Humanities Reader for High School Volume 4

Author: Peng Changzheng, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-10-01
Features: Several years ago, a graduate student from a famous university in Beijing, before studying abroad, sent a postcard to the Reader magazine with just a few sentences: "The school taught me how to make a living, and Reader taught me the principles of being a person. Thank you, editors!" Reader magazine receives similar letters every day, especially around the Spring Festival and graduation time. These moving words inspired the editors to launch a column called Heartfelt Voices, seeking "resonance with shared aspirations" among readers. At the same time, they strongly conveyed a message—the advent of the information age and the rapid changes in social life brought confusion and uncertainty, making more readers yearn for responsible media to focus on the growth of their minds and the solace of their spirits.
Two years ago, while on a business trip to Guangzhou, I discussed this with Mr. Deng Liangping of Guangdong Zhenxin Enterprise Company. He shared the same sentiment and proposed compiling a series of humanities readers suitable for high school and middle school students. Upon returning to Lanzhou and discussing with colleagues at the magazine, everyone agreed that this was a worthwhile endeavor. Thus, the editorial work for the Reader Humanities Reader Middle School Edition was launched simultaneously in Lanzhou and Guangzhou in August 2002. Over the past two years, the editorial process has undergone multiple revisions.
Initially, the challenge lay in structuring the format of the Reader Humanities Reader. Subsequently, the difficulty shifted to selecting appropriate articles. After several editorial meetings, it was finally decided to center the content around the growth of middle school students, with a focus on humanistic enlightenment. Each topic would address specific issues the target audience faces or will face, with one theme per unit. The Reader Humanities Reader is divided into two volumes—middle school and high school—each containing six books, totaling 220 units. Each unit includes 3-7 articles, carefully selected from hundreds or even thousands of candidates. These articles feature works by renowned authors, as well as contributions from ordinary writers and middle school students. The pieces vary in style—some profound and majestic, others concise and elegant, some passionate and expressive—each imbued with a strong humanistic spirit.
The titles of each unit are designed to be engaging, such as the high school volume's "There Will Always Be a Window Open for You," "Seeing Chinese Literature Through a Third Eye," and "The Voice of History." These titles are poetic yet rational. As the ancients said, "Through countless sifting and filtering, though arduous, the gold will emerge when the sand is blown away." The editorial process was both a challenge in discovering gems and a bittersweet experience of leaving out some shining pieces. To address this, we invited 12 cultural figures from diverse backgrounds to serve as chief editors for each volume, hoping to gain insights from wise minds. Among them are Hu Yaquan and Zheng Yuanxi, founders of Reader magazine; Chen Shaoquan, who served as editor-in-chief of Reader for eight years; Sha Yexin, Bi Shumin, Cheng Damei, and Liu Yanmin, as well as scholar Zhou Guoping, editor-in-chief of Phoenix Weekly, and Zhang Lijun, a national-level teaching expert. They are all contracted writers for Reader, whose works have had a far-reaching impact. Su Zhongjie, a prose writer, is deeply concerned with the nation and possesses a strong sense of justice. Deng Liangping embodies both a businessman and a thinker. These editors bring profound insights into the growth of human minds and societal development, offering unique perspectives on the compilation and refinement of the Reader Humanities Reader.
To help middle school students find the best reading path, the chief editors wrote prefaces and chapter introductions for each volume. The prefaces vary in approach—some use stories to guide readers through the rich tapestry of life; others summarize life experiences with rationality; still others share personal reflections on life. The concise introductions are like darts, piercing the deepest parts of the soul, or like sweet rain, nourishing parched hearts. They accompany students in their joys and sorrows, breathing with them and feeling with them. These philosophical yet engaging texts have added much color and depth to the Reader Humanities Reader, leaving readers with lasting reflections.
The Reader Humanities Reader, a product of collective effort, is about to be published. While some articles may not meet everyone's expectations, it remains a unique publishing attempt by Reader magazine. In line with the recent call by the Party Central Committee and the State Council to strengthen and improve the moral education of minors, we hope the Reader Humanities Reader will enhance students' ability to discern right from wrong, beauty from ugliness, and good from evil, fostering noble moral sentiments and making a tangible contribution.
With this, we dedicate the Reader Humanities Reader to the future pillars of the nation, to this era where humanistic care is indispensable, and to all those who are confused, seek guidance, and long for healthy growth! Children who love Reader magazine will not go astray! Literature alone is not enough in language education; humanistic thought is equally essential! A feast for the soul for middle school students—Reader Humanities Reader, a highly readable language reader for middle school students.
The Reader Humanities Reader is a series designed to nurture the spiritual growth of middle school students, modeled after the world-famous American Reader, with a stronger emphasis on humanity, reason, and wisdom. It is another milestone for Reader magazine. The book encompasses everything middle school students observe, feel, agree with, oppose, think about, question, struggle with, and hope for, encouraging them to reflect on these issues through the lens of universal human values, thereby gaining spiritual nourishment.
