This book was written especially for English language learners. Instead of being boring, it's actually very interesting! I picked up a copy at a conference, and I read the whole thing because it was so interesting. Each short story in the book has a twist or surprise in it. Highly recommended! You can also buy a combination book and CD audio package. British English. Intermediate level.

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Product Description

Cambridge English Readers is an exciting new series of original fiction, specially written for learners of English. Graded into six levels - from elementary to advanced - the stories in this series provide easy and enjoyable reading on a wide range of contemporary topics and themes. Five stories about discovery - a perfume that attracts men, a book that shows people's thoughts, a remarkable change in an old woman's life, the secret of high intelligence, and a way of making time stand still - make up this entertaining collection.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1996793 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 78 pages

Review
'What distinguishes the series from all the others is the zest and freshness of the text. Where the emphasis in other series is on plain and straightforward language, Cambridge English Reading texts typically use very modern expressions and the dialogue is faster moving. This has an impact on the quality of the audio cassettes, which make for very enjoyable listening.' David R. Hill, Survey Review: Readers, ELT Journal

'It was only a matter of time before a major ELT publisher set out to challenge the market dominance of Penguin Classics in the area of readers ... CUP have hit back admirably. With something for everyone in your classes, this series is well worth investing in. In fact, it's going to be a difficult act to follow by other publishers.' IATEFL Issues

'The series breaks new ground in two respects. The first is the light and informal style of writing. It is notoriously difficult to write fluent prose using restricted lexis and syntax. Part of the secret is to use word and grammar lists flexibly; but it requires flair and a good ear to produce prose and dialogue that read so well and give such a genuine flavour of modern idiom.' English Teaching Professional

'These were a very good read: exciting fast-moving stories at all levels, and a good mixture of subjects. Most touched on up-to-date themes, such as corruption, refugees, psychology, hunger, feminism, or ecology without being prosy, or moralising.' BaNina Vivanco, SATEFL Newsletter Vol 19 No 3

'This is a well presented, authentic looking series of readers that students should enjoy. They are graded into five levels, and the accompanying cassette will be useful, especially for pronunciation - audio versions are very popular with students.' Josephine Caruana, Network News, Issue 34

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Customer Reviews

Engaging reading for English language learners
This book was written for ESL and EFL students. Most books of this type are boring and dull, but this particular collection is entertaining. I'm a native speaker who is accustomed to reading long, complex books, but I still found this book interesting enough that I read it all in one setting. The short stories all contain a twist or surprise, in the vein of Twilight Zone--in fact, a couple of stories are a little too reminiscent of that show and early science fiction short stories. Nonetheless, this is a great introduction to reading fluently and enjoyably in English. If you (as a teacher or a student) have only seen dull, stripped-down simplifications of classic novels as graded readers, give this a try. It's a pleasant surprise to find that "learner literature" can be engaging reading in its own right.