Based on Martinec & Salway’s system for image-text relations (2005)

the study explores the multimodal discourse in ESP materials by analyzing the status and logico-semantic relations between image and text of ESP reading materials in English for Tourism (Second Edition) published by Zhejiang University Press. The study reveals that: 1) text is put more emphasis on in most ESP reading materials

and the major image-text status relation is “image subordinate to text”; 2) image intensifies text by circumstantial elements of place in most samples

and the logico-semantic relations of “spatial” accounts for the largest proportion. The study indicates that Martinec & Salway’s system for image-text relations (2005) is applicable to ESP materials evaluation

and that ESP teachers

learners and materials compilers are supposed to pay more attention to the image-text relations in ESP materials in order to improve ESP education.