A2 English Reading Practice
Build confidence with short, fascinating texts. Every reading includes clear comprehension questions and a link to the timed Speed Reading tool.
Choose a reading
Start with a topic that interests you. Read for meaning first, answer the questions, then try the timer when you are ready.
First Modern Olympic Games – A2
A2 English reading comprehension about how the modern Olympic movement began in Athens in 1896.
Read and answer →
The Northern Lights
Learn why coloured lights sometimes dance across the night sky.
Read and answer →
How Chocolate Is Made
Follow cacao beans from a tropical tree to a finished chocolate bar.
Read and answer →
How Octopuses Change Colour
Find out how octopuses alter their appearance in a fraction of a second.
Read and answer →
Mary Anning: Fossil Hunter
Meet the young fossil hunter whose discoveries changed our view of the past.
Read and answer →
The Great Fire of London
Read how a small bakery fire spread through London in 1666.
Read and answer →
The Amazing Migration of Monarch Butterflies
Travel with monarch butterflies on their remarkable seasonal journey.
Read and answer →
Why We Dream
Explore what researchers know—and still do not know—about dreams.
Read and answer →
The Mystery of Stonehenge
Consider how and why people built this ancient stone monument.
Read and answer →
Amelia Earhart: Flying Into the Unknown
Follow the achievements and final mysterious flight of a pioneering pilot.
Read and answer →
How a Rainbow Forms
See how sunlight and raindrops work together to make a rainbow.
Read and answer →
Pompeii: The City Buried by a Volcano
Learn what happened when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79.
Read and answer →Read once without timing yourself. Notice the main idea and important details.
Try the five comprehension questions without looking back if you can.
Open the timed activity and practise reading smoothly while keeping good comprehension.
Ready for more A2 practice?
Explore the complete reading library, or combine reading with listening and speaking.