Cambridge English Readers for Beginner and Basic Students

Reading for pleasure is one way to learn more vocabulary and practice your English. Cambridge University Press publishes original English Readers by level. Here are a few of their titles, with a blurb about the plot:

Ghost Story
The Girl at the Window by Antoinette Moses

For Grace, a ghost in a haunted house, the arrival of a young mother with a baby stirs the memories of the man and child she lost so many years before. But then danger threatens the baby girl and Grace must act decisively.

Murder Mystery
A Death in Oxford by Richard MacAndrew

When Dr Leighton is murdered Inspector Frank Williams and Sergeant Kate Miller set out to track down her killer. Was it her husband, her son or her colleague? All had reasons to hate her but which one killed her?

Comedy
What a Lottery! by Colin Campbell

Rick Drummond is a music lover without a job who dreams of making it big in the world of music. The people around him think he's just a dreamer, or a loser. When his wife walks out on him it seems the real world is falling around him. But then his luck changes when he wins the lottery. Is this really a change of fortune for Rick or is he about to lose again?

Science Fiction
Let Me Out! by Antoinette Moses

Nolan is a robot created by a lonely electronics expert, John, to run his home, cook and do the ironing. but Nolan is not content; he wants to be human. When he realises that this is not possible, he turns against John, who finds there is no escpe from his malevolence.

Thriller
The Penang File by Richard MacAndrew

Secret agent, Ian Munro, is dispatched to Penang to stop an assassination attempt on the Prince (a member of the British Royal Family who is there on a state visit). Munro tracks down the assassin, identifies where and how the "hit" will take place, but can he foil the assassination attempt in time?

Dirty Money by Sue Leather

Joe lives in Canada, in a beautiful, quiet place. His peace is interrupted one day by the noise of bulldozers excavating near his house. He is told that it's a diamond mine. Joe is a journalist for a local newspaper and his neaighbours soon come to ask him to write about the awful noise and destruction. Joe becomes suspicious when his boss won't let him write about it. He starts to invesitgate the mine, but gets himself in harm's way.

CEC library

Don't forget about the CEC library. It is a great resource for students and teachers alike. There are a number of grammar books and readers, as well as hundreds of authentic novels. Remember - you don't have to read an entire novel. Read the first chapter, or a short story. Some of our books even come with the CD and CD-Rom, so you can listen and read along. There is even a small French and Spanish section. Go to the reading room (located adjacent to the library) to find a quiet place to study. The librarian is there during the day to answer your questions, help with homework, or just recommend something interesting to read. You can go and practice your English, too, since she is an English teacher herself! Visit the library today!

Location: Seis de Diciembre and Veintimilla (next to “La Rossa” Corner Store)
Hours: 8:30 - 14:00 AND 15:00 -17:30
Reading Room Hours: 9:00 -13:30 and 16:00 -17:30
Telephone number: 254-4666
email: itobar (AT) cec-epn (DOT) edu (DOT) ec
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English Readers: A Good Way to Get Started Reading in English!

Cambridge English Readers is a series of books intended for a diverse range of levels and English students. The titles below are the ones we have available at the CEC library.

Cambridge English Readers
The Double Bass Mystery by Jeremey Harmer, Level 2
The Ironing Man by Colin Campbell, Level 3
Nothing But the Truth by George Kershaw, Level 4
Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremy Harmer, Level 6

If you are unsure what level you should read, take the online placement test. You can also download a worksheet to check your comprehension.

Other readers we have:
The Man With No Name by Evelyn Davies, Elementary
The Cleverest Person in the World by Norman Whitney, Elementary
A Marriage of Convenience and Other Stories by W. Somerset Maugham, Intermediate
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Intermediate

You can check out these books at the CEC library Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 and 15:00 to 17:30. The library is located at Veintimilla y 6 de diciembre, next to the Tienda Rossa. You can also call the librarian, Isabel, at 254-4666. You must have a picture ID and be a currently enrolled student to check books out.