本书取材于20世纪70年代至21世纪初的10部具有代表性的美国科幻电影。通过对影片进行历时梳理，引导学生深入了解美国电影文化中所体现的价值观、发展观和未来观，启发学生思考现代文明社会发展历程中一些贯穿始终的重要问题。全书共分5个单元，每个单元包含美国国情背景学习及影片赏析两个部分。美国国情背景学习部分旨在引导学生将科幻电影主题与美国的政治、经济、科技及文化发展相关联，并能对其进行完整深入的解读；影片赏析部分兼顾语言学习，设计了听、说、读、写等多种练习形式。

Unit One Sci-fi movies in the 1970s
Part A America in the 1970s
Ⅰ Politics
Ⅱ Economy
Ⅲ Science and Technology
Ⅳ Culture
Part B Case Study Ⅰ
Ⅰ Introduction
Ⅱ Listening Drills
Ⅲ Discussion
Ⅳ Reading Reviews
Ⅴ Do you know?
Ⅵ Homework
Part C Case Study Ⅱ
Ⅰ Introduction
Ⅱ Listening Drills
Ⅲ Discussion
Ⅳ Reading Reviews
Ⅴ Do you know?
Ⅵ Homework
Unit Two Sci-fi movies in the 1980s
Part A America in the 1980s
Ⅰ Politics
Ⅱ Economy
Ⅲ Science and Technology
Ⅳ Culture
Part B Case Study Ⅰ
Ⅰ Introduction
Ⅱ Listening Drills
Ⅲ Discussion
Ⅳ Reading Reviews
Ⅴ Do you know?
Ⅵ Homework
Part C Case Study Ⅱ
Ⅰ Introduction
Ⅱ Listening Drills
Ⅲ Discussion
Ⅳ Reading Reviews
Ⅴ Do you know?
Ⅵ Homework
Unit Three Sci-fi movies in the 1990s
Part A America in the 1990s
Ⅰ Politics
Ⅱ Economy
Ⅲ Technology
Ⅳ Culture
Part B Case Study Ⅰ
Ⅰ Introduction
Ⅱ Listening Drills
Ⅲ Discussion
Ⅳ Reading Reviews
Ⅴ Do you know?
Ⅵ Homework
Part C Case Study Ⅱ
Unit Four Sci-fi movies in the 2000s
Part A America in the 2000s
Ⅰ Politics
Ⅱ Economy
Ⅲ Technology
Ⅳ Culture
Part B Case Study Ⅰ
Ⅰ Introduction
Ⅱ Listening Drills
Ⅲ Discussion
Ⅳ Reading Reviews
Ⅴ Do you know?
Ⅵ Homework
Part C Case Study Ⅱ
Ⅰ Introduction
Ⅱ Listening Drills
Ⅲ Discussion
Ⅳ Reading Reviews
Ⅴ Do you know?
Ⅵ Homework
Unit Five Sci-fi movies in the 2010s
Part A America in the 2010s
Ⅰ Politics
Ⅱ Economy
Ⅲ Technology
Ⅳ Culture
Part B Case Study Ⅰ
Ⅰ Introduction
Ⅱ Listening Drills
Ⅲ Discussion
Ⅳ Reading Reviews
V Do you know?
Ⅵ Homework
Part C Case Study Ⅱ
Ⅰ Introduction
Ⅱ Listening Drills
Ⅲ Discussion
Ⅳ Reading Reviews
Ⅴ Do you know?
Ⅵ Homework