Gold Reading: 200 Foreign Texts for Primary School Chinese Language Class

Author: Liu Wenxin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The two books, "200 Expository Reading Passages for Primary School Chinese" and "200 Expository Reading Passages for Junior High School Chinese," represent the "new" aspect of the "Golden Reading" series. They are closely aligned with the "Chinese Language Curriculum Standards" and are guided by a brand-new educational philosophy for Chinese language teaching—aiming to comprehensively improve students' Chinese literacy and cultivate their lifelong learning habits and abilities. The series is compiled according to the different developmental stages of primary and junior high school students in terms of language, psychology, emotions, intelligence, as well as the characteristics and needs of their spiritual growth, forming a progressive reading system. The selected works are suitable for readers of corresponding ages and serve as a bridge for spiritual dialogue and emotional connection with masters of thought and language from ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad. In terms of selection, the series strives for novelty. While some classic works are chosen as basic reading materials, more works that have not yet received widespread attention are included. The series pays special attention to selecting articles and poems by contemporary writers that are appropriately long and beautifully written, highlighting the features of "novelty" and "refinement" to make the reading experience engaging for students. Additionally, the series emphasizes the timeliness of the selected texts, enabling primary and junior high school students to widely absorb outstanding modern cultural achievements, embrace contemporary new ideas, and acquire up-to-date information.
In terms of organization, the series aligns with the learning system of the "Chinese Language Curriculum Standards" and is synchronized with current textbooks. Based on the principles of facilitating reading accumulation, application, and appreciation, the series is divided into reading units according to different types of articles. The primary school edition, guided by the principle of "appreciating the beautiful language in the works, such as vivid scenes, characters, and details," is organized into reading units based on the current teaching practices of primary school Chinese language. Narrative texts are classified into categories such as writing about people, narrating events, describing landscapes, and depicting objects. Additionally, reading units for practical writing, expository writing, fairy tales, fables, and prose are included based on textbook content. The junior high school edition, on the other hand, is organized into reading units such as narrative texts, expository texts, and argumentative texts, emphasizing "evaluating the ideas and emotions of the works, experiencing the context and characters, and appreciating their expressive language." The number of selected passages in each reading unit is set according to the proportion in the textbooks.
Before each unit, there is a guide on how to read, designed to help students master the reading methods for that type of text. After each selected passage, there are a certain number of reading exercises, which reflect the practicality of the series and aim to assess reading outcomes. These exercises are mainly divided into three categories: (1) the accumulation of basic Chinese language knowledge (such as pronunciation, characters, words, and sentences) and cultural; (2) questions about the content and form of the selected passages, testing reading comprehension and analytical appreciation skills; (3) the detection of abilities such as reflections and experiences after reading. For all three categories of questions, detailed answers or answer strategies are provided in the answer sections of each book.