Các bài đọc tiếng Anh cơ bản cho người mới bắt đầu

Bài đọc tiếng Anh là gì?

Bài đọc tiếng Anh có thể được hiểu là những văn bản có ngôn ngữ hoàn toàn bằng tiếng Anh, được trình bày dưới nhiều hình thức khác nhau qua đoạn văn, câu chuyện ngắn hoặc cuộc hội thoại.

Bài đọc tiếng Anh thường xoay quanh nhiều chủ đề khác nhau, từ nội dung liên quan đến cuộc sống thường ngày đến tin tức hoặc các chủ đề học thuật sâu rộng.

Những bài đọc tiếng Anh cho người mới bắt đầu

Dưới đây là 10 bài đọc tiếng Anh ngắn được trích từ các văn bản xoay quanh nhiều lĩnh vực khác nhau. Tất cả các đoạn văn bản đều có trình độ phù hợp với người mới bắt đầu, người mới học tiếng Anh cần trau dồi khả năng đọc của mình.

1. Strongest robot in the world

“A Japanese company created the strongest robot in the world. The company hopes that it will redefine factory automation capabilities.

The robot has a long name – M-20001A/1700L – but that is not important. What is important is that it can lift up to 1.7 tonnes. That is the equivalent of two small cars or 24 people.

The robot also has the highest level of protection. It is almost indestructible.”

• redefine (v): thay đổi đột phá

• equivalent (n): tương đương với

• indestructible (adj): không thể bị phá hủy

Chọn phương án đúng:

Question 1: Who created the strongest robot in the world?

A. A Korean company

B. A Japanese company

C. A Chinese company

D. An American company

Question 2: How many tonnes can the robot lift?

A. Up to 1 tonne

B. Up to 2 tonnes

C. Up to 1.7 tonnes

D. Up to 3 tonnes

Question 3: What is the robot’s name?

A. M-20001A/1500L

B. M-20001A/1700L

C. R-3000B/1700L

D. S-1000C/1800L

2. A brief history of chocolate

“Chocolate was first used as a drink over 3,500 years ago in Central America. It was very popular with the Mayans and the Aztecs, who mixed cocoa beans with vanilla or chilli peppers. In fact, cocoa beans were so important to them that they were used as money.

Cocoa was first grown in Ecuador, which was, for a long time, the world’s number-one producer of cocoa beans. It is still one of the top ten producers of the beans, but nowadays more than 70 per cent of cocoa beans come from West Africa.”

• cocoa bean (n): hạt cacao

• chilli pepper (n): quả ớt

• producer (n): nơi sản xuất

Chọn phương án đúng:

Question 1: How was chocolate first used?

A. As food

B. As a drink

C. As medicine

D. As a spice

Question 2: When was chocolate first used?

A. 3500 years ago

B. 2500 years ago

C. 3000 years ago

D. 4000 years ago

Question 3: What was sometimes mixed with cocoa beans?

A. Honey or sugar

B. Vanilla or chilli peppers

C. Salt or milk

D. Cinnamon or mint

Question 4: Where was cocoa first grown?

A. Central America

B. West Africa

C. Ecuador

D. Brazil

3. Work, work

“It was time for bed. Edward was very tired. He turned off the TV. He turned off his computer. He turned off the dining room light. He went into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth. He went into the bedroom. He put on his pajamas. He got into bed. He put his head on the pillow. He pulled the blanket up to his shoulders.

He thought about all the work he had done that day. He thought about all the work he had to do the next day. He closed his eyes. He thought about his vacation in three months. That would be so nice.”

• dining room: phòng ăn

• pajamas (n): bộ quần áo ngủ

• pillow (n): cái gối

Chọn phương án đúng:

Question 1: What did Edward do first before going to bed?

A. He brushed his teeth

B. He turned off the TV

C. He put on his pajamas

D. He turned off the bathroom light

Question 2: What did Edward do after brushing his teeth?

A. He went to the bedroom

B. He turned off his computer

C. He put on his pajamas

D. He watched TV

Question 3: What did Edward think about before closing his eyes?

