这是名家英语阅读大讲堂套书的其中一本。该套书中所包含的内容似乎很难用常规的领域范围来加以界定，从自然环境到社会现象，从风俗传统到神话传说，从历史事件到名人轶事，可谓包罗万象。它可以告诉我们亚瑟王的传说为什么会如此风靡西方，南极洲的生活是什么样的一番景象，J．K．罗琳，这位哈利波特之母一些不为人知的故事，以及新兴的安全卫士——网络天使究竟是怎么回事。其知识性和趣味性远非常见的阅读材料可比，堪称一部精华浓缩版的世界文明史。

Unit 1 Who Is the Most Important Person from History?

Unit 2 What Are Fattening Rooms?

Unit 3 Where Do People Celebrate Girls"

                   Day and Boy 's Day ?

Unit 4 Why Is Marco Polo Famous?

Unit 5 Who Reached the South Pole First?

Unit 6 What Is the Royal Flying Doctor Service?

Unit 7 How Did the Egyptians Make Mummies?

Unit 8 Why Is Louis Pasteur Important?

Unit 9 Who Is Nasreddin Hodja?

Self-Test 1

Unit 10 What Did lhe Ancient Mayans Believe ln?

Unit 11 How Do Koreans Celebrate a Wedding?

Unit 12 Why Are Sumo Wrestlers So Fat?

Unit 13 Who Is Stephen King?

Unit 14 What Is the Story Behind the Bed?

Unit 15 How Did the Spanish Conquer the Aztecs?

Unit 16 Why Are the Williams Sisters Good at Tennis?

Unit 17 Where Is Timbuktu?

Unit 18 Where Do the Most Vegetarians Live?

Self-Test 2

Chinese Version

Answer Key