HSK 2 Chinese Listening Practice | The First Snow of the Year | A Slow Chinese Story｜今年的第一场雪

On a quiet morning, I wake up to the first snow of the year. I walk to a nearby park, leave footprints in the snow, and make a snowman with a red scarf. This gentle story is for Chinese learners practicing listening and reading. Below is the English translation of this story for reference: I woke up very early this morning. It was quiet inside, and it was quiet outside too. I walked to the window. The ground was white, the trees were white, and the houses were white. It had snowed last night! This was the first snowfall I had seen this year. I stood by the window for a long time. Snow was still falling slowly, flake by flake. On a usual morning, I could see cars on the road and children going to school. Today, there were hardly any people outside. It seemed as if everyone was still asleep. I put on warm clothes and a hat, then went out. It was a little cold outside. When the wind touched my face, I quickly put my hands in my pockets. The snow felt soft under my feet and made a crunching sound as I walked. Step by step, I left a line of footprints behind me. I looked back at them and found them interesting. I arrived at a small park near my home. There was snow on the trees, on the paths, and on several benches. The park was quiet except for the sound of my footsteps. Looking at the thick snow on the ground, I suddenly wanted to make a snowman. When I was little, I often made snowmen with my family. Now that I was grown up, I had not made one in a long time. I found a spot where no one had walked and began gathering snow with my hands. The snow was cold, and my hands were cold too, but I wanted to keep going. Little by little, I made a big body and a small head. I put the head on top, and the snowman stood up. Its face was still completely white. I found two small leaves under a tree and used them for its eyes. Then I found a little twig for its mouth. It looked as if it was smiling. Standing in front of it, I smiled too. There was no one else in the park, but I did not feel alone. Finally, I took off my red scarf and put it on the snowman. It looked even more lively. As a child, I always wished snowmen could stay forever. But when the weather grew warmer, they slowly became smaller and eventually disappeared. That used to make me a little sad. Today, I looked at the snowman I had made and knew it could not stay there forever either. Still, I was happy to spend this morning with it. The snow gradually became lighter, and the sky grew brighter. Cars began passing outside the park, and more people appeared on the road. I put my hands in my pockets and looked at the snowman once more. It stood beside a tree, with fresh snow on its head like a little white hat. On my way home, I saw other people’s footprints beside mine. Everyone walked carefully. I kept going too, leaving one more step in the snow. When I got home, I put away my hat and coat and made myself a warm breakfast. I sat by the window, eating while I watched the snow outside. The house was still quiet, but the morning felt different from when I had first woken up. I still had many things to do today. After breakfast, I glanced toward the park again. I could not see the little snowman from my home, but I knew it was standing beside the tree. When I finished my work, I wanted to visit it again. This was the first snowfall of the year, and it was a lovely morning.