You are learning better and worse: you will read the scene it happens in, learn 10 words and phrases, take apart the pattern behind them (a 比 b 更好 / a 没有 b 好 — nuanced comparison), hear them in a conversation, rehearse them, and finish by saying one thing out loud to be graded.
Reading and writing restaurant reviews on Dianping (大众点评) — Shanghai's dominant food review platform. Star ratings, comment culture, and honest assessments.
Dianping is China's Yelp — except more powerful. In Shanghai, a restaurant's Dianping score can determine its fate. Stars matter. Comments are read. Reviews are a civic duty.
She opened the app after dinner. Five stars for Fu 1088? 「味道比上次更好了。」 The flavor was even better than last time. 「环境越来越好。」 The atmosphere is getting better and better. Five stars.
Then the noodle shop from lunch. Three stars. 「味道没有以前好。」 The flavor isn't as good as before. 「服务不如以前。」 The service is inferior to before. 「面条比以前小了。」 The noodles are smaller than before.
She hesitated. Changed it to four stars. Added: 「但是价格还是很便宜。味道还可以。」 But the price is still very cheap. The taste is still okay. In Shanghai, even criticism is balanced. Every review tells two stories.