本书分为八个单元,每个单元从听力材料的语言体例特点(如stories, instructions, news, lectures等)入手,结合具体的听力技巧,配合于大学生活相关的话题,设计完成。每个单元有两条主线: language in focus (主要讲不同听力材料的语篇特点);skill in focus (具体的听力技巧,如听数字、大意和细节、观点和事实、记笔记等)。在口语方面,以日常社交为主,以主题的方式插入每个单元中。

Unit One Spoken Language Part 1 Dictation—The Ways to Improve Your Listening Comprehension 2 Part 2 Listen for Fun—Nice to Meet You 2 Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Spoken Language 2 Part 4 Skills in Focus—Dictation 6 Part 5 TED Speech—A One-Woman Global Village 8 Part 6 Listening in Tests—Conversations in IELTS 9 Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Start a Conversation 10 Part 8 Supplementary Listening—Seasons in the Sun 11 Unit Two Stories of Inventors Part 1 Dictation—Inventions and Inventors 14 Part 2 Listen for Fun—A Blind Man and His Lantern 14 Part 3 Language in Focus—Basic Elements of a Story 14 Part 4 Skills in Focus—Identifying Main Idea and Supporting Details 18 Part 5 TED Speech—My Simple Invention, Designed to Keep My Grandfather Safe 20 Part 6 Listening in Tests—Stories in CET 4 21 Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Change the Topic 22 Part 8 Supplementary Listening—A Behavioral Science Experiment 24 Unit Three College Life Part 1 Dictation—Freedom in College Life 26 Part 2 Listen for Fun—Tooth Extracting 26 Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Conversation 26 Part 4 Skills in Focus—Listening for Implied Meaning 29 Part 5 TED Speech—5 Ways to Kill Your Dreams 31 Part 6 Listening in Tests—Conversations in CET 4 31 Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Discuss the Present Perfectly 33 Part 8 Supplementary Listening—A Casual Dialogue 34 Unit Four Plants Part 1 Dictation—Growing Plants Without Soil 38 Part 2 Listen for Fun—A Clever Prisoner 38 Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Explaining a Process 38 Part 4 Skills in Focus—Using Flow Charts for a Process 43 Part 5 TED Speech—How to Grow a Forest in Your Backyard 44 Part 6 Listening in Tests—Processes in IELTS 45 Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Disagree 47 Part 8 Supplementary Listening—How to Grow a Mango Tree from Seed 48 Unit Five Cultural Values Part 1 Dictation—Building Blocks of Culture 50 Part 2 Listen for Fun—Jump into the Sea 50 Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of a Lecture 50 Part 4 Skills in Focus—Notes Technique I: Abbreviations and Symbols 54 Part 5 TED Speech—Understanding the Rise of China 56 Part 6 Listening in Tests—Lectures in IELTS 57 Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Ask Questions in Different Ways 58 Part 8 Supplementary Listening—Hofstede’s Cultural Taxonomy 59 Unit Six Health Part 1 Dictation—Health Tips 62 Part 2 Listen for Fun—Good News and Bad News 62 Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Cause-and-Effect Relationship 62 Part 4 Skills in Focus—Notes Technique II: Cause-and-Effect Relationship 66 Part 5 TED Speech—The Coming Neurological Epidemic 69 Part 6 Listening in Tests—Lectures in IELTS 70 Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Clarify Your Conversation 71 Part 8 Supplementary Listening—Why Thinking You're Ugly Is Bad for You 72 Unit Seven Personality and Happiness Part 1 Dictation—Personality and Well-being 76 Part 2 Listen for Fun—Three Parrots 76 Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Comparison 76 Part 4 Skills in Focus—Notes Technique III: Comparison 81 Part 5 TED Speech—What Makes a Good Life? 83 Part 6 Listening in Tests—Lectures in IELTS 84 Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Be Polite 85 Part 8 Supplementary Listening—Steve Jobs vs. Confucius 86 Unit Eight Disasters and Accidents Part 1 Dictation—Overview of Disasters and Accidents 90 Part 2 Listen for Fun—Probability of the Threat 90 Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Hard News 90 Part 4 Skills in Focus—Listening for Numbers 94 Part 5 TED Speech—These Robots Come to the Rescue After a Disaster 95 Part 6 Listening in Tests—News in CET 4 96 Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Show Regret 98 Part 8 Supplementary Listening—BBC News Reporting 99 Unit Nine Technology and Life Part 1 Dictation—Modern Technology in Life 102 Part 2 Listen for Fun—Navajo Message for the Moon 102 Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Soft News 102 Part 4 Skills in Focus—Listening for Facts and Opinions 107 Part 5 TED Speech—Space Technologies We Can Use to Improve Life on Earth 108 Part 6 Listening in Tests—Trip to Space 110 Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Use Your Body Language 110 Part 8 Supplementary Listening—3D-Printed Home 112