In terms of content, the book starts from phenomena that middle school students can perceive and delves into issues they care about—family, friendship, love, teacher-student relationships, society, life, life, ethics, history, culture, education, morality, war, peace, science, environmental protection, "the three rural issues," reform, democracy, the rule of law, self, nation, human rights, freedom, and more. The depth of exploration aligns with the cognitive level of middle school students. Each unit focuses on a single theme, presenting a new spiritual perspective. For example, in the first semester of the first grade (Grade 7, First Semester), units like "Unforgettable Teacher's Gratitude," "Childhood, Passing Through That Sky," "Wings of Imagination," and "Shining Hearts" cater to the spiritual needs of this age group. In the second semester of the third year of high school (Grade 12, Second Semester), units like "Farewell to Middle School," "Windows of the World," "My University," and "Carrying a Bouquet Forward" are designed to move readers emotionally while inspiring them to strive forward.
The book features a diverse range of literary forms—prose, poetry, lyrics, news, commentaries, political essays, fables, satirical essays, speeches, manifestos, and fiction. The emotional depth, artistic expression, and stylistic richness are interwoven, creating a vivid and moving experience. The selections are vast and varied, showcasing a spectrum of styles—from elegant and refined to profound and solemn, from magnificent and beautiful to simple and straightforward, from dynamic and powerful to subtle and gentle, from flowing like springs to roaring like tides. Each piece has its unique charm.
Because the Reader Humanities Reader is rich, profound, and moving, it quickly gained attention. Soon after its publication, it was featured on Focus Interview on CCTV, receiving widespread acclaim. Daily calls from all over the country poured in, and the business of Zhenxin Enterprise surged.
The Reader Humanities Reader—a fertile ground for literary talent
When people think of literary talent, a sense of mystery often surrounds it. At its core, literary talent means knowing deeply, expressing accurately, and conveying vividly. China's traditional language education has long been ineffective, with students struggling in reading and writing. One key reason is that traditional textbooks are rigid in thought, leaving students without new spiritual nourishment and losing fresh perspectives on life, knowledge, and expression. This is a severe flaw in traditional Chinese language education, and overcoming it is one of the guiding principles behind the Reader Humanities Reader: to broaden students' knowledge and deepen their understanding, thereby inspiring them to express and, through expression, train their thinking, ultimately achieving clarity and vividness in their writing.
In terms of "broadening knowledge," the book covers an extensive range of topics, almost. It includes everything middle school students observe, feel, support, oppose, think about, question, struggle with, and hope for—family, friendship, love, teacher-student relationships, society, life, life, ethics, history, culture, education, morality, war, peace, science, environmental protection, "the three rural issues," reform, democracy, the rule of law, self, nation, human rights, freedom, and more. The depth of exploration aligns with the cognitive level of middle school students. It fully addresses their current reflections, evokes life memories, broadens their cultural horizons, and ignites their desire to express, providing a cultural, spiritual, and moral foundation for nurturing literary talent.
In terms of "deepening understanding," the book is compiled based on universal human values. Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the United States, once said, "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." These words embody the essence of the Declaration of Independence, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, reflecting humanity's ultimate values, which are also the values of this book. While nations and cultures differ, as humans, we share the same ultimate values. Thinking about the content through this lens yields fresh insights, breaks free from outdated notions, and pierces through the essence of things, providing a rational foundation for nurturing literary talent.
At the same time, the book is highly beneficial for students to reflect on how to express themselves better. It features a variety of literary forms—prose, poetry, lyrics, news, commentaries, political essays, fables, satirical essays, speeches, and manifestos—while not limiting units to a single genre. Each unit focuses on a central theme, which can be expressed through multiple forms. This not only familiarizes students with different styles but also helps them understand various ways to convey the same content. This is the linguistic educational role of the Reader Humanities Reader: to cultivate students' literary talent!
A book desired by the times—Reader Humanities Reader
On September 8, a set of books was placed on the table in the Focus Interview studio of CCTV. As the camera zoomed in, viewers could clearly see that the books were the Reader Humanities Reader, a 12-volume series. The voice-over from the host declared, "This is a good book!" The reason the book made it onto Focus Interview was first due to the promotion of Reader magazine, but it also received special attention because it is a book much needed in today's society, a book desired by the times!
The Reader Humanities Reader encompasses everything middle school students observe, feel, support, oppose, think about, question, struggle with, and hope for, encouraging them to reflect on these issues through the lens of universal human values, thereby gaining spiritual nourishment. Therefore, the book's content starts from phenomena that middle school students can perceive and delves into issues they care about—family, friendship, love, teacher-student relationships, society, life, life, ethics, history, culture, education, morality, war, peace, science, environmental protection, "the three rural issues," reform, democracy, the rule of law, self, nation, human rights, freedom, and more. The depth of exploration aligns with the cognitive level of middle school students. Thus, in this era of social transformation, the book can help those who are suffering, confused, uncertain, and anxious to establish a humanistic spirit that drives progress. For the moral education of adolescents, it is truly a rare gem.
The book is divided into middle school and high school volumes, totaling 12 books. It is the second "" (a metaphor for nourishing the soul) that Zhenxin Enterprise has jointly published with Reader magazine after New Language Reader. Modern people need modern spiritual sustenance. Modern middle school students need humanistic thought to guide their growth. The book includes everything middle school students observe, feel, support, oppose, think about, question, struggle with, and hope for, encouraging them to reflect on these issues through their own values, thereby gaining spiritual nourishment. It helps establish modern concepts in middle school students, broadens their cultural horizons, and enriches their aesthetic tastes.