张华编著的《澳大利亚社会与文化》介绍澳大利亚多元文化：多种习俗以及生活方式和多元社会价值观。以多元共存作为文化的切入点，提高学生跨文化的意识，培养学生包容文化差异的能力，拓展学生的视野。学生可以通过了解这个国家的社会历史和文化来学习语言，提高学生的英语语言能力。

张华编著的《澳大利亚社会与文化》是中国高等院校非英语专业大学生在完成国家教委规定的大学英语四级学习后的英语拓展课程教材。它比较全面地从澳大利亚土著人历史、澳大利亚国家的建立、该国的地理、政治、经济、文化、文学、传媒、电影工业以及体育等领域来介绍这个由多元文化建构起来的国家。澳大利亚位于亚洲—太平洋地区，它的地理位置决定了它在未来世界政治、经济和外交等方面的重要作用。因此，认识澳大利亚这样一个国家，是构建21世纪青年学生跨学科知识框架中不可缺少的一部分。深层次地了解澳大利亚的文化、政治和经济，《澳大利亚社会与文化》可以帮助学生学习和分享澳大利亚的多元文化成果，为日后从事跨学科研究积累知识和经验。

Chapter 1 Geography and ecological environment

 1.1 Overview: An old continent and a unique environment

1.1.1 Geographical features

1.1.2 Rivers and lakes

1.1.3 The climate

1.1.4 States and territories

1.1.5 Ecological environment

 1.2 Reading passage: Australian lungfish, Neocreatodus Forsteri,threatened by a new dam

Chapter 2 The Aborigines and Australian history

 2.1 Overview

2.1.1 The earliest Australian history and cultural heritage

2.1.2 From British colony to an independent nation

 2.2 Reading passage: War and national survival

Chapter 3 Politics and economics

 3.1 Overview

3.1.1 Australian politics: A British past and an Asian future

3.1.2 Australian economics: From a country riding on the sheeps'back to a stable and competitive economy

 3.2 Reading passage: Getting a grip on bonecrushers

Chapter 4 Education and globalization of Australia's higher education

 4.1 Overview: A well-developed system with high quality

4.1.1 The primary and secondary education

4.1.2 The higher education (Tertiary education)

4.1.3 International students

 4.2 Reading passage: Globalization and Australia's higher education

Chapter 5 Mass media and film industry

 5.1 Overview: Vigorous development and free expression

5. 1. 1 Newspaper

5.1.2 Television

5.1.3 Film industry

 5.2 Reading passage: Creative nation- approaching Australian cinema and cultural studies

Chapter 6 Multiculturalism

 6.1 Overview: A cohesive and diverse country

6.1.1 Australian multiculturalism

6.1.2 The historical progress of multiculturalism

 6.2 Reading passage 1: Is Australia a multicultural nation?

 Reading passage 2: Cultural attitudes and Aussie communicative style

Chapter 7 Literature

 7.1 Overview: From the bush myth to international recognition

7.1.1 The period of colonialism (1788--1888)

7.1.2 The period of nationalism (1889--1913)

7.1.3 The period of the world wars (1914--1945)

7.1.4 The contemporary period (1946--now)

 7.2 Reading passage: The drover's wife

Chapter 8 Recreations and sports

 8.1 Overview: The recreational society and a sporting life

8.1.1 Australian national public holidays

8.1.2 A sporting life

 8.2 Reading passage: A brief historical overview of sport and recreation

Keys to Exercises

References