The reading content offered in Hong Kong to advanced learners of English as a second language underestimates their intellectual capabilities. Material presented to second language learners is found to be linguistically correct but containing trivial, dull, and unchallenging cultural and intellectual content. This situation is closely related to the tendency of these students to read only for examinations. The cultivation of reading habits in second language learners depends on personal engagement with content and on the recognition of deepening needs for reading. The reading titles and passages of three similar textbooks, two from Hong Kong and one from China, are compared to demonstrate some different approaches to reading content. Suggestions for nurturing students' love of reading are made. (MSE)