This article, taking life-oriented Chinese-language textbooks for example, analyses the concept of life-orientation contained in the curriculum evaluation, as well as in the designing and use of school-based Chinese-language textbooks in schools for the mental retarded. The authors think that the present school-based Chinese-language textbooks in schools for the mental retarded have a complete concept of life-orientation in their tar- get and content, but lack life-orientation in the practical use and the curriculum evaluation. Therefore, the schools for the mentally retarded are supposed to e...