Mandarin Monday: School Is Back in Session, Time the Mid-Term

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The Beijinger has always been focused on bridging the gap between the capital's expat community and the city at large. Part and parcel of that was starting our Mandarin Monday column four years ago in an effort to provide our readers with the crucial information – as well as the silly, obscure, and downright ridiculous – that is usually left out of standard HSK textbooks. As such, we sincerely hope that this column has helped, inspired, or even led to a little epiphany or two during your journey through the Chinese language.

Given that learning is a lifelong endeavor – especially when it comes to linguistics – practice certainly does make perfect, or at least something approximating perfection. And since four years is long enough to acquire a bachelor's degree, we thought it prescient in today’s Mandarin Monday to hold a little mid-term exam, testing your Chinese proficiency. With any luck, it will reignite your passion to explore the wider world of this rich language and culture we've all chosen to immerse ourselves in.

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1. Choose the correct pinyin for the word below

汉堡包

1. hànbǎobāo

2. hànbǎobao

3. hànbǎobǎo

4. hánbāobāo

Answer: A

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2. Choose the correct meaning for the following word

留学

1. Bleed  

2. Detention  

3. Study Abroad  

4. Foreign Student

Answer: C

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3. Choose the right meaning for the following idiom

大腹便便

1. To describe someone who is broad-minded

2. To describe someone who is fat

3. To describe someone whose belly is full of poop

4. To describe someone who is stingy

Answer: B

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4. Choose the character that is not polyphonic 

1. 朝

2. 重

3. 砾

4. 仇

Answer: C

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5. Choose the right word to fill in the blank if you want to express the idea, “This burger is so tasty!”

这个汉堡也太好吃了（）

1. 吧

2. 吗

3. 唉

4. 哼

Answer: A

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6. Choose the correct meaning of the following phrase

核酸检测

1. Atomic Bomb

2. Nucleic Acid Test

3. DNA

4. Mid-term

Answer: B

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7. Choose the correct one-word abbreviation for Hubei Province

1. 京

2. 赣

3. 湘

4. 鄂

Answer: D

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Answering the following questions based on the dialogue below

小红：你这个人能不能不要一整天阴阳怪气

小明：好好好，您说得对

8. What is Xiaoming accused of?

1. Practicing martial arts that will connect the yin and yang energy

2. Keeping dangerous pets

3. Being sarcastic all day long

4. Being superstitious 

9. Does Xiaoming agree with this accusation?

1. Yes

2. No

Answer: C, B

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10. If you are a native Beijinger where will you put your er in the following word

三里屯

1. 三儿里屯

2. 三里儿屯

3. 三里屯儿

4. 三儿里儿屯儿

Answer: C

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Bonus Questions:

Which of the following words is not the name of a solar term

1. 中秋

2. 惊蛰

3. 白露

4. 芒种

Answer: A

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Bonus Questions:

Which of the following lines from a poem was not written for Mid-Autumn Festival

1. 但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。

2. 今夜月明人尽望，不知秋思落谁家。

3. 海上生明月，天涯共此时。

4. 独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲

Answer: D

READ: Think Like a Free Rabbit With These Chinese Animal Kingdom Expressions

Image: Chinesetest

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