"Big thanks for the software! I just started learning Chinese here at the UN,
and your program is just what I need. It lets me follow up what I
learn in the classroom and then explore further."
—Nikolai Galkin, United Nations
Stepping Stones Lesson Seven
The Blind Men and the Elephant
The seventh lesson in the Stepping Stones series uses a narrative about a king who ordered an elephant to be brought forth and six blind men to describe what the elephant was like. However, their descriptions didn't quite match up. This lesson introduces twenty-five new characters.
盲人摸象
古时候，
有一个国王让人拉来一头大象,
让六个盲人用手去摸，
然后再说出大象是什么样子。
由于六个人所站的位置不同
所以感觉不同,
说出的象的形状也不一样。
他们各说各的，
都认为自己说得对,
并争论起来，
谁也说服不了谁。
To study this lesson, just follow the seven numbered steps in the Study Guide below. Click on the link for each step to find everything you'll need.
Study Guide:
1. Audio immersion - Familiarize yourself with the sound of the story
2. Audio practice - Learn to recite the story, one line at a time
3. Vocabulary study - Learn the sound and meaning of each character and how it is written
4. Vocabulary review - Test yourself on the characters you've learned
6. Reading practice - Read the story in Chinese (you can do this!)
7. Exercises - Apply what you've learned
Once you have completed all of these steps and you can read the story comfortably, you are ready to go on to Lesson 8.
