本书为第四册。据估计，在不到一个世纪的时间里，这套书的销量超过了1.2亿册。1961年以后，在西方每年销量仍达到3万册以上。可以说，没有哪一套个人主编的教材能超过这套书的发行量！这套书英文原版共7册，包括一册启蒙读本和1-6级教材。由于启蒙读本和第一级篇幅都很少，我们出版时合编成一册；其余2-6级则和英文原版相同。这套书的内容由浅入深，从基本单词、常用句型开始，延展到简单的诗歌，再进阶到中长篇的经典著作。从难易程度来看，前三部分内容单纯美好，文字朴素简洁，比较适合国内中低年级小学生阅读；后三部分的内容相对繁复深奥，开始有侧重性，有的笔法精密，描写细腻；有的文风犀利，寓意深刻，比较适合高年级小学生和中学生阅读。这套书的最大特色在于它所包含的内容更贴近生活。它没有童话的唯美和寓言的神奇，但其中的文章会让小朋友们觉得事情就发生在身边。而且，除了对真、善、美的颂扬，麦加菲也没有回避生活中的艰难与困苦，但其宗旨绝非消极愤世，而是突出困境之下个人的坚守与成长。这样的文章往往更容易引起心灵的共鸣，滋养心灵的成长，也将对小朋友的人生观起到积极正面的推动作用，堪称真正的“德育”教材。

Emma,byJaneAusten,isanovelaboutyouthfulhubrisandtheperilsofmisconstruedromance.ThenovelwasfirstpublishedinDecember1815.Asinherothernovels,AustenexplorestheconcernsanddifficultiesofgenteelwomenlivinginGeorgian-RegencyEngland;shealsocreatesalivelycomedyofmannersamonghercharacters.

AgnesGreybyEAnneBront?isanovelin1847whichisaboutagovernessofthatnameandissaidtobebasedonBront?'sownexperiencesinthefield.ItwasBront?'sfirstnovel.SimilartohersisterCharlotte'snovelJaneEyre,thisisanovelthataddresseswhattheprecariouspositionofgovernessentailedandhowitaffectedayoungwoman.TheIrishnovelistGeorgeMoorepraisedAgnesGreyas"themostperfectprosenarrativeinEnglishletters."AgnestravelstoWellwoodhousetoworkfortheBloomfieldfamily.ThechoiceofcentralcharacterallowsAnnetodealwithissuesofoppressionandabuseofwomenandgovernesses,isolationandideasofempathy.Anadditionalthemeisthefairtreatmentofanimals.AgnesGreyalsomimicssomeofthestylisticapproachesofbildungsromans,employingideasofpersonalgrowthandcomingtoage,butrepresentingacharacterwhoinfactdoesnotgaininvirtue.

《消失的地平线》是英国作家詹姆斯·希尔顿的代表作，讲述了二十世纪三十年代四名西方旅客意外来到坐落在群山之中的香格里拉秘境的故事。原本身为外交家、银行家、修女与大学毕业生的四名旅人，被命运捆绑在一起，在香格里拉遭遇了种种离奇事件……

《金银岛》为纯英文版，是英国作家罗伯特·路易斯·史蒂文森创作的一部冒险小说。小说通过少年吉姆·霍金斯的经历，讲述了一个惊险曲折的冒险故事。为了夺取老海盗弗林特藏在金银岛上的财宝，吉姆他们通过自己的勇敢和机智与海盗们周旋，经历了九死一生的激烈战斗，最后挫败了海盗们的阴谋，得到了宝藏。这部小说开创了探宝小说的先河，情节曲折，悬念迭起，成为世界儿童文学史上的经典之作。

《时间机器》是英国科幻小说大师乔治?威尔斯久负盛名的科幻作品，也是世界科幻小说史上第一部以时间旅行为题材的作品，后世有关时间旅行的科幻小说，包括阿西莫夫、乔治·奥威尔、博尔赫斯、纳博科夫等的作品，无不直接或间接地受到它的启发和影响。本书通过一位酷爱冒险的科学家时间旅行的历险经历，向人们展示了一幅在未来社会上演的人吃人的悲剧画面，是一部惊心动魄、发人深省的警世预言书。

JulesVerne'snovelcolorfullyrecapturesthespiritofitstime,whenreaderswerefascinatedbynewtechnologiesandeagertodiscoverfarawayplaces.PhileasFoggwagershalfhisfortuneontheastoundingpropositionthathecantravelallthewayaroundtheworldinjust80days.WithhisfaithfulFrenchservant,Passepartout,PhileasFoggembarksontheadventureofalifetime,travellingacrossfourcontinentsbywhatevermeanshecan-train,elephant,steamship-andexperiencingendlesssurprisesandmishapsalongtheway.Toaddtothedrama,aScotlandYarddetective,convincedthatFoggisacriminalevadingjustice,hasvowedtostopthemintheirtracks.Thistraveloguesweepsthroughmanyexoticsettings,includingthejunglesofIndia,whereFoggandPassepartoutrescuearajah'swidow,andacrossthePacifictotheAmericanfrontier,wheretheybraveabisonstampedeandanattackbySiouxIndians.Generationshavethrilledtothisaction-packedstory,whichcontinuestocapturetheimaginationofyoungreaders.

