本书的编写全面贯彻“主题循环、选材多样、听说先导、自主练习”的总体编写原则，在编排体例方面充分考虑不同院校的教学实际和学生自主学习的需要，力图使本教程达到较高的教学可操作性和灵活性。

针对已经具备中等英语基础的大学英语三级学生的思想实际和学习兴趣，本册的选材主题范围注重多样性，包括：历史、友谊、科学有传略、跨文化交流、科学普及等。选文根据学期特点，注意难易交叉，趣味性和知识性相结合。

Unit 1

Part Ⅰ Language Skill

Part Ⅱ Language in Context

Text A A Fable for Tomorrow

Part Ⅲ Toward Productive Language

Text B The Story of Clear Lake

Unit 2

Part Ⅰ Language Skill

Part Ⅱ Language in Context

Text A The Joker

Part Ⅲ Toward Productive Language

Text B After Twenty Years

Unit 3

Part Ⅰ Language Skill

Part Ⅱ Language in Context

Text A The Company Man

Part Ⅲ Toward Productive Language

Text B Seeing Your Way Past Interview Jitters

Unit 4

Part Ⅰ Language Skill

Part Ⅱ Language in Context

Text A My Friend, Albert Einstein

Part Ⅲ Toward Productive Language

Text B Charles Darwin

Unit 5

Part Ⅰ Language Skill

Part Ⅱ Language in Context

Text A A Short Storv about the Vietnam War Memorial

Part Ⅲ Toward Productive Language

Text B D-Day

Unit 6

Part Ⅰ Language Skill

Part Ⅱ Language in Context

Text A The Role of the Undesirables

Part Ⅲ Toward Productive Language

Text B The Last Frontier

Unit 7

Part Ⅰ Language Skill

Part Ⅱ Language in Context

Text A The Lessons of a Graveyard

Part Ⅲ Toward Productive Language

Text B Yes, It Really Was Louis XVII, the Heart of the Doomed Child King Reveals

Unit 8

Part Ⅰ Language Skill

Part Ⅱ Language in Context

Text A On Friendship

Part Ⅲ Toward Productive Language

Text B English and American Concepts of Space

Appendix

Vocabulary