本教材采用原声讲座、公共演讲、专题报道、访谈、广播新闻，围绕个人成功、理性决策、家庭关系、学术诚信、高等教育、网络生活、环境保护、电视传媒八个社会热点话题，通过边听边记笔记、听后复述、有准备的口头陈述、讨论、辩论等多样化的口语活动，培养学生的学术英语听说能力。全书包括八个单元，每单元结构如下：
Part A News Summary Listerling(新闻短讯)
Part B LectLire and Speedl Note-Taking(名人讲座)
Part C Listerling and Critical Thinking(话题辩论)
Part D Vocabulary Review(词汇复习)

Unit 1 Success
Part A News Summary Listening
Part B Lecture and Speech Note-Taking
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Part C Listening and Critical Thinking
Emotional Intelligence
Part D Vocabulary Review
Unit 2 Making Decisions
Part A News Summary Listening
Part B Lecture and Speech Note-Taking
The Psychology of Your Future Self
Part C Listening and Critical Thinking
Babies of the Future
Part D Vocabulary Review
Unit 3 Family Life
Part A News Summary Listening
Part B Lecture and Speech Note-Taking
What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness
Part C Listening and Critical Thinking
Gender Role Reversal
Part D Vocabulary Review
Unit 4 Academic Honesty
Part A News Summary Listening
Part B Lecture and Speech Note-Taking
Dare to Disagree
Part C Listening and Critical Thinking
A Cheating Scandal
Part D Vocabulary Review
Unit 5 College Education
Part A News Summary Listening
Part B Lecture and Speech Note-Taking
Steve Jobs' Commencement Address at Stanford University
Part C Listening and Critical Thinking
Is College Still Worth the Price?
Part D Vocabulary Review
Unit 6 The Internet
Part A News Summary Listening
Part B Lecture and Speech Note-Taking
Your Social Media "Likes" Expose More than You Think
Part C Listening and Critical Thinking
Internet Technology
Part D Vocabulary Review
Unit 7 Environment Protection
Part A News Summary Listening
Part B Lecture and Speech Note-Taking
An Inconvenient Truth : Three Misconceptions about Global Warming
Part C Listening and Critical Thinking
Green Taxes
Part D Vocabulary Review
Unit 8 Popular TV
Part A News Summary Listening
Part B Lecture and Speech Note-Taking
The Conscience of Television
Part C Listening and Critical Thinking
TV and Depression
Part D Vocabulary Review
Scripts
References