Developing Chinese (2nd Edition) is a set of nationally planned textbook for higher education during the “Eleventh Five-Year”. Based on the well-designed structure of the first edition, this edition adds more elements in tune with the times. It includes 28 volumes with altogether 34 books. Combining the cultivation of integrated language skills with the training of specific language skills in its compilation, this set of textbooks can be divided into three levels (elementary, intermediate and advanced) and five series (comprehensive, listening, speaking, reading and writing), among which the comprehensive series is the bulk and the others are the accompanying series. The overall purpose is to develop and improve the students’ Chinese language skills, Chinese communication skills, integrated Chinese capabilities as well as enhance their interest and ability in learning Chinese. The Intermediate Listening Course (), with altogether 30 lessons, is suitable for college sophomores or learners with equivalent Chinese proficiency. It pays attention to the universality and practicality of the materials selected and to the combination of listening and speaking. It employs authentic language materials and all-round exercises to develop the learners’ listening, differentiating and comprehension skills, especially their ability to understand the meanings of common idioms and fixed phrases in contexts. Each volume of the listening textbooks are composed of two sub-volumes, namely “Exercises and Activities” and “Scripts and Answers”, which are independently bound to serve the teachers’ needs as well as facilitate the students’ reviewing or self-teaching.
