本书主要针对修读大学英语四级或四级以上的学生或相应水平的学生。对于想要提高英语水平和愿意多接触一些英语科普文章的广大科技工作者，本书也不失为一本有价值的参考书。

全书分为两个部分：第一部分为精读(IntensiveReadings)，共50篇，每篇篇幅在160至450英语词之间；第二部分为泛读(Extensive Readings)，共10篇，每篇篇幅在650到850英语词之间。第一部分每篇文章后附有阅读理解练习和英译中练习，帮助学生提高阅读技能和翻译技能；第二部分不提供练习，只提供注释和生词。本书可用作中学课外提高班教材，也可供修读大学英语四级或四级以上的学生用作课外阅读。

 INTENSIVE READINGS

1 No Clowning Around

2 Leaness W10nder

3 Tuned Out

4 Featherweight

5 CleanRide

6 Most Distant Planet：Found

7 ChargedUp

8 Fruit to Shoppers：Bite Me

9 Dried Up

10 Coat Makes Wearer Invisible

11 It’S a Car,It’S a Boat

12 Pumped-Up Drinks Don’t Help Athletes

13 Sea Level Rising

14 Scout’S Invention Improves Airport Security

15 StirringGiant

16 Teen Hubble

17 Top Jumper

18 Rescue Hovercraft Designed for Towering Infernos

19 Rainstorms Might Trigger Volcanic Blowouts

20 Endangered Species

21 Electric SkisGet aGriponSnow

22 FriedFish

23 Eyes in the Sky Sense Forest Fire

Passage 24 Mini Mouse Dies

Passage 25 Brain Cells Control Robot‘Artist’

Passage 26 Spender Bender

Passage 27 CrowMakesHerOwnTools

Passage 28 Did Doctors Kin Napol60n

Passage 29 Rock Steady

Passage 30 Dune Tunes

Passage 31 Now That’S Intense

Passage 32 Funny Accent Mystery Decoded

Passage 33 Privacy Protector Is Also a Boon for Shoplifters

Passage 34 Teen’S Cancer Research Win$50．000 Prize

Passage 35 Cheap 3D Scanner Coming Soon to a Desktop Near You

Passage 36 World Is Growing Darker

Passage 37 Did Floods Carve Grand Canyons on Earth——and Mars

Passage 38 TurkeyTime

Passage 39 Space Rock Barely Misses Sleeping Teen

Passage 40 States Sue Power Companies

Passage 41 Mouse Has Two Mommies

Passage 42 Exercise Sends Distress Signal

Passage 43 Operation Relieves Man of Hiccups

Passage 44 Sandcastle Physics

Passage 45 Zoom!Zoom!Zoom!Boogie Jet Breaks Barrier

Passage 46 End ofEden

Passage 47 Nearsightedness

Passage 48 Fighting Fire with a Steam Machine

Passage 49 Wonder Webs Golden Orb Weaver Spider

Passage 50 WhichWayIsNorth

II EXTENSⅣE READINGS

1 Big White Lies

2 Gone With the Wind

3 Seeing inTongues

4 Flap Happy

5 Twisted

6 HighDive

7 Ready,Set，Squirt

8 SuddenImpact

9 FacetoFace

10 Masters of the Sea

KEY TO EXERCISES

CLOSSARY

美国各州州名及缩写表