Find an article
You are searching our free catalogue of free online articles.
Subscribe to our monthly newspaper for full access to the paper premium content.
Reading Level: Level 2
On This Day: A world record flight
On August 7, 1982, two pilots from Canada made a world record flight. They flew around the world in six days and 7½ hours in a single-engine plane. They flew 36,500 kilometres in a Cessna 210. Don Muir was 26 years old. He was a bush pilot from Sioux Lookout, Ontario. André Daemen was 22 years….
Continue ReadingRide for a good life
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Patty Bossort. Level 2 Bicycling is good for your health. It is good for the economy. It is good for the environment. Six good reasons to bicycle: It is good exercise. A fit body is a healthy body. Children learn better after a walk or bike ride to school. A…
Continue ReadingBike polo is a wild ride
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Patty Bossort Level 2 What is bike polo? Bike polo is played by six people on bicycles. They chase a hard orange ball. They hit the ball with mallets. Players cover the wheels. This keeps the ball out of the spokes. The sport is getting more popular. Everyone is welcome to…
Continue ReadingA big hug
2014 Write a Story contest winners Story by Stella Kong Vancouver, BC This story is by one of our four winners. Click the link to read the story.
Continue ReadingA childhood phase
2014 Write a Story contest winners Story by Bobbi Earl Summerland, BC This story is by one of our four winners. Click the link to read the story.
Continue ReadingA logging family
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Spring comes to the Cariboo in June. The snow melts. The ground gets firm. The logging season begins. Derek Woollend is a logger. His father started logging in 1955. They work together. Read the PDF and do the exercise A logging family Visit the links Learn more about trees…
Continue ReadingCanucks make changes
Adapted from The Province Level 2 The Vancouver Canucks are not in the Stanley Cup playoffs this year. The goalie, Roberto Luongo, moved to Florida. The Canucks fired the General Manager, Mike Gillis. Read the PDF and do the exercise Canucks make changes Visit the links Learn more about the Canucks. Watch the videos Watch the…
Continue ReadingSuccessful foster kids: Robert Davidson
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 It is hard for foster kids to finish high school. Only 32 percent graduate by age 19. Foster kids move a lot. They change homes and schools often. This makes keeping up at school difficult. The BC government stops supporting youth in foster care at age 19. They…
Continue ReadingSuccessful foster kids: Bayleigh Marie
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Bayleigh Marie lived in foster care all her life. She lived in 10 different foster homes. She lived in three group homes. “When I turned 19, they gave me the boot,” said Marie. “They said I was grown up. Now go face the world on your own.” Marie…
Continue ReadingChocolate chip cookies are a Canadian favourite
Adapted from wikiHow Level 2 Who invented the chocolate chip cookie? Ruth Wakefield invented the chocolate chip cookie in 1924. Ruth and her husband ran a tourist lodge. Ruth made very good desserts for her guests. One day she did not have powdered cocoa for her favourite cookie recipe. Instead, she found a chocolate bar. She…
Continue ReadingDriving the Coquihalla in winter
Adapted from The Province Level 2 The Coquihalla is a highway in British Columbia. The highway runs from Hope to Merritt. It is also called Highway 5. The highway runs through the mountains. It goes over high mountain passes. The Coquihalla is a dangerous highway in the winter. Read the PDF and do the exercise Driving…
Continue ReadingPeak to be named for Tim Jones
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Tim Jones loved Mount Seymour. He walked his dog there. He rescued people there. He died on Mount Seymour. He was 57 years old. Thousands of people came to Tim Jones’ funeral. Police, firefighters, mountain rescuers, hikers, climbers and skiers came. People lined the street to watch the procession….
Continue ReadingYoung girl fights bullying
Adapted from The Province and the Nanaimo Daily News Reposted February 24, 2016. This year Pink Shirt Day is February 24. Level 2 Alvena Little-Wolf Ear is 9 years old. She is in grade 4. Alvena was unhappy. Children at school made fun of her. They would not play with her. Annette Little is Alvena’s mother….
