǒu guān, fù jìn hái yǒu qí tā jīn zì tǎ hé jiàn zhù, zhěng piàn yí jì bìng bù zhǐ shì yí zuò gū lì de tǎ。

The Great Pyramid is associated with Khufu, with other pyramids and structures nearby rather than one isolated monument.

周围的建筑各有位置与名称,参观者如果只记住最有名的一张照片,就容易把整个区域当成同一件东西。了解它们怎样相邻,才能把一座塔放回更完整的环境,看见建筑之间的关系。

zhōu wéi de jiàn zhù gè yǒu wèi zhì yǔ míng chēng, cān guān zhě rú guǒ zhǐ jì zhù zuì yǒu míng de yì zhāng zhào piān, jiù róng yì bǎ zhěng gè qū yù dàng chéng tóng yí jiàn dōng xi。 liǎo jiě tā men zěn yàng xiāng lín, cái néng bǎ yí zuò tǎ fàng huí gèng wán zhěng de huán jìng, kàn jiàn jiàn zhù zhī jiān de guān xì。

Knowing neighbouring monuments’ names and positions places an individual pyramid in its fuller environment rather than treating the whole area as one object.

那么大的石块怎样运来,工人怎样组织,位置怎样安排,这些问题使人们不断研究留下的痕迹。

nà me dà de shí kuài zěn yàng yùn lái, gōng rén zěn yàng zǔ zhī, wèi zhì zěn yàng ān pái, zhè xiē wèn tí shǐ rén men bù duàn yán jiū liú xià de hén jì。

Questions about moving huge stones, organising workers and positioning blocks lead researchers to examine surviving evidence.

有些建造细节仍在讨论之中,新的发现可能帮助修正解释,未解决的问题也正是继续研究的原因。

yǒu xiē jiàn zào xì jié réng zài tǎo lùn zhī zhōng, xīn de fā xiàn kě néng bāng zhù xiū zhèng jiě shì, wèi jiě jué de wèn tí yě zhèng shì jì xù yán jiū de yuán yīn。

Some construction details remain debated, and new findings may refine explanations; unanswered questions invite further research.

研究建造的方法,要把留下的材料、痕迹和合理的解释联系起来。一个说法即使十分惊人,也不一定就更可靠;寻找答案的过程,常常需要比较,而不是急着把所有问题都交给一个简单的故事。

yán jiū jiàn zào de fāng fǎ, yào bǎ liú xià de cái liào、 hén jì hé hé lǐ de jiě shì lián xì qǐ lai。 yí ge shuō fǎ jí shǐ shí fēn jīng rén, yě bù yí dìng jiù gèng kě kào; xún zhǎo dá àn de guò chéng, cháng cháng xū yào bǐ jiào, ér bú shì jí zhe bǎ suǒ yǒu wèn tí dōu jiāo gěi yí ge jiǎn dān de gù shì。

Construction research connects material evidence with explanations, comparing possibilities rather than accepting a dramatic story as a complete answer.

附近的狮身人面像有狮子的身体和人的面孔,石像与周围遗迹一起,保存了古老文明的一部分记忆。

fù jìn de shī shēn rén miàn xiàng yǒu shī zi de shēn tǐ hé rén de miàn kǒng, shí xiàng yǔ zhōu wéi yí jì yì qǐ, bǎo cún le gǔ lǎo wén míng de yí bù fèn jì yì。

The nearby Great Sphinx has a lion’s body and human face and preserves part of an ancient civilisation’s memory.

另一个文化里的斯芬克斯出现在希腊神话中,会提出谜语:什么在生命的不同阶段用四条、两条、三条“腿”行动?

lìng yí ge wén huà lǐ de sī fēn kè sī chū xiàn zài xī là shén huà zhōng, huì tí chū mí yǔ: shén me zài shēng mìng de bù tóng jiē duàn yòng sì tiáo、 liǎng tiáo、 sān tiáo “tuǐ” xíng dòng?

A sphinx in Greek mythology poses a riddle: what moves on four, two and three “legs” at different stages of life?

答案是人,幼儿爬行,成人用两脚走路,老人可能借助拐杖;这则神话与埃及的石像有不同的背景。

dá àn shì rén, yòu ér pá xíng, chéng rén yòng liǎng jiǎo zǒu lù, lǎo rén kě néng jiè zhù guǎi zhàng; zhè zé shén huà yǔ āi jí de shí xiàng yǒu bù tóng de bèi jǐng。

The answer is a human: a baby crawls, an adult walks on two feet and an older person may use a cane; this myth has a different background from the Egyptian statue.

欣赏遗迹时,还要关心保存,风化和人的活动都可能留下影响,坚硬的石头也不是永远不会受损。

xīn shǎng yí jì shí, hái yào guān xīn bǎo cún, fēng huà hé rén de huó dòng dōu kě néng liú xià yǐng xiǎng, jiān yìng de shí tou yě bú shì yǒng yuǎn bú huì shòu sǔn。

Admiring monuments also involves preservation, since weathering and human activity can damage even hard stone.

遗迹保存下来,使后来的人有机会重新观察,石头上的磨损也提醒人们时间已经过去很久。研究与保护互相联系,仔细记录眼前的情况,才能让将来的人知道哪里发生了变化,又有哪些需要继续照顾的地方。

yí jì bǎo cún xià lai, shǐ hòu lái de rén yǒu jī huì chóng xīn guān chá, shí tou shàng de mó sǔn yě tí xǐng rén men shí jiān yǐ jīng guò qù hěn jiǔ。 yán jiū yǔ bǎo hù hù xiāng lián xì, zǐ xì jì lù yǎn qián de qíng kuàng, cái néng ràng jiāng lái de rén zhī dào nǎ lǐ fā shēng le biàn huà, yòu yǒu nǎ xiē xū yào jì xù zhào gù de dì fang。

Surviving stone and wear allow observation across time, linking preservation with records that help future people identify changes.

金字塔令人惊叹的不只是高度,还有古代人组织、建造和创造的能力,以及那些仍等待答案的问题。

jīn zì tǎ lìng rén jīng tàn de bù zhǐ shì gāo dù, hái yǒu gǔ dài rén zǔ zhī、 jiàn zào hé chuàng zào de néng lì, yǐ jí nà xiē réng děng dài dá àn de wèn tí。

The pyramids inspire wonder through height, ancient organisation and construction, and the questions still awaiting answers.

Conversation

A 金字塔与什么用途有关?

jīn zì tǎ yǔ shén me yòng tú yǒu guān?

What is the historical purpose?

B 王室墓葬和相关仪式。

wáng shì mù zàng hé xiāng guān yí shì。

Royal burials and related rituals.

A 胡夫与哪座遗迹相连?

hú fū yǔ nǎ zuò yí jì xiāng lián?

Which structure connects with Khufu?

B 吉萨的大金字塔。

jí sà de dà jīn zì tǎ。

The Great Pyramid at Giza.

A 未知建造细节可以随便给唯一答案吗?

wèi zhī jiàn zào xì jié kě yǐ suí biàn gěi wéi yī dá àn ma?

Can an uncertain construction detail get an arbitrary final answer?

B 不,应继续寻找依据。

bù, yīng jì xù xún zhǎo yī jù。

No; evidence remains necessary.

Sources & image credits

Curriculum references: 幼儿汉语 1–4 and 中文 1–12. Lessons are organised by learning themes and include original texts and graded adaptations.

Scene illustrations: Twemoji, © Twitter and contributors, CC BY 4.0. Pilot word-card illustrations are original AI-generated images.