A. His family

B. His vacation

C. His job

D. His dinner

Question 4: When is Edward’s vacation?

A. In one month

B. In three weeks

C. In three months

D. In one year

Tìm hiểu thêm: Cách đọc chủ động (Active Reading).

4. Gossip is good

“Some people think that gossip is bad. But scientists say that it is good. We gossip to get important information. The gossip tells us who to trust. This helps us because we live in very big groups.

Gossip also helps us to live longer. When we gossip, we bond with our family. We bond with our friends. If we bond, we can know more people. If we know a lot of people, we can live longer.

People think gossip is bad now. But this idea is new. It used to be a good thing. It still is good!”

• gossip (n): những lời xì xào, bàn tán

• trust (v): tin tưởng

• bond (v): kết nối, gắn kết

Chọn phương án đúng:

Question 1: What do scientists say about gossip?

A. It is bad

B. It is good

C. It is boring

D. It is dangerous

Question 2: Why do people gossip, according to the passage?

A. To tell jokes

B. To get important information

C. To argue with others

D. To feel powerful

Question 3: How does gossip help people live longer?

A. By helping them get more sleep

B. By bonding with family and friends

C. By making them eat healthier

D. By making them exercise more

Question 4: What did people in the past think about gossip?

A. It was bad

B. It was good

C. It was rude

D. It was useless

5. Problems at an airport

“Heathrow is an airport in London, UK. Big problems with bags happen there last week. A technical problem happens in one terminal. Travelers come to this terminal. They wait for hours at check-in. Some people travel without their bags.

Hundreds of bags are in a room. People wait for two hours at baggage reclaim. Baggage reclaim is where travelers wait for their bags and suitcases.

Airport workers fix the problem on the same day. Many at UK airports are having trouble. Not enough airport workers are working. Brexit and the coronavirus make them stop. Airlines must cancel many flights.”

• terminal (n): nhà ga sân bay

• check-in (n): thủ tục giấy tờ trước khi lên máy bay

• airline (n): hãng hàng không

Chọn phương án đúng:

Question 1: Where did the problems with bags happen?

A. New York

B. Paris

C. Heathrow

D. Berlin

Question 2: What caused the problem at the terminal?

A. A fire

B. A technical problem

C. A security issue

D. A storm

Question 3: How long did some people wait at baggage reclaim?

A. One hour

B. Two hours

C. Three hours

D. Four hours

6. Marine life in danger

“A study says that the population of marine species around the world declined by 49% between 1970 and 2012. The study shows that marine life is disappearing faster than scientists thought. This is bad news for the animals, as well as people. 

Many people need the ocean to make a living. The reason for this is rising water temperatures, over-fishing and climate change. Experts say that we could lose the coral reefs from most areas by 2050.”

• population (n): dân số

• decline (v): suy giảm

• marine (a): (thuộc) biển

• make a living: kiếm sống

Chọn phương án đúng:

Question 1: How much did the population of marine species decline between 1970 and 2012?

A. 25%

B. 49%

C. 75%

D. 10%

Question 2: What is happening to marine life according to the study?

A. It is increasing

B. It is staying the same

C. It is disappearing faster than expected

D. It is recovering

Question 3: What are the main reasons for the decline in marine species?

A. Rising water temperatures, over-fishing, and climate change

B. Pollution, plastic waste, and oil spills

C. Lack of food, deep-sea mining, and illegal fishing

D. Hurricanes, storms, and tsunamis

Question 4: When do experts say we could lose the coral reefs from most areas?

A. By 2025

B. By 2030

C. By 2050

D. By 2070

Đọc thêm: Cách tự học phát âm tiếng Anh cho người ít thời gian.

7. Reasons for yellow US school buses

“Over time, most school buses in the US became the same yellow color. In the past, many children walked or used horses to go to school. Later, red, white, and blue buses took children to support patriotism. 

