Level A1-A2

A1 and A2 are the first two steps of the CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference used by schools and exams. At A1 you know a few hundred words and can follow very short sentences about familiar things. At A2 you can read short everyday texts, such as messages, simple stories and short articles, as long as the words are common and the ideas come one at a time.

The articles here are written for that stage. Sentences are short, about ten words, mostly in the present and the simple past. Each text stays with one topic and makes new words clear through context. They are not children’s texts, though: the topics are real, from why the sky is blue to the story behind a TV series.

To start, pick a topic you already know something about: when the content is familiar, new words are easier to guess. Read the text once for the general idea without stopping, then a second time, looking up the words you need (in Booklex you just tap them). If you understand almost everything without help, move up to A2–B1.