本书为北京外国语学院胡文仲、扬立民等同志所编《大学英语教程》（College English）一、二、三、四册的续编，供大学英语本科高年级阅读课使用。
进入高年级阶段，阅读课应以提高学生自学能力、利用辞典及其它工具书独立解决语言及背景知识的难点、正确理解课文及作者的观点为主要目的。因此，本书注释力求精简，一般只包括在学生现有的工具书中较难查到的背景知识。有的语言或背景知识难点是“练习”要求学生解答的，未列“注释”。
进入高年级后，学生不可能在课上课下做许多练习，因此，只设计了三部分：（一）侧重内容理的是非题；（二）测验学生对语言难点的理解；（三）部分讨论题。

Lesson One Text:Rashid's School at Okhla by Santha Rama Rau
Lesson Two Text:Four Choices for Young People
Lesson Three:Text:Rock Superstars:What Do They Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society?
Lesson Four Text:A Most Forgiving Ape by Alan Moorehead
Lesson Five Text:A most Forgiving Ape
Lesson Six Text:A Lesson in Living by Maya Angelou
Lesson Seven Text:A lesson in living
Lesson Eight Text:I'd Rather Be Black Than Female by Shirly Chisholm
Lesson Nine Text:The Trouble With Television
Lesson Ten Text:On Getting Off to Sleep by J.B.Priestley
Lesson Eleven Text:Why I Write by George Orwell
Lesson Twelve Text:Work by Bertrand Russell
Lesson Thirteen Text:I Would Like to Tell You Something by John F.Kerry
Lesson Fourteen Text:Are All Generalizations False?by Lionel Ruby Robert E.Yarber
Lesson Fifteen Text:The Beauty Industry by Aldous Huxley
Lesson Sixteen Text:Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield