The series Graded Readers for Chinese Language Learners is
composed of 50 books, divided into three subseries, namely folktales, literary
stories and historical stories, corresponding to Levels 1-3 respectively. The
rich and fun content and easy-to-understand language makes it easy for
everyone, whether they are foreigners learning Chinese, children with parents
of Chinese origin, ethnic minority students of the Chinese language, or even
primary school students in China, to read this series. It enables the readers
to gradually improve their Chinese reading skills and enhance their
understanding of Chinese culture by reading and enjoying stories.
The “Literary Stories” subseries is based on the Four Great Classical
Novels in ancient China. From each novel some epic snippets are extracted and
adapted into 4-6 books, each with 20-30 thousand characters. Altogether there
are 20 books in the subseries, six of which are from Romance of the Three
Kingdoms, four from Water Margin, six from Journey to the West and
four from Dream of the Red Chamber. Romance
of the Three Kingdoms is a historical novel, which was set at the end of
the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. There are six books in this
series based on this novel, namely Oath
of the Peach Garden, Discussing
Heroes While Drinking Wine, Battle of
Chibi, Zhou Yu Is Frustrated Three
Times, The Stable Coexistence of the
Three Kingdoms, and The Union of the
Three Kingdoms.
This volume tells Zhou Yu was wounded in the battle of Jingzhou against
the army of Cao and Zhuge Liang played tricks to take Jingzhou effortlessly,
which made Zhou Yu furious. Liu Bei took the four counties of Changsha, which
greatly boosted his strength. Liu Bei's wife died. Zhou had Sun Quan ask Liu
Bei to marry Sun's baby sister and got Liu Bei to Eastern Wu. Then Zhou arrested
Liu Bei and asked Zhuge Liang to exchange Jingzhou for Liu Bei. Liu Bei went to
Eastern Wu only with Zhao Yun and 500 soldiers and married Sun Quan's baby
sister in the end. Zhou Yu was so frustrated by Zhuge Liang's three tricks that
he was dead at last.
Ms. Chen Xianchun is a professor at Beijing Language and Culture University who has engaged in the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language since 1975, equipped with rich Chinese teaching experience. Professor Chen has made profound research into the teaching of Chinese reading and has published, in addition to more than 20 academic papers, many monographs and textbooks such asTeaching Reading and Psychology, Typical Characters and Events in Chinese Culture, A Primer on Modern Chinese Reading, AnIntensive Chinese Course, and Read This Way.