Continue ReadingAtira wins award
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Atira is an organization. Atira helps women in Vancouver, Surrey and White Rock. Atira builds homes for women. Atira owns 13 buildings. They house 1,200 women. The homes are safe places. The homes are low-cost. They built a new apartment in downtown Vancouver. They used old shipping containers. The…
Continue ReadingPeople with disabilities are good workers
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Scott Fattedad works two days a week. Fattedad works one day at the Thrifty’s. He works one day at Starbucks. Thrifty’s hired him 11 years ago. Fattedad has Down Syndrome. He is friendly. He likes to chat with customers. He does his job very well. He gets awards for…
Continue ReadingSea otter recovers
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Walter is a sea otter. He was found on the beach near Tofino. Someone shot Walter with a shotgun in October. He was shot many times. Read the PDF and do the exercise Sea Otter Watch the videos Watch sea otters swim and play at the Vancouver Aquarium. He…
Continue ReadingHero rescues family from fire
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Trevor Yellowbird is a hero. Trevor and his sister, Robin, saved three people from a house fire. Trevor lived in a basement suite. Robin was visiting. Robin smelled smoke about 3 a.m. Gurbux Dhanjal was Yellowbird’s landlady. She lived upstairs with her daughter, father and mother. The fire…
Continue ReadingCanada Post makes changes
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Canada Post has a new business plan. The corporation needs to make more money. They will make more money in three ways. Stamps will cost more in 2014. A stamp costs $0.63 today. On March 31, a stamp will cost $1.00. In 2000, a stamp cost $0.46. The cost…
Continue ReadingHow to make apple butter
Adapted from wikiHow Level 2 ELSA students at the Collège Éducacentre in Vancouver made apple butter. The students peeled, cut and boiled apples. They poured in honey. They added cinnamon and cardamom. They canned the apple butter. Each student got a jar of apple butter to take home. It was the most delicious English lesson of…
Continue ReadingAn accident can change a life forever
Adapted from The Province Level 2 Trevor Philips walked home from a concert. A car hit him. Philips broke both his legs. He crushed his ankle. He broke his ribs, collarbone and backbone. He may lose the sight in his left eye. Philips was an active person. He worked in a restaurant. He ran a company…
Continue ReadingLibraries help newcomers
Level 2 Ten libraries in the Lower Mainland are part of a new project. The project is called NewToBC. The NewToBC project helps newcomers feel at home in BC. The NewtoBC website is helpful and easy to use. The website is www.newtobc.ca. The library staff can help immigrants. They can help you find what you…
Continue ReadingIn praise of Alice Munro
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Alice Munro is a writer. She won the 2013 Nobel Prize for Literature. Canadians are very proud of her. She is the first Canadian to win the prize. Read the PDF and do the exercise Alice Munro Wins Nobel Prize Visit the links Meet Alice Munro on Facebook. Watch the…
Continue ReadingThousands of crows gather in Burnaby
Adapted from The Province Level 2 In Burnaby, thousands of crows gather. Watchers say that 3,000 to 5,000 crows gather here every night. They stay for the whole night from sundown to sunrise. You can see them at Still Creek at the corner of Willlingdon Avenue and Highway 1. They gather here every evening during the…
Continue ReadingHaida Gwaii wins 7-wonders of BC vote
Adapted from The Province Level 2 Readers of The Province newspaper named the Seven Wonders of BC. The Haida Gwaii won. Andrew Merilees is mayor of the Village of Masset. He says, “It’s an amazing place.” Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. Haida Gwaii wins 7-wonders Visit the WCR links: Learn more about the Haida…
Continue ReadingAre you using your cell phone at work?
