Designed as a springboard to conversation, this text features a series of essays on a broad range of important, substantive, and interesting contemporary topics, together with lexical explanations, and varied vocabulary exercises that test students' comprehension of the essays and require them to express a statement of personal opinion or interpretation about the issues raised in, or related, to the essay. The text stimulates interesting conversation, encourages students to feel that their ideas are important, and challenges them to show their real capabilities.