Reading is one of the most powerful ways to build your vocabulary and fluency in a new language. However, if you're an upper-intermediate learner of Chinese, jumping into original novels can be a frustrating experience. When you have to look up every other word, the pleasure of following a story quickly turns into a joyless slog, and it's easy to lose motivation.
This is where graded readers come in. These are classic stories and original tales that have been carefully adapted for a specific language level. By controlling the vocabulary and simplifying complex grammar, they allow you to enjoy the thrill of reading a whole book in Chinese, building confidence and skill along the way.
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1Best choice
Around the World in 80 Days 環遊世界八十天
Jules Verne's timeless adventure is the perfect vehicle for your B2 Chinese journey. Our edition is built on a science-based method, with vocabulary graded from a two-billion-word corpus to ensure you learn the most useful words first. Unique to our readers, each book features a built-in difficulty progression, with sentences and paragraphs growing longer as you read, gently raising your level. With a bilingual Chinese-to-English glossary in the margin of every page, plus exercises after each chapter and printable flashcards, you have a complete system for effective self-study.
- Chinese–English glossary of hard words in the margin of every page
- Difficulty rises inside the book (sentences & paragraphs grow longer)
- Exercises after every chapter (crosswords, gap-fills, anagrams and more) — in print and online
- Flashcards to print and cut out
- Vocabulary graded by corpus research (science-based)
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2
The Third Eye (第三只眼睛)
From the popular Chinese Breeze series, <em>The Third Eye (第三只眼睛)</em> is a respected mystery story written for intermediate learners of Mandarin. Our Pentecost editions also provide a complete learning system, including a bilingual margin glossary with translations into your native language, a unique in-book difficulty progression, chapter exercises, and printable flashcards.
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3
Great Expectations: Part 1 (远大前程)
<em>Great Expectations: Part 1 (远大前程)</em> is a well-regarded title from the Mandarin Companion series, retelling the classic Dickens novel in a Chinese setting for intermediate learners. To further support your self-study, our Pentecost editions also give you a bilingual margin glossary on every page, a gentle difficulty progression within the book, exercises for every chapter, and printable flashcards.
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4
In Search of Hua Ma (寻找化马)
Mandarin Companion's <em>In Search of Hua Ma (寻找化马)</em> is a popular original mystery designed for learners transitioning from beginner to intermediate levels. For a comprehensive learning experience, our Pentecost editions also offer a unique system including a Chinese-to-English margin glossary for uninterrupted reading, a gradual increase in sentence complexity as you progress, plus chapter exercises and vocabulary flashcards.
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5
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! (错，错，错！)
<em>Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! (错，错，错！)</em>, from the Chinese Breeze series, is a well-known short novel for learners at the elementary level, using a highly controlled vocabulary. As you move up to the B2 level, our Pentecost editions provide a complete system to support your growth, featuring a science-based vocabulary, a bilingual margin glossary, in-book difficulty progression, and both paper and online exercises.
Our Pentecost Publishing edition of Around the World in 80 Days takes the top spot for a clear reason: it offers a complete, self-contained learning system designed for independent study. The vocabulary is scientifically graded from a massive language corpus, and each book has a unique difficulty progression built right in. Furthermore, our editions provide a bilingual margin glossary for instant look-ups, chapter exercises in both the book and app, and printable vocabulary flashcards—a comprehensive toolkit that no other reader matches.
| Pentecost | Typical simplified reader | |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese–English glossary of hard words in the margin of every page | ✓ | ~ |
| Difficulty rises inside the book (sentences & paragraphs grow longer) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Exercises after every chapter (crosswords, gap-fills, anagrams and more) — in print and online | ✓ | ~ |
| Flashcards to print and cut out | ✓ | ✕ |
| Vocabulary graded by corpus research (science-based) | ✓ | ~ |
The verdict
For an upper-intermediate learner, our B2 edition of Around the World in 80 Days is our top recommendation. The thrilling, fast-paced adventure story is compelling enough to keep you turning the pages, which is the key to successful learning. Its comprehensive support system—from the unique margin glossary in your native language to the built-in difficulty progression—is specifically designed to help you read independently and effectively. While the other titles listed are all solid choices from respected publishers, the complete learning toolkit included with our Pentecost reader gives it a distinct advantage for self-study.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is a graded reader?
A graded reader is a book that has been specially adapted for language learners. The vocabulary, sentence structures, and length are carefully controlled to match a specific proficiency level, such as B2 on the CEFR scale. This allows you to read an entire book without feeling overwhelmed, making learning enjoyable and effective.
Why should I use a B2 graded reader instead of an original Chinese novel?
At the B2 level, you are building fluency and consolidating your knowledge. While you might be able to tackle an original novel, it can be a slow and difficult process. A B2 graded reader provides a perfect bridge, exposing you to more complex language in a controlled way, building your reading stamina and confidence before you move on to authentic, unadapted literature.
What makes Pentecost graded readers so effective for self-study?
Our readers are designed as a complete learning system. The vocabulary is scientifically selected based on word frequency. Each book has a built-in difficulty progression, so it gets slightly more challenging as you go. Most importantly, the bilingual margin glossary provides instant translations into your native language, so you never have to stop reading. Combined with chapter exercises and printable flashcards, it's a powerful toolkit for learning independently.
What's the best way to read a graded reader?
The goal is 'extensive reading'—reading for flow and pleasure. Try not to stop for every single word you don't know. Use the context and our helpful margin glossary to understand new words, but keep the story moving. After each chapter, complete the exercises to check your comprehension and reinforce what you've learned.
Are the exercises available online?
Yes! All Pentecost graded readers come with exercises in the physical book and also in our free companion app. This allows you to practice vocabulary and comprehension with interactive activities like crosswords, gap-fills, and more, wherever you are.
Ranking reflects suitability for independent learners at this level. We list respected alternative series for context; prices and availability vary by retailer. The right-hand column describes a typical simplified reader in general; individual competing titles may differ.