本书紧扣《大学英语课程教学要求》，聚焦阅读课的中心任务，集中提高学生获取信息的能力和阅读理解能力，并让学生通过自主学习提高对四、六级考试阅读题的解题能力。

全书注重人文主义教育，通过选取生动有趣的故事，突出向善、向上、爱人、助人、乐观进取、服务社会等主题，使学生在学习语言的同时塑造自己的性格，发展健康的个性，提高自身素质。

本书注意为学生自主学习创造条件，除了注重课文的趣味性之外，还特意设计了Reading for Information；Reading for Pleasure和Test Your Reading3个板块。

Unit One

 Part Ⅰ Reading for Information

Pre-reading Questions

Text: I Fell in Love, or My Hormones Awakened

Exercises

 Part Ⅱ Reading for Pleasure

Text 1: Love in an Unlikely Season

Exercises

Text 2: The Baggy Yellow Shirt

Exercises

 Part Ⅲ Test Your Reading

It's Radi-O

Exercises

Unit Two

 Part Ⅰ Reading for Information

Pre-reading Questions

Text: Bricklayer's Boy

Exercises

 Part Ⅱ Reading for Pleasure

Text 1: Lessons of a Lifetime

Exercises

Text 2: A Father's Legacy

Exercises

 Part Ⅲ Test Your Reading

Lifeline

Exercises

Unit Three

 Part Ⅰ Reading for Information

Pre-reading Questions

Text: Underground Rome

Exercises

 Part Ⅱ Reading for Pleasure

Text 1: The Real Test

Exercises

Text 2: These Good Guys Finish First

Exercises

 Part Ⅲ Test Your Reading

No Phone, No Pool, No Pets

Exercises

Unit Four

 Part Ⅰ Reading for Information

Pre-reading Questions

Text: There Is No Unmarked Woman

Exercises

 Part Ⅱ Reading for Pleasure

Text 1: Neighbors

Exercises

Text 2: The Spirit of the Olympics

Exercises

 Part Ⅲ Test Your Reading

Why Women Smile

 Exercises

Unit Five

 Part Ⅰ Reading for Information

Pre-reading Questions

Text: Evaluating Scientific Explanations

Exercises

 Part Ⅱ Reading for Pleasure

Text 1: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things

Exercises

Text 2: Help Your Child Make Friends

Exercises

 Part Ⅲ Test Your Reading

Two Cheers for Hypocrisy

Exercises

Unit Six

 Part Ⅰ Reading for Information

Pre-reading Questions

Text: Change in the English Language

Exercises

 Part Ⅱ Reading for Pleasure

Text 1: Four Minutes That Get You Hired

Exercises

Text 2: The Art of Remembering Names

Exercises

 Part Ⅲ Test Your Reading

Words: Our Important Tools

Exercises

Appendix Glossary