This compilation of the New Practical Chinese Reader is organized by the China National office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOCFL). Now available in four volumes, this series features a total of 50 lessons. It includes vocabulary, grammar, drills and text grouped around the following topics: courtship, the role of men and women in society, career objectives, traditions of the Spring Festival, the writings of Lu Xun, bargaining for discounts, interviewing for a job, part-time work, family planning in China, visiting a traditional Chinese doctor, and China's launch of the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft. These textbooks have been widely used by students in North America, Australia and Europe. The fifth and sixth volumes of the series will be published later this year. Text in simplified Chinese characters.