Readings in Modern English Prose is designed to stimulate a serious interest in reading， provide cultural information， broaden the vision， and present good models for writing practice. The book is for the seniors at the university and also for self-study and literary appreciation.
　　It contains twenty-nine pieces of writing by great British and American authors including Winston Churchill， Bertrand Russell， William Golding， William Faulkner， Ernest Hemingway， E. B. White， and Albert Einstein. The range of subject matter is broadfrom history to philosophy， from literature to psychology. The selections discuss the atomic bomb， the end of the Second World War， professions of women， the age of anxiety， the American way of life， and the civil rights of the black people in the United States. Each is， in its own way， challenging and rewarding.
　　The exercises accompanying them serve several purposes. They
　　are prepared to help students to retain the important points， further explore the issues raised， develop writing skills and the capacity to draw inferences. There is an emphasis on reading comprehension and retention.