《21世纪大学英语》(S版)系列教材(第2版)根据《大学英语教学指南》(教育部最新版)以及我国高等院校人才培养特点和教学改革的最新成果编写而成，突出教学内容的实用性和针对性，将语言基础能力的培养与实际涉外交际能力的训练有机地结合起来，以满足21世纪全球化社会经济发展对高校人才的要求。
本系列核心教材包括《综合教程》、《综合练习》、《教学参考书》(每一种分为1-4册)及配套的MP3光盘、音带、多媒体课件、电子教案、网络课程等。本套教材供高等院校普通英语教学使用。
余建中、常淑丽主编的《21世纪大学英语教学参考书(附光盘S版1第2版十二五普通高等教育本科国家级规划教材)》为《教学参考书》第1册，共8个单元，每个单元根据《综合教程》的相关内容配备教法推荐、作者介绍、背景知识、课文详解以及练习答案和录音文本等。同时，本书在版式设计上力求易用(User-friendlv)，将学生用书的内容完整地融入教学参考书，课文讲解采用“左学右教”的方式，以方便教师教学。本书另配有电子教案。

余建中，复旦大学外文学院教授。代表译著和主编的教材有：《朗文英汉双解英语成语词典》（主译），《21世纪大学英语》（主要编者、部分分册主编），《大学英语综合教程》（全新版）（主编之一），《新世纪文科英语教程》（主编），《21世纪大学实用英语》（主编之一），《大学英语自主听力》（主编）等。曾获上海市育才奖、上海市优秀教学成果奖、省部级优秀教材奖、宝钢教育奖等。

Unit 1 Freshmen
I. Objectives
II. Suggested Teaching Plan for Unit
III. Background Information
IV. Class Presentation
PartI Listening
Part II Reading
Text A: College Survival." Our Tips for Success
Text B: My College Move
Text C: This Is Not Your High School English Class.t
Part III Speaking
Part IV Translation & Writing (Registration Forms)
Part V Time to Relax
Unit 2 Faith
I. Objectives
II. Suggested Teaching Plan for Unit
III. Background Information
IV. Class Presentation
Part I Listening
Part II Reading
Text A: Who to Believe?
Text B: Tina's Ten Points
Text C: A Cowboy with Courage
Part III Speaking
Part IV Translation & Writing (Application Forms)
Part V Time to Relax
Unit 3 Exploration
I. Objectives
II. Suggested Teaching Plan for Unit
III. Background Information
IV. Class Presentation
Part I Listening
Part II Reading
Text A: Magellan's Madness
Text B: Marco Polo's Big, Big World
Text C: Matthew Henson
Part III Speaking
Part IV Translation & Writing (Business/Name Cards)
Part V Time to Relax
Unit 4 English as a Universal Language
I. Objectives
II. Suggested Teaching Plan for Unit
III. Background Information
IV. Class Presentation
Part I Listening
Part II Reading
Text A: The Advantages of Learning English
Text B: Do You Know Tom Cruise?
Text C: Shakira
Part III Speaking Part IV Translation & Writing (Greeting Cards) Part V Time to Relax
Unit 5 Green Living
I. Objectives
II. Suggested Teaching Plan for Unit
III. Background Information
IV. Class Presentation
Part I Listening
Part II Reading
Text A: How Green Is My City?
Text B: The Energy Revolution
Text C: How Can We Save Energy?
Part Ill Speaking
Part IV Translation & Writing (Thank-you Notes)
Part V Time to Relax
Unit 6 Food & Health
I. Objectives
II. Suggested Teaching Plan for Unit
III. Background Information
IV. Class Presentation
Part I Listening
Part II Reading
Text A: Is Corn Making Us Fat?
Text B: Can Milk Make You Happy?
Text C: What's for Lunch?
Part III Speaking
Part IV Translation & Writing (Invitation Letters)
Part V Time to Relax
Unit 7 Success
I. Objectives
II. Suggested Teaching Plan for Unit
llI. Background Information
IV. Class Presentation
Part I Listening
Part II Reading
Text A: Three Keys to Success
Text B: Consider This
Text C:A Boy Who Dreamed of Flying
Part III Speaking
Part IV Translation & Writing (Replies to Invitation Letters)
Part V Time to Relax
Unit 8 Economics
I. Objectives
II. Suggested Teaching Plan for Unit
III. Background Information
IV. Class Presentation
Part I Listening
Part II Reading
Text A: Economics
Text B: Double Your DOLLARS AND CENTS. Text C: The Shade Seller
Part III Speaking Part IV Translation & Writing (Notices)
Part V Time to Relax
Grammar Review
I. Countable and Uncountable Nouns
II. Adjectives and Adverbs: the Comparative Degree and the Superlative Degree
III. Model Verbs
IV. Verb Tense (1)
V. Verb Tense (2)
VI. Verb Tense (3)
VII. Passive Voice