Home / English Practice / Reading library 36 longer texts, 24,430 words in all. Read one the whole way through, then answer eight questions about it.
About these texts These texts are ours, written for this module in Canadian spelling. They are for reading and comprehension practice, with multiple-choice, true-or-false, and paragraph-location checks. The library is a growing pilot: reading ability is built by reading a great deal over a long time, and this collection is a start, not a complete programme. Our English has not yet been checked by a second reader.
All levels Foundation Building Advanced
Foundation Everyday life A first winter Amara arrived in Winnipeg in the second week of October. She had seen snow once before, on a school trip to a mountain, and she had held it in her… 513 words · 4 min read Foundation Community The garden on Prince Street The lot on Prince Street had been empty for eleven years. A house had stood there once. After it came down, the ground was left with broken brick in… 564 words · 5 min read Building Natural world Why a lake freezes from the top Almost everything shrinks as it cools. The particles slow down, settle closer together, and the same amount of material takes up less space. Colder… 726 words · 6 min read Building Work The night shift The bakery on Dundas Street opens at six. The work begins at eleven the night before. 741 words · 6 min read Advanced Natural world What a river remembers Every spring, somewhere, a river returns to a field that people have been farming for two generations and behaves as though the field were still part… 988 words · 8 min read Foundation Transport The last bus The last bus began with a late bus. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a small bus stop. The situation was ordinary enough to… 501 words · 4 min read Foundation Learning A library card A library card began with a library card. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in the neighbourhood library. The situation was… 505 words · 4 min read Foundation Food The Saturday market The Saturday market began with a Saturday food market. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in the covered market near the station.… 500 words · 4 min read Foundation Environment The rain barrel The rain barrel began with a rain barrel. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in the shared courtyard. The situation was ordinary… 507 words · 4 min read Foundation Home The laundry room The laundry room began with a busy laundry room. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in an apartment building. The situation was… 501 words · 4 min read Foundation Health The clinic question The clinic question began with a visit to a community clinic. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a walk-in clinic. The situation… 504 words · 4 min read Foundation Mobility The bicycle bell The bicycle bell began with a broken bicycle bell. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a small repair shop. The situation was… 507 words · 4 min read Foundation School life The lunch table The lunch table began with a new lunch table. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a busy school cafeteria. The situation was… 503 words · 4 min read Foundation Arts The painted wall The painted wall began with a blank wall. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in the entrance to a community centre. The situation… 502 words · 4 min read Foundation Safety The weather radio The weather radio began with a weather warning. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a family kitchen. The situation was ordinary… 503 words · 4 min read Foundation Volunteering The volunteer shift The volunteer shift began with a first volunteer shift. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a food bank. The situation was… 501 words · 4 min read Foundation Daily life The bus transfer The bus transfer began with a bus transfer. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a downtown station. The situation was ordinary… 505 words · 4 min read Foundation Work The market stall The market stall began with a first day at a market stall. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a weekend farmers' market. The… 505 words · 4 min read Foundation Community The neighbourhood map The neighbourhood map began with a hand-drawn neighbourhood map. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a residents' meeting. The… 504 words · 4 min read Foundation Weather The winter boots The winter boots began with a pair of winter boots. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a second-hand shop. The situation was… 505 words · 4 min read Building Environment Repairing the shoreline Repairing the shoreline began with a damaged shoreline. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a lakefront park. The situation was… 763 words · 6 min read Building Work The quiet office The quiet office began with a quieter office plan. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a growing design company. The situation was… 752 words · 6 min read Building Cities A cooler city block A cooler city block began with an unusually hot city block. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a neighbourhood with little shade.… 755 words · 6 min read Building History The museum box The museum box began with a box of family photographs. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a local museum archive. The situation… 750 words · 6 min read Building Energy The shared solar roof The shared solar roof began with a shared solar project. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a row of apartment buildings. The… 754 words · 6 min read Building Language The language exchange The language exchange began with a language exchange group. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a café beside a college. The… 758 words · 6 min read Building Public health The smoke day The smoke day began with a week of wildfire smoke. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a public library. The situation was… 753 words · 6 min read Building Design The new ramp The new ramp began with an accessible entrance. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a small theatre. The situation was ordinary… 753 words · 6 min read Building Media The local paper The local paper began with a community newspaper. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a town with many new residents. The… 753 words · 6 min read Building Consumption The repair café The repair café began with a repair café. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a church hall. The situation was ordinary enough to… 752 words · 6 min read Building Transport The evening train The evening train began with a proposed evening train. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a fast-growing suburb. The situation… 752 words · 6 min read Advanced Housing The housing corridor The housing corridor began with a new housing corridor. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a city planning office. The situation… 1,026 words · 9 min read Advanced Climate The coastal choice The coastal choice began with a coastal adaptation plan. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a fishing town. The situation was… 1,021 words · 9 min read Advanced Technology The hiring screen The hiring screen began with an automated hiring tool. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a public-sector human resources team.… 1,001 words · 8 min read Advanced Water The river agreement The river agreement began with a river-sharing agreement. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in three communities along one… 1,002 words · 8 min read Advanced Culture The migration archive The migration archive began with an oral-history archive. At first, one resident noticed only a small problem in a city museum. The situation was… 1,000 words · 8 min read