本书是为已有一定英语水平，并想进一步提高英语阅读欣赏和写作水平的学习者而编的教材。书中所选课文在体裁上包括了英语所有常见的文体，课文的编写符合语言学习的心理过程，题型多样。本教材既适用于在校学生，又适用于自学者，既可作为精读课本，又可作为写作课的辅助教材。

Lesson 1 The Geese

Lesson 2 The Library Card

Lesson 3 Little Deaths

Lesson 4 Desert Notes

Lesson 5 San Francisco is Gone

Lesson 6 The War Room at Bellevue

Lesson 7 Why Don't We Complain?

Lesson 8 University Days

Lesson 9 Sexism and Language

Lesson 10 TV Addiction

Lesson 11 Philiatines and Philistinism

Lesson 12 The Nature of Scientific Reasoning

Lesson 13 A Strong President

Lesson 14 Rich Doctors, Poor Nurses

21 I didn't know what he wanted to do. He hadn't pulled out his gun. "Can we turn him loose? Maybe he isn't wild. Maybe he just wandered up here on his own."