本书在选材上注重趣味性、信息性、可思性、时代性和前瞻性,题材广泛,内容丰富,主要涉及语言、文化、习俗、伦理、信息、科学、社会焦点等等。每一单元侧重于讨论一个话题,但三篇课文的体裁不尽相同,体现文体的多样性。课文绝大部分选自20世纪90年代出版的英美报刊书籍,也有新世纪刚刚问世的作品。书中每篇课文控制在1000词左右,重点培养学生读、写、译的技能。
本书每个单元的开首均有Preview,其词数在100词左右,言简意赅地点出本单元的中心主题,是本单元的导读篇,既可以用作预习,也可以在撰写本单元的summary时作为参考。
Unit 1
Section A A Technological Revolutionin Education
Section B Be Your Own Tailor
Section C A Walk Through Cambridge University
Unit 2
Section A Do We Really Want Eternal Life?
Section B Scientists on the Threshold of Altering Our Descendants
Section C The Leaders of Tomorrow—and Today
Unit 3
Section A An Introduction to Sales Promotion
Section B The Package as Product
Section C Auto Maintenance—Don't Get Taken for a Ride!
Unit 4
Section A Work Still Has Value
Section B The Goodness in Guilt
Section C In Defense of Ambition
Unit 5
Section A Vancouver:A City Risen From the Forest
Section B New Rockets for the New Space Age
Section C ADigitalExplosionintheWorldEconomy
Unit 6
Section A Identity Theft:A New Epidemic
Section B Crime and Religion:An African Viewpoint
Section C The Confession of a Pickpocket
Unit 7
Section A The Melissa Virus:A Call to Action
Section B A Growing Plague of Hackers Threatens Business
Section C Still No Justice for Computer Crimes
Unit 8
Section A Money Can't Buy Morality
Section B John Lennon:The Conscience of Rock & Roll
Section C Get a Tank
Appendices
Glossary
Word Counting
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