该教材从高职高专院校的实际情况出发，将听、说、读、写、译的学习过程和语言实践融为一体，力争在有限的时间内让学生掌握英语知识的综合技能，并能灵活地实际应用。作者根据教学的实践经验，依据知识要点，综合和遴选了目前较为通行的科研学术成果，吸取其他教材和文献资料的长处，进行了系统的研究、探索和创新。

《公共实用英语》是按照《高职高专教育英语课程教学基本要求》和《全国成人高等教育英语课程教学基本要求(非英语专业专科用)》而编写的，同时还参考了《高等学校英语应用能力考试大纲》和《大学英语四级考试大纲》。本教材是为提高高职高专日校及成人教育学生的英语水平，适应高职高专英语教学改革而编写的英语知识综合实用教材，同时，也可以作为自学者进修学习用书。

本套教材共分教材四册、学习指导四册。每册十个单元，每单元包括听力训练(Listening Practice)、口语训练(Oral Practice)、阅读训练(Reading Practice．Text A，Text B，Fast Reading)、写作训练(Writing Practice)、拓宽训练(Further Practice)。

本书为《公共实用英语》教材的第一册。

Unit 1 A New Beginning

  Listening Practice

  Oral Practice

  Reading Practice

Text A College -- A New Beginning

Text B  Advice

Fast Reading Higher Education

  Writing Practice

  Further Practice

Unit 2 Communication

  Listening Practice

  Oral Practice

  Reading Practice

Text A The Way Americans Greet

Text B Loser

Fast Reading The Greeting Ritual

  Writing Practice

  Further Practice

Unit 3 Study

  Listening Practice

  Oral Practice

  Reading Practice

 Text A How I Learned to Speak

 Text B  I Never Write Right

 Fast Reading On Being a Student

  Writing Practice

  Further Practice

Unit 4 Activities

  Listening Practice

  Oral Practice

  Reading Practice

 Text A Turning off TV: A Quiet Hour

 Text B Daniel Mendoza

 Fast Reading Henry Delaunay and the European Chanpionships

  Writing Practice

  Further Practice

Unit 5 Shopping

  Listening Practice

  Oral Practice

  Reading Practice

Text A Home Shopping TV Networks

Text B Product Advertising

Fast Reading Shopping

  Writing Practice

  Further Practice

Unit 6 Music

  Listening Practice

  Oral Practice

  Reading Practice

Text A Rock and Roll

Text B The Beatles

Fast Reading The Deaf Composer

  Writing Practice

  Further Practice

Unit 7 Travel

  Listening Practice 

  Oral Practice

  Reading Practice

Text A Sailing Round the World

Text B  A Travel Experience

Fast Reading Four Beautiful Things About Hawaii

  Writing Practice

  Further Practice

Unit 8 Holidays

  Listening Practice

  Oral Practice

  Reading Practice

Text A Welcoming the New Year

Text B A Typical Halloween Scene

Fast Reading Top Ten April Fool's Day Pranks in the Media

  Writing Practice

  Further Practice

Unit 9 Business

  Listening Practice

  Oral Practice

  Reading Practice

Text A Why Import and Export

Text B Stock

Fast Reading Multinationals

  Writing Practice

  Further Practice

Unit 10 Computer

  Listening Practice

  Oral Practice

  Reading Practice

 Text A Can a Computer Think?

 Text B People and Computers: A Working Relationship

Fast Reading Computer Crime

  Writing Practice

  Further Practice

Appendix Ⅰ Glossary

Appendix Ⅱ Phrases & Expressions