Read & Listen
Short original texts from B1 to C2. Linking words and phrases worth borrowing are highlighted: hover or tap one to see what it means, how to use it, and save it for review. Every text can be read aloud.
- B1Food and culture2 minBreakfast on a plastic stoolWhy so many Hanoians eat breakfast on tiny stools by the road, and why they would not swap it for a quiet restaurant.7 linking words11 phrases
- B1Health and sport2 minLearning to swim at 27A 27-year-old finally faces a lifelong fear of water and learns to swim in a class full of teenagers.7 linking words12 phrases
- B1Cities and transport2 minThe subway that runs on roadsHow a Brazilian city fought traffic with buses instead of an expensive subway, and why cities around the world copied the idea.8 linking words11 phrases
- B1Work2 minWhat my first job taught meA young graduate looks back on a hard first few months at work and what a helpful colleague taught them.7 linking words12 phrases
- B2Health2 minOne more scrollWhy late-night social media can damage sleep, why some researchers urge caution, and which small habits help.7 linking words11 phrases
- B2Environment2 minThe Mekong Delta under pressureRising seas, sinking land and missing sediment threaten the Mekong Delta, and its people are learning to work with nature instead of against it.9 linking words12 phrases
- B2Psychology2 minWhy we put things offProcrastination is less about laziness than about avoiding unpleasant feelings, and understanding this can help us get started.9 linking words13 phrases
- B2Work2 minWorking from home: freedom with a catchRemote work saves time and opens up opportunities, but it can blur the line between work and rest and leave young employees behind.8 linking words12 phrases
- C1Technology and society3 minThe battle for your attentionApps are built to capture our attention, and the writer argues that personal willpower alone cannot win that fight.10 linking words14 phrases
- C1Work and society3 minThe case for a shorter weekTrials of a four-day week look promising, but the writer argues that it needs careful, flexible design to work across different kinds of jobs.10 linking words14 phrases
- C1Cities and the environment3 minThe city that traps its own heatWhy Ho Chi Minh City is hotter than the countryside around it, who suffers most, and which small changes could help to cool it down.10 linking words14 phrases
- C1Language and culture3 minThe quiet death of languagesLanguages rarely die because they are inadequate; they die when families stop passing them on, although some communities have managed to reverse the decline.9 linking words14 phrases
- C2Psychology and consumption4 minSpoilt for choiceA look at the 'paradox of choice', the shaky evidence behind it, and why too many options can still feel like a burden.9 linking words15 phrases
- C2Art and technology4 minThe machine at the easelAn essay that weighs arguments about theft, authorship and value in AI-generated art, and proposes remedies for specific harms rather than outright bans.9 linking words15 phrases
- C2Society and education4 minThe trouble with meritMeritocracy beats inherited privilege, the writer argues, but it becomes corrosive when merit is mistaken for a measure of human worth.9 linking words15 phrases
- C2Psychology and law3 minThe witness who was sureResearch shows that memory is a reconstruction, so a sincere and confident eyewitness can still be completely wrong.9 linking words15 phrases