本书编写根据3条主线平行展开：首先，突出主题，围绕中西文化差异组成15个单元，每个单元包括与主题相关的习语以及说明性、记叙性文章各1篇，力争知识性与趣味性相结合；其次，从词到句，从段落到篇章，从主题、中心思想到阅读方法，系统介绍阅读技巧和方法，且阅读理沦与实战演练相结合；此外，配套练习内容与单元主题相融合，题型与英语专业四、八级、国内研究生英语入学考试、托福、雅思、GRE题型接轨。编者匠心独到且认真，内容丰富且新颖，习题多样且精湛，是一本难得的英语文化助读教材。

Unit 1 Cultural Differences
Part 1 Reading Skills
Section A GuessingUnknown Words from the Context I
Section B Practice
Part 2 Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings
Part 3 Reading Passages
Section A American Values and Assumptions
Section B Is this Chinese Candor or a Cultural Handicap?
Part 4 Reading Comprehension Test
Unit 2 Education and Examinations
Part 1 Reading Skills
Section A GuessingUnknown Words from the Context II
Section B Practice
Part 2 Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings
Part 3 Reading Passages
Section A TOEFL and IELTS
Section B The Two Kinds (Excerpt)
Part 4 Reading Comprehension Test
Unit 3 Earning and Spending Money
Part 1 Reading Skills
Section A GuessingUnknown Words from the Context III
Section B Practice
Part 2 Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings
Part 3 Reading Passages
Section A Breaking the Cycle of Borrowing Money and Paying Interest
Section B Needing and Wanting are Different
Part 4 Reading Comprehension Test
Unit 4 Time and Punctuality
Part 1 Reading Skills
Section A GuessingUnknown Words from Word Formation I
Section B Practice
Part 2 Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings
Part 3 Reading Passages
Section A Punctuality Tips and Strategies
Section B The Date Father Didn't Keep
Part 4 Reading Comprehension Test
Unit 5 Attitude toward Life and Death
Part 1 Reading Skills
Section A GuessingUnknown Words from Word Formation II
Section B Practice
Part 2 Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings
Part 3 Reading Passages
Section A Legal Systems Handle Euthanasia Differently Around the Globe
Section B "Am I To Love Life Less?".
Part 4 Reading Comprehension Test
Unit 6 Love, Marriage and Family
Part 1 Reading Skills
SectionA Understanding Sentences
Section B Practice
Part 2 Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings
Part 3 Reading Passages
Section A Liking, Loving and Lust
Section B Story of Regret
Part 4 Reading Comprehension Test
Unit 7 Food and Table Manners
Part 1 Reading Skills
Section A Distinguishing Topic from Main Idea
Section B Practice
Part 2 Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings
Part 3 Reading Passages
SectionA FoodTaboos
Section B Dos and Don'ts when Eating in Britain
Part 4 Reading Comprehension Test
Unit 8 Housing and Subprime Crisis
Part 1 Reading Skills
Section A Finding the Topic Sentence
Section B Practice
Part 2 Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings
Part 3 Reading Passages
Section A Obama Not Planning Another Big Housing Program
Section B Two Neediest Cases of Christina Natale and the Gatherses
Part 4 Reading Comprehension Test
Unit 9 Health and Medicine
Part 1 Reading Skills
Section A Patterns of Details !
Section B Practice
Part 2 Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings
Part 3 Reading Passages
SectionA Medicine's Bright Future
Section B It Takes Courage
Part 4 Reading Comprehension Test
Unit 10 Trade and Economy
Part I Reading Skills
Section A Pattern of Details II
Section B Practice.
Part 2 Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings
Part 3 Reading Passages
Section A The Right Approach
Section B Colors and Their Associations
Part 4 Reading Comprehension Test
Unit 11 Festivals and Holidays
Part 1 Reading Skills
Section A Pattern of Details III
Section B Practice
Part 2 Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings
Part 3 Reading Passages
Section A Public Holidays in theUnited States
Section B A Moving Story
Part 4 Reading Comprehension Test
Unit 12 Music and Movies
Part 1 Reading Skills
Section A Outlining
Section B Practice
Part 2 Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings
Part 3 Reading Passages
Section A Hollywood and Los Angeles
Section B How about China's Hollywood?
Part 4 Reading Comprehension Test
Unit 13 Equality and I

《英语文化选读》的编写以满足学生需求、适应市场需要为出发点。针对目前日益高涨的考研热、出国热，本教材练习的编排尽量与国内研究生入学考试、国外的托福、雅思、GRE或GMAT等重大考试接轨，以激发学生强烈的阅读热情。阅读在各类考试中所占比重都较大，通过对学生进行系统的阅读测试训练，可以帮助他们全面提高阅读水平和阅读能力，从而获得进一步深造的机会。