Contents 1
Unit One Culture and Civilization 1
Text A Ancient Chinese Civilization 1
Text B The Foundation of World Civilization 7
Supplementary Reading Ancient Views of World Geography 25
Unit Two People and Traditions 28
Text A Spring Festival—A Holiday that Blends Man and Nature 28
Text B Traditional American Values and Beliefs 36
Supplementary Reading Independence Days 54
Unit Three Politics and Government 56
Text A NPC & Western Parliament:Similarities and Differences 56
Text B Taiwan Solution:One Country Two Systems 60
Supplementary Reading Macao 73
Unit Four Traditional Chinese Ideas and Philosophy 76
Text A Heaven,Earth and Man 76
Text B The Delightful Pursuit of Human Love 79
Supplementary Reading Fortune and Misfortune 93
Unit Five Marriage and Family 97
Text A Women and Marriage in China 97
Text B Women of the Tang Dynasty 103
Supplementary Reading Women in Wartime 114
Unit Six Reform and Social Development 116
Text A Perspectives on a New Life 116
Text B State-Owned Enterprises Continue to Reform 121
Supplementary Reading Select Talents 134
Unit Seven Medicine and Martial Arts 138
Text A Yin and Yang in the Medical Theory 138
Text B Martial Arts and Chinese Culture 142
Supplementary Reading Medicine 159
Unit Eight Architecture 161
Text A Evolution of Chinese Architecture 161
Text B Courtyards 167
Supplementary Reading Zoomorphic Ornaments 182
Unit Nine Environmental Protection 184
Text A Environmental Concerns 184
Text B Heeding Nature's Warnings 187
Supplementary Reading Construction and Protection—Beijing Feels Its Way in City Planning 200
Unit Ten Diplomacy—East & West 203
Text A The World of China,or China of the World—Chinese Diplomacy before 1949 203
Text B The World of China，or China of the World—Chinese Diplomacy after 1949 206
Supplementary Reading Travelers East and West 215
Unit Eleven Education 217
Text A Education and Educational Misconceptions 217
Text B Education in China before 1980s 220
Supplementary Reading Memorials 232
Unit Twelve Trade and Economy 234
Text A WTO Changes Lives in China 234
Text B The Current System of Personal Income Tax Calls for Prompt Revision 240
Supplementary Reading Pudong New District and the Chinese Economy 250
Unit Thirteen Population 255
Text A A Changing Population and Its Meaning 255
Text B A Variety of Ways to Provide for the Aged 258
Supplementary Reading The Floating Population 269
Unit Fourteen Clothing and Fashion 274
Text A A History of Shoes 274
Text B A Fu Cut and Ancient Hairdos 280
Supplementary Reading Cheongsam 292
Unit Fifteen Entertainment 294
Text A Yuan Dynasty Zaju 294
Text B Traditional Chinese Musical Instruments 297
Supplementary Reading Facial Make-up in Operas 309
Unit Sixteen Ancient Relics 313
Text A Stories of Jade 313
Text B How the Tang Tri-Color Simplified Imperial Burials 318
Supplementary Reading Ever Popular:Blue-and-White Porcelain 335
Key to Exercises 337
Bibliography 357