In 1939, a professor at Columbia University met with teachers, engineers, and other experts. They wrote a document of 42 pages that was about school buses. Experts recommended making the school buses yellow because black letters on yellow can be seen easily. Also, yellow buses were more visible in bad weather.

The yellow color got its own name, and although no law says that school buses must be yellow, most of the 480,000 school US buses are yellow.”

• patriotism (n): lòng yêu nước

• recommend (v): giới thiệu, đề xuất

• visible (a): có thể thấy được, rõ ràng

Chọn phương án đúng:

Question 1: What color are most school buses in the US today?

A. Red

B. White

C. Blue

D. Yellow

Question 2: How did many children go to school in the past?

A. By yellow buses

B. By red buses

C. By walking or using horses

D. By cars

Question 3: Why did experts recommend yellow for school buses?

A. Because it is cheaper

B. Because it is easy to see black letters on yellow

C. Because it is a popular color

D. Because children like yellow

Question 4: How many school buses are there in the US?

A. 48,000

B. 480,000

C. 42,000

D. 4,800

8. Scientists discover a new dinosaur

“Archaeologists in Argentina found a fossil of a new dinosaur. They called it Meraxes gigas after a dragon from a popular TV series.

The dinosaur is in a group of dinosaurs called a carcharodontosaur. This dinosaur was very aggressive, and it was one of the biggest predators on Earth. For scientists, the discovery was important because the fossil had all its body parts. Scientists can learn many things from it. The fossil had both arms, both legs, and a big head.

Scientists were very surprised to see how small the animal’s arms were. The dinosaur weighed about four tons, and its arms were only 60 centimeters long.”

• archaeologist (n): nhà khảo cổ học

• aggressive (a): hung hăng, hùng hổ

• predator (n): thú ăn thịt

• fossil (n): hóa thạch

Chọn phương án đúng:

Question 1: Where did archaeologists find the new dinosaur fossil?

A. In Brazil

B. In Argentina

C. In Mexico

D. In Peru

Question 2: What is the name of the new dinosaur?

A. T-Rex

B. Carcharodontosaur

C. Meraxes gigas

D. Velociraptor

Question 3: Why was the discovery important for scientists?

A. The fossil was very old

B. The dinosaur had large arms

C. The fossil had all its body parts

D. The dinosaur could fly

Question 4: How long were the dinosaur’s arms?

A. 60 meters

B. 6 centimeters

C. 60 centimeters

D. 16 centimeters

9. Soccer team wins important award

“Since 2018, South Africa’s women soccer team has gone to competitions. They have played against other African women soccer teams. They have not won for five times.

This year, the team won for the first time. They played against Morocco. One South African player scored two times in eight minutes. She played very fast. The team got a prize.

The win also helped the team to go to another competition. It is the 2023 World Cup. It will happen in Australia and New Zealand.

The soccer players go to South Africa’s capital. Hundreds of excited fans meet them. The players come to celebrate the win with the president. The president says that the team tells him they will win. They do it.”

• South Africa (n): Nam Phi

• competition (n): cuộc thi

• score (v): ghi bàn

• president (n): chủ tịch

Chọn phương án đúng:

Question 1: How many times did South Africa’s women’s soccer team fail to win before this year?

A. Three times

B. Four times

C. Five times

D. Six times

Question 2: Which team did South Africa play against to win this year?

A. Nigeria

B. Morocco

C. Australia

D. New Zealand

Question 3: Where is the 2023 World Cup going to happen?

A. South Africa

B. Morocco

C. Australia and New Zealand

D. Nigeria

Xem thêm: Ứng dụng công nghệ để nâng cao kỹ năng đọc tiếng Anh.

10. The missing book

“Mia needed to leave for school, but she couldn't find her favorite book. She looked at the kitchen table and in her room. She even checked under the bed, but it wasn't there. "Where is it?" Mia said, feeling worried.

Mia thought about where she had last seen the book. She remembered reading it in the living room the night before. She went back to look, but the book wasn't on the couch. She even checked the bookshelf, but still nothing.