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Many young people less than 30 years old are very attached to their cell phones and tablets. In their personal lives, they use them all day, everywhere. They need to learn how to use these devices in their workplace. Communication at work is different. “What we need are social…
Continue ReadingSurvivor stories
Survivors of Indian Residential Schools tell their stories. Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Alvin Dixon Alvin Dixon was 10 years old. He was taken from his home in Bella Bella. After that, he lived at a residential school for 8 years. Visit the links: Residential School Survivor Margaret Commodore speaks. Click here to watch the video.
Continue ReadingThousands of people walked to honour survivors
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 It was raining. Everyone held umbrellas. Seventy thousand people walked to honour First Nations people. The walk ended a week of events. The events celebrated Aboriginal heritage. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. Truth & Reconciliation Walk Visit the links: Dr. Bernice King talked to the large group…
Continue ReadingThe perfect picnic
Level 2 A picnic is a simple way to eat outdoors. You can picnic in a park. You can picnic in your own backyard. Spread a blanket on the ground. Lay your food out. Eat your lunch. Have fun. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. The perfect picnic-PDF Visit the links: VanDusen Gardens 5 Perfect…
Continue ReadingRowing the Northwest Passage
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Four men are rowing a boat from Inuvik, Northwest Territories to Pond Inlet, Nunavut. The boat is 7.6 meters long. They left Inuvik in early July. They hope to arrive in Pond Inlet in early fall. This route is called the Northwest Passage. It is a very dangerous…
Continue ReadingBaby sign language
Level 2 April 2011 Special thanks to Sheri Kauhausen of Intoyoga.ca and the mothers at Kerrisdale Community Centre Sheri Kauhausen teaches sign language to parents and to babies who hear. She uses American Sign Language in her classes. Sheri says babies can communicate before they can speak. Read the PDF. Baby sign language-PDF Babies (8–12…
Continue ReadingEtiquette
Level 2 January 2011 What is etiquette? Etiquette* is a set of rules telling people how to behave. Different cultures have different rules. For example, there are rules about eating, using cell phones and greeting people. *(say: eh-ti-kit) Read the PDF. Etiquette-PDF Some rules in Canada are: Illustrations by: Nola Johnston
Continue ReadingSurprise!
Level 2 November 2011 Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Rachel Suttle did not know she was expecting a baby (was pregnant). The strange story began in December, 2010. Rachel became pregnant, but six weeks later, she lost the baby. Read the PDF. Surprise-PDF In January, Rachel visited her family doctor. He told her she was…
Continue ReadingRoundabout rules
Level 2 October 2010 Adpated from The Vancouver Sun by Nila Gopaul Approach Slow down. Yield Yield to cars coming from the LEFT. Yield to pedestrians (walkers). Read the PDF. Roundabout rules-PDF Enter When it is safe, enter to your RIGHT. Exit Signal RIGHT when you plan to exit. Special rules If you miss your…
Continue ReadingShipwrecked in BC
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and Victoria Times Colonist by Nila Gopaul Level 2 September 2011 For six days in early June, Elaine Campbell was alone on a rocky beach in Haida Gwaii, B.C. Earlier, Elaine and her husband, Fred, were exploring the island. They were in a small boat. Suddenly, a large wave tipped…
Continue ReadingHypothermia
Adapted from Healthlink BC by Nila Gopaul Level 2 May/June 2012 Normal body temperature in adults is 34.4 °C to 37.8 °C. People can get hypothermia when the inside of the body drops below 35 °C. If not treated, hypothermia can lead to death. Read the PDF. Try the exercise. Hypothermia-PDF Here are some ways…
Continue ReadingSitting is a pain
Level 2 Adapted from The Edmonton Journal October 2011 Ginette Biro is a personal trainer. She teaches people how to exercise. Biro also trains students to stretch. Read the PDF. Sitting is a pain-PDF Sitting for a long time can be hard on the body, especially the back. Biro says it is very important to…
Continue ReadingThe Great Blue Heron
Adapted from the B.C. Ministry of Environment and The Province Illustrations by Nola Johnston Level 2 May 2011 In BC, people can see Great Blue Herons all year. Herons live on the coast. They also live in the southern part of B.C. The heron is a large bird: It is taller than many 8-year-old children….
