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Passages from classic English literature read by native speakers. Real, unscripted reading speed.
These passages come from classic English literature read aloud by volunteer native speakers. Each reader has their own voice, accent and pace, so this is some of the most realistic — and challenging — listening practice on the site.
Literary texts use older or unusual words. If you do not recognise a word, type how it sounds and let the correction show you the spelling, then look it up in the dictionary. Punctuation does not count against you, so focus on the words.
If these passages feel too hard, build up with the Intermediate and Advanced levels, or try the shorter, clearer reports in English News.
They come from openly licensed audiobook datasets based on public-domain books. Each exercise lists its source and licence.
It is great for building advanced vocabulary and listening stamina, which helps in the longer academic sections of both tests.