本书是按照教育部颁布的两个英语教学大纲的要求结合中国英语教学的特点编写的，与国内现有的英语报刊教程有以下特点：

1.符合教育部《高等院校英语专业高年级英语教学大纲》六级和八级的要求。

2.突破了同类教材在题材和体裁方面的狭隘性。课文的编写重点以阅读和讨论为主要目的，旨在拓宽大学生知识的覆盖面，提高学生分析问题和判断是非的能力，扩大信息的交流。

Unit One The United Nations

Text A Midlife Crisis

Text B The World's Toughest Job

Research Reading

1. The United Nations

2. The Ignoble Abuse of the Noble UN

3. US Leader Vowing to Settle UN Back Fees

4. States Seek a Voice on Expanded UN Council

5. Annan: Time for Members Turn

6. UN Dues, Round 3

7. Nation Issues Call for UN Dues to be Paid on Time

Unit Two Unification of Europe

Text A Europe: How Fast? How Far?

Text B 1. Has Europe Failed in Asia?

  2. A Whole New Game

Research Reading

1. Unity and Division-

2. EU Rethinks the Size of Europe

Unit Three The Middle East

Text A All Together Now

Text B Consequences of Power

Research Reading

1. Poisoning Peace

2. Palestinian Trust Key to Israel Security.

3. New Israeli Team, New Peace Hope

4. Syria and Israel Start Historic Talks

Unit Four The Gulf War

Text A Iraq Crisis Reflects Shift in World Alliances

Text B The Weapons Inside the High-tech Arsenal

Research Reading

1. An Echo from the Past

2. A Storm Erupts

3. High-tech Payoff

4. Diplomacy

5. Will Saddam Blink?

Unit Five Former Soviet Union and Russia

Text A Final Dissolution of an Empire

Text B Russia's Future Shadowed by Centuries of Conquest

Research Reading

1. Power Plays

2. Yeltsin Dismisses Russian Cabinet

3. Wary IMF Gives Russia a Hand

4. In Post-Soviet Russia, Law Enforcement Takes a Holiday

5. Russians at a Brink in Chechnya

6. Putin Plans No Hasty Action over Chechnya

Unit Six The Balkans

Text A Reluctant Warrior

Text B The Drive for Countries of Their Own

Research Reading

1. Have US Efforts in Bosnia Helped to Stop the War?

2. NATO Has the Birthday Blues

3. Can NATO Build States?

4. Kosovo War---A Lucky Escape?

Unit Seven Organized Crime

Text A Global Mafia ( Part One)

Text B Global Mafia (Part Two)

Research Reading

1. The Trades Go Global

2. The Crime Bust

Unit Eight Nuclear Proliferation and Environmental Protection

Text A Formula for Terror

Text B Food for Thought

Research Reading

1. Bombs Away

2. US Prods Russia on Missile Defense

3. They'll Get The Money

4. Russian Nuclear Bombs Said "Missing"

5. McDonald's Influence Goes beyond Burgers

6. What Made Me a Crusader

附录1 世界主要英文报刊简介

附录2 英文报刊的版面及新闻标题阅读常识