Chinese

Book Title

by , simplified by Pauline Bird

★★★★★
5.0 (15 reviews)
B1 for English-speaking learners
Side glossary
In-book and online exercises
Flashcards for each chapter
E-Book
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Imagine reading „Around the World in 80 Days” in Chinese – and understanding every page

„Around the World in 80 Days” (in Chinese: „环游世界八十天”, orig. Around the World in 80 Days) by Jules Verne – is a complete, engaging story adapted specifically for the B1 (intermediate) level. You don't need to know every word. You understand 95% of the text immediately, and every new word is explained in the margin. You simply read – and learn naturally.

What is this book about?

  • Phileas Fogg, an impeccably precise English gentleman, wagers his fortune that he can circumnavigate the globe in a mere eighty days.
  • His race against the clock is complicated by the relentless pursuit of Detective Fix, who mistakenly believes Fogg is a bank robber.
  • Accompanied by his valet Passepartout, Fogg faces missed connections, daring rescues, and unexpected detours, including saving the Indian princess Aouda.

Why does it work better than apps and textbooks?

Our books are based on the Pentecost Method – the only approach 100% based on scientific research in language learning. The result? You learn faster, remember more, and actually enjoy the learning process.

  • Read without interruption: Translations of the most difficult words are found in the margin of each page – you don't have to break away from the story to look them up in a dictionary.
  • Reinforce what you've read: After each chapter, there are exercises (crosswords, fill-in-the-blanks, anagrams) tailored to the B1 level – new words stick in your mind.
  • Learn anywhere: A mobile app with games allows you to review vocabulary on your way to work, in line, or whenever you have a moment.
  • Build lasting vocabulary: Flashcards at the end of the book allow you to systematically review the most important words – so you don't forget what you've learned.

Matched to your exact level

The vocabulary in this graded reader has been selected based on an analysis of 2 billion words from authentic texts, precisely matched to the B1 level. You learn exactly the words that are most useful in everyday life.

How to choose the right level?

This book is at the B1 level. Not sure which level to choose? Take our 3-minute placement test on our website – we'll immediately show you which book is right for you.

About the author

Jules Verne

Author

Jules Verne

Jules Verne (1828–1905) was a French writer known as the father of science fiction and one of the most translated authors in the world. In his novels he foresaw submarines and space travel long before they existed.


Pauline Bird

Translator and editor

Pauline Bird adapts Chinese-language fiction for English readers in the graded-reader line. She helps decide when to gloss a measure word, a place name, or a four-character idiom, and when context can carry the load. She likes contemporary urban settings because they recycle high-frequency vocabulary in natural ways.

Customer Reviews

5.0
★★★★★
(15 reviews)
HakkaHealer 2025-12-14
★★★★★

The order works.

StargazerSteph 2026-01-17
★★★★★

ill admit the first chapter flattened me: I kept mixing up "mā anc mǎ", so my tutor thought I was asking about my mother when I meant my gorse. wbat saved the book was how clearly it sorts the grammar showing 了 for a finished axtion and 吧 fot a suggestion, and politely leavimg "把" and 被 alone until I'm rsady. that focjs suits my move to Chsngdu, where I need to order hotpot ask a taxi druver to turn at the next junction and expoaun my plams for the weekend. it wont nakd me fluent by spring, but it gives me the everyday Chinese I need to adrive with some confidence.

ShanghaiSkies 2026-02-06
★★★★★

Amazing!

PandaExpressFan 2026-02-18
★★★★★

You've probably noticed by now thag Mandarin won't let you say three books without a measure word wedged in as in 三本书 and plenty of courses respond by having you memorize long lisgs of them The popular belief is that you need the whole list before you can read comfortably but in this reader the same handful 个, 本 张, 条) keep turning up in little stories about ordering dinner and missing trains, and after a few chapters I was choosing the right one by feel, the way you know it's "a flock of birds" without thinking about it So stop drilling lists and just read this book because it made me feel that a good chunk of my classroom time in Chengdu had been wasted.

OldWorldCharm 2026-03-02
★★★★★

Honestly, these Chinese readers are a joy, and I'm already annoyed I didn't cind them sooner.

Pages252
Chapters37
For learnersfor English-speaking learners
ISBN (E-Book)9788384561201
ISBN (Paperback)9788384561218
Published2026-07-18

About Chinese (the language of this book)

Where Chinese is spoken

Chinese (Mandarin, Putonghua) is the official language of mainland China and Taiwan and one of the official languages of Singapore. Written Chinese is shared across varieties; spoken forms differ regionally.

How many people speak it

Mandarin has well over 900 million native speakers; all Chinese varieties together reach roughly 1.2–1.3 billion first-language speakers.

Grammar and structure

Mandarin grammar is largely analytic: no inflection for tense or gender on verbs; aspect and time are expressed with particles and context. Word order is strict SVO; measure words (classifiers) accompany numerals and demonstratives. Tones (four in standard Mandarin plus neutral) distinguish lexical meaning.