本书紧扣外语专业低年级教学大纲。本教材根据大纲规定的听、说、读、写诸方面的要求,进行语言训练,有计划地通过两年的教学,达到大纲中的各项指标。在练习的形式上也注意与四级考试的题型接轨,以便学生适应低年级结束阶段的全国统一测试。
强调语言基本功训练。任何一位外语工作者都需要扎实的语言基本功,而终生起着语言示范作用的教师更为如此。语言基本功需要通过艰苦的强化训练才能掌握,为此本针对各种语言技能设计了大量的练习,旨在对学生进行系统的强化训练。
18个项目集于一课书内,以课文为核心,围绕课文,开展多层次训练,以期使学生在听、说、读、写四项技能方面下扎实的基础。
本书的练习数量很大,其中部分练习可布置学生的课外完成。这样既能按计划每周教完一课,又可以培养学生独立进行语言训练和解决问题的能力。

Unit 1 Text :At a Meeting
Spoken English: Greeting Someone and Saying Goodbye
Grammar: The Simple Present Tense
Phonetics: Long Vowels
Unit 2 Text :Doctored-up English
Spoken English: Thanking and Responding to Thanks
Grammar: The Simple Past Tense
Phonetics: Short Vowels
Unit 3 Text :Learn &Remember
Spoken English: Starting a Conversation
Grammar: -ing Participles(1)
Phonetics: Short Vowels Contrasted,Long-short Vowels Contrasted
Unit 4 Text :The First Four Minutes
Spoken English: Introducing Someone
Grammar: Nominal That-causes&Wh-clauses
Phonetics:Dipthongs(1)
Unit 5 Text : British and American English
Spoken English: Saying What You Want
Grammar:While,As,When
Phonetics:Dipthongs(2)
Unit 6 Text :Learning by Doing
Unit 7 Text :Words in Context
Unit 8 Text :Never Say Goodbye
Unit 9 Text :Ants
Unit 10 Text :A Language Teacher's Personal Opinion
Unit 11 Text :Looking for a Cooking Job
Unit 12 Text :The Younger Generation
Unit 13 Text :It's Cheaper But …
Unit 14 Text :Entertainment at No Cost
Unit 15 Text :Waiting for a 145 Bus
Unit 16 Text :Is Advertising Always for the Good ?
Unit 17 Text :Choosing Reference Aids
Unit 18 Text :Better Left Unsaid
Vocabulary