Humanities Reader for Junior High School 2

Author: Peng Changzheng, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: October 1, 2004
Features: Children who read the Reader magazine will not go astray! Literature alone is far from enough in language arts; it must also include humanistic thinking! A heartwarming feast for middle school students, compiled from 23 years of Reader magazine's finest content!
Highly readable middle school language arts reader. Several years ago, a graduate student from a prestigious university in Beijing, before leaving for study abroad, sent a postcard to the Reader magazine with just a few words: "The school taught me the knowledge to survive, but 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 touching words moved the editors, leading to the creation of the Heartfelt Voices column, where readers can freely express their thoughts, seeking "resonance with the same voice and spirit." At the same time, they strongly convey a message—the arrival of the information age and the rapid changes in social life have brought confusion and uncertainty, making more readers eager 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, who shared the same sentiment. He proposed compiling a series of humanistic readers suitable for both high school and middle school students. Upon returning to Lanzhou and discussing with colleagues at the magazine, everyone agreed it was a worthwhile endeavor. Thus, the editorial work for the Reader Humanistic 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 Reader Humanistic Reader. Subsequently, the difficulty shifted to selecting appropriate articles. After several editorial meetings, it was finally decided to center the Reader Humanistic Reader 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 Humanistic Reader is divided into two volumes—middle school and high school—with each volume containing six books, totaling 220 units. Each unit includes 3 to 7 articles, carefully selected from tens or even hundreds of candidates. These articles feature works by renowned authors, as well as contributions from ordinary writers and middle school students. The pieces range from profound and majestic to simple and elegant, all imbued with a strong humanistic spirit.
The titles of each unit are designed to be engaging, such as "There Will Always Be a Window Open for You" in the high school volume 4, "Seeing Language Through a Third Eye," and "The Voice of History." They are filled with poetic and rational reflection. As the ancients said, "Through countless efforts, though arduous, the gold will shine when the sand is blown away." The editorial process was both a challenge to discern true gems and a passion for collecting pearls, yet also a struggle against the limitations of vision, leaving behind some hidden treasures.
To ensure the Reader Humanistic Reader addresses the needs of middle school students, 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, dedicating his heart and soul to its growth; Sha Yexin, Bi Shumin, Cheng Damei, and Liu Yanmin, as well as the scholar Zhou Guoping, editor-in-chief of Phoenix Weekly, and Zhang Lijun, a national-level teaching expert. These writers have influenced and inspired readers far and wide. Su Zhongjie, a prose writer, is deeply concerned with the nation's well-being, driven by a strong sense of justice. Deng Liangping embodies both a businessman and a thinker. All these editors possess profound insights into the growth of human minds and societal development, offering unique perspectives on the compilation and refinement of the Reader Humanistic Reader.
To help middle school students find the best reading path, the editors wrote prefaces and chapter introductions for each volume. The prefaces vary in style—some use stories to guide readers through the rich tapestry of life; others offer rational summaries of life experiences; and some share personal reflections on life's meaning. The concise introductions are like darts, piercing the deepest parts of the soul; like rain, nourishing parched hearts. They accompany students in breathing, feeling, laughing, and crying, adding depth and resonance to the Reader Humanistic Reader. These philosophical texts, rich in insight, are another highlight of the series.
The Reader Humanistic Reader, a collective effort of many, is now ready for publication. While some articles may not meet everyone's expectations, it is still an attempt by the Reader magazine team to step beyond editing Reader itself. 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 Humanistic Reader will enhance students' ability to discern right from wrong, beauty from ugliness, and goodness from evil, inspiring them to pursue noble moral standards and contribute meaningfully.
With this, we dedicate the Reader Humanistic Reader to the future pillars of the nation, to this era where humanistic care is indispensable, and to all those who are confused, uncertain, yet yearn for healthy growth!
The Reader Humanistic Reader is a set of books 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 intellect. It is a new milestone for Reader magazine. The entire series 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 series starts from phenomena that middle school students can perceive and delves into issues they care about—such as family, friendship, love, teacher-student relationships, society, life, life, ethics, history, culture, education, morality, war, peace, science, environmental protection, rural issues, reform, democracy, the rule of law, self, nation, human rights, and freedom. The depth of exploration aligns with the level of understanding a middle school student can achieve. Each unit focuses on a single theme, presenting a new spiritual perspective and opening up a fresh realm of thought. For example, in the first semester of the first grade of middle school (Grade 7, First Semester), units like "Unforgettable Teacher's Kindness," "Childhood, Passing Through That Sky," "Wings of Imagination," and "Shining Hearts" cater to the spiritual needs of readers at this stage. In the second semester of the third year of high school (Grade 12, Second Semester), units like "Farewell Middle School Days," "Windows of the World," "My University," and "Carrying a Bouquet Forward" are designed to move readers emotionally while inspiring them to strive forward.
