A carpenter teaches that tidy tools save half the time.
Transcript
一个年轻人去请教一位老木匠,问怎样才能把桌子做得又快又好。老木匠没有回答,只是让他先把工具擦干净、摆整齐。年轻人照做了,一个星期以后,他发现自己找工具的时间少了一半。
yí gè nián qīng rén qù qǐng jiào yī wèi lǎo mù jiàng , wèn zěn yàng cái néng bǎ zhuō zi zuò dé yòu kuài yòu hǎo 。 lǎo mù jiàng méi yǒu huí dá , zhǐ shì ràng tā xiān bǎ gōng jù cā gān jìng 、 bǎi zhěng qí 。 nián qīng rén zhào zuò le , yí gè xīng qī yǐ hòu , tā fā xiàn zì jǐ zhǎo gōng jù de shí jiān shǎo le yí bàn 。
A carpenter teaches that tidy tools save half the time.
Show a model answer
这个故事讲的是一个年轻人向老木匠请教……
HSK 5 Speaking Part 1: Listen and Retell
This part tests whether you understand a story and can retell it coherently. 3 questions — answer format: retell the passage aloud, which is recorded.
How HSK 5 Speaking Part 1 works
You hear a short story or passage and retell it in your own words. Your answer is recorded.
Markers look for the main content in the right order, told in fluent and accurate Chinese. You do not need to repeat the original word for word.
听后复述。
Listen to the passage, then retell it in your own words.
At HSK 5 the speaking section is taken as the separate HSKK exam (HSKK Advanced) and certified on its own.
HSK 5 Speaking Part 1 sample questions with answers
3 questions from our practice bank, in the format of the real paper. Try each one before opening the answer.
Residents saved an old street with a photo exhibition.
Transcript
城市里有一条老街,本来要被拆掉。居民们把老照片收集起来办了一个小展览,结果来看的人越来越多,政府最后决定把它保留下来,改成步行街。
chéng shì lǐ yǒu yī tiáo lǎo jiē , běn lái yào bèi chāi diào 。 jū mín men bǎ lǎo zhào piān shōu jí qǐ lái bàn le yí gè xiǎo zhǎn lǎn , jié guǒ lái kàn de rén yuè lái yuè duō , zhèng fǔ zuì hòu jué dìng bǎ tā bǎo liú xià lái , gǎi chéng bù xíng jiē 。
Residents saved an old street with a photo exhibition.
Show a model answer
这段话说的是一条老街被保留下来的过程……
Spaced learning beat one long session in a memory test.
Transcript
研究人员做过一个实验:让两组人记同样的内容,一组连续学一小时,另一组分成三次、每次二十分钟。一周以后测试,分开学的那组记得明显更牢。
yán jiū rén yuán zuò guò yí gè shí yàn : ràng liǎng zǔ rén jì tóng yàng de nèi róng , yī zǔ lián xù xué yī xiǎo shí , lìng yī zǔ fèn chéng sān cì 、 měi cì èr shí fēn zhōng 。 yī zhōu yǐ hòu cè shì , fēn kāi xué de nà zǔ jì de míng xiǎn gèng láo 。
Spaced learning beat one long session in a memory test.
Show a model answer
这个实验比较了两种学习方式……
How to approach it
- While listening, fix the characters, the events and the ending.
- Start by saying what the story is about.
- Tell the events in order with time words: 一开始, 后来, 最后.
- Finish with the ending or the point of the story.
Common mistakes
- Getting lost in details and missing the ending.
- Retelling out of order.
- Long pauses.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in HSK 5 Speaking Part 1?
3. It is part 1 of 3 in the HSK 5 Speaking section, which has 6 questions and lasts about 14 minutes, for 100 points.
How is HSK 5 Speaking Part 1 marked?
By trained examiners, not automatically. Your answer is marked against set criteria: whether the task is done, how accurate and varied the language is, and how well it is organised. At HSK 5 the speaking section is the separate HSKK exam (HSKK Advanced), with a certificate of its own.
Is pinyin printed at HSK 5?
No. At HSK 5 the paper is printed in characters only, so you need to recognise the characters themselves.
Can I take notes?
You may jot down key points while you listen.
Should I use the same words as the recording?
Where you remember them, yes; otherwise your own words are fine. Getting the story right matters more.
Can I practise HSK 5 Speaking Part 1 online?
Yes. HSK Test has practice sets for this part, built like the real paper. Create a free account to start; your answers and scores are saved, so you can see how you are improving.
Every part of HSK 5
Reading
Listen and Retell at other levels
Ready for HSK 5 Speaking Part 1?
Practise it the way it is set on the day, and see your score straight away.