国内英语专业学生在提升语言能力、理解和把握西方社会文化方面所受的环境制约。最具影响力的美国三大新闻周刊《时代》、《新闻周刊》和《美国新闻与报道》采用新颖、口语化的语言，全方位地报道，多角度、高层面地点评、剖析了全球，特别是当今美国政治、经济、外交、宗教、人物、文化及社会生活潮流等诸多方面，是学习今日“活”的美语的一种好方式，更是全景透视现时美国社会和文化的一个窗口。编者精心地从这三大期刊中每期的特别报道或评述中选编并加以分类。在查阅了大量的背景资料的基础上，配写了导读性提问、正文背景补充、语言难点注释、理解性提问及与之相关的参考资料，以帮助读者更好地理解原文，把握其内涵。本书每篇文章分为六个部分：预习性的讨论部分、正文部分、正文背景补充、注释、进一步讨论部分等。 可供英语专业大三或大四学生三十多课时的学习。

Part One People

 Section One: The Book of Bob

      (Newsweek, October 4, 2004)

 Section Two: Michael Moore and His Fahrenheit 9/11

      (Time, July 12, 2004)

 Section Three: The Real Lincoln

      (U.S. News, February 21, 2005)

Part Two Politics and Society

 Section Four: Blue Truth, Red Truth

      (Time, September 27, 2004)

 Section Five: Class Conscious

      (U.S. News, May 2, 2005)

 Section Six: Lessons of the Schiavo Battle

      (Time, April 4, 2005)

Part Three Election

 Section Seven: The Secret Money War

      (Newsweek, September 20, 2004)

 Section Eight: Inside the Debate Strategies

      (Time, October 4, 2004)

 Section Nine: Second Act

      (U.S. News, November 15, 2004)

Part Four Religion

 Section Ten: Behind the First Noel

      (Time, December 13, 2004)

 Section Eleven: From Jesus to Christ

      (Newsweek, March 28, 2005)

Part Five International Relations

 Section Twelve: Struggle for the Soul of Islam

      (Time, September 13, 2004)

 Section Thirteen: Road Warrior & Thawing Out

      (U.S. News, February 28/March 7, 2005)

Part Six Life

 Section Fourteen: Plotting Your Savings Strategy

      (U.S. News, September 6, 2004)

 Section Fifteen: Social Security, Bush's Big Bet

      (Newsweek, February 14, 2005)

 Section Sixteen: Wither the Dollar & Bottom Dollar

      (Time, December 20, 2004; Newsweek, March 21, 2005)

Part Seven Science and Technology

 Section Seventeen: Brain Check & Yoga Lessons

      (Newsweek, September 27, 2004)

 Section Eighteen: How to Live to Be 100

      (Time, August 30, 2004)

Glossary