Intermediate English reading

NEW: find texts by CEFR Level, grammar, and exercises. See ► CEFR level, grammar points and exercise / activity index

For levels A2-B1, see also: Présentation en français.   Presentación en español

LINGUAPRESS.COM
is FREE

FREE for students
FREE for teachers
Anywhere, any time

IF you appreciate our FREE resources, please support us by sharing Linguapress.com with your friends and colleagues, following our Facebook page, or buying our acclaimed books for yourself or your school.
 Help us to help you !

NEW  ► The End of the World? -  How much longer can planet Earth survive? A B1 level text with interactive exercises and  audio

NEW  ► Keir Starmer - Britain's new Prime Minister -  The Labour party is back in power in Britain, after 14 years in the opposition. Here is a B1 level text with interactive exercises and  audio

NEW  ►  Princess Kate - from ordinary girl to Queen - (short A2 - B1 level text with   audio).

NEW  ►  Ed Sheeran - from Yorkshire to the world- (short A2 - B1 level text with   audio).

NEW  ►  Martin Luther King - an American hero- (short A2 - B1 level text with   audio).

NEW  ►  Living underground - past and future - (short A2 - B1 level text with   audio).

NEW  ►  The place where money has no value - (short A2 - B1 level text with   audio).

NEW  ►  Marathons - what are they about?- (short A2 - B1 level text with   audio).

Topical:  ► Climate change: can we stop it ? -  Or is our planet heading for disaster? With audio

"Clear .... user-friendly ... a welcome treat ..."

IATEFL Voices - the magazine of the International TEFL association 

CLICK FOR DETAILS

Discover the widely acclaimed compact reference grammar that  should be on every teacher's and every student's bookshelf

Available worldwide - e-book, paperback, hardback

Find at  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Blackwells and major academic bookstores

Also

Who is King Charles III ?
Read about him in this B1  text: Britain's new king  With  audio -

Reading comprehension texts for intermediate  English - CEF levels A2, B1 and B2

Search Linguapress  using Ecosia.org - the green search engine

A collection of reading resources mostly about life and issues in Britain and the United States, in intermediate level English - with word guides, exercises and classroom activities

Britain in general

• NEW  Keir Starmer - Britain's new Prime Minister - 
• NEW   Princess Kate - from ordinary girl to Queen - (short A2 - B1 level text with   audio).
• NEW   Sport: The origins of football and rugby - (short A2 level text).
• NEW  Charles III, his coronation and the future    audio
• NEW  London Fashion - London is the world capital of fashion
• Remembering Queen Elizabeth - simple English    audio
• Britain's new king  With  audio - Queen Elizabeth II has died. God save the King.
• The Commonwealth.  After the United Nations, it is the world's largest grouping of nations ..
• Britain - a nation of cat-lovers  -  audio A touching story about an old lady and her cats: interactive
• The tradition of Christmas cards.  People have been sending Xmas cards in England since 1843.
• Christmas in England With  audio - Christmas is the biggest... and longest... festival in the year.
• Christmas shopping  For many people, it is the most important aspect of Christmas.
• Britain, that island   With  audio - Why did Britain vote for Brexit? Is Britain really so different ? Easy intermediate English
• The place where money has no value - (short A2 - B1 level text with   audio).

Society

• Living in the Highlands. What is it like to live in the Highlands of Scotland, specially for young people?
• The wind farm controversy - Conservationists oppose plans to modernise a wind farm.
• Moving to the Country - With  audio  More and more people want to live the rural life, but....
• Leaving home - Leaving home is part of the teenage dream, particularly in Britain. But the dream is often a long way from reality.
• Black and British; an extended document.  A full Focus on minorities in Britain.
• No more Fish 'n' Chips?  a look at Britain's original fast food
• Scouting moves ahead. The scout movement is over 100 years old, and still going strong.
• English ghost stories   New  audio Fact or fiction?

• The Mother of Parliaments!  The English / British parliament is almost 1000 years old. 
• Cambridge new and old - The historic university city is the heart of Britain's "Silicon Fen".

Dialogues

• NEW  Polluting for pleasure ? - B1 - a dialogue in simple English
• Pollution - someone else's problem- a humorous dialogue on a serious subject.
• Dialogue: School uniforms  With  audio -  British school pupils discuss the pros and the cons
• Dialogue: Work  British school pupils talk about work
• Dialogue: Drugs  British school pupils discuss drugs – now less cool than they used to be
• Dialogue: Talking about "culture"  What is culture? And do teenagers get enough of it?
• Dialogue: Are you a brand slave? British teens discuss designer clothes
• Dialogue: Fast food, OK ?  With  audio - British teens discuss fast food. 

Icons

• NEW   Black taxis going green.  London's iconic black taxis are changing.
  
• NEW   Music: Ed Sheeran - from Yorkshire to the world- (short A2 - B1 level text with   audio).
• My name is Bond.  An imaginary interview with James Bond.
  
• New Life for Big Ben.  With  audio . London's iconic clock is being renovated.
  
• Charlie Chaplin and the Little Tramp.  A classic story of "rags to riches".
  
• Sherlock Holmes is getting old  - The famous detective first appeared in 1887. - over 130 years ago.
• Still No. 1 in 2024 ! Music : the Beatles - Fifty years on, they are still among the best-selling groups in the world.
• Robin Hood - Fact or fiction ?  Did this popular hero really exist?
• The Loch Ness Monster - does it really exist?
•  Who is James Bond ?
•  The story of the BBC - Britain's main broadcaster is one of the most important in the world
•  The men who guard the King With  audio - who are the red-coated guards outside Buckingham Palace ?