《蒙田随笔全集》共107章，100余万字，于1580—1588年分三卷先后在法国出版。此后，该书再没有绝版过。《蒙田随笔全集》卷帙浩繁，旁征博引，文采斐然，娓娓动人，与培根的《人生论》和帕斯卡尔的《思想录》（已经收录于“最经典英语文库”），并称为欧洲近代哲理散文三大经典之作。从此，随笔（essay）作为一种文体确立下来。《蒙田随笔全集》创作的背景正是法国内战期间，宗教战争的残酷深深刺痛蒙田的心，家国离乱的悲哀与痛楚，贯穿随笔创作的过程中。然而，思想者的身份使他在创作中尽量保持一种理性和深沉，他将愤懑之情化作清新激扬的文字，通过谈自己而谈人类、谈世界，侃侃而谈中，引导人们去体会文字间蕴含的人生真谛。

Foraluckyfew,lightconversationatpartiesandsocialeventsisabreeze.Fortherestofus,thereisCarolFleming(bestsellingauthorofIt'stheWayYouSayIt),whobreakseventheshortestbitofsmalltalkintoanunderstandableprocessthatanyonecanmaster.

ResurrectiontellsthestoryofaRussiannoblemanwhocomesfacetofacewiththesinsofhispast.WhenPrinceNekhlyudovservesonajuryatthetrialofaprostitutearrestedformurder,heishorrifiedtodiscoverthattheaccusedisawomanhehadonceseducedandabandoned.HisguiltatthecentralroleheplayedinherruinsoonleadshimonaquestforforgivenessashefollowsherintotheprisonsofSiberia.Conceivedonanepicscale,thisnovelisbothatrenchantdenunciationofgovernment,aristocracy,thejudicialsystem,andtheChurchaswellasahighlypersonalstatementofTolstoy'sbeliefinhumanredemptionandspiritualdevelopment.

MadameBovaryfocusesonadoctor'swife,EmmaBovary,whohasadulterousaffairsandlivesbeyondhermeansinordertoescapethebanalitiesandemptinessofprovinciallife.Thoughthebasicplotisrathersimple,evenarchetypal,thenovel'strueartliesinitsdetailsandhiddenpatterns.Flaubertwasanotoriousperfectionistandclaimedalwaystobesearchingforlemotjuste(thepreciseword).

TheWealthofNationsPublishedin1778,wasthefirstbookoneconomicstocatchthepublic'sattention.Itprovidesarecipefornationalprosperitythathasnotbeenbetteredsince,basedonsmallgovernmentandthefreedomofcitizenstoactintheirbestinterests.Itreassuringlyassumesnoknowledgeofitssubject,andover200yearsonstillprovidesvaluablelessonsonthefundamentalsofeconomics.AdamSmithwasaScottishmoralphilosopher,pioneerofpoliticaleconomy,andakeyfigureintheScottishEnlightenment.

《伤心咖啡馆之歌》是百灵鸟英文经典系列丛书的其中一本，是美国女作家卡森·麦卡勒斯于一九五一年五月出版的小说集，共收录7篇麦卡勒斯优秀的中短篇小说杰作。其中重要的篇目《伤心咖啡馆之歌》讲述了小镇上爱密利亚小姐、罗锅和马文·马西三人诡异的爱情故事。诸篇小说的背景多样，多用一种诡谲、神秘、荒诞的方式表达了一个与爱同样永恒的人类主题——孤独，并且用爱的荒谬来印证孤独的必然。

NightandDayisanovelbyVirginiaWoolffirstpublishedon20October1919.SetinEdwardianLondon,NightandDaycontraststhedailylivesandromanticattachmentsoftwoacquaintances,KatharineHilberyandMaryDatchet.Thenovelexaminestherelationshipsbetweenlove,marriage,happiness,andsuccess.

TheAdventuresofSherlockHolmescontains12storiesfirstpublishedinTheStrandmagazinebetween1891and1892andthenpublishedasacollectioninOctober1892.