The Reader Humanistic Reader features a diverse range of literary forms—prose, poetry, lyrics, news, commentaries, political essays, fables, satirical essays, speeches, manifestos, and fiction. The emotional depth, intellectual richness, and expressive power of the texts complement each other, 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 Humanistic Reader is rich, profound, vivid, and moving, it quickly gained attention. Soon after its publication, it was featured in Focus Interview on CCTV, attracting widespread interest and daily calls from all over the country, boosting the business of Zhenxin Enterprise.
The Reader Humanistic Reader—a fertile ground for literary talent.
Speaking of literary talent, people often feel a sense of mystery. In simple terms, literary talent means knowing a lot, knowing deeply, expressing accurately, and expressing vividly. China's long-standing language arts education has been ineffective, with students lacking strong reading and writing skills. One major reason is the rigid ideology of traditional language arts textbooks, which fail to provide students with new spiritual nourishment, leaving them without fresh perspectives for understanding, feeling, and recognizing. They know little, know superficially, express inaccurately, and express without vividness—this is a serious flaw in traditional Chinese language arts education. Overcoming these flaws is one of the key editorial principles of the Reader Humanistic Reader: to broaden students' knowledge and deepen their understanding, thereby inspiring them to express and, through expression, train their thinking, ultimately achieving accurate and vivid communication.
In terms of "broadening students' knowledge," the entire series covers a vast range of topics, almost. It includes everything middle school students observe, feel, agree with, 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, rural issues, reform, democracy, the rule of law, self, nation, human rights, and freedom. The depth of exploration aligns with the level of understanding a middle school student can achieve. It fully addresses the current reflections of middle school students, evokes their life experiences, broadens their cultural horizons, inspires their desire to express, and provides a cultural, spiritual, and moral foundation for nurturing literary talent.
In terms of "deepening students' understanding," the entire series 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 core spirit of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. They express the ultimate values of humanity, which are also the values of the Reader Humanistic Reader. While countries and cultures differ, as humans, we share the same ultimate values. Thinking about the above topics through this lens will lead to new insights, break free from outdated concepts, and penetrate the essence of things, thereby providing rational foundations for nurturing literary talent.
At the same time, this series is highly beneficial for students to reflect on how to express themselves better. The Reader Humanistic Reader features a variety of literary forms—prose, poetry, lyrics, news, commentaries, political essays, fables, satirical essays, speeches, and manifestos. The units are not limited by genre, with each unit focusing on a central theme, which can be expressed through multiple forms. This not only helps students familiarize themselves with different literary styles but also understand various ways to express the same content. This is the role of the Reader Humanistic Reader in language arts education: to cultivate students' literary talent!
A book desired by the times—Reader Humanistic Reader
On September 8th, a set of books was placed on the desk in the Focus Interview studio of CCTV. As the close-up camera focused on the books, viewers could clearly see that they were the Reader Humanistic Reader, a 12-volume series. The voice-over from the host said, "This is a good book!" The reason the Reader Humanistic Reader was featured in Focus Interview was first due to the promotion of the 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 Humanistic Reader includes 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. Therefore, the series starts from phenomena that middle school students can perceive and delves into issues they care about—such as family, friendship, love, teacher-student relationships, society, life, life, ethics, history, culture, education, morality, war, peace, science, environmental protection, rural issues, reform, democracy, the rule of law, self, nation, human rights, and freedom. The depth of exploration aligns with the level of understanding a middle school student can achieve. Thus, in this era of social transformation, the Reader Humanistic Reader 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 Reader Humanistic Reader is divided into middle school and high school volumes, with a total of 12 books. It is the second "spiritual soup" jointly offered by Zhenxin Enterprise and the Reader magazine after the New Language Reader. Modern people need modern spiritual sustenance. Modern middle school students need humanistic thinking. The book includes everything middle school students observe, feel, agree with, oppose, think about, 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.