Websites for Readings

Normally, when reading a text, people use a strategy that I call "reading for content". The goal of this strategy is to get the main idea of the text as quickly as possible and with as little effort as possible. To accomplish this goal, your brain will try to read as few words as possible and spend only a fraction of a second on each word.

Here are some characteristics of "reading for content":

1. Not seeing "grammar words" like a, the, in, of, through, that. The eye only stops at content words (main nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs).
   
2. 
   

   Not seeing word forms: Was it look or looked? Has looked or had looked?

   
   
3. 
   

   Not noticing the exact spelling. It is well known that the brain recognizes whole words - it does not analyze them letter by letter. Native speakers see the word piece all the time, but many of them still misspell it as pieces, because the two spellings have similar shapes.

   
   
4. 
   

   Ignoring difficult words that are not essential to understanding the meaning (here: primeval, constrictor). Who has the time to use a dictionary?

   
   

Try to read a lot of divers books and information. Especially novels. Because while reading novels you will learn a lot of new phrases, the way English speaking people make conversation. Not counting the precious information you acquire when reading interesting books. If you see a new words, try to check them with a electronic or online dictionary. Days after days, you will learn a lot of vocabularies.

All levels

Magda's Reading Links

A well researched list of interesting exercises.

Elementary level

Adult Learning Activities California Distance Learning Project

Short articles on health and social problems (and other topics) with audio and video.

Vocabulary and comprehension exercises (The exercises are less interesting than the texts.)

Intermediate level

Encyclopedia Britannica - trusted sources of information on every topic imaginable - from the origins of the universe to current events and everything in between.

Interactive reading exercises

Based on the Voice of America's Special English programs

Quizzes Based On VOA's Special English Programs

Charles Kelly

BBC Learning English - News English

News stories with vocabulary explanations and comprehension exercises. Also audio and video.

Story Archives from the CNN

A wide range of articles from their archives with exercises and audio and video clips. Highly recommended.

Finest Quotes. A huge collection of inspirational quotes, thoughts of greatest minds of history

National Geographic Kids News

Aimed at teenagers, a wide range of topics are covered in relatively simple English.

flesl.net

Forrest Lunn

A collection of paired news articles - some with exercises.

The Mystery Spot

Access Excellence Mysteries

The reader takes the role of an investigator and has to solve illustrated science/health mysteries.

Enchanted Learning: Inventors and Inventions

Short paragraphs on lots of subjects. Some graphics.

Enchanted learning: Explorers

Short paragraphs with photos, maps, etc.

Easy jokes

Using Jokes and Humor to Learn English Joe's Jokes - Read, Listen, and Learn English. A great way to increase your vocabulary!

Aesop's Fables

Texts - no exercises.

Reading from E.L Easton - no exercises.

SOON

A Christian easy-English literature program.

OurTimeLines.com

Create a timeline of your own life or of another period.

Simple English News. All kinds of news in simple English

Advanced level

Public Domain Books. Hundreds of books you can free download or open to read.

Yahoo Daily News. Quickly updated news, classified into different categories.

Story-Building

Michael A. Riccioli

Active reading exercises - fun to do.

Urban Legend Reference Pages

Lots of strange stories: some of them true!