| Acknowledgements | 第1-6页 |
| Abstract in Chinese | 第6-8页 |
| Abstract in English | 第8-11页 |
| Abbreviations | 第11-12页 |
| List of Figures | 第12-13页 |
| Chapter 1 Introduction | 第13-17页 |
| ·Background of the Research | 第13-15页 |
| ·Objectives and Research Questions | 第15页 |
| ·Layout of the Thesis | 第15-17页 |
| Chapter 2 Literature Review | 第17-22页 |
| ·Studies Carried out abroad | 第17-20页 |
| ·Studies Carried out at Home | 第20-22页 |
| Chapter 3 Theoretical Rationale | 第22-32页 |
| ·Theories on Working Memory | 第22-28页 |
| ·Working Memory in Human Information Processing System | 第22-24页 |
| ·Functions of Working Memory | 第24-25页 |
| ·Working Memory Model | 第25-28页 |
| ·Theories on Reading Comprehension | 第28-31页 |
| ·Nature of Reading Comprehension | 第28-29页 |
| ·Reading Models | 第29-31页 |
| ·Theories on Relationship between Reading and Memory/Working Memory | 第31-32页 |
| Chapter 4 Research Design | 第32-40页 |
| ·Hypotheses | 第32页 |
| ·Method | 第32-40页 |
| ·Subjects | 第32页 |
| ·Instruments | 第32-35页 |
| ·Variables | 第35-38页 |
| ·Procedure | 第38-40页 |
| Chapter 5 Analysis and Discussion | 第40-57页 |
| ·Findings | 第40-45页 |
| ·Findings from Descriptive Statistics of Raw Data Collected | 第40-41页 |
| ·The Results of t-test and one-way ANOVA on English WM Spans | 第41-43页 |
| ·The Results of t-test on English Reading Abilities | 第43页 |
| ·The Results of Correlation Analysis on English Working Memory Span and EFL Reading Abilities | 第43-44页 |
| ·The Results of t-test on the Difference Concerned in Gender | 第44-45页 |
| ·Discussion | 第45-57页 |
| ·English Working Memory Spans Vary with Learners’English Proficiency | 第46-49页 |
| ·English Working Memory Span Has High and Positive Correlation with Learners’EFL Reading Ability | 第49-55页 |
| ·Gender is somewhat a Predictor for English Working Memory Spans | 第55-57页 |
| Chapter 6 Conclusion | 第57-59页 |
| ·Conclusions of the Research | 第57页 |
| ·Implication to Pedagogy | 第57-58页 |
| ·Limitation of the Research | 第58-59页 |
| Bibliography | 第59-63页 |
| Appendices | 第63-72页 |
| Appendix A | 第63-66页 |
| Appendix B | 第66-72页 |
| Publications during the Postgraduate Program | 第72-73页 |