Continue ReadingNew lungs, new life
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Colleen Kohse, 53, lives in Vancouver. When she was in her 20s she received new lungs. At that time, Kohse was very ill. She had cystic fibrosis (CF). CF is a disease. CF affects the lungs. People with CF have a hard time breathing. They also get infections…
Continue ReadingRingette is 50 years old
Adapted from The Vancouver Courier and information from Ringette Canada Level 2 Ringette is a Canadian game on ice. It is one of Canada’s favorite sports for girls and women. Young men are playing ringette now, too. There are over 50,000 people working with ringette across Canada. Some of these are coaches and volunteers. This…
Continue ReadingA cooking program opens doors for First Nations
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson Level 2 Vancouver loves local food. But there is little First Nations food in the city. Chef Andrew George Jr. hopes to change this. In early November, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (slay-wa-tuth) in North Vancouver celebrated. The first class graduated from its own professional chef’s program. And local chef…
Continue ReadingFarmland disappears
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and www.youtube.com Level 2 I interviewed Harold Steves in 2009. Harold is an interesting man. He and my father were both at U.B.C. They both studied Agriculture. Both men became teachers. Visit the links: B.C. Agricultural Land Commission Harold’s family history Many people know about the Steves’ family. The town…
Continue ReadingShipping containers become homes
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 We have seen these huge boxes before. They are large and strong. We call them containers. These boxes are strong. They are made out of metal. People use them for many things. Visit the links: Atira Women’s Resource Society The Street to Home Foundation A new use for…
Continue ReadingHungry snowy owls return to Tsawwassen
Adapted from The Province by Nancy Carson Level 2 Bird lovers are excited. About two dozen snowy owls have come back to B.C.’s Lower Mainland for the winter. The owls are in Boundary Bay in the Tsawwassen area. People have seen them on Vancouver Island, too. Visit the links: Video story about the owls that have…
Continue ReadingFamily, the first school for young children
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 How does a child become a good reader? How does a child become a good speaker? The answer is simple. The family is the first school for a child. A child becomes a good reader because people at home read to him. And read often. A child learns…
Continue ReadingGrade 4 kids in B.C. are top readers
Adapted from The Vancouver Courier by Nancy Carson Level 2 Grade 4 students in B.C. are very good readers. Nine provinces in Canada were in a reading study. There were 45 countries in the same study. Visit the link: Vancouver Sun’s Raise-a-Reader program with videos of local children’s authors Video: Read for the Top Canadian Reading…
Continue ReadingThrow like a girl
Adapted from The Courier Level 2 At one time, people thought boys and girls had different arms and shoulders. These people noticed that boys could throw a ball well. They noticed that girls did not throw well. “You throw like a girl” meant your throw was weak. It meant you could not throw far. And…
Continue ReadingWinter driving
Adapted from ICBC Level 2 In B.C., heavy rain, fog, snow and ice can make driving difficult. Here are some ideas for driving in the winter: Buy good wipers, so you can see well. Fill fluids such as antifreeze and wiper fluid. Make sure that you have good winter tires if you are driving on roads…
Continue ReadingAging in a changing world
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson Level 2 In October, more than 750 people met in Vancouver. These people study gerontology. Gerontology is the study of old age. These people talked about how people grow old. They also talked about the problems of old people. Visit the links: Dream On Seniors Wish Foundation: information,…
Continue ReadingI feel happy when I dance
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Jesula McCallum lives in Chilliwack, B.C. She is ten years old. And she loves to dance. Visit the links: The story of Jesula Irish dance concert
Continue ReadingStand-up bike puts runners on wheels
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 It has no seat. So, you cannot sit down. You must stand up to ride it. It has no pedals. So, you have to push or pump the foot platforms up and down. Then the bike moves. People look at Christy Lynn on the bike. They are…
Continue Reading