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English · A1–B2

English reading practice

Short English texts from A1 to B2, each followed by comprehension questions. Food, travel, films, health, science and work, five to ten minutes each.

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Reading practice that ends with questions

Reading practice works best with texts that are short, about something you care about and a little above your level. The articles on this page were written for learners of English at four CEFR levels, from texts of 150 words at A1 to essays of about 1,000 words at B2, on what adults read about anyway: food, travel, films, health, science and work.

Almost every article ends with a few comprehension questions, like the ones in the reading part of IELTS or Cambridge. Answer them in Lingard when you finish: they show at once whether you understood the text or only recognised its words. Tap a word you do not know to see its translation and save it for review.

Easy reading practice (A1)

All A1 reading

Short texts of 150 to 400 words with everyday vocabulary. Interesting Drinks in Different Countries is the most read; Massage: Health and Relaxation takes about two minutes.

Cover of Interesting Drinks in Different Countries Interesting Drinks in Different Countries A1 · 2 min Cover of Massage: Health and Relaxation Massage: Health and Relaxation A1 · 2 min Cover of Healthy Digestion: Basic Tips Healthy Digestion: Basic Tips A1 · 2 min Cover of Family Travel: Create Lifelong Memories Together Family Travel: Create Lifelong Memories Together A1 · 3 min Cover of Healthy Breakfasts: Secrets to Starting Your Day with Energy Healthy Breakfasts: Secrets to Starting Your Day with Energy A1 · 3 min Cover of Best Desserts in the World: A Variety of Sweet Delights Best Desserts in the World: A Variety of Sweet Delights A1 · 3 min Cover of Vegan Cooking: Delicious Plant-Based Recipes Vegan Cooking: Delicious Plant-Based Recipes A1 · 3 min Cover of Beach Getaway: Relax on White Sandy Beaches Beach Getaway: Relax on White Sandy Beaches A1 · 3 min Cover of Amazing Cities to Discover: Exploring Urban Wonders Amazing Cities to Discover: Exploring Urban Wonders A1 · 3 min Cover of Bike Tours: Explore the City on Two Wheels Bike Tours: Explore the City on Two Wheels A1 · 3 min Cover of Water Adventures: Explore the Depths of the Sea and the Vastness of Lakes Water Adventures: Explore the Depths of the Sea and the Vastness of Lakes A1 · 3 min Cover of A Healthy Lunch at Work A Healthy Lunch at Work A1 · 2 min

Elementary reading practice (A2)

All A2 reading

Longer texts about health, relationships and films. Start with Why is Breakfast so Important?, or with Fun Facts About the Madagascar Movies if you know the films.

Cover of Why is Breakfast so Important? Why is Breakfast so Important? A2 · 1 min Cover of Fun Facts About the Madagascar Movies Fun Facts About the Madagascar Movies A2 · 6 min Cover of The Science of Changing Your Mind The Science of Changing Your Mind A2 · 3 min Cover of The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World A2 · 4 min Cover of The Only Difference Between Success and Failure The Only Difference Between Success and Failure A2 · 3 min Cover of How to Combine Travel and Language Learning How to Combine Travel and Language Learning A2 · 5 min Cover of 5 Love Languages 5 Love Languages A2 · 2 min Cover of The Love She Most Desires, the Respect He Desperately Needs The Love She Most Desires, the Respect He Desperately Needs A2 · 4 min Cover of Life is Over. What's Next? Life is Over. What's Next? A2 · 9 min Cover of Redefine Everything. Find Yourself First Redefine Everything. Find Yourself First A2 · 3 min Cover of Practical Mindfulness for Busy People Practical Mindfulness for Busy People A2 · 3 min Cover of Exotic Fruits: Discover New Tastes and Aromas Exotic Fruits: Discover New Tastes and Aromas A2 · 4 min

Intermediate reading practice (B1)

All B1 reading

Articles of 300 to 900 words that give opinions and reasons. Harry Potter: The Most Interesting Facts You Didn't Know is a favourite; Sourdough vs White Bread: What Should We Be Eating? explains a piece of science in plain English.

