Includes a vocabulary index.

"The Longman Academic Reading Series is a five-level series that prepares English language learners for academic work. The aim of the series is to make students more effective and confident readers by providing high-interest readings on academic subjects and by teaching them skills and strategies for effective reading, vocabulary building, note-taking, and critical thinking. The series also encourages students to discuss and write about the ideas they discovered in the readings, making them better speakers and writers of English as well.

Features:
Readings based on academic sources — Every reading in the text focuses on an academic subject and is chosen with the intent of providing different and intriguing perspectives on the theme.
Multiple reading genres — Readings come from a variety of sources or genres, from textbooks to on-line articles, and are written by a variety of experts from widely different fields.
Explicit academic skills — From critical reading to vocabulary building, notetaking and critical thinking, the Longman Academic Reading Series provides students with a holistic approach to effective reading.
Corpus-Informed approach to vocabulary (AWL) — Students build vocabulary and acquire skills that will help them become more confident and successful in preparing for their academic work." (Publisher's Website)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

To the Teacher

Chapter Overview

Scope and Sequence

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1 HEALTH SCIENCES: The Therapeutic Effects of Animals
Reading One: In the Presence of Animals
Reading Two: Canine Companions May Help Kids Learn to Read

Chapter 2 PSYCHOLOGY: Dealing with Change
Reading One: Young Football Players Injured, but Not Forgotten
Reading Two: Who Moved My Cheese?

Chapter 3 LINGUISTICS: Little-Known Languages
Reading One: An Unbreakable Code
Reading Two: Languages Die Out, Taking History Along

Chapter 4 ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: Elephants
Reading One: The Elephant Orphanage
Reading Two: Elephant Behavior

Chapter 5 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY: Teaching Tolerance
Reading One: A Class Divided -- Jane Elliott's Famous Lesson
Reading Two: Fourteen Years Later

Chapter 6 PUBLIC ART: Experiencing Familiar Places in a New Way
Reading One: What Is Public Art?
Reading Two: Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Chapter 7 SOCIOLOGY: The Bystander Effect
Reading One: Why and How Do We Help?
Reading Two: Case Studies

Chapter 8 GOVERNMENT: Interpreting the Law
Reading One: Our Supreme Court -- An Introduction
Reading Two: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Chapter 9 ECONOMICS: Bartering in the 21st Century
Reading One: Swap Tree -- Simple, Easy Online Trading
Reading Two: Heidemarie Schwermer

Chapter 10 NEUROLOGY: The Brain
Reading One: Why Can't You Tickle Yourself?
Reading Two: Laughter and the Brain

Vocabulary Index

Credits

ESL students at a beginners (A1) level.