本书以教育部高等教育司颁布的《高职高专教育英语课程教学基本要求(试行)》为依据，紧密结合英语教学实际，在原教材的基础上适当降低难度。在保留第一版综合本的基础上，对教材的结构进行了调整，为教师的课堂教学和学生的课后复习巩固提供了方便。文化背景知识部分由学生用书调整到教学参考用书，并适当增加了有关课文内容的背景材料。每个单元的练习单独成册，方便学生练习和教师批阅、检查。重新设计和制作了配套CD-Rom光盘，还增加了图文并茂的多媒体教学课件。教学参考用书增加了教学提示，从重点词汇、重要句型、语言技能等三个大的方面提出教学建议。

Unit 1

 Part Ⅰ Listening Comprehension: Festivals and Holidays

 Part Ⅱ Speaking Development: Festivals and Holidays

 Part Ⅲ Integrated Course: U.S. President Bush Honors NBA Champions Miami Heat

One in Three Britons to Shun Thurs. Match

 Part Ⅳ Reading Training: How Basketball Becomes Popular in America?

 Part Ⅴ Writing Work: How to Narrate a Process

Unit 2

 Part Ⅰ Listening Comprehension: Chatting with Friends

 Part Ⅱ Speaking Development: Chatting with Friends 2

 Part Ⅲ Integrated Course: A Special Physical Examination

My Ideal College Life

 Part Ⅳ Reading Training: Hard to Learn a Foreign Language?

 Part Ⅴ Writing Work: How to Explain Cause-Effect Relationship

Unit 3

 Part Ⅰ Listening Comprehension: Banking Services

 Part Ⅱ Speaking Development: Banking Services

 Part Ⅲ Integrated Course: Speech by Margaret Thatcher (Ⅰ)

Speech by Margaret Thatcher (Ⅱ)

 Part Ⅳ Reading Training: Age Structure

 Part Ⅴ Writing Work: How to Narrate Ways and Measures

Unit 4

 Part Ⅰ Listening Comprehension: At the Barber's

 Part Ⅱ Speaking Development: At the Barber's

 Part Ⅲ Integrated Course: Contemporary Mothers

An Older Europe

 Part Ⅳ Reading Training: Are Working Women Happy?

 Part Ⅴ Writing Work: Demonstrating Viewpoints

Unit 5

 Part Ⅰ Listening Comprehension: At the Post Offce

 Part Ⅱ Speaking Development: At the Post Office

 Part Ⅲ Integrated Course: In the Public Interest

The United Nations

 Part Ⅳ Reading Training: American Optimism Challenged?

 Part Ⅴ Writing Work: How to Refute Viewpoints

Unit 6

 Part Ⅰ Listening Comprehension: Traveling by Plane

 Part Ⅱ Speaking Development: Traveling by Plane

 Part Ⅲ Integrated Course: Love Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry (Ⅰ)

Love Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry (Ⅱ)

 Part Ⅳ Reading Training: Arp's Sculptures

Close Friends

 Part Ⅴ Writing Work: How to Compare and Contrast

Unit 7

 Part Ⅰ Listening Comprehension: Visiting American Governments

 Part Ⅱ Speaking Development: Visiting American Governments

 Part Ⅲ Integrated Course: The Real Aunt Molly (Ⅰ)

The Real Aunt Molly (Ⅱ)

 Part Ⅳ Reading Training: Words of Advice from Bill Gates

 Part Ⅴ Writing Work: How to Compare Advantages and Disadvantages

Unit 8

 Part Ⅰ Listening Comprehension: Hotel Services

 Part Ⅱ Speaking Development: Hotel Services

 Part Ⅲ Integrated Course: Merry Christmas

Not Only for Children?

 Part Ⅳ Reading Training: Michelle Yeoh, the Warrior Princess

 Part Ⅴ Writing Work: How to Clarify a Question