本书是专门为理工科高年级学生和研究生选编的。本书所选内容比较丰富，难易兼顾。内容选自科技报道或科技评述、科技书籍中哲理性的章节以及科技书籍的序言、科技杂志主编所写的社论或评论等，涉及航天、英特网、通信、计算机、信息、测量、克隆、气候、医学等领域。全书共分12个单元，每个单元有一篇课文，供精读用，另外有两篇短文供泛读用。

本书侧重于提高读者的英语语言能力，书中一般不涉及很具体的科技知识，目的在于使读者熟悉有一定难度的各类科技英语文章，了解其不同的文体格式，为今后进一步阅读语言上比较难懂的原版科技书刊打下良好的基础。

本书所选内容丰富，难易兼顾。全书共分12个单元，内容选自科技报告或科技评述、科技书籍中哲理性的章节以及科技书籍的序言、科技杂志主编所写的社论或评论等，涉及航天、英特网、通信、计算机、信息、测量、克隆、气候、医学等领域。本书教学时数约为30学时。

本书适用于理工科大学高年级学生及研究生，也可供科技人员及广大读者使用。

Unit One

Theme：Spaceflight

Text Shenzhou VI Spacecraft

New Words

Notes

Exercises

Reading Passages

　PassageA Space Shuttle：the Next Generation

　PassageB Shuttle Lands，Safely Ending First Mission Since Columbia

Unit Two

Theme：Medicin

Text What Your Mouth Can 11en Your Dentist

New Words

Notes

Exercises

Reading Passages

 PassageA Your Mouth Is a Good Indicator of Your General Health

　PassageB Cold Therapy in Heart Attacks Endorsed as Lifesaver

Unit Three

Theme：The Internet

Text The Ancient History of the Internet

New Words

Notes1

Exercises

Reading Passages

　PassageA The Internet：Bringing Order from Chaos

　PassageB Hackers Are Enemy Number One on the Internet

Unit Four

Theme：Computer Technology

Text Safe Sex for Your Computer

New Words

Notes

Exercises

Reading Passages

　PassageA What'S New in the Computer World？

　PassageB An Introduction to Computer Aided Circuit Design

Unit Five

Theme：Communications

Text Communicating in the New Age

New Words

Notes

Exercises

Reading Passages

　PassageA The Second Information Revolution

　PassageB Introduction to Data Communications

Unit Six

Theme：Information

Text Information：Abstraction or Reality？

New Words

Notes

Exercises

Reading Passages

 PassageA Forms of Human Information and Its Communication

　PassageB Biological＆Inorganic Information Systems and

Non—human Information Processing

Unit Seven

Theme：Cloning Technology

Text Why Cloning of Humans Must Forever Be Seen as Unethical

New Words

Notes

Exercises

Reading Passages

　PassageA Multiplicity'S Perils

　PassageB Copy or Counterfeit

Unit Eight

Theme：Meteorology

Text New Evidence Supports Global Warming Theory

New Words

Notes

Exercises

 Reading Passages

 PassageA ElNino，Ia Nina Cause FIoods

 Passage B Independent NASA Satellite Measurements Confkrm E1 Nine Is Back and Strong

Unit Nine

Theme: Measurement

Text The Role of Measurement

New Words

Notes

Exercises

Reading Passages

 Passage A Measurement

 Passage B The Units of Measurement

Unit Ten

Theme: Conceptualization

Text Cultural Blocks to Creative Conceptualization

New Words

Notes

Exercises

Reading Passages

 Passage A Environmental Blocks to Creative Conceptualization

 Passage B Introduction to Concept Formulation

Unit Eleven

Theme: Prefaces to Science Books

Text Foreword

New Words

Notes

Exercises

Reading Passages

 Passage A Preface (1)

 Passage B Preface (2)

Unit Twelve

Theme: Comments in Technical Journals

Text The Emperor Has No Clothes

New Words

Notes

Exercises

Reading Passages

 Passage A Three Down--Two to Go

 Passage B No Longer a Space Race