Today we are pleased to present a regular fill-in-the-blank test designed for students preparing to take the Beginner HSK. The grammar points tested here are considered foundational to learning proper mandarin. Consequently, you will find these questions on both the new and older versions of the HSK test.

As always, basic subscribers are encouraged to download these tests as part of our regular lesson PDF. If you are a premium subscriber, in addition to taking these tests online, you can review questions you've answered incorrectly by visiting our test review page. This is an effective way to reinforce your weak points. As you work through our archive in preparation for taking the exam, we encourage you to incorporate a weekly review into your routine. It only takes a few moments but will keep you from forgetting key points.

Our constant interest in hiring good Chinese voice actors has drawn some curious candidates to us over the years. Like the fellow who came in and handed out business cards. He had put considerable time and effort into designing them: the card stock was an elegant eggshell white set off by raised black lettering in Silian Rail. The card contained his name, contact information and current profession. "Unemployed student" it read.

That said, with business cards selling for as little as twenty renminbi per box here in China, it's hard to be critical, even if your situation is as unorthodox as that in our dialogue for today. Brett Easton Ellis may not have penned the script, but if you're planning to do business in China this is still a must-have lesson in the language and etiquette of exchanging business cards in China.

Today we have the sort of HSK test that makes grown men cry. How hard is this test exactly? Let's just say that Echo took it and managed to get less than perfect. When she confronted Gail about this, Gail sat down to prove her wrong and flubbed a different question, a not insignificant accomplishment since she wrote the damn thing. "That was a long time ago," Gail shifted defensively, "and the questions really are tricky...."

So there you have it. If you manage to get perfect on this test, your Chinese is officially better than anyone we have working for us. So let us know where to send the certificate of total fluency, and consider yourself hired if you're in Beijing and looking for work. We will roll out the red carpet.

A lot of Shanghai residents are genuinely baffled that other Chinese citizens consider them a curiosity. But it doesn't take much time elsewhere in the country to discover why exactly Shanghai bears the brunt of so many jokes. Not sure yourself? We think you'll understand after listening to our lesson for today, a gritty look at the wild side of the Shanghai streets. This is a lesson based on a true story: Brendan's personal experience running into a gang fight on the Shanghai metro.

Our HSK test for today covers a new type of question you'll find on the new HSK exam released this year. In addition to the older HSK test's multiple-choice fill-in-the-blank questions, on the new test you'll find questions where you are given both the incomplete sentences along with the missing words themselves. The challenge is to match the suggested entries to the correct sentences. And while this might seem simple, these questions are actually quite tricky.

Do you need to worry about this new question type? If you're planning to take the HSK outside China this year the answer is a resounding yes: the test you take will have these questions on it. If you're inside China and planning to take the exam in 2010 you will still have a choice of which version of the HSK to take. So see how you do on this HSK test and explore our archives to decide which you prefer for yourself.

"Is Echo really sleeping?" Apple had to raise her voice to overpower the sound of Pierce Brosnan's distant crooning. A moment later as the chorus to Super Trouper kicked in, she tossed down her pen and turned to face the rest of us. "Honestly," she said in her best no-nonsense voice, "I'm finding it hard to concentrate with all of this Greek music...."

The constant presence in our Popup Chinese headquarters these last few weeks has been the soundtrack to Mamma Mia. After stumbling across the Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan version of the famous ABBA musical, Echo has had the music on constantly. And the musical has found its way into everything we've done, including today's lesson for Absolute Beginners. So join us as we share an effective strategy for avoiding work in China. Use this whenever you need to take the afternoon off to catch a broadway show.

Are you still suffering from Avatar withdrawal? Atone for your sins by joining Brendan, David and Echo today for a show that's more entertainment than education. The premise behind our Film Friday series is very simple: listen up as we play a short clip from a recent Hollywood film dubbed into mandarin and write us if you think you know the source. We enter everyone who guesses correctly in a draw for a free month of premium access to Popup Chinese, so this is definitely worth your time. Good luck!

When the definitive history of twentieth century cinema is written, there will be a few actors and actresses we believe will stand out from their peers as titans of the screen and stage. Yet while the talents of such stars as Gregory Peck, Marlon Brando, Meryl Streep and others have brought them well-deserved recognition, there remain a legion of working actors and actresses who continue to shine in lesser roles. Our podcast today is a tribute to one such actor.

So join us in this podcast as we pay a humble Popup Chinese tribute to one of the most underrated thespians of our generation. You may not have noticed the delicate emotional shading he adds to otherwise straightforward roles. Once we point him out though, we think you will join us in praise. So strap on your iPod and listen in as we spill the beans on our celebrity pick, and then share a Chinese grammar point or two.

It had taken two hours of gruelling hand-to-hand combat, but Jeremy had finally won the competition. As he tossed his controller down on the bedsheet and lay back with satisfaction though, he caught sight of his girlfriend looking at him aghast. Lauren was taking the HSK with him tomorrow morning, and had been sitting at her desk cramming for almost as long as he'd been online. "Aren't you the least bit concerned about taking the HSK tomorrow?"

"The test itself doesn't care how long you've been preparing," he sighed. "I started studying for this months ago, and cramming isn't an effective study method anyway." Truth be told, Jeremy wasn't the least concerned by the prospect of taking the mandarin proficiency test. As he lay there basking in the glory of his victory, he was more preoccupied with whether there was time for a rematch before calling it a night.

HSK Tip No. 832: if you're looking for an easy way to schedule several months of HSK tests in preparation for the exam, drag-and-drop them into your life using your personal calendar.

There are plenty of Chinese textbooks that claim to teach basic Chinese but are in fact utterly useless in everyday situations like the one we found ourselves in about a month ago, when our new colleague Nicole arrived back from lunch slightly the worse for the wear....

Nicole had just crossed the threshold and was bending over to take off her shoes when Echo, having successfully maneuvered herself behind the coffee table, finally broke the ice. "Did you have a good lunch," she asked? "Oh lunch," Nicole faltered. "I almost forgot all about that in the excitement...."