本教材具有以下主要特色：遵循了全新的教學理念；涉及了豐富的教學內容； 引進了真實的教學材料；設計了新穎的教材板塊；提供了有趣的訓練活動；推薦了經典的學習材料；引進了優選的數碼技術。

●Unit 1 Understanding American Society and Culture
Text A American Culture
Text B Five Famous Symbols of American Culture
Text C Moral Values in America
Unit 2 The American Character (I)
Text A The American Character
Text B What Is an American
Text C What Is Typically American
Unit 3 The American Character (II)
Text A Typical American Behaviors and Values
Text B Go-Go Americans
Text C Time Is Money
Unit 4 Religion in the U.S.
Text A Religion in the United States
Text B Puritanism
Text C Community Hero: Millard and Linda Fuller
Unit 5 The Mythical American West
Text A The Impact of the American Frontier
Text B Rugged Individuals
Unit 6 Education in the U.S.
Text A Education in the U.S.
Text B The First Day of Middle School
Text C The Higher Learning in America: External Conditions
Unit 7 Government and Politics in the U.S.
Text A The Organization of the American Government
Text B Why Not a Parliament
Text C American Democracy
Text D The Triumph of Technology
Unit 8 The U.S.—A Nation of Nations
Text A The U.S.—A Universal Nation
Text B The History of Chinese Americans
Text C African-American
Unit 9 Love and Marriage in the U.S.
Text A Marriage: American Style
Text B Wedding Customs & Superstitions
Text C Dating Patterns
Unit 10 Family Life in the U.S.
Text A American Family
Text B Divorce
Text C Decay of Family Relationships
Unit 11 Holidays and Festivals in the U
Text A The Winter Holiday Season
Text B American Vacations
Text C American Holidays
Unit 12 Sports in the U.S.
Text A Sports in the U.S.
Text B All-American Football
Text C Air Jordan Walks Away
Unit 13 The Charm of American Screens
Text A Entertainment Media in the U.S.
Text B Hollywood: How the American Movie Industry Was Born
Text C American Soap Operas
Text D Oprah Winfrey
Unit 14 The sic of America
Text A The sic of America
Text B The King of Rock ' n' Roll
Text C Jazz
Unit 15 American Literature
Text A Overview of American Literature
Text B Man Is Not Made for Defeat
Text C The Tempest
Text D How to Read Stories
重點參考書目和網站

本書是在CLI教育理念指導下，基於國家社會科學基金項目“英語專業基礎階段內容依托式課程改革研究”推出的繫列英語內容依托教材之一。本教材適用於英語專業一、二年級學生，也適用於具有中學英語基礎的非英語專業學生和英語愛好者。本教材具有以下主要特色：1.遵循了全新的教學理念：全新的社會視角與材料幫助學生更好地了解美國人及美國社會，加強語言技能的同時也開闊了視野。2.涉及了豐富的教學內容：感染和影響學生正確認識美國社會文化，培養對異域社會文化的敏感性。3.引進了真實的教學材料：語言材料真實、地道，同時穿插圖表、照片等真實的視覺材料，表現手段活潑，效果生動直觀。4.設計了新穎的教材板塊：均包括課前熱身、課文正文、課後練習、輔助閱讀、專有名詞列表、娛樂園地等。結構安排繫統合理，突出學生的主體地位。5.提供了有趣的訓練活動：培養學生綜合運用語言和知識進行溝通的能力、邏輯思維能力和探索求知的能力。6等