London

• New Life for Big Ben.  With  audio .  London's iconic clock has been renovated.
  
•  London in the Sea ? - Britain's capital city is at serious risk from rising sea levels.
• The story of London - Britain's capital city, once the biggest city in the world, is over 2000 years old.
• Big red London buses  With  audio  -  the story of London's famous routemaster buses
• London : Madame Tussaud's -  Where you can be sure to see the celebrities every day
• London: the Lord Mayor's show.  One of the biggest free shows in the world.
• London: the Great River Race London's other marathon

Sport

• Britain: sport cuts crime.  In Bristol, a new football league is making its mark
• Sport: The story of the Derby - With  audio - The oldest and most famous horse race in the world.
• NEW   Sport: The origins of football and rugby - (short A2 level text).
• Sport: The story of football and rugby - (B2 level text), and how football came from England to Brazil.
• More resources coming

2. Topics with a North-American theme

• NEW    Martin Luther King - an American hero- (short A2 - B1 level text with   audio).
• NEW   American Indians - With  audio - Also known as Native Americans, they are the original inhabitants of the USA 
• Alcohol, Prohibition and Al Capone B1 level, a simple but interesting text with interactive worksheet.
• Profession : Cowboy   With  audioThere are still cowboys working today in the American west
• George Washington -  With  audio - the story of America's first president
• Hollywood & Superheroes    New  audio
• Focus on Canada An introduction to Canada in intermediate-level English
• USA: Still looking for Gold  Out west, the gold rush is not yet over...
• USA: who was Buffalo Bill? With  audio - Remembering one of America's great folk heroes .
• USA: Team sports, American style  Why do the USA and Europe have different sports?
• Elvis - he's still the "King" and his home Graceland, in Memphis, is a major tourist attraction.
• The story of Silicon Valley  What is Silicon valley, where is it, and why ?
• The story of Coca-Cola. With  audio  The name "Coca-Cola" is the best-known name in the whole world.
• The story of Blue Jeans. New  audio  The world's most popular garment was first created in 1873
• Hollywood - its life and times A short story of Hollywood, in easy English.
• America's oil - a love affair Americans use a lot of energy; but the cost of oil is going up.
• USA: Winter sports USA  Americans love winter sports, because their winters are so cold
• USA: Close encounters with a Twister  -  A tornado strikes....

• Go West, young man! The phrase that built America  - With  audio
• Plastic pollution; how can we stop it? - With  audio

3. Other reading resources - varia, short stories, technical English, songs, cartoons

• NEW  ► The End of the World? -  How much longer can planet Earth survive? A B1 level text with interactive exercises and  audio
•  Looking for the yeti.   A2 - B1 level. Does this legendary creature really exist ?
•  Humour and jokes.  in easy English   A2

Short stories - teenage fiction  (► see also short stories)

• NEW  Short story: Dr. Trelew's Encounter - (B1) a Victorian mystery with worksheet and  audio
• NEW  Short story: Dance Macabre  - (B1) a short story from the USA with worksheets and  audio
• NEW Short story: Driftwood  - (B2) a short story from England with worksheet and  audio
• Short story: the Wimp.  Teenage fiction, in two parts, with worksheets and  audio
• Short Story - The Girl in the Denim Jacket , a story in two parts with worksheets and  audio
• Short Story - The Trap , a story in two parts
• Mystery : The Titanic and the Temple of Doom  Did this really happen ?
• Short story: the Box  - a short story in two parts with worksheets and  audio
• Short Story - One Foggy Night - teenage fiction -  a short story in two parts with worksheets and  audio
• Short Story - The path to High Crag , a story in two parts

Songs

• Song: I would if I could.  An English learning song; theme, modal verbs (+ audio)
• Song: the Titanic.  A popular folk song, with words (+  audio)

Technical English

• NEW   Living underground - past and future - (short A2 - B1 level text with   audio).
• NEW   Storing electricity - the big challenge. The sun doesn't shine at night, and sometimes the wind stops blowing....
  
• NEW  Climate change: can we stop it ? -  Or are we heading for disaster? With  audio
• Polluting for pleasure ? -  a dialogue in simple English
• Pollution - someone else's problem - a humorous dialogue on a serious subject.
• The wind farm controversy - Conservationists oppose plans to modernise a wind farm.
•  Short text: The car of the future?  An easy text in semi-technical English.  With  audio
•  Will there be life after oil?  What will happen when the oil runs out ?  With  audio
•  Short text: Holidays in space  With  audio   An easy text in semi-technical English
•  The story of Silicon Valley  What is Silicon valley, where is it, and why ?
• Short text: Living without energy  A short text in semi-technical English
• The legendary Mini Cooper - Semi-technical English
• The story of the bicycle - semi technical English

Cartoons

•   Cartoon - MacBrain & MacBrawn 1 - Fiona McBelle -
          MacBrain & MacBrawn - cartoon 2 : A Walk in the hills
          MacBrain & MacBrawn - cartoon 3 : The Sales
          MacBrain & MacBrawn - cartoon 4 : Wishful thinking
          MacBrain & MacBrawn - cartoon 5 : The motorbike
          MacBrain & MacBrawn - cartoon 6 : Another dinner date
          MacBrain & MacBrawn - cartoon 7 : African safari ?
          MacBrain & MacBrawn - cartoon 8 : A new job...
          MacBrain & MacBrawn - cartoon 9 : Hang-gliding champion...
     and more to come.

4.  Go to > Intermediate Puzzles and word games