教育部委託「國家華語測驗推動工作委員會」（簡稱華測會）研發「華語文能力測驗（Test Of Chinese as a Foreign Language, TOCFL），以提供華語文能力檢定工具，並頒發考試合格者國家證書，以為申請入學或者求職就業時作為語文能力之證明。華測會在長時間努力下，已經漸漸地有成果，採認的學術機構與企業單位遍及海內外。
These years, learning Chinese has become a global trend. Many western countries have established institutions of their own to cultivate qualified lecturers for Chinese teaching and to conduct Chinese proficiency tests. Nevertheless, the effect of learning a second language relies heavily on the teaching materials. Since teaching materials are the basis of teaching, good materials shall benefit the learners better.
The Minister of Education authorizes the Steering Committee for the Test of Proficiency-Huayu to develop TOCFL（Test Of Chinese as a Foreign Language, TOCFL） to serve as a tool of Chinese proficiency test. Those who pass the test will be issued a certificate to serve as a proof of language proficiency for school or job applications. Over the years, the steering committee has made some progress. TOCFL has won the recognition of many domestic and overseas academic institutions and enterprises.
A great number of Chinese language centers have had training programs based on TOCFL. However, teaching materials targeting the reading comprehension of TOCFL are rarely seen in the market. Teachers who teach Chinese as a foreign or a second language tend to either teach the mock tests provided by the steering committee or design their own teaching materials. Nonetheless, the self-designed teaching materials may not suit the needs of learners. In this case, I decided to compile this series of teaching materials, hoping that it may meet the demands of teachers and learners.
It is worth noticing that the compilation of this book follows the five ‘C’ principles issued by ACTFL: Communication, Comparisons, Connections, Cultures, and Communities. In other words, learners are supposed to use the language to communicate and interact with others, experience different cultures and customs, connect it with other subjects, compare the characteristics of languages and cultures, and apply it in multiple communities. The five objectives are closely related to one another. The book is aimed at improving learners’ proficiency in using Chinese and increasing their cognition and understanding of Chinese culture.
The reading proficiency test of TOCFL is divided into three ranks and each rank contains two levels. Since the intermediate rank is divided into the level 3 and the level 4 and this book belongs to the former one, it is then named “Chinese Reading Comprehension：Intermediate.”
