由钱薇薇主编的《英语经典背诵文选》精选多篇英美报刊短文和名家原著节选，涵盖了散文、诗歌、议论、说明、演讲、剧本等多种文体，话题涉及社会生活各方面以及部分科普常识，贴近学生的生活，符合学生的学业和情感需求；文章语言规范，文辞优美，长度适中，便于背诵。除提供原文外，每篇短文前都有导读，帮助学生了解文章的文体和背景知识；每篇短文后面都会附有难词难句的解析释义，以及优美的译文，便于学生欣赏和自学。本书同时附有高质量音频文件，便于学生模仿语音语调。

Unit 1 Reading and Education

 Modern American Universities

 The College Experience

 How We Should Read a Book

 The Study of Words

 My Books

 Of StudiesEduction

 The Revolution in American Higher Education

 Companionship of Books

Unit 2 Language and Culture

 The Americans

 The English and the Americans

 The English Character

 The American Character

 The English Humour

 Folk Cultures

 International Business and Cross—Cultural Communication

 American’S Way of Hospitality

 Conservatism 0f the English People

 CulturaI Exchange

Unit 3 Ethics and Morality

 Advice to Youth

 Love Your Life

 Frankness

 On Telling Lies

 A Beautiful Day Begins with Gratitude

 Good Mistakes

 If I Were a Boy Again

 Ingredients of Courtesy

 On Punctuality

 What I Have Lived for

Unit 4 Marrige and Family

 Home

 ldeas of Home Have Changed

 The American Way：Family

 The Furthest Distance in the World

 The Pleasant Family

 Three Types of Parents

 Of Parents and Children

 HeaI the Children

 How to Achieve Happiness in Your Marriage?

Unit 5 Art and Literature

 Music IS Medicine

 A Light in Winter

 A Swan’S Song--Revien of The Chemistry of Tears

 Man Will Prevail

 Exhibition in Taipei Palace Museum

 The ReaI Jane AuSten——aS VitaI as Her Stories

 The Work of Cima da Conegliano

 William Shakespeare

 Embracing Otherness，Embrace Myself

Unit 6 Dreams and Future

 The Boys’Ambition

 I Have a Dream

 A Better Tomorrow

 Ambition

 American Dream

 If the Dream Is Big Enough

 Keep Your Dreams

 Room for the Future

Unit 7 Entertainment and Leisure

 Cambodian Temples under Threat

 Cricket

 Cycling in London--Wheel Ambition

 Friends United：An Unlikely Comic Hit

 Harry Potter Theme Park Opened

 South Korean Musicians Must Expo~O r Starve

 UK Music Festivals

 The Beginning of Drama

 The Origin of Spots

Unit 8 Love and Friendship

 A New Chapter in China’S History Is Being Written--Speech in Xi’an

 Tribute to the Dog

 About a Friend

 Little Huckleberry’S Dilemma

 The Choice of Companion

 Thomas Jefferson and James Madison

 Love IS Not Like Merchandise

 The Colors of Friendship

Unit 9 Life and Health

 Food and Health

 How to Grow Old

 How to Help People Suffering from Heat Stroke

 On the Feeling of Immo rtality in Youth

 My Story about Life and Death

 The Art of Living

 Three Things I Learned when My Plane Crashed

 Youth

 Living Beyond Limits

Unit 10 Human and Nature

 A Summer Day

 Autumn Sunset

 First Snow

 Glories of the Storm

 January Wind

 Nature

 Summer Sunrises on the Mississippi

 The Poetry of Late Summer

 Population and NaturaI Resources

Unit 11 Philosophy and Ideas

 Appetite

 Francis Bacon on Truth

 Learn to Live in the Present Momenl

 Life Grows in the Soil of Time

 Life lS to Be Whole

 The Meaning of Life

 The Bamboo Trees

 The World as I See It

 True and False Simplicity

Unit 12 Science and Technology

 Achievements and Setbacks in 2014

 Scientific Theories

 Space Exploration In China

 The Nature of the Scientific Attitude

 Weather Forecasting

 A Low-Carbon Life

 SCienCe——a VVav of Thinking

 Science

 The Study of Science

 Driverless Cars

Unit 13 Success and Failure

 Failure IS a Good Thing

 Endorsement Speech on June 7，2008(excerpt)

 How to Learn with Success

 The Fringe Benefits of Failu re

 Rules Every Achieve r Knows

 Success IS on the Other Side

 We Can Succeed

 Winners Never Quit

Unit 14 War and Peace

 Address to the Congress(excerpt)

 Statement on London’S Terrorist Attack(July 7th，2005)

 Blood，ToiI，Tears and Sweat

 Choose Peace

 Declaration of War(December 6th，1941)

 Gettysburg Address(November 19th，1 863)

 On Acceptance NobeI Prize for Peace

 Statement by President Bush to the Nation(September 11 th，2001)

 Take Steps to Address Gun Violence(January 19th，2013)

Unit 15 History and Memories

 Duty，Honor，Country

 Inaugural Speech(excerpt)

 MLK Holiday Celebrate Late Civil Rights Leader

 Now the Trumpet Summons Us Again(excerpt)

 Scotland，Please Vote to Stay(excerpt)

 Stories Behind a Silver Pepper Pot

 The Space Shuttle“Challenger”Tragedy Address

 (28 January．1986)

 Tribute to Diana