■ 通过本书可以学习哪些知识？What you can learn from this book？
扩大、记忆和有效复用生词的科学方法
句型的结构形式及语篇功能的相互关系
各类体裁文章的结构规律
由点及面、由浅及深的阅读技能
易于把握、便于操作的写作技巧训练

■ 本书适用于那些读者？Who the book is designed for？
英语专业本科一年级学生
非英语专业本科一、二年级学生
培训期为半年以上的成人训练班的学生
希望提高英语读写能力的高中水平以上的英语自学者

■ 如何使用本书？How you may use this book？
Section
部分——按照与人有关的方方面面划分的课文总框架，使学生全方位地接触社会生活的相关知识、词语表达。
 Unit
单元——由三篇题材相同、甚至话题相同的课文组成，各单元由记叙文过渡到各种体裁相结合,调动学生对同一问题进行多角度思考的能力及分析能力，了解各种体裁文章的结构知识。
Reading Skill
阅读技能——分为字面意义理解、引申意义理解及批评性理解三个阶段,从词句理解上升为对作者

编者的话
序
General Remarks on Reading
Section One Humans and Culture
Unit 1 The Westerners Character
Text A Americans Are Queer
Text B Tea Custom
Text C Canadians Temperament
Unit 2 Intercultural Communication
Text A Conversational Ballgames
Text B Body Language—Nonverbal Communication
Text C The Customs and Language of Social Interaction—Compliment
Section Two Mind and Action
Unit 3 SelfImprovement
Text A Secrets of StraightA Students
Text B The Power of a Good Name
Text C The Art of Smart Guessing
Unit 4 Friendship
Text A How to Build Better Friendships
Text B Friends, Good Friends—and Such Good Friends
Text C Friendship
Unit 5 Personality of a Leader
Text A What Happened to Civility?
Text B What Makes a Leader?
Text C The Qualities of Leadership
Unit 6 Love and Marriage
Text A Appointment with Love
Text B Could You Have Loved as Much?
Text C Antinuclear Reaction
Section Three Technology and Economy
Unit 7 Technology
Text A The Dangers of Television
Text B It s Not “All in the Genes”
Text C Nabbing the Pirates of Cyberspace
Unit 8 Economy
Text A Persuading the Reluctant Spenders
Text B Like Herrings in a Barrel
Text C Why No Longer So Alluring
Glossary
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
Unit 7
Unit 8