Why Is the Sky Blue? Simple Questions With Surprising Answers
Look up on a sunny day. The sky is blue. People ten thousand years ago knew this too. But here is a…
Free reading practice
English reading practice, A1 to C2
Short, fact-rich articles written for learners. Pick your level, read online — or open the text in Booklex and tap any word to translate it.
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Bilingual Brains: Does Speaking Two Languages Change How You Think?
Imagine you are sitting at a table covered with objects: a cabbage, a pen, a cup, a child’s shoe. A researcher asks…
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Happy Mistakes: The Accidental Inventions That Changed the World
In September 1928, a Scottish scientist came back to his laboratory in London after a summer holiday. His name was Alexander Fleming,…
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The Toy Company That Almost Died: How LEGO Lost Its Way and Found the Brick Again
In 2003, a young Danish manager stood in front of the people who ran LEGO and told them something nobody wanted to…
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Friends: Six Unknown Actors, One Orange Sofa and 52 Million Viewers
On 22 September 1994, a new comedy show started on American TV. It was about six young people in New York. The…
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Why a Coffee in Helsinki Is Nothing Like a Coffee in Naples
In Naples, a man walks into a bar, says one word to the barista and drinks his espresso standing up. Ninety seconds…
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The Man Who Walked on the Moon and Still Felt Like a Fake
Some years ago, the writer Neil Gaiman was invited to a meeting of famous artists, scientists and explorers. He felt completely out…
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The Science of Happiness: What Really Makes People Happy?
Do you think money can buy happiness? Many people say yes. But scientists say something different. They study happiness every day. They…
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The Silk Road: The World’s First Globalization
Long before container ships crossed oceans or fibre-optic cables carried data beneath the sea, a camel caravan trudging through the Taklamakan Desert…
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The Ocean: What We Still Haven’t Explored
Here is a strange fact: we have better maps of the surface of Mars than we have of the bottom of our…
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How Fashion Trends Are Born
Ten years ago, nobody would have worn chunky sneakers with a formal suit. Today, it barely raises an eyebrow. Somewhere between a…
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How to Learn a Language by Reading Books: A Practical Guide
Do you want to learn a new language? Reading books can help you a lot. Many people think reading is only for…
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