本教材从2006年首批国家级非物质文化遗产代表性项目名录（原称“国家级非物质文化遗产名录”）中，精选十个具有广泛地域代表性与艺术价值的经典戏曲剧种，包含昆曲、豫剧、越剧、黄梅戏、评剧、秦腔、粤剧、藏戏、汉调桄桄和莆仙戏，分十个单元进行介绍。每个单元包含两篇课文，分别为该剧种的经典剧目和该剧种介绍，每篇文章后附词汇表、注释及练习题，书末附有练习答案和课文译文。教材在深入挖掘各剧种文化肌理的基础上，系统梳理其表演风格、唱腔类型、伴奏乐器、名家成就、经典剧目地位及角色行当体系等核心要素，通过戏曲故事传递崇德向善、爱国奉献等社会主义核心价值观，为学习者提供兼具文化厚度与精神高度的学习素材。

Unit 1 Kunqu Opera
Part I Active Reading
Kunqu Opera Fifteen Strings of Cash
Part II Further Reading
Kunqu Opera
Unit 2 Yuju Opera
Part I Active Reading
Yuju Opera Hua Mulan
Part II Further Reading
Yuju Opera
Unit 3 Yueju Opera
Part I Active Reading
Yueju Opera Five Daughters Paying Birthday Homage
Part II Further Reading
Yueju Opera
Unit 4 Huangmei Opera
Part I Active Reading
Huangmei Opera Marriage of the Fairy Princess
Part II Further Reading
Huangmei Opera
Unit 5 Pingju Opera
Part I Active Reading
Pingju Opera Liu Qiao’er
Part II Further Reading
Pingju Opera
Unit 6 Qinqiang Opera
Part I Active Reading
Qinqiang Opera Flame Steed
Part II Further Reading
Qinqiang Opera
Unit 7 Cantonese Opera
Part I Active Reading
Cantonese Opera Searching the Academy
Part II Further Reading
Cantonese Opera
Unit 8 Tibetan Opera
Part I Active Reading
Tibetan Opera Princess Wencheng
Part II Further Reading
Tibetan Opera
Unit 9 Handiao-Guangguang Opera
Part I Active Reading
Handiao-Guangguang Opera The Red Traffic Line
Part II Further Reading
Handiao-Guangguang Opera
Unit 10 Puxian Opera
Part I Active Reading
Puxian Opera The Top Scholar and the Beggar
Part II Further Reading
Puxian Opera
Appendixes
Appendix 1 Key to Exercises
Appendix 2 Text Translation
References