本教材是典型的贯彻了“任务依托式”教学理念的大学英语教材，丰富多样的任务让学生由过去机械被动的阅读转变为了积极参与式的阅读。本书在美国主要针对社区大学中母语为非英语国家的移民学生，符号高教司关于大学英语教学改革及4、6级考试改革的精神及政策导向。

本书主要用作大学本科公共英语阅读教材，同时尤其适合准备出国留学人员自学使用，因为选材多为真实的学术情景下的语篇，注重培养学术技能，有助于读者提高英语及学术语言能力。

CHAPTER 1 The Global Melting Pot / 1

 ACADEMIC FOCUS:SOCIOLOGY AND INTERNATIONA STUDIES

 Reading Assignment 1: Buicks, Starbucks and Fried Chicken:Still China？/ 2

 Reading Assignment 2: The Muslim World of Colas/ 22

 Reading Assignment 3: The Roots of Old and New World Foods/ 33

CHAPTER 2 What Makes You You？/ 45

 ACADEMIC FOCUS:GENETICS AND PSYCHOLOGY

 Reading Assignment 1: The Nature versus Nurture Debate/ 46

 Reading Assignment 2: The Wild Boy of Aveyron/ 60

 Reading Assignment 3: Linking Psychology and Genetics/ 69

CHAPTER 3 Norms and Values: To Sleep, To Dream/ 80

 ACADEMIC FOCUS:PHYSIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY

 Reading Assignment 1: While You Are Sleeping/ 81

 Reading Assignment 2: What Is Dreaming/ 96

 Reading Assignment 3: The ABC's of Dreams/ 107

CHAPTER 4 Women Speak Out/ 123

 ACADEMIC FOCUS: LITERATURE AND WOMEN'S STUDIES

 Reading Assignment 1: Lessons for Women/ 124

 Reading Assignment 2: At Last Free/ 139

 Reading Assignment 3: A Domestic Dilemma/ 144

CHAPTER 5 Cracking the Ice Age/ 178

 ACADEMIC FOCUS: GEOLOGY AND ARCHAEOLOGY

 Reading Assignment 1: The Story behind the Ice Age/ 179

 Reading Assignment 2: The Ice Man Cometh/ 191

 Reading Assignment 3: Kill, Chill, or Ill？ What Happened to the Ice Age Mammals/ 201

CHAPTER 6 Science and Society: Up from Slavery/ 218

 ACADEMIC FOCUS: HISTORY

 Reading Assignment 1: Slavery in America/ 220

 Reading Assignment 2: A Slave's Journey in Sudan/231

 Reading Assignment 3: From Restavec: From Haitian Slave Child to Middle-Class American/ 238

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