本教材是为了适应研究生英语教学的改革和发展而编写的。

本教材针对中国大学生听说能力相对薄弱这一现状，综合听说读写四个方面，每单元前半部分涉及听说技能，而后半部分突出读写技能，使课文既有趣味性，又有思辨性，在练习部分通过各种练习及写作技巧和翻译技巧来进一步提高学生的读写能力，课文绝大部分选自近年出版的英美报刊书籍。

Unit One Education

 Lesson A Listening and Speaking

Part One Problems with US Education

Part Two Arts Education

Part Three Graduate Education

 Lesson B Reading and Writing

Text A In Praise of the F Word

Text B Essence of Education

Unit Two Love

 Lesson A Listening and Speaking

Part One Romance

Part Two Eternal Love

Part Three The Power of Love

 Lesson B Reading and Writing

Text A A Wedding Gift

Text B Wedded Dis

Unit Three Health

 Lesson A Listening and Speaking

Part One Is Overweight a Problem？

Part Two New Four Food Groups

Part Three There Are Worse Things than Dying

 Lesson B Reading and Writing

Text A Tracing the Cigarette's Path from Sexy to Deadly

Text B Marketing to Your Mind

Unit Four Technology

 Lesson A Listening and Speaking

Part One Ceil Phone

Part Two Internet

Part Three Computer Giants

 Lesson B Reading and Writing

Text A We've Got Mail—Always

Text B Is the Web Isolating You？

Test Yourself(1)

Unit Five Success and Happiness

 Lesson A Listening and Speaking

Part One Success Is a Choice

Part Two Can We Find Happiness？

Part Three The Sweet Success of Branding

 Lesson B Reading and Writing

Text A Aristotle Got It Right

Text B Finding Your True Calling

Unit Six Globalilation

 Lesson A Listening and Speaking

Part One Three Eras of Globalization

Part TWo  Globalization and China

Part Three Globalization and Inequality

 Lesson B Reading and Writing

Text A Give Globalization a Hand

Text B All Cultures Are Not Equal

Unit Seven Plagiarism

 Lesson A Listening and Speaking

Part One Defining Plagiarism

Part TWo  Plagiarism in College

Part Three Avoiding Plagiarism

 Lesson B Reading and Writing

Text A The Cult of Celebrity Professors

Text B What's Wrong with Copying？

Unit Eight Patriotism

 Lesson A Listening and Speaking

Part One My Chinese Heart

Part Two  Comments on Patriotism

Part Three Pride of the Nation

 Lesson B Reading and Writing

Text A Duty，Honor，Country

Text B On Patriotism

Test Yourself(2)