古人云：“熟读唐诗三百首，不会作诗也会吟。”古人又云：“读书破万卷，下笔如有神。”英伦名仕弗朗西斯．培根爵士亦云：“Reading maketh a full man.”（读书使人**。）英语中更有格言，日：“Reading is to the mind what exercise to the body."（阅读之于心灵，犹如运动之于身体。）
学习一门语言，阅读和背诵是两件很重要的事情。
阅读可以使人明理，使人睿智。在阅读的过程中，我们感知语言的美，感悟语境的美。通过阅读，我们培养语感，积累素材；通过阅读，我们体验文化，训练思维。
背诵可以使人博古通今，使人雄辩。在背诵的过程中，我们体验英语的用词习惯，感受英语的行文习惯。通过背诵，我们巩固词汇，强化写作；通过背诵，我们提升思维，拓展自我。
为了给高中学生的英语学习提供阅读和背诵的材料，经过一年多的筹备，组织来自杭州外国语学校等一批名校的中学**、**教师和**的中学一级教师，编写了《英语经典美文诵读》（高一年级、高二年级）。
本书选材时充分考虑了《高中英语课程标准》的要求和现行人教版英语教材的语法、词汇及话题。所选文章题材

Section One Art
Passage 1 Painting of Peaee
Passage 2 Life and Music
Passage 3 Ballet-the Dance of Kings
Passage d The Effects of Movies
Passage 5 Artists
Passage 6 Life in a Violin Case
Passage 7 Cartoon-a Combination of Art and Humor
Passage 8 Music and Intelligence
Passage 9 The Dance of Life
Passage 10 The City of Florence
Section Two Education
Passage 1 The Old Man and the Boy
Passage 2 Read All Your Life
Passage 3 Remember the Small Things
Passage 4 The Most Successful Dropout
Passage 5 Don't Work for Money
Passage 6 We're Raising Children, Not Flowers!
Passage 7 Tattoos
Passage 8 For the Sake of Other Men
Passage 9 Just Once
Passage 10 Making the Opportunity
Section Three Nature
Passage 1 Man Versus Nature
Passage 2 Bend, but Don't Break
Passage 3 Protecting Wolves
Passage 4 The Locust Tree outside the Window
Passage 5 What Is Ecotourism?
Passage 6 Earth Is Losing Species
Passage 7 Mountain Scenery
Passage 8 A Snowy Winter Morning
Passage 9 A Ramble after Rainfall
Passage 10 At Night
Section Four Peace
Passage 1 Beauty of the Mind
Passage 2 Spring
Passage 3 Country Night
Passage 4 Gettysburg Address
Passage 5 To Princess Diana
Passage 6 Lennon Lives Forever
Passage 7 No War-for Peace
Passage 8 Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat
Passage 9 9.11 Address to the Nation
Passage 10 The Quest for Peace and Justice
Section Five Success
Passage 1 For Success in Life
Passage 2 On Achieving Success
Passage 3 Good Mistakes
Passage 4 The DNA of Success
Passage 5 Let Us Smile
Passage 6 The Millionaire Mind
Passage 7 Communication
Passage 8 Dance Like No One's Watching
Passage 9 Self-control
Passage 10 Frankness
Section Six Wisdom
Passage 1 Be Happy
Passage 2 The Dreams
Passage 3 A Tale of Two Cities
Passage 4 Limit Your Losses
Passage 5 A Hen-pecked Husband
Passage 6 Old Pontifex
Passage 7 My Home
Passage 8 Courage
Passage 9 Follow Your Heart
Passage 10 Inaugural Speech