本系列教材的编写遵循高职高专教育“实用为主、够用为度”的总体指导方针，充分反映学生英语学习的规律和要求。教材的设计充分考虑到英语专业的课程设置、课时及教学要求。
《世纪应用英语阅读精选基础篇Ⅰ》(第二版)共12个单元和4个Review练习，其目的在于帮助学生进行阶段性复习并巩固所学内容。文章篇幅均限制在500～650词。每个单元设有一个主题，分别涉及新生生活、友谊、文化与艺术、购物、家庭与幸福、寻找真爱、感恩节、旅游、中国城、教育的意义、学习与工作等。这些主题均与学生的现实生活息息相关，容易激发学生的英语学习兴趣。

Unit 1 Freshmen
Reading Strategy: Active Reading
Reading A Library Science
Reading B The First-year College Experience
Unit 2 Friendship
Reading Strategy: Finding and Understanding the Main Idea
Reading A The Unlikely Friendship
Reading B Admire Their Glow.
Unit 3 Culture & Arts
Reading Strategy: Identifying Topic Sentences
Reading A The World Bodypainting Festival
Reading B The Beatles
Review 1(1～3)
Unit 4 Shopping
Reading Strategy: Making Inferences
Reading A Amazon Customers Banned for Too Many Returns
Reading B Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping
Unit 5 Home and Happiness
Reading Strategy: Reading Aloud
Reading A The Prince's Happy Heart
Reading B What's Happiness?
Unit 6 Finding Love
Reading Strategy: Scanning
Reading A Fast Track to Love
Reading B Love vs, Adversity
Review 2 (4～6)
Unit 7 Thanksgiving
Reading Strategy: Skimming
Reading A Thanksgiving Day
Reading B Thanksgiving Day, 2011 -- A Proclamation
Unit 8 Travel
Reading Strategy: Summarizing
Reading A Estonia
Reading B The Mosuo Family in Yunnan Ethnic Villages
Unit 9 Chinatown
Reading Strategy: Understanding Intention
Reading A Honoring Chinatown
Reading B Vancouver's Chinatown in Revitalization Efforts
Review 3 (7～9)
Unit 10 Pondering on Education
Reading Strategy: Understanding by Categorizing
Reading A What I Learned at School
Reading B Nothing Wrong with Education System
Unit 11 Study and Work
Reading Strategy: Making Predictions
Reading A How to Juggle Study and Work
Reading B The Battle over Homework
Unit 12 Funny English
Reading Strategy: Understanding Definitions
Reading A Ten Funny Ways to Learn English Better
Reading B Funny English Errors
Review 4(10～12)
Vocabulary