Selected Readings of Contemporary Chinese Short Stories is an advanced Chinese reader compiled by teachers of Chinese from China and the United States of America. This book consists of selections from five contemporary Chinese writers whose recent works reflect the many facets of life in actual Chinese society. These works, written in highly diverse styles, are imbued with both a sense of the rhythm of the times and the special characteristics of Chinese rhetoric. The editorial style aims to suit the needs of non-native speakers of Chinese. Each lesson is accompanied by explanations of words and phrases, grammar notes, and a variety of exercises. A multi-use vocabulary index, and exercise answer key, and a table of grammar terminology are also provided. The texts are marked with line numbers, and examples are keyed to the line and page numbers of the texts. The vocabulary list and all examples are translated into English. Vocabulary words are accompanied by pinyin, un-simplified Chinese characters, and the part of speech. This book is a worthy tool both for teaching Chinese in a classroom environment and for those readers who enjoy independently studying and researching Chinese language and literature.