Just as Mia was about to give up, she saw something under the blanket on the chair. It was her book! "There it is!" she said, smiling.

Mia grabbed the book and ran to school. She was happy that she found it just in time!”

• worried (a): lo lắng

• give up (phr. v): từ bỏ

• blanket (n): cái chăn

• grab (v): chộp, túm

Chọn phương án đúng:

Question 1: Where did Mia remember reading the book the night before?

A. In her room

B. In the kitchen

C. In the living room

D. In the dining room

Question 2: Where did Mia finally find the book?

A. Under the bed

B. On the bookshelf

C. Under the blanket on the chair

D. On the kitchen table

Question 3: How did Mia feel when she found her book?

A. Sad

B. Happy

C. Angry

D. Confused

Những lợi ích của bài đọc tiếng Anh

Luyện đọc các văn bản tiếng Anh là một phương pháp phổ biến cho người học ở nhiều nhóm trình độ khác nhau. Nhìn chung, việc thường xuyên nghiên cứu các văn bản sẽ mang lại hiệu quả rõ rệt cho kĩ năng đọc hiểu cùng nhiều lợi ích khác.

• Rèn luyện phản xạ học tiếng Anh

Việc nghiên cứu tìm tòi các văn bản tiếng Anh và đọc hiểu chúng hàng ngày sẽ giúp cải thiện dần trình độ ngôn ngữ của người học, từ đó tăng sự hứng thú đồng thời kích thích phản xạ rèn luyện tiếng Anh mỗi ngày.

• Trau dồi vốn từ vựng tiếng Anh

Tăng cường khả năng nhận biết từ mới là một lợi ích rõ rệt của việc đọc và nghiên cứu bài đọc tiếng Anh thường xuyên. Trong quá trình tiếp xúc với các bài viết, người đọc sẽ không ít lần gặp phải những từ vựng, cấu trúc mới lạ.

Để có thể nắm rõ đại ý của bài, người đọc cần chủ động tìm tòi và tra cứu nhắm nhận biết được ý nghĩa của các từ hoặc cụm từ mới trong bài. Quá trình tích lũy từ mới này sẽ góp phần đáng kể giúp làm giàu vốn tiếng Anh của người đọc.

• Nâng cao trình độ đọc hiểu

Đọc hiểu là một kỹ năng thường bị “xem nhẹ” tính quan trọng so với nghe, nói và viết. Kỹ năng đọc hiểu thường được cải thiện thông qua việc luyện tập thường xuyên và đều đặn.

Do đó, việc tiếp xúc nhiều lần với các bài đọc tiếng Anh sẽ giúp người học có thể rèn luyện khả năng đọc hiểu một cách hiệu quả nhất.

• Cải thiện kỹ năng viết tiếng Anh

Trong quá trình nghiên cứu các bài đọc tiếng Anh, người học sẽ được tiếp xúc và làm quen với các cách sử dụng từ vựng đa dạng và cách bố trí bài viết theo hướng trực quan, tự nhiên nhất. Từ đó người học có thể được gián tiếp nâng cao trình độ viết tiếng Anh của mình.

• Mở rộng kiến thức về nhiều lĩnh vực

Các bài đọc tiếng Anh thường xoay quanh nhiều chủ đề khác nhau, từ các cuộc hội thoại hằng ngày đến những tin tức thời sự và các lĩnh vực học thuật chuyên sâu. Vậy nên việc đọc các bài viết này sẽ giúp người học thu về một lượng kiến thức đa ngành về khoa học, kinh tế, chính trị hoặc đời sống…

Xem thêm: 15+ trang web đọc báo tiếng Anh cho mọi trình độ.

Tổng kết

Trên đây là 10 bài đọc tiếng Anh ngắn kèm audio, giải thích từ vựng với trình độ cơ bản, dễ hiểu và phù hợp với người mới bắt đầu học tiếng Anh. Qua đó, người học có thể nghiên cứu và áp dụng trong quá trình trau dồi ngôn ngữ của mình.