Cover of Harry Potter: The Most Interesting Facts You Didn't Know Harry Potter: The Most Interesting Facts You Didn't Know B1 · 7 min Cover of Taking Care of Your Mind: Mental Health and How to Maintain It Taking Care of Your Mind: Mental Health and How to Maintain It B1 · 4 min Cover of You're busy, but not tired? Maybe you just forgot what real rest feels like You're busy, but not tired? Maybe you just forgot what real rest feels like B1 · 5 min Cover of The Devil Wears Prada: What the Film Teaches Us The Devil Wears Prada: What the Film Teaches Us B1 · 8 min Cover of What You Didn't Know About Japan What You Didn't Know About Japan B1 · 6 min Cover of Green Book: What the Film Teaches Us Green Book: What the Film Teaches Us B1 · 8 min Cover of Sourdough vs White Bread: What Should We Be Eating? Sourdough vs White Bread: What Should We Be Eating? B1 · 8 min Cover of How noise sensitivity disrupts the mind, brain and body How noise sensitivity disrupts the mind, brain and body B1 · 9 min Cover of The Secret Spiritual Art of Succeeding at Work The Secret Spiritual Art of Succeeding at Work B1 · 4 min Cover of The surprising foods that lead to better sleep The surprising foods that lead to better sleep B1 · 7 min Cover of Habits of Self-Discipline for Personal and Professional Growth Habits of Self-Discipline for Personal and Professional Growth B1 · 4 min Cover of Italian Pizza: The Taste of Authentic Italian Cuisine Italian Pizza: The Taste of Authentic Italian Cuisine B1 · 4 min

Upper intermediate reading practice (B2)

All B2 reading

Essays on work, habits and the mind, the kind of text a B2 exam gives you. Try Your IELTS Game Plan, then The school for astronauts hidden inside a Swiss mountain.

Cover of Your IELTS Game Plan Your IELTS Game Plan B2 · 10 min Cover of How the Most Successful People Work from Home How the Most Successful People Work from Home B2 · 7 min Cover of People don't remember slides. They remember how you made them feel People don't remember slides. They remember how you made them feel B2 · 5 min Cover of Habits for Building Strong and Meaningful Relationships Habits for Building Strong and Meaningful Relationships B2 · 3 min Cover of How Long Can You Stay Awake? Exploring the Limits of the Human Body How Long Can You Stay Awake? Exploring the Limits of the Human Body B2 · 7 min Cover of Habits to Enhance Creative Thinking and Innovation Habits to Enhance Creative Thinking and Innovation B2 · 4 min Cover of The school for astronauts hidden inside a Swiss mountain The school for astronauts hidden inside a Swiss mountain B2 · 7 min Cover of The Power of Consistency: How Small Habits Lead to Big Results The Power of Consistency: How Small Habits Lead to Big Results B2 · 4 min Cover of Mindful Habits for Reducing Stress and Enhancing Well-Being Mindful Habits for Reducing Stress and Enhancing Well-Being B2 · 4 min Cover of Health in the Workplace: Strategies for Well-being Health in the Workplace: Strategies for Well-being B2 · 4 min Cover of Repeat to remember: how re-reading boosts fluency Repeat to remember: how re-reading boosts fluency B2 · 6 min Cover of Cryptocurrency: Basics and Risks of Digital Investments Cryptocurrency: Basics and Risks of Digital Investments B2 · 4 min

How to practise reading in English

Choose a level where you tap fewer than one word in ten. At B1 many of the words you tap will be phrasal verbs like give up or figure out: they look easy and mean something else. If you tap more than one word in ten, go down a shelf; if you tap almost none, go up.

Read the whole article once without stopping, then answer the questions. English questions often turn on one small word such as not, only or still, so for each question you missed, go back and find the sentence that decides it.

Save the words you expect to meet again, not every new one. Some English words have one spelling and two pronunciations, like read and live, so play a word before you save it.

Questions beginners ask

How long does one article take?
An A1 text of about 200 words takes two or three minutes. The longest essays at B2, near 1,000 words, take about ten. Every card shows its reading time.
Is this good practice for an exam?
Yes, for the reading part of IELTS, Cambridge or TOEFL at the same level: a text of a few hundred words and questions about it. The questions here do not follow any exam's format, so practise the format itself with an official sample paper.
What if an article is too hard?
Go down a level for a week and come back. Inside an article you can tap a sentence you cannot follow to see it translated.

Other languages: Spanish reading practiceGerman reading practiceFrench reading practice