I wrote this script in high school to facilitate the reading of my English textbooks. It splits a text up into individual sentences and flashes them one at a time based on how fast you can read (in words per minute).

config.txt

Title:
  Tartuffe
Filename:
  tartuffe.txt
Speed (in words per minute):
  600

Saved books:

Title:
  Wuthering Heights
Filename:
  wuthering_heights.txt

Title:
  A Room of One's Own
Filename:
  a_room_of_ones_own.txt
  
Title:
  Oedipus Rex
Filename:
  oedipus_rex.txt

main.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

import os
import time
import textwrap

config = open("config.txt", 'r').read().split('\n')  # Read config file.

# Get configuration settings.
title = config[1].strip()
filename = config[3].strip()
wpm = int(config[5].strip())

book = open(filename, 'r').read()  # Get the book.

os.system("clear")
print "You are reading %s at %d words per minute." % (title, wpm)

cps = wpm * 5.0 / 60.0  # Convert words per minute to characters per second.
# Approximate the time to finish the book at the given speed.
hours, remainder = divmod((len(book) / cps), 3600)
minutes, seconds = divmod(remainder, 60)
print "It takes about %02d:%02d:%02d to read %s at your speed." % \
    (hours, minutes, seconds, title)

# Ask user when to start.
print "Start with line:",
start = int(raw_input())

# Split the book by sentence.
#sentences = re.split(r"""([^.?!"]+[.?!"])""", book)
sentences = book.split("\n\r")
sentences = [f for f in sentences if f]  # Delete any blank lines.
total = len(sentences)  # Save the number of sentences.

i = 1
for sentence in sentences:
    if i >= start:  # Skip to the starting number
        os.system("clear")

        # Print the line number and how much time is left.
        print "%d of %d\t%.1f%%" % (i, total, 100 * (i * 1.0 / total))
        timeleft = (len(book) - book.find(sentence)) / cps
        h, r = divmod(timeleft, 3600)
        m, s = divmod(r, 60)
        print "Approximately %02d:%02d:%02d left.\n" % (h, m, s)

        s = sentence.strip()  # Strip whitespace.
        print "\n".join(textwrap.wrap(s, 80))  # Automatic break at 80 chars.

        time.sleep(max([1, len(sentence) / cps]))  # Wait till user reads.
    i += 1