The phrase "a brief reading" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a short or concise reading of a text, document, or passage.
Example: "Before we begin the discussion, I would like to provide a brief reading of the main points from the article."
Alternatives: "a short reading" or "a quick reading".
Then Ringwald put on a pair of nerdy-looking glasses and gave a brief reading.
His own performance, limited to a brief reading, he dismissed with a wave of his cigarette.
For anyone wanting more background on the government's Help to Buy scheme, here is a brief reading list: All our Help to Buy scheme coverage is here.
In contrast, any programme dealing with a book or play is able to give only a hint – through a brief reading or dramatisation – of the material being featured.
The study found that for each of the three years, students in the Core Knowledge program had greater one-year gains on a brief reading test than their peers in the comparison schools.
Confident, witty and courteous with a quick intelligence, a keen sense of humour, and the assurance brought by continued success, it is all the more puzzling that Nothomb should be unwilling to do a brief reading.
Only a few of the others were free to come to my place on the Saturday for a brief read-through and I had no dog-sitter.
A brief read inside, however, will make the intentions and tone of this book crystal clear: to have a laugh at the expense of the bully and chuckle along at antics and pranks that never go beyond playful and absurd".
Though it by no means makes for a brief read, or an easy one, it's a brilliant, heartbreaking and searing one that will burrow its way deep into the reader's soul.
The DVD release of "Blue Harvest" on January 15 , 2008 contained an easter egg of a brief read through of bits from "Something, Something, Something, Dark Side", as well as a teaser trailer for the episode as another easter egg.
In July 1944, Orson Welles wrapped up one of his wartime radio broadcasts with a brief, emotional reading of one of America's favorite authors, John Steinbeck.
