New Curriculum English 8-1 The Call of the Wild (2 volumes)

Author: Jack London (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: This is a graded reading series of world literary classics published for students whose first language is not English. The series is closely aligned with the requirements of the new English Curriculum Standards and is divided into 8 levels based on difficulty, catering to the reading needs of students at all stages. It helps students achieve the cultivation goals of the new curriculum standards in terms of language skills, language knowledge, learning strategies, and cultural awareness. The series has the following main features:
- It includes classic Western literary works, helping students improve their language proficiency while allowing them to glimpse the full picture of literary masterpieces through simplified versions suitable for their foreign language level.
- According to the new curriculum standards, the vocabulary ranges from 150 to 3,500 words, meeting the reading needs of primary and secondary school students.
- The language difficulty progresses gradually, assisting teachers in expanding students' language knowledge and cultural background information, and enhancing their English reading skills.
- Levels 1 to 5 feature one exercise per page, with a large volume of practice and a rich variety of test formats, which is beneficial for students and teachers to quantitatively assess and evaluate reading abilities, serving as an excellent supplement to classroom teaching.
- The language is simple, vivid, and authentic, published with English annotations, preserving the original essence of English while the bilingual annotations (Chinese-English) remove language barriers for readers, fully engaging their interest in reading and making English reading easier.
Jack London was born in San Francisco, California, USA, in 1876. His father, due to being an illegitimate child, never acknowledged him as his own son. His mother remarried shortly after his birth, after which Jack London began using his stepfather's surname. Due to his impoverished background, Jack London started doing various jobs in his teens. In 1893, he became a sailor, beginning his career of maritime adventures. In 1896, he joined the gold rush, but did not achieve success from it. As one of the most popular and productive writers of his time, despite receiving very little formal education, Jack London completed his self-education through extensive reading. Many of his works feature protagonists, whether human or animal, struggling against the harsh realities of life. The Call of the Wild, published in 1903, is considered one of Jack London's finest works. The protagonist of the book—Buck—a dog, struggles against cruelty and adversity, gradually learning to respond to the love of humans.