Why read this: This A2 reading gives students one simple, big idea. A famous old book about boys on an island still feels true today. The text uses short sentences, easy words, and clear order. Students learn the names of the main characters, the year of the book, and one new modern detail: a Netflix show. They do not need to know the Cold War or any literary words before they read. The text explains the few hard ideas in plain language.
What to notice: Notice how the article keeps every sentence short and direct. Each paragraph holds one small step in the story. Paragraph 1 is the plot. Paragraph 2 is the time when the book was written. Paragraph 3 is the new TV show. Paragraph 4 is the three main boys. Paragraph 5 is why the book still matters today. Notice the three glossed terms: Cold War, mushroom cloud, and Lord of the Flies moment. These are the only hard phrases that students cannot guess from context.
Skills practised: Students practise simple reading for facts: who, what, when, where. They follow a short text in time order, from 1954 to 2026. They retrieve and organise information about characters and events. The MCQs test literal understanding only. The open questions ask students to describe and to list, so they can practise putting facts into their own short sentences. This is a good first step before students read the B2 or C1 versions of the same article.
An old book about boys on an island still matters today
William Golding wrote Lord of the Flies in 1954. A new Netflix show brings the story to a new world.
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
Lord of the Flies is a famous old book by William Golding. He wrote it in 1954. The story is about a group of British boys whose plane crashes on a small island. There are no adults on the island, so the boys must take care of themselves. At first they try to make rules and stay friends. But soon they start to fight, and some boys hurt other boys. The story is dark and sad.
Golding wrote the book during a scary time called the . In those years, people were very afraid of a big nuclear war. They were afraid of seeing a in the sky. In an early version of the book, the boys are running away from this war. Golding wanted to show one big idea. The boys on the island do bad things, but adults in the real world do bad things too.
More than 70 years later, the book still feels very modern. There is a new TV show about it on Netflix, written by Jack Thorne. He also wrote a popular show called Adolescence. Thorne says the world today is hard for young people. He thinks it is now easier to hate people than to love them. The old book speaks to this new and angry world.
The book has three main boys. Ralph wants rules and order, and tries to keep everyone safe. Jack wants power, and he leads the other boys to violence. Piggy is smart and wears glasses, but the other boys are not kind to him. These three boys are like a small picture of the world. Some people want peace and rules. Other people want power and fighting.
Today, when something bad happens in the world, people often say it is a . Jack Thorne thinks this idea is too simple. He says the book is more gentle and careful than people remember. But many students still read it in school today. They still find it true. A book from 1954 still helps us understand the world in 2026.
Lord of the Flies is a famous old book by William Golding. He wrote it in 1954. The story is about a group of British boys whose plane crashes on a small island. There are no adults on the island, so the boys must take care of themselves. At first they try to make rules and stay friends. But soon they start to fight, and some boys hurt other boys. The story is dark and sad.
Golding wrote the book during a scary time called the . In those years, people were very afraid of a big nuclear war. They were afraid of seeing a in the sky. In an early version of the book, the boys are running away from this war. Golding wanted to show one big idea. The boys on the island do bad things, but adults in the real world do bad things too.
More than 70 years later, the book still feels very modern. There is a new TV show about it on Netflix, written by Jack Thorne. He also wrote a popular show called Adolescence. Thorne says the world today is hard for young people. He thinks it is now easier to hate people than to love them. The old book speaks to this new and angry world.
The book has three main boys. Ralph wants rules and order, and tries to keep everyone safe. Jack wants power, and he leads the other boys to violence. Piggy is smart and wears glasses, but the other boys are not kind to him. These three boys are like a small picture of the world. Some people want peace and rules. Other people want power and fighting.
Today, when something bad happens in the world, people often say it is a . Jack Thorne thinks this idea is too simple. He says the book is more gentle and careful than people remember. But many students still read it in school today. They still find it true. A book from 1954 still helps us understand the world in 2026.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
When did William Golding write Lord of the Flies?
- 02
Where does the story of Lord of the Flies take place?
- 03
Who wrote the new Netflix show about the book?
- 04
Describe the three main boys in Lord of the Flies. What does each one want?
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
List two reasons why Jack Thorne thinks the old book still matters today.
Suggested length: ~50 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
When did William Golding write Lord of the Flies?
- 02
Where does the story of Lord of the Flies take place?
- 03
Who wrote the new Netflix show about the book?
- 04
Describe the three main boys in Lord of the Flies. What does each one want?
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
List two reasons why Jack Thorne thinks the old book still matters today.
Suggested length: ~50 words