Reading is for our mind what working out in the gym is for our body. In this article we will give you links to 7 sites with texts to read on English. Try to “pump up” your brain!
1. English as a Second Language
This site is suitable for beginners with levels and. All texts are short, they use simple words and elementary grammar - three tenses of the Simple group. Try to read at least 2-3 texts daily, it will only take 5-10 minutes.
The topics of the texts are different, they often represent small jokes. All words are selected in such a way that the student not only reads texts in English, but also expands his vocabulary. So, you can learn the first phrasal verbs, frequently used words and expressions.
Feature of this resource: Each text is accompanied by an audio recording. The speaker speaks clearly and slowly, which is exactly what beginners need to learn to understand English by ear.
2. English Online
This resource was created specifically for English language learners with a level and above. The texts are not very long, but they are rich useful expressions and words.
Articles on various topics are adapted specifically for students: the most commonly used vocabulary and simple grammatical structures are used. At the moment, several hundred texts on various topics are available for reading on the site. They are all quite interesting, so this resource contains the optimal proportion of education and entertainment.
Feature of this resource: In all articles you will see words in bold. This is the vocabulary you are asked to learn. After the text of the article you will find an English-English dictionary with these words. So the site does important function- you can learn new vocabulary in context.
3. Short Stories
This site is suitable for all lovers of fiction. There are no adapted texts or dictionaries here, only stories by English-speaking authors in their unaltered form.
The site presents 8 popular genres: children's literature, detective, science fiction, horror, humor, documentary prose, novel, Science fiction. If you are at the Pre-Intermediate level, try starting to read children's stories. In these texts the characters speak quite in simple words, and at the same time their speech is lively, unadapted. You can try reading any stories at a level; it’s better to start with short texts in your favorite genre.
Feature of this resource: the variety of genres of stories on this site will not allow even the most demanding reader to get bored. Additionally, you can sort stories by length. To do this, select any of the genres you are interested in and click on the All stories button. In the tab that opens, you can select stories from 1-2 to 30+ pages in length. This is quite convenient: you can select your text depending on the availability of free time.
4. Breaking News English
The site is suitable for students from Elementary to , who want to stay informed latest news and improve your English. News is sorted by date - from the most recent to the oldest. Sources are indicated for each - if interested, you can read them in the relevant media and compare the presentation of information.
For all news there are reading, listening, vocabulary and a letter.
Feature of this resource: the same news is adapted to several levels - see what words and grammatical structures can convey the same information.
5. Infosquares
This site contains only a few dozen texts, but it is worthy of your attention. The resource is suitable for students with an Intermediate level and above.
The resource differs from previous sites in that your task is now not just to read the text and understand the main idea, but to catch even the smallest details. On the tab with any article you will find not only a link to the text itself, but also a test to test your reading comprehension. Therefore, we advise everyone who is preparing for an English language exam to pay attention to this resource, because you can “rehearse” the Reading section on this resource.
Feature of this resource: The main purpose of this site is to check how well you understand the text. Therefore, we recommend studying on this site about once a month, and reading other articles the rest of the time. This way, you will see how quickly your English reading skill develops and how attentive you are when reading.
6. Study Zone
This site is similar to the previous one: the small amount of materials is more than compensated by the presence different exercises that check understanding of the text. Here you can study at the Pre-Intermediate level and above.
Feature of this resource: Of course, the main advantage of this site is the availability of exercises for understanding and memorizing the text. In addition, we must pay tribute to the authors of the site - they have collected for you most interesting stories and presented the information in a convenient way.
7. Dreamreader
This resource will be of interest to those who like to read various educational and entertaining articles on the Internet. Website suitable for students with Elementary level and above.
Most of the texts on this site are presented in the Fun English and Academic English sections. The beauty of the articles is that they are written in simple but lively language. And the topics discussed in the articles are relevant and cover a variety of aspects of life: from body language to fast food, from UFOs to “cat” idioms. Each text comes with a series of questions to help you check how well you understood what you read.
Feature of this resource: the site is a 2 in 1 tool. You can not only read the article, but also listen to it. Moreover, the audio recording is suitable even for those who have difficulty understanding English speech by ear. The speaker speaks clearly and quite slowly, so you can practice your listening skills, and the text will become your assistant in this matter.
There are many more sites on the Internet with texts in English. However, we have recommended the most informative and useful ones for you to study. Read with pleasure, and let English become your best entertainment, an activity that gives you pleasure.
There is a myth that only English experts can read books in the original. But today you will see that even a beginner can master literary work and understand its meaning (especially if these are adapted books in English for beginners). In addition, you can always click on an unfamiliar word and see its translation.
