Level 2 · Reading series
Lesson 46 · The Price Tag Had a Story
Audio track 46
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
I wanted a new basketball shirt because mine was getting old. At the shop, two shirts looked almost the same, but one was much cheaper.
My mother asked, "Why do you think the prices are different?"
I checked the tags. One shirt was made from recycled material. The other was made in a factory that paid workers fairly.
I could not see those stories at first. They were hidden behind the price tag.
Buying something is not only choosing a color or size. It can also be choosing what kind of work we support.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
我的篮球衫旧了，想买件新的。商店里有两件看起来几乎一样的球衣，其中一件却便宜得多。
妈妈问：‘你觉得它们为什么价格不同？’
我查看了吊牌。一件采用回收材料制成；另一件来自一家公平支付工人工资的工厂。
起初我看不到这些背后的故事，它们藏在价格标签的另一面。
买东西不只是选颜色和尺寸，也可能是在选择自己支持怎样的生产方式。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- price tag
- 价格标签；引出价格背后的故事。
- get old
- 变旧；主人公的篮球衫穿久了。
- almost the same
- 几乎一样；两件衣服外观相近。
- cheaper
- 更便宜；其中一件价格低得多。
- tag
- 吊牌；上面有商品信息。
- recycled material
- 回收材料；其中一件衣服的原料。
- factory
- 工厂；另一件衣服的生产地点。
- fairly
- 公平地；这里指工人的工资待遇。
- support
- 支持；购物也会影响生产方式。
- be hidden behind
- 藏在……背后；比喻价格之外的信息不显眼。
Background notes (Chinese)
价格差异可能有多种原因，课文用材料来源和工人待遇引导学生阅读吊牌信息。它没有说只看价格就能判断一件商品是否负责；消费者还需要了解标注的具体含义。