Unit 1 Regional Focuses：Domestic Turmoil and War 1
1．After Benghazi attacks,Islamist extremists akin to al-Qaeda stir fear in eastern Libya 1
2．Syrian unrest spills into Lebanon 5
3．North Korea moves missile to coast,but limited threat seen 9
Unit 2 Conflicts in the Middle East 15
1．“Terrorist”explosion on Tel Aviv bus jeopardises Hamas truce deal 15
2．Hizbollah debates dropping support for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad 19
3．The Israel-Palestine conflict won't go away 24
Unit 3 The African Scene 30
1．Boko Haram：Borno residents want permanent military presence 30
2．What are Western and African powers up against in Mali,Algeria？ 34
3．CAR：how Bozizélost his piece of Africa 39
Unit 4 Violence and Terrorist Attacks in the U.S 46
1．Terrorists hijack 4 airliners,destroy World Trade Center,hit Pentagon;hundreds dead 46
2．“I Saw Bodies Falling Out—Oh,God,Jumping,Falling” 52
3．2nd bombing suspect caught after frenzied hunt paralyzes Boston 56
Unit 5 American Election 2012 62
1．With debates over,candidates race to clinch vital states 62
2．Heated fight for presidency goes to voters 67
3．Will we be better off in 2016？ 72
Unit 6 Social News—the U.S 78
1．Storm barrels through region,leaving destructive path 78
2．Nation reels after gunman massacres 20 children at school in Connecticut 83
3．Some give up their guns as others rally against tighter laws 87
Unit 7 National News—the UK 93
1．David Cameron's critics are wrong.He's on the verge of something great 93
2．MPs to escape expenses investigations after paperwork destroyed by Parliament 98
3．Thatcher's death has Britain peering back through time 102
Unit 8 Social News—South Africa 109
1．Bloody gunfight 109
2．Marikana：900 bullets 112
3．Nelson Mandela's condition“unchanged”,officials say 117
Unit 9 Social News—Life and Lawsuits 123
1．Victim's friend tells of brutal gang attack 123
2．Family sues over Hout Bay tragedy 127
3．Oscar Pistorius charged with Reeva Steenkamp murder 131
Unit 10 Environmental Protection—Saving Wild Lives 138
1．Rangers in isolated Central Africa uncover grim cost of protecting wildlife 138
2．Saving two-ton giraffe a tall order 143
3．Cape's abalone is well on the way to extinction 148
Unit 11 Computer Technology and the Internet 155
1．The web is the most conservative force on Earth 155
2．Google pledge to downgrade piracy sites under review 160
3 Simultaneous translation by computer is getting closer 164
Unit 12 Science and Technology 172
1．Grandma's curse 172
2．It's snowing,and it really feels like the start of a mini ice age 176
3．Climate change alters ecosystems from Walden Pond to“The Shack” 181
Unit 13 World Economy 186
1．The economy is holding up surprisingly well in a year of austerity 186
2．IMF calls on UK to do more to boost economy 191
3．EU,South Korea to ally on faster mobile access 195
Unit 14 Business News 201
1．Chinese trade with Africa keeps growing；fears of neocolonialism are overdone 201
2．“We're happy”—Frenzy drives traffic to retailers 205
3．EU duties on Chinese solar panels losing member state support 210
Unit 15 The London 2012 Olympics 216
1．London Olympics opening ceremony quirky,fun,loud,British 216
2．Licence to thrill！London welcomes the world with spectacular three-hour Olym-pic Opening Ceremony celebrating Great Britain 220
3．Don't Deny the Joy of Usain Bolt 225
Unit 16 Culture News 231
1．Eid Al-Adha,the story and traditions 231
2．Coming to bad ends：stories that refuse closure 235
3．The Box and the Keyhole 240
Unit 17 The British Pub and Drinking Culture 247
1．A Pub Crawl through the Centuries 247
2．Still the Moon under Water 252
3．Booze buses and drunk tanks to tackle Britain's drinking culture 256
Unit 18 Entertainment News 261
1．Scarlett Johansson in Broadway's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof：What did critics think？ 261
2．Story of Young Woman's Awakening Is Top Winner 265
3．Jennifer Lawrence,interview：‘I do worry that I'm too in your face’ 268
Keys to Understanding Ideas in the News 274