Why is it so important to read books at a beginner level?
- First, reading books guarantees a deeper immersion in the language than texts from textbooks.
- Secondly, this is a huge plus for self-esteem and motivation, which is very important for further language learning.
- And finally, this is one of the easiest and interesting activities, if suitable literature is selected.
That's why we found it for you the best adapted versions of foreign works(just follow the links). All books have been rewritten by professional linguists and significantly shortened: the average volume of a simplified version is approximately 10-20 pages, which is quite possible to read in one evening.
A story about the friendship of two smart mice from France and Great Britain, concerned about the fate of Shakespeare's cultural heritage. This book often uses direct speech, which means that in the future you will not have problems with spoken English.
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by Mark Twain (beginner - 7 pages)It's hard to find someone who hasn't heard about the exciting adventures of Tom Sawyer. And reading about them in the original is even more fun. The vocabulary of the story is suitable even for those who “yesterday” started learning English. |
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by Sally M. Stockton (elementary - 6 pages)An ageless story about a brave archer who fights for justice. After reading the book, you can watch one of the many film adaptations. |
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by Andrew Mathews (elementary - 6 pages)A wonderful story about a teenage girl, Susie, living in the shadow of her more attractive friend Donna. Susie hates her freckles and thinks they make her look ugly. Find out how the story ends and whether Susie's attitude towards herself will change. |
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by John Escott (elementary - 8 pages)There was also room in our selection for a ghost story. The author has a very bright style narrative, so it’s difficult to tear yourself away from the story. This means you can easily master 8 pages in one go. |
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by Mark Twain (elementary - 9 pages)Another work by Mark Twain in our selection will delight you with the story of Huckleberry Finn. A great chance to remember your childhood. The adapted version of this children's book is a real find for a beginner! |
More than ten pages - success! Simple books in English for beginners
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by Peter Benchley (elementary - 12 pages)An adapted version of the famous “Jaws” - a novel about a great white shark attacking vacationers in a resort town (brrr, horror!). Due to the long common sentences, the book may seem difficult for elementary level, but we believe that 12 pages will not be a problem for you. |
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by Lewis Carroll (elementary - 13 pages)A wonderful opportunity to once again find yourself in Wonderland and learn the names of the heroes in English. The book is read very quickly and easily - tested from my own experience in elementary school. |
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by Jack London (elementary - 15 pages)A heart-warming story about a dog's life during the Gold Rush. The book focuses on the relationship between humans and animals. In my opinion, this work is one of the best in our selection in terms of plot and writing style. |
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by Roger Lancelyn Green (elementary - 16 pages)A great opportunity to learn about the exploits of King Arthur and famous knights round table. Welcome to the English Middle Ages. |
For those who are serious. Reading books in English for beginners
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The second story by Arthur Conan Doyle, dedicated to the investigations of Sherlock Holmes. The simplified version of the work perfectly preserves the beauty of the narrative and the mystery of this detective story. |
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by Elizabeth Gaskell (pre-intermediate - 51 pages)The novel North and South describes the confrontation between factory owners and aristocrats during the Industrial Revolution in England. The book will appeal not only to fans of romantic classics performed by Jane Austen, but also to those who like historical works. |
Books in English with translation for beginners
Which are useful to read for both adults and children. These stories are very educational and each one has a moral at the end. For those who find it difficult to translate even such simple texts, a translation is presented. Chances are you've already heard similar tales in Russian, so it will be easier for you to understand their meaning.
The Ant and the Grasshopper
In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great effort an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling away?" “I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.” "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "we have got plenty of food at present.”
But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing, every day, corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer.
Then the Grasshopper knew..
MORAL: Work today and you can reap the benefits tomorrow.
Ant and grasshopper
On a field on a sunny day, a grasshopper jumped, chirped and sang to his heart's content. An ant passed by, dragging with great effort an ear of corn to its home. 
“Why don’t you come up to me and chat,” said the grasshopper, “instead of being so tense?” “I help make supplies for the winter,” said the ant, “I advise you to do the same.” “Why worry about winter? - said the grasshopper, “We have a lot of food at the moment.”
But the ant did its job and continued its hard work. When winter came, the grasshopper was literally starving to death, seeing the ants distributing the corn and grain every day from their stores that they had collected in the summer.
Then the grasshopper understood...
Morality: Work hard today and you can reap the rewards tomorrow.
The Lion and the Mouse
Once when a Lion was asleep, a little Mouse began running up and down upon him. This soon wokened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him and opened his big jaws to swallow him.
