《21世纪大学英语》（S版）系列教材根据教育部颁发的最新《大学英语课程教学要求》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等院校人才的要求。
苗淼、甘咏主编的《21世纪大学英语阅读教程（理工类S版2十二五普通高等教育本科国家级规划教材）》为《阅读教程（理工类）》第2册，教材的编写以《大学英语教学指南》为指导，所选材料突出理工高校学科属性，兼具工具性和人文性，涵盖了能源地质、环境资源、经济法律、体育艺术等。本册共8课，每课同绕一个学科专业主题选取了3篇文章，文后配有相关练习，包括阅读理解题、简答题、翻译题、讨论题及大学英语六级考试阅读题型练习。文章长度和难易度按大学英语六级水平设定，可作为理工高校相关专业学生的英语阅读教材，也可供相关学科专业技术人员和英语爱好者学习时参考。

翟象俊，1962年毕业于复旦大学外文系英美语言文学专业，1966年在复旦大学研究生毕业。曾任复旦大学英语部主任兼外文系副主任、教授、硕士生导师，上海市翻译家协会副会长，享受国务院特殊津贴。曾参与《英汉大词典》、《英汉双解英语短语动词词典》的编写。主编《大学英语》（精读）（获国家优秀教材特等奖）及“九五”国家重点教材《21世纪大学英语》（获国家优秀教材二等奖）；译著有《乱世佳人》、《钱商》和《阿马罗神父的罪恶》及英美作家海明威、霍桑、贝克特等人的中短篇小说多种。

Lesson One Higher Education in Western Countries
Part I Text
What Makes a Good University Degree Program?
Part II Information Match
Artificial Intelligence Will Change Higher Education
Part III Banked Cloze
Number of Homeschoolers Growing Nationwide
Lesson Two Biography
Part I Text
Hillary Clinton
Part II Information Match
William Shakespeare
Part III Banked Cloze
Life Is Not an Accident
Lesson Three Economy
Part I Text
A New Action Plan
Part II Information Match
Belt and Road Lights Up Global Growth
Part III Banked Cloze
$ 500b to Boost High-speed Rail Plan
Lesson Four Legislation
Part I Text
The Bar
Part II Information Match
The Constitution as Supreme Law
Part III Banked Cloze
Types of Law
Lesson Five New Materials
Part I Text
Reprintable Paper Becoming a Reality
Part II Information Match
New "Sponge" Material Could Trap Power Plant Pollution
Part III Banked Cloze
Window Material Can Block Heat While Still Letting in
the Sunshine
Lesson Six Geology
Part I Text
The Science of Earthquakes
Part II Information Match
The Quake Next Door
Part III Banked Cloze
Asian Earthquake Tragedy
Lesson Seven Resources
Part I Text
The Water Crisis
Part II Information Match
Ditching the Grid for Solar
Part III Banked Cloze
Recycling InitiativesLesson Eight Sports and Arts Part I Text
Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali
Part II Information Match
China's Love Affair with Irresistible South Korean TV
Part III Banked Cloze
Fire Painting Artist Burns His Art
Appendix Key to the Exercises