Choose five words you need
Pick a theme connected to something you expect to do this week. If you want to talk about pets, open Animals; if you are planning a meal, choose a food topic. Scan the complete card, then select five unfamiliar words. A small set leaves time to listen, understand examples, and test yourself.
For Chinese, keep the characters and pinyin together during the first pass. 猫 (māo) and 狗 (gǒu) are short examples, but their tone marks still matter. The English meaning helps you identify the word; it does not tell you how to say it.
Listen, look, then hide the answer
Play the available audio once while looking at the word. Play it again and repeat. Read the translation and example sentence to check that the picture means what you thought it meant. Pictures can be ambiguous: a cup, mug, and glass may look similar, so the word and example are the final guide.
Next, hide the written answer with your hand or look away. Use the image or your own English prompt to say the target word. If you cannot recall it, uncover it, listen again, and return to it after another word. Do not count a word as recalled when its answer is still visible.
Read one example carefully
With 猫, try 我喜欢猫。 (Wǒ xǐhuān māo. / I like cats.) With 狗, try 我喜欢狗。 (Wǒ xǐhuān gǒu. / I like dogs.) Say both aloud and notice that only the animal changes. These are practice examples for this guide, not quotations from a particular theme card.
Now choose a sentence from the actual card. Identify the target word, read the translation, and describe the situation in your own words. Change one detail only if you understand the sentence structure. If you are unsure, keep the original sentence for today.
Finish with a short check
Read the theme story and find your five words. Close the page and write down the words you remember, or say them into a private voice recording. Compare with the card and mark the ones you missed. For a Chinese writing goal, practise characters as well as pinyin; typing pinyin alone checks a different skill.
Return tomorrow to the words you missed before adding new ones. Once those are comfortable, mix two words from an older theme into the check. Keep a simple note of what you could recall without help. The aim is a useful review habit, not a perfect score on the first day.