本书为商务英语系列教材中商务英语阅读系列的第一册，在内容上注重英语阅读技能与商务基础知识的并重，同时兼顾跨文化交际意识的培养。全书共十二单元，内容涉及商务概览、公司基础知识、公司管理基础知识、企业文化等多个方面，可供读者在提高英语阅读技能的同时了解基本的商务知识，适合商务英语专业基础阶段学生和初涉国际商务领域的读者使用。

Unit 1 Understanding Business
Part I Theme-Based Reading
Text A The Meaning of “Business”
Text B Factors of Production
Part II Reading Skills
Basic Ideas About Reading
Part III Reading Practice
Section A Reading Comprehension
Section B Blanked Cloze
Unit 2 Companies
Part I Theme-Based Reading
Text A The Companies Around Us
Text B Private Companies and Public Companies
Part II Reading Skills
Dictionary Use
Part III Reading Practice
Section A Reading Comprehension
Section B Blanked Cloze
Unit 3 Time Management
Part I Theme-Based Reading
Text A Control of Your Life Starts with Planning
Text B Making the Most of Priorities
Part II Reading Skills
Word Part Clues to Meaning: Important Prefixes
Part III Reading Practice
Section A Reading Comprehension
Section B Blanked Cloze
Unit 4 Business Communication
Part I Theme-Based Reading
Text A Successful Business Communication—It Starts at the Beginning
Text B Effective Communication
Part II Reading Skills
Word Part Clues to Meaning: Important Roots
Part III Reading Practice
Section A Reading Comprehension
Section B Blanked Cloze
Unit 5 People
Part I Theme-Based Reading
Text A Bill Gates
Text B Fourteen Character Traits of a Good Businessperson
Part II Reading Skills
Word Part Clues to Meaning: Important Suffixes
Part III Reading Practice
Section A Reading Comprehension
Section B Blanked Cloze
Unit 6 Job Interviews
Part I Theme-Based Reading
Text A Do’s and Don’ts of Interviews
Text B How to Be a Compelling Candidate Who Stands out in the Crowd
Part II Reading Skills
Context Clues to Word Meaning
Part III Reading Practice
Section A Reading Comprehension
Section B Blanked Cloze
Unit 7 Culture
Part I Theme-Based Reading
Text A Corporate Culture
Text B Knowing About Cultural Differences
Part II Reading Skills
Reading by Phrase
Part III Reading Practice
Section A Reading Comprehension
Section B Blanked Cloze
Unit 8 Products
Part I Theme-Based Reading
Text A Aspects of Products
Text B Too Many Recalls
Part II Reading Skills
Understanding Topics
Part III Reading Practice
Section A Reading Comprehension
Section B Blanked Cloze
Unit 9 Brands
Part I Theme-Based Reading
Text A What Is a Brand?
Text B A Smiling War
Part II Reading Skills
Predicting
Part III Reading Practice
Section A Reading Comprehension
Section B Blanked Cloze
Unit 10 Business Success
Part I Theme-Based Reading
Text A Seven Habits of Business Success
Text B www.Yahoo.com
Part II Reading Skills
Finding the Stated Main Idea
Part III Reading Practice
Section A Reading Comprehension
Section B Blanked Cloze
Unit 11 Starting a New Business
Part I Theme-Based Reading
Text A Please Turn to Chapter 11
Text B The Beanie Baby Business
Part II Reading Skills
Finding Main Ideas: Implied Main Ideas
Part III Reading Practice
Section A Reading Comprehension
Section B Blanked Cloze
Unit 12 Creativity
Part I Theme-Based Reading
Text A Creativity at the Workplace
Text B Creativity of the Internet Era
Part II Reading Skills
Making Outlines
Part III Reading Practice
Section A Reading Comprehension
Section B Blanked Cloze
Vocabulary
References