本书在选材上注重趣味性、信息性、可思性、时代性和前瞻性，题材广泛，内容丰富，主要涉及语言、文化、习俗、伦理、信息、科学、社会焦点等等。每一单元侧重于讨论一个话题，但三篇课文的体裁不尽相同，体现文体的多样性。课文绝大部分选自20世纪90年代出版的英美报刊书籍，也有新世纪刚刚问世的作品。书中每篇课文控制在1000词左右，重点培养学生读、写、译的技能。

本书每个单元的开首均有Preview，其词数在100词左右，言简意赅地点出本单元的中心主题，是本单元的导读篇，既可以用作预习，也可以在撰写本单元的summary时作为参考。

Unit 1

Section A A Technological Revolutionin Education

Section B Be Your Own Tailor

Section C  A Walk Through Cambridge University

Unit 2

Section A Do We Really Want Eternal Life?

Section B Scientists on the Threshold of Altering Our Descendants

Section C  The Leaders of Tomorrow—and Today

Unit 3

Section A An Introduction to Sales Promotion

Section B The Package as Product

Section C  Auto Maintenance—Don't Get Taken for a Ride！

Unit 4

Section A Work Still Has Value

Section B The Goodness in Guilt

Section C  In Defense of Ambition

Unit 5

Section A Vancouver:A City Risen From the Forest

Section B New Rockets for the New Space Age

Section C  ADigitalExplosionintheWorldEconomy

Unit 6

Section A Identity Theft:A New Epidemic

Section B Crime and Religion:An African Viewpoint

Section C  The Confession of a Pickpocket

Unit 7

Section A The Melissa Virus:A Call to Action

Section B A Growing Plague of Hackers Threatens Business

Section C  Still No Justice for Computer Crimes

Unit 8

Section A Money Can't Buy Morality

Section B John Lennon:The Conscience of Rock ＆ Roll

Section C  Get a Tank

Appendices

Glossary

Word Counting

在线教学系统学生使用说明