本书为《英语阅读教程》第四册,包括10单元,40篇课文。课文内容多为人物传记、历史故事、文艺小说、各地风情、科普知识等。课文长度为1100～1400词之间,词汇难度在5000基本词之内。 　　本书的编排体例与前三册基本相同。在“学习阅读技能”部分中,本书着重介绍了略读和跳读并配有各种形式的阅读材料,以期学生能通过本套泛读课本的学习,综合运用多种阅读技巧,最终达到快速阅读、充分理解、获得信息的目的。书后附有参考答案。 　　本书配有学习辅导书,辅导书内容包括:阅读文章难点注释及参考译文。

Unit I Texts 1—4
  IA Reading for Comprehension and Speed
   1. In Search of Silence
   2. Robert Baden-Powell, Secret Agent
   3. Safeguarding Life
   4. Along the Mighty Thames
  IB Learning about Reading Skills
  IC Testing Your Reading Comprehension and Speed
Unit II Texts 5—8
  IIA Reading for Comprehension and Speed
   5. The House That Hippo Built
   6. Religions of the East
   7. Manners Here, Manners There
   8. The House of Alphonse
  IIB Learning about Reading Skills
  IIC Testing Your Reading Comprehension and Speed
Unit III Texts 9—12
  IIIA Reading for Comprehension and Speed
   9. Weather Catastrophe—Then and Now?
   10. The Chimp-O-Mat
   11. The Noisy World of the Skindiver
   12. The Wisdom of Socrates
  IIIB Learning about Reading Skills
  IIIC Testing Your Reading Comprehension and Speed
Unit IV Texts 13—16
  IVA Reading for Comprehension and Speed
   13. Telltale Trees
   14. Six Months in Another World
   15. The Strange Saga of Ivan the Terrible
   16. Our Greatest Possession
  IVB Learning about Reading Skills
  IVC Testing Your Reading Comprehension and Speed
Unit V Texts 17—20
  VA Reading for Comprehension and Speed
   17. Sweet Jubilee
   18. On Being Translated into English
   19. Organized Crime
   20. Lady of the Wasteland
  VB Learning about Reading Skills
  VC Testing Your Reading Comprehension and Speed
Unit VI Texts 21—24
  VIA Reading for Comprehension and Speed
   21. The Man Who Made Mickey Mouse
   22. Ive Thumbed My Last Ride
   23. The “ Upstart Crow”
   24. The People Will Live on
  VIB Learning about Reading Skills
  VIC Testing Your Reading Comprehension and Speed
Unit VII Texts 25—28
  VIIA Reading for Comprehension and Speed
   25. Needed: An International Language
   26. Jet-Age Smugglers
   27. Is a Race of Robots Possible?
   28. The Sun Also Rises
  VIIB Learning about Reading Skills
  VIIC Testing Your Reading Comprehension and Speed
Unit VIII Texts 29—32
  VIIIA Reading for Comprehension and Speed
   29. Anatomy of a Martian
   30. The Piece of String
   31. Eskimos in Japan
   32. Pygmalion
  VIIIB Learning about Reading Skills
  VIIIC Testing Your Reading Comprehension and Speed
Unit IX Texts 33—36
  IXA Reading for Comprehension and Speed
   33. Conversation with a Chimpanzee
   34. The Real Sherlock Holmes
   35. Fact Catches up with Fiction
   36. How to Mark a Book
  IXB Learning about Reading Skills
  IXC Testing Your Reading Comprehension and Speed
Unit X Texts 37—40
  XA Reading for Comprehension and Speed
   37. Village Inventors
   38. Killer Reef
   39. For All Women
   40. Samuel Johnson and His Works
  XB Learning about Reading Skills
  XC Testing Your Reading Comprehension and Speed
Key to Exercises