《21世纪实用英语》（第3版）系列教材在“十二五”职业教育国家规划教材《21世纪实用英语》系列的基础上，按照党和国家部门关于教材建设的指示精神，根据《高等职业教育专科英语课程标准》《高等学校课程思政建设指导纲要》《中国英语能力等级量表》及“十四五”时期我国高等职业教育发展新要求编写而成。本系列教材紧紧抓住高等职业教育人才的培养特点，充分吸收教学改革的最新成果，将立德树人的指导思想贯穿始终，突出教学内容的实用性和针对性，将语言基础能力和实际涉外交际能力的培养与提高学生整体素养、树立正确的人生观和价值观有机地结合起来，以满足新时代全球化社会经济发展对高职人才的要求。
本系列教材包括《综合教程》《综合练习》《教学参考书》（含基础级和1—4册），以及《视听说教程》（1—4册）、《视听说教程教学参考书》（1—4册）、《21世纪实用英语（基础版）》（1—4册）和《语法教程》《翻译教程》《写作教程》等，并配有MP3、微课、助教PPT课件、“i学”App移动平台网络课程、超星“学习通”App示范教学包等。本套教材供高职高专院校普通英语教学使用。
本书为《教学参考书》第1册，共6个单元，每个单元根据《综合教程》的相关内容配备教法推荐、作者介绍、背景知识、课文详解、练习答案和视听材料的原文等。同时，本书将学生用书的内容完整地融入教学参考书，课文讲解引入了“左学右教”的方式，以方便教师教学。本书另配有PPT助教课件。

1 College Life
I.Objectives
II.Suggested Teaching Plan
III.Background Information
IV.Class Presentation
Lead-in
Listening & Speaking
Reading & Writing
Text A: College --A Transition Point in My Life
Text B: What I Hope to Gain from a College Education
Basic Reading Skills
Practical Reading & Writing: Campus Safety Tips & Registration Forms
2 AI
I.Objectives
II.Suggested Teaching Plan
III.Background Information
IV.Class Presentation
Lead-in
Listening & Speaking
Reading & Writing
Text A: The Internet of Things
Text B: Big Data Is Everywhere
Basic Reading Skills
Practical Reading & Writing: Purchasing Directions & Book Order Forms
3 Thanks
I.Objectives
II.Suggested Teaching Plan
III.Background Information
IV.Class Presentation
Lead-in
Listening & Speaking
Reading & Writing
Text A: Thanks, Mom, for All You Have Done
Text B: His Life's Work
Basic Reading Skills
Practical Reading & Writing: Application Forms
4 Cultural Issues
I.Objectives
II.Suggested Teaching Plan
III.Background Information
IV.Class Presentation
Lead-in
Listening & Speaking
Reading & Writing
Text A: The Basics of Business Etiquette
Text B: The Silent Language of Cross-Cultural Gift-Giving
Basic Reading Skills
Practical Reading & Writing: Notices
5 Social Responsibility
I.Objectives
II.Suggested Teaching Plan
III.Background Information
IV.Class Presentation
Lead-in
Listening & Speaking
Reading & Writing
Text A: Do-Gooders Are Also Feel-Gooders
Text B: A Hero in the Mountains
Basic Reading Skills
Practical Reading & Writing: Thank-You Notes
6 Mobile Technology
I.Objectives
II.Suggested Teaching Plan
III.Background Information
IV.Class Presentation
Lead-in
Listening & Speaking
Reading & Writing
Text A: The Negative Effects of Cell Phones
Text B: Mobile App Designer
Basic Reading Skills
Practical Reading & Writing: Notes of Congratulations
Grammar Review
I.Countable and Uncountable Nouns
II.Adjectives and Adverbs: the Comparative Degree and the Superlative Degree
III.Modal Verbs
IV.Sentence Patterns
V.Verb Tenses (1)
VI.Verb Tenses (2)
VII.Verb Tenses (3)
VIII.Verb Tenses (4)