本套教材共四册，以艺术概论为核心内容进行编排，1－4册分别聚焦艺术的历史（艺术发生论）、艺术的创作（艺术本体论）、艺术与人生（艺术功能论）和艺术与社会（艺术接受论），分别对接通用英语基础和提高、学术英语初阶与中阶能力的培养目标。每册均含8个单元，各册第一单元都为该册核心内容的总体概览，后面7个单元分别围绕美术、音乐、舞蹈、电影、戏剧戏曲、服饰、建筑7大艺术门类的主题依次展开。每个单元的两篇文章分别从中外两个视角呈现其主题内容。本书为第一册。
读者目标：艺术类院校、综合性高校艺术类专业、师范类高校艺体类专业本科生和研究生；艺术英语学习爱好者。

Unit 1 The History of Art
Reading A
Art versus Artifact
Reading B
Quick Guide to the 5 Different Forms of Art
Unit 2 The History of Western and Chinese Fine Arts
Reading A
A Brief History of Western Art
Reading B
Chinese Landscape Painting
Unit 3 The History of Symphony Orchestra and Chinese Orchestra
Reading A
The Advent of Symphony and Symphony Orchestra
Reading B
The Contemporary Chinese Folk Orchestra
Unit 4 The Historytof Dance
Reading A
History of Western Dance
Reading B
History of Chinese Dance
Unit 5 The History of Film
Reading A
A Brief History of Cinema
Reading B
A Brief History About the Development of Film in China
Unit 6 The History of Theater
Reading A
The Art of a Theater
Reading B
History of Traditional Chinese Opera
Unit 7 The History of Fashion
Reading A
Global Fashions in the New Era
Reading B
Ancient Chinese Costume—-Hanfu
Unit 8 The History of Architecture
Reading A
The Story of Building
Reading B
Basic Features of Chinese Architecture