"Pardon, O King!" cried the little Mouse, “Forgive me this time.” I shall never repeat it and I shall never forget your kindness. And who knows, but I may be able to do you a good turn one of these days?”
The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go.
Sometime later a few hunters captured the King and tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on.
Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, ran up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts. "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse, very happy to help the Lion.
MORAL: Little friends may prove great friends.
Lion and mouse
One day, when the lion fell asleep, a little mouse began to run around him. He soon awakened the lion, who caught him in his huge paw and opened his jaw to swallow him.
“Forgive me, oh king! - the mouse sobbed, - Forgive me this time. This will never happen again, and I will never forget your kindness. And who knows, maybe one day I will also be able to do something good for you.” 
The lion was so amused by the idea that the mouse could somehow help him that he raised his paw and let him go.
A few days later, hunters caught the king and tied him to a tree while they looked for a cart in which to place him.
Just then it happened that a little mouse was running past, he saw the predicament in which the lion was, ran up to him and quickly gnawed the ropes that tied the king of beasts. "Was I wrong?" - said the mouse, happy that he had helped the lion.
Morality: Little friends can turn out to be wonderful friends.
The Goose that laid the Golden Eggs
Once upon a time, a man and his wife had the good fortune to have a goose which laid a golden egg every day. Lucky though they were, they soon began to think they were not getting rich fast enough.
They imagined that if the bird must be able to lay golden eggs, its insides must be made of gold. And they thought that if they could get all that precious metal at once, they would get mighty rich very soon. So the man and his wife decided to kill the bird.
However, upon cutting the goose open, they were shocked to find that its innards were like that of any other goose!
MORAL: Think before you act.
The goose who laid golden eggs
One day, a man and his wife were lucky enough to have a goose that laid a golden egg every day. Despite this great luck, they soon began to think that this is not how they 
get rich quickly enough.
They imagined that if a bird could lay golden eggs, then its insides must also be made of gold. And they thought that if they could get all this precious metal at once, then very soon they would become extremely rich. So the man and his wife decided to kill the bird.
However, when they opened the goose, they were very shocked to find that its insides were the same as any other goose.
Morality: Think before you act.
If you liked these stories, then you can read another interesting one. Don't forget to offer stories like these to your children who are learning English. They will love this unobtrusive way to learn a new language.
Here is a 45-minute collection of fairy tales with subtitles.
Perfect for practicing listening comprehension of English interesting stories in English, most of which come with translation. The stories are suitable for everyone age groups, for any level of English proficiency. Stories allow you to keep your English skills sharp. This section will be constantly updated with stories on various life topics.
- The site presents a collection english stories, start listening to short stories if you are a beginner, or listen to stories in English for intermediate level and above if you understand the meaning of 80% of the words.
- Write down the translations of the words you want to learn.
- Try to describe out loud and in your own words in English what the story was about.
- Read stories on everyday topics, stories about family, hobbies.
Reviews of stories
I like to listen to interesting stories in English when I’m traveling on public transport, without even reading the text itself, but just listening to the audio track. I am often too lazy to devote even an hour of time to improving my level of English, but stories help me maintain my level of knowledge.
LidaRequest to the administrators of this site, add a section where they will be collected short stories, because it’s not so convenient to look through many pages of your website in search of short stories, or at least add tags))) Audio stories help me personally to perceive English speech a little better, and not only me, for example, my nephew would be more willing to devote 10-20 minutes of time to listening to audio stories rather than sit in front of textbooks. Another request, add more stories about everyday situations.
LyudmilaSince now is the holiday season and many people are going to the seas abroad, it would be nice if you publish stories about your trip, I think there are interesting stories on this topic. I want to thank the authors of the site for good selection materials, it’s convenient to learn English via a cell phone, but it’s better if you can download english stories on your phone since not everywhere there is access to the Internet, but this is so, my wishes.
MaximIt’s a pity that the site doesn’t have stories about food in English, and the main thing is that there are translations. There will be double benefit, and you can improve your English and at the same time cook something delicious. In general, audio stories in English were a discovery for me; it’s a pity that when I was at school, stories were not as popular as they are today. For those who are just starting to learn English, I recommend listening to short stories as often as possible.
SvetlanaExcellent English stories, it really helps when learning a foreign language, but there is not enough list of “difficult” words with translations that appear in the stories. I once tried to force myself to read long stories in English, but they were difficult for me, and recently I decided to read simple stories and a positive result was already noticeable, I was able to significantly increase my reading speed in English. Friends, don’t be lazy, read more literature in English, good luck to everyone!!!
Kate
