本书的编写，坚持了知识性、科学性和生动性三项原则。知识性即书中的选材除了反应现代英语的特点外，同时也反映了英、美等使用英语的**的现状，以扩大学生的知识面。科学性即本书每个单元均以课文为**，编写相当数量的雷同语篇作为练习，这样同一语言现象自然地反复出现，使学生系统而科学地巩固所学的词语。生动性即突破过去单句练习的单调与局限，选编**的短文和章节，以填空、改错、选择等多种形式，使学生在语言的交流中，生动有趣地进行学习。
本书分上、下两册，每册均配有自学手册。上册包括十个单元，每个单元除课文外分为四节：一、学习辅导；二、一般性练习；三、阅读练习；四、写作练习。**、二节练习的主要是使学生加深对课文的理解、熟悉在课文中学到的语言现象。第三节练习是课文的扩展，目的主要是培养学生的阅读能力，巩固并扩大在课文中所学到的词语。第四节主要是使学生用写课文摘要等形式，运用在本单元中所学到的语言现象提高写作能力，每节内的项目，根据不同课文拟定，不要求完全一致。

序言
编者的话
Unit One
Text:The Computer Society:Business from Time
Section 1 Aids to Study
Section 2 General Exercises
Section 3 Reading Exercises
Section 4 Writing Exercis
Unit Two
Text:The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Section 1 Aids to Study
Section 2 General Exercises
Section 3 Reading Exercises
Section 4 Writing Exercis
Unit Three
Text:Why Are You Laughing?by Ashley Montague
Section 1 Aids to Study
Section 2 General Exercises
Section 3 Reading Exercises
Section 4 Writing Exercis
Unit Four
Text:Life on Other Planets by Isaac Asimov
Section 1 Aids to Study
Section 2 General Exercises
Section 3 Reading Exercises
Section 4 Writing Exercis
Unit Five
Text:Newspapers in the Capitalist World by Francis Williams
Section 1 Aids to Study
Section 2 General Exercises
Section 3 Reading Exercises
Section 4 Writing Exercis
Unit Six
Text:Notes from the underground from Time
Section 1 Aids to Study
Section 2 General Exercises
Section 3 Reading Exercises
Section 4 Writing Exercis
Unit Seven
Text:In the Antarctic by W.M. Smith
Section 1 Aids to Study
Section 2 General Exercises
Section 3 Reading Exercises
Section 4 Writing Exercis
Unit Eight
Text:Taking a Bite out of the Big Apple by Lorraine Simith
Section 1 Aids to Study
Section 2 General Exercises
Section 3 Reading Exercises
Section 4 Writing Exercis
Unit Nine
Text:The Sun and Beyond by Alvin Toffler
Section 1 Aids to Study
Section 2 General Exercises
Section 3 Reading Exercises
Section 4 Writing Exercis
Unit Ten
Text:Science in the Capitalist World Form Science in History
Section 1 Aids to Study
Section 2 General Exercises
Section 3 Reading Exercises
Section 4 Writing Exercis