本书共13个单元，每个单元由读前思考问题、背景问题、主课文、单词表及短语表、注释、文体与修辞、练习、副课文、延伸拓展构成。选篇体裁多样，包括叙述文、描写文、说明文、议论文、小说、传记、新闻报道、演讲、戏剧等。选篇题材广泛，涉及社会文化、环境、语言、法律、婚姻家庭等，具有时代性和较强的趣味性。本书课文内容力求精彩生动，富有吸引力，课后练习量形式多样，旨在夯实学生的语言基础，提高学生的语言运用能力。

Contents Unit1 …………………………………………………………………… 1 Text1 Hiroshima — the “ Liveliest ” City in Japan ………………………… 1Text2 Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki Told by a Flight Member ………… 16 Unit2 ………………………………………………………………… 27 Text1 The Middle Eastern Bazaar ………………………………………… 27Text2 The Arab World …………………………………………………… 42 Unit3 ………………………………………………………………… 54 Text1 Apology to the Future ……………………………………………… 54Text2 Ships in the Desert ………………………………………………… 73 Unit4 ………………………………………………………………… 86 Text1 Hit the Nail on the Head …………………………………………… 86Text2 What Is Style? …………………………………………………… 103 Unit5 ………………………………………………………………… 113 Text1 The Loons ………………………………………………………… 113Text2 Race without Face ………………………………………………… 135 Unit6 ………………………………………………………………… 146 Text1 The Trying Twenties ……………………………………………… 146Text2 The Persistent Myth of the Narcissistic Millennial ……………… 165 Unit7 ………………………………………………………………… 173 Text1 The Trial That Rocked the World ………………………………… 173Text2 The Scopes Trial ………………………………………………… 194 Unit8 ………………………………………………………………… 199 Text1 Speech on Hitler ' s Invasion of the U.S.S.R. ……………………… 199Text2 Winston Churchill ' s Poetic Speeches of World War II …………… 217 Unit9 ………………………………………………………………… 226 Text1 Beauty …………………………………………………………… 226Text2 The Beauty Industry ……………………………………………… 243 Unit10 ……………………………………………………………… 250 Text1 Money Madness ………………………………………………… 250Text2 A Culture of Poverty ……………………………………………… 269 Unit11 ……………………………………………………………… 278 Text1 No Sign posts in the Sea(I) ……………………………………… 278Text2 No Sign posts in the Sea(II) ……………………………………… 298 Unit12 ……………………………………………………………… 306 Text1 The Experience …………………………………………………… 306Text2 How to Dig Your Marital Grave in the Quickest Possible Way … 326 Unit13 ……………………………………………………………… 335 Text1 Hedda Gabler ……………………………………………………… 335Text2 Betrayal …………………………………………………………… 363 主要参考文献 ……………………………………………………… 397