The Sixty-Year Dream:《六十年的梦》

The Sixty-Year Dream:《六十年的梦》, based on “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving

Publisher's description:

Zhou Xuefa is well loved by everyone in his town, everyone except his nagging wife. With his faithful dog Blackie, Zhou Xuefa spends his time playing with kids, helping neighbors, and discussing politics in the teahouse. One day after a bad scolding from his wife, he goes for a walk into the mountains and meets a mysterious old man who appears to be from an ancient time. The man invites him into his mountain home for a meal and after drinking some wine, Zhou Xuefa falls into a deep sleep. He awakes to a time very different than what he once knew. is a graded reader designed for high-elementary learners of Chinese.

Chapter 1

• Pronoun "mei" for "every"
• Expressing "every" with "mei" and "dou"
• Measure words for counting
• Result complements "dao" and "jian"
• Expressing completion with "le"
• Referring to "all" using "suoyou"
• Expressing experiences with "guo"
• "Zai" following verbs
• Modifying nouns with phrase + "de"
• Ordinal numbers with "di"
• Expressing "and also" with "hai"
• The "all" adverb
• Expressing a learned skill with "hui"
• Basic comparisons with "yiyang"
• "Already" with "yijing"
• In the future in general
• Auxiliary verb "hui" for "will"
• "Before" in general
• Expressing location with "zai...shang/xia/li"
• "Always" with "zongshi"
• Expressing lateness with "cai"
• Two words for "but"
• "Would like to" with "xiang"
• "All along" with "yizhi"
• At the time when
• After a specific time
• Expressing earliness with "jiu"
• Modifying nouns with adjective + "de"
• Expressing "a little too" with "you dian"
• "Never" with "conglai"
• "Yinggai" for should
• Explaining causes with "yinwei"
• Using "zai" with verbs
• Referring to "all" using "suoyou"
• Causative verbs
• Using "dui"
• "If…, then…" with "ruguo…, jiu…"
• Expressing "and" with "he"
• Expressing "with" with "gen"
• Expressing "together" with "yiqi"
• Basic comparisons with "bi"
• "Not very" with "bu tai"
• Verbs with "gei"
• Doing something more with "duo"
• Measure words to differentiate
• Measure words for verbs
• Turning adjectives into adverbs

Chapter 2

• "Ye" and "dou" together
• Expressing "all" with "shenme dou"
• Special verbs with "hen"
• Again in the past with "you"
• Simultaneous tasks with "yibian"
• "For" with "wei"
• Continuation with "hai"
• Negative commands with "bu yao"
• The "zui" superlative
• Again in the future with "zai"
• Expressing existence with "you"
• Direction complement
• Appearance with "kanqilai"
• Adjectives with "name" and "zheme"
• Complements with "dao," "gei" and "zai"
• Uses of "shi... de"

Chapter 3

• Expressing ability or possibility
• Verb reduplication with "yi"
• Verbing briefly
• Expressing actions in progress
• Suggestions with "ba"
• Descriptive complements
• Comparing "yihou" and "houlai"
• Adding emphasis with "jiushi"
• Expressing duration of inaction
• Tag questions with "ma"
• Expressing "otherwise" with "yaobu"

Chapter 4

• Result complement "-cuo"
• "Just now" with "gangcai"
• "Even more" with "geng"
• Using "ji" to mean "several"
• Before a specific time
• Expressing "excessively" with "tai"
• Potential complement "bu dong"
• "Just" with "jiu"
• Expressing duration with "le"
• To go to a place

Chapter 5

• Asking why with "zenme"
• Separable verb
• Negative commands with "bie"

Chapter 6

• "Both A and B" with "you"
• Expressing "in addition" with "haiyou"
• Sentence-final interjection "a"
• "Some" using "yixie"
• Expressing "more and more" with "yue… yue…"
• "De" (modal particle)

Chapter 7

• Questions with "le ma"
• Modifying nouns with adjective + "de"
• Indicating purpose or intent using "shi...de"

Chapter 9

• Questions with "ne"
• Expressing purpose with "weile"
• "-wan" result complement

Chapter 10

• "Some" with "youde"