Guide · Agent skill
How to use the ljg-read Text Explainer agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
ljg-read is an agent skill, a packaged set of instructions that tells an AI agent how to handle a specific kind of task. This one makes the agent explain a passage you provide in depth, the way a study companion would, so you can understand the original meaning and test whether you can apply it to a new case. This guide covers what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it in natural language, and what to watch for.
ljg-read Text Explainerlijigang/ljg-skills · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the ljg-read skill ZIP from this page.
- 2Unzip into the skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project.
- 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill.
- 4Paste or link your text. Provide the passage, file, or URL you want explained. For URLs, the agent needs to be able to read the page body.
- 5Ask in natural language. Say something like 伴读, 陪我读, 读这篇, or 讲透这段, or simply ask for a deep explanation.
- 6Check the explanation and test yourself. Read the explanation in the chat, then ask for a new case to see whether you can apply the idea.
What the ljg-read skill makes the agent do
When you paste a passage, give a file, or share a URL and ask for a deep explanation, the agent works through the text in a structured way. It identifies the main argument, connects abstract ideas to concrete situations, explains how a conclusion follows and where it stops holding, and can offer a new case so you can check your own understanding.
- Finds the main point and the reasoning that supports it
- Ties concepts to concrete examples, using the original text's examples where possible
- Explains why a conclusion follows and what conditions it depends on
- Gives a new situation to test whether you can transfer the idea
Install the ljg-read skill
Download the ZIP file for the skill from this page. Then use one of two routes depending on where you work.
For Claude Code, unzip the download into your personal skills folder ~/.claude/skills/, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill only in that project.
In the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill there.
- Personal use across projects: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Single project only: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
~/.claude/skills/Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. The skill is meant to be triggered when you say things like 伴读, 陪我读, 读这篇, 讲透这段, or read with me, or when you provide a text and ask for it to be explained clearly. You can also use the slash form shown in the examples.
Give the agent the actual text, file, or URL along with your request. If you only want a translation with no explanation, this skill is not the right fit.
- 陪我读这段英文，直接讲透
- 读这篇 (followed by the passage or link)
- 讲透这段 (followed by the passage)
- 这段我感觉懂了，换个例子考考我
/ljg-read 「激励会改变人的行为。」What you get back and how it handles your source
The explanation is shown directly in the chat by default. Chinese passages are explained in Chinese. For English passages, the agent gives a natural Chinese translation and keeps key original sentences or terms so you can check them against the source.
If the agent cannot get the body of a page or file, it reports the gap instead of guessing from the title or summary. Nothing is saved to files unless you explicitly ask for it, and the original text is left unchanged.
- Default output: an explanation in the chat
- English passages: a Chinese translation plus checked key terms
- Examples in the explanation are marked as added teaching examples when they are not from the original
- Interactive options include skipping ahead, expanding a hard point, pausing to answer a question, and a self-test
Safety notes: scripts and network access
According to the skill's listing, it does not run scripts. It does use the network, which is needed when you give it a URL so the agent can fetch the page. The skill's files consist of a single SKILL.md instruction file.
Because it reads from the network, check that the URL you share is one you are comfortable having the agent open. The skill does not require any other software or accounts.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: yes, mainly to read URLs you provide
- Requirements listed: none
- Files included: SKILL.md
Tips for getting a useful explanation
Give a complete passage or a clear section rather than a single sentence when you want the reasoning explained. Long texts are organized around their main line and key turns, not sentence by sentence. If one part is still unclear, ask about that specific point and the agent can expand it with a concrete example.
If you think you understood something, ask for a new example to test yourself. Answer it before you read the reference analysis. A repeated example with different names or numbers does not prove you can transfer the idea.
- Paste the full paragraph when the argument spans several sentences
- Use 快进 to skip ahead or 展开 to expand a difficult step
- Use 等一下 to pause and ask about something you did not follow
- Ask for a new case to check transfer rather than rereading the same example
What people use it for
- Making a hard academic paper or technical specification understandable before a discussion or exam
- Reading an English article and getting a Chinese explanation with key terms checked against the original
- Testing whether you truly understand an idea by working through a new example the agent provides
- Working through a dense passage or essay section by section with the 快进, 展开, and 等一下 options
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the ljg-read skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Do I need anything installed to use ljg-read?
The skill lists no specific requirements. It does not run scripts and it does use the network, which matters when you share a URL for the agent to read.
Is ljg-read free?
The skill is published under the MIT licence. This page does not list pricing, so check the source repository for licence terms and any costs of the platform you run it on.
Can ljg-read translate a passage?
It can give a natural Chinese translation of English text, but its main purpose is explanation. The skill is not meant for simple translation with no explanation, so use a translation tool if that is all you need.
What happens if the agent cannot open my link or file?
It reports that the body of the page or file could not be obtained. It is designed not to guess the content from the title or summary.
How is this different from a whole-book summary or concept map?
The skill explicitly excludes whole-book breakdowns and pure concept maps. It focuses on one passage you provide and explains its reasoning and conditions in depth.
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Our verdict
ljg-read suits students and professionals who want a hard passage explained clearly and want to test their understanding with a new example. It is a poor fit if you only need a translation, a summary of a whole book, or a concept map, or if you cannot share the text or link the agent needs to read.
Download the skill