College English: Extensive Reading (Book 1) (Revised Edition)

Author: Zhang Yanqiu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: This book is the 4th volume of the College English Extensive Reading Course, designed for first-year college English students. The book consists of thirty lessons, which can be divided into ten units, with three passages per unit. All passages are selected from authentic English and American works, with minor edits. The selection criteria for extensive reading passages aim for novelty, diverse topics, varied styles, and a balance of knowledge and interest, while appropriately controlling difficulty to ensure smooth reading. In the revision process, the authors have taken the following measures to enhance reader convenience:
1. Added Words to Know in each revision, listing commonly used vocabulary to clear reading obstacles. Some passages also include Words to Look Up in the Dictionary, providing two or three words to help students develop the ability to choose correct meanings.
2. Added introductions before each passage, written in italics to distinguish from the main text. The purpose of the introductions is to spark reading interest and guide students to approach the text with questions.
3. Converted annotations to footnotes to save time and facilitate easy reference. Annotations mainly focus on providing concise English explanations for language difficulties or complex sentences to aid smooth reading. For a few annotations that are hard to explain in English, Chinese explanations are used.
4. Added Useful Phrases and Expressions after each passage to help students master and memorize them.
5. Improved the format and content of exercises after each passage. Exercise types include true/false questions, multiple-choice, phrase or sentence translation, and thought-provoking questions. The exercises are designed to complement intensive reading and gradually develop students' abilities to analyze, summarize, synthesize, and infer during the reading process.
6. Each volume still includes a master vocabulary list at the end, primarily for students to reference and memorize.