本书共分两册，每册包括十六个单元，每单元包括四篇课文，每篇课文后面都编有练习，并附有练习答案和词汇表。这是本书的第一册，适用于大学非英语专业一年级学生的水平。

本书的最大特点是取材新老兼顾，题材多样，知识性强，语言地道，兼顾趣味性和广泛性。置身其中，你既可以领略光怪陆离的尼斯湖的神秘，又可以追溯风靡一时的“博克”的来源；既可以学习名人的成功之道，又可以了解各国有关数字的迷信……

本书的另一特点是练习的针对性强且全面合理。每课的练习都分为两大部分。第一部分为理解练习(Comprehension Exercises)，其中包括根据短文回答问题、英译汉(文中的关键句和难句)、汉译英(练习文中出现的重点词汇或短语)等三种形式。第二部分为词汇练习(Vocabulary Exercises)，其中包括易混词、多义词以及构词法练习。

Unit One

1. A Good Mistake / 1

2. Beyond the Tears / 8

3. I Grew up in England / 15

4. Telephone Tactics / 22

Unit Two

5. Superstitions Attached to Numbers / 28

6. Confidence Is Built, Not Inborn / 35

7. French Manners / 43

8. Andriy Shevchenko, the Lethal Weapon / 51

Unit Three

9. Different Lies / 59

10. On the Ball / 65

11. Hunting for Viruses on the Amazon / 71

12. Sweet Wine / 77

Unit Four

13. My Trip to Amazon / 83

14. The "Foolish" Fins and the Brazilian "Ghost Employees" / 91

15. Marriage in Iran and America: A Study in Contrasts / 98

16. The Body Language: Shake Hands Like A Man / 105

Unit Five

17. Lincoln's Autobiography / 113

18. Changes in America / 119

19. The Balance of Nature / 125

20. Sleep and Dream / 131

Unit Six

21. American Houses / 137

22. Food for Talk / 143

23. Ray Kroc: A Fastfood Legend / 149

24. The New Grad's Survival Guide / 156

Unit Seven

25. A Lily in the Kitchen / 164

26. Caffeine Is Changing the World / 171

27. Pan / 178

28. TheDreamer / 184

Unit Eight

29. The Colors of Friendship / 191

30. Hip Hop and Rap with Chinese Flair / 199

31. Tying the Knot in College -- for Better or for Worse / 206

32. Colourful Street Life / 213

Unit Nine

33. The American Food Habits / 221

34. What's So Hot about Spices?  / 228

35. The Blog Phenomenon / 235

36. College Science Course: Harry Potter / 242

Unit Ten

37. Two Kinds of Reader / 249

38. "Sleeping" Sharks / 255

39. Accent on English / 261

40. Cleaning and Mounting Stamps / 267

Unit Eleven

41. Elements of Communication / 273

42. The English Character / 281

43. The Mask Forever / 288

44. Two Ways of Using the Word "Culture"  / 295

Unit Twelve

45. Retiree / 303

46. Salt / 309

47. The First Woman Student at Geneva College / 315

48. Illimitable or Limitable Resources / 321

Unit Thirteen

49. Oxford / 327

50. Cambridge / 334

51. Tips for Writing Letters / 341

52. Do Animals Have A Culture?  / 349

Unit Fourteen

53. The Loch Ness Monster / 356

54. To Be or Not to Be A Vegetarian / 364

55. Drugs Around Us / 371

56. Fatal Attraction / 377

Unit Fifteen

57. Our Values Are Determined by Our Cultures / 386

58. Women Outperform Men at University, Say Academics / 392

59. The Beatles / 399

60. Why A Fish Has No legs / 405

Unit Sixteen

61. Everyday Is A Gift / 412

62. Family / 419

63. Pollution / 426

64. The Upheaval of Higher Education / 434