LittleDorritimmediatelyoutsoldanyofDickens'spreviousbooksuponitspublicationin1857.ThestoryofWilliamDorrit,imprisonedfordebtinMarshalseaPrison,andhisdaughterandhelpmate,Amy,orLittleDorrit,thenovelchartstheprogressoftheDorritfamilyfrompovertytoriches.InhisIntroduction,DavidGatesarguesthat“intensityofimaginationisthegiftfromwhichDickens'sothergreatattributesderive:hiseyeandear,hisnear-universalempathy,hisabilitytoentertainbothasenseoftheridiculousandasenseofultimatesignificance.”Thenovelsatirisestheshortcomingsofbothgovernmentandsociety,includingtheinstitutionofdebtors'prisons,wheredebtorswereimprisoned,unabletowork,untiltheyrepaidtheirdebts.TheprisoninthiscaseistheMarshalsea,whereDickens'sownfatherhadbeenimprisoned.Dickensisalsocriticalofthelackofasocialsafetynet,thetreatmentandsafetyofindustrialworkers,aswellthebureaucracyoftheBritishTreasury,intheformofhisfictional"CircumlocutionOffice".InadditionhesatirisesthestratificationofsocietythatresultsfromtheBritishclasssystem.

《美丽新世界》刻画了一个距今600年的未来世界，物质生活十分丰富，科学技术高度发达，人们接受着各种安于现状的制约和教育，所有一切都被标准统一化，人的欲望可以随时随地得到完全满足，享受着衣食无忧的日子，不必担心生老病死带来的痛苦，然而在机械文明的社会中却无所谓家庭、个性、情绪、自由和道德，人与人之间根本不存在真实的情感，人性在机器的碾磨下灰飞烟灭。

NotesFromTheUndergroundisashortnovelbyFyodorDostoevsky,publishedin1864.Itisconsideredbymanytobeoneoftheworld'sfirstexistentialistnovels.Itpresentsitselfasanexcerptfromtheramblingmemoirsofabitter,isolated,unnamednarrator(generallyreferredtobycriticsastheUndergroundMan)whoisaretiredcivilservantlivinginSt.Petersburg.Thenovelincludestwoparts:Part1"Underground"andPart2"AproposoftheWetSnow".Thefirstpartofthestoryistoldinmonologueform,ortheundergroundman'sdiary,andattacksemergingWesternphilosophy,thesecondpartofthebookiscalled"AproposoftheWetSnow"anddescribescertaineventsthatappeartobedestroyingandsometimesrenewingtheundergroundman,whoactsasafirstperson,unreliablenarratorandanti-hero.ThenarrationbytheUndergroundManisladenwithideologicalallusionsandcomplexconversationsregardingthepoliticalclimateofthetimeperiod.

ItwasthetimeoftheFrenchRevolution—atimeofgreatchangeandgreatdanger.Unjustlyimprisonedfor18yearsintheBastille,Dr.AlexandreManetteisreunitedwithhisdaughter,Lucie,andsafelytransportedfromFrancetoEngland.Itwouldseemthattheycouldtakeupthethreadsoftheirlivesinpeace.Asfatewouldhaveitthough,thepairaresummonedtotheOldBaileytotestifyagainstayoungFrenchman—CharlesDarnay—falselyaccusedoftreason.Strangelyenough,Darnaybearsanuncannyresemblancetoanothermaninthecourtroom,thedissolutelawyer'sclerkSydneyCarton.ItisacoincidencethatsavesDarnayfromcertaindoommorethanonce.Brilliantlyplotted,thenovelisrichindrama,romance,andheroicsthatculminateinadaringprisonescapeintheshadowoftheguillotine.

TheFurtheradventuresofRobinsonCrusoeisanovelbyDanielDefoe,firstpublishedin1719.Justasinitspredecessor,RobinsonCrusoe(1719),RobinsonCrusoeisstillasitsauthor.ThebookstartswiththestatementaboutCrusoe'smarriageinEngland.HeboughtalittlefarminBedfordandhadthreechildren:twosonsandonedaughter.Ourherosuffereddistemperandadesiretosee"hisisland."Hecouldtalkofnothingelse,andonecanimaginethatnoonetookhisstoriesseriously,excepthiswife.Shetoldhim"Iwillgowithyou,butIwon'tleaveyou."Butinthemiddleofthisfelicity,Providenceunhingedhimatonce,withthelossofhiswife.AlthoughintendedtobethelastCrusoetale,thenovelisfollowedbynon-fictionbookinvolvingCrusoebyDefoeentitledSeriousReflectionsDuringtheLifeandSurprisingAdventuresofRobinsonCrusoe:WithhisVisionoftheAngelickWorld(1720).