Unit One The United Nations 1
Text A Midlife Crisis 1
Text B The World s Toughest Job 15
Research Reading 19
1．The United Nations 19
2．The Ignoble Abuse of the Noble UN 29
3．US Leader Vowing to Settle UN Back Fees 31
4．States Seek a Voice on Expanded UN Council 32
5．Annan：Time for Members Turn 33
6．UN Dues，Round 3 34
7．Nation Issues Call for UN Dues to be Paid on Time 35
Unit Two Unification of Europe 37
Text A Europe：How Fast？How Far？ 37
Text B 1．Has Europe Failed in Asia？ 56
2．A Whole New Game 60
Research Reading 69
1．Unity and Division 69
2．EU Rethinks the Size of Europe 72
Text A All Together Now 75
Unit Three The Middle East 75
Text B Consequences of Power 95
Research Reading 110
1．Poisoning Peace 110
2．Palestinian Trust Key to Israel Security 113
3．New Israeli Team，New Peace Hope 114
4．Syria and Israel Start Historic Talks 117
Text A Iraq Crisis Reflects Shift in World Alliances 123
Unit Four The Gulf War 123
Text B The Weapons Inside the High-tech Arsenal 135
Research Reading 148
1．An Echo from the Past 148
2．A Storm Erupts 150
3．High-tech Payoff 153
4．Diplomacy 154
5．Will Saddam Blink？ 157
Text A Final Dissolution of an Empire 163
Unit Five Former Soviet Union and RUssia 163
Text B Russia s Future Shadowed by Centuries of Conquest 173
Research Reading 189
1．Power Plays 189
2．Yeltsin Dismisses Russian Cabinet 193
3．Wary IMF Gives Russia a Hand 194
4．In Post-Soviet Russia，Law Enforcement Takes a Holiday 196
5．Russians at a Brink in Chechnya 199
6．Putin Plans No Hasty Action over Chechnya 202
Text A Reluctant Warrior 203
Unit Six The Balkans 203
Text B The Drive for Countries of Their Own 217
Research Reading 227
1．Have US Efforts in Bosnia Helped to Stop the War？ 227
2．NATO Has the Birthday Blues 229
3．Can NATO Build States？ 231
4．Kosovo War-A Lucky Escape？ 234
Text A Global Mafia（Part One） 237
Unit Seven Organized Crime 237
Text B Global Mafia（Part TWO） 252
Research Reading 266
1．The Trades Go Global 266
2．The Crime Bust 274
Unit Eight Nuclear Proliferation and Environmental Protection 283
Text A Formula for Terror 283
Text B Food for Thought 301
Research Reading 315
1．Bombs Away 315
2．US Prods Russia on Missile Defense 320
3．They ll Get The Money 322
4．Russian Nuclear Bombs Said“Missing” 325
5．McDonald s Influence Goes beyond Burgers 326
6．What Made Me a Crusader 328
附录1 世界主要英文报刊简介 331
附录2 英文报刊的版面及新闻标题阅读常识 341