这是一本为高等学校成人教育而编写的英语教材，也可作为网络教育、夜大、函大、高等专科院校和高等职业院校英语教材使用，还可作为自学教材供相应水平的英语爱好者学习使用。
本教材旨在指导学生深入学习课文的基础上，从读、写、译、听、说等方面进行语言操练，使学生具备较扎实的英语语言基础知识、较强的阅读能力和翻译能力以及一定的听和说的能力。
全书共有十六个单元。每个单元都设计有一个话题及两篇阅读文章。它们既相互关联，又各有侧重。围绕这些与学生生活和学习息息相关的话题，教师可以安排学生讨论，充分发挥学生的学习主动性。每个单元后还配有相关的语法知识和情景对话，帮助学生达到能够比较熟练地应用英语进行交流的目的。
Unit One
Text A Putting Definiteness of Purpose to Work
Text B Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)
Unit Two
Text A To Live or to Die
Text B Indoor Plants, a Magic
Unit Three
Text A Friendship
Text B Love Conquers All
Unit Four
Text A The World of Robots
Text B Computers
Unit Five
Text A Men and Women: Some Differences
Text B The Door Swings Open
Unit Six
Text A Would You Have Believed It？
Text B Star Wars -- and Einstein
Unit Seven
Text A Learned Words and Popular Words
Text B Some Things We Know about Language
Unit Eight
Text A Education around the World
Text B Language
Unit Nine
Text A Christmas Day in the Morning ( I )
Text B Halloween
Unit Ten
Text A Christmas Day in the Morning ( II )
Text B Easter
Unit Eleven
Text A Leisure and Leadership
Text B "Happy Birthday to You！"
Unit Twelve
Text A The Midnight Visitor
Text B Modern Spying
Unit Thirteen
Text A People and Colors
Text B How Colors Affect Your Moods and Health
Unit Fourteen
Text A Scientific Attitudes
Text B Solving Problems Scientifically
Unit Fifteen
Text A Non-verbal Communication
Text B Body Talk
Unit Sixteen
Text A The Importance of Being Kind and Polite
Text B Why Don't Girls Think Like Boys？
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