本书是本科英语教材，全书共16个单元，其中第七单元和第十四单元为测试单元，便于教师考查学生的学习成效，系统检查知识积累情况。其余14个单元每单元由A、B两个选篇组成，选篇经典，练习丰富，涵盖词汇、语法翻译、口语、写作等全方面语言训练，同时兼顾人文素养的培养。为方便师生使用，本书还配有教师用书。

Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Pronunciation Table
Unit 1
Text A Thinking as a Hobby
Text B The Pleasures of Learning
Unit 2
Text A Spring Sowing
Text B The Earth Poet
Unit 3
Text A Groundless Beliefs
Text B Corn-pone Opinions
Unit 4
Text A Lions and Tigers and Bears
Text B Two Cities
Unit 5
Text A For Want of a Drink
Text B Could You Live with Less？
Unit 6
Text A The Telephone
Text B The Hour of Letdown
Unit 7
Inter-Lesson (Ⅰ)
Unit 8
Text A Economic Growth Is a Path to Perdition, Not Prosperity
Text B All This Progress Is Killing Us, Bite by Bite
Unit 9
Text A The Damned Human Race
Text B A String of Beads
Unit 10
Text A The World House
Text B None of This Is Fair
Unit 11
Text A Soldier's Heart
Text B Secrets
Unit 12
Text A Onwards and Upwards
Text B The Rivals
Unit 13
Text A Cord
Text B My Daughter Smokes
Unit 14
Inter-Lesson (Ⅱ)
Unit 15
Text A A Letter to American Jews (and Other Friends of Israel)
Text B The Never-Ending Fight
Unit 16
Text A Man of the Moment
Text B Is Everybody Happy？
Glossary
Language Items