diff --git a/IPython/core/magics/code.py b/IPython/core/magics/code.py
index 5826539..1c7a66a 100644
--- a/IPython/core/magics/code.py
+++ b/IPython/core/magics/code.py
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ from IPython.core.oinspect import find_file, find_source_lines
 from IPython.testing.skipdoctest import skip_doctest
 from IPython.utils import py3compat
 from IPython.utils.contexts import preserve_keys
-from IPython.utils.io import file_read
 from IPython.utils.path import get_py_filename, unquote_filename
 from IPython.utils.warn import warn
 
@@ -531,7 +530,8 @@ class CodeMagics(Magics):
         # XXX TODO: should this be generalized for all string vars?
         # For now, this is special-cased to blocks created by cpaste
         if args.strip() == 'pasted_block':
-            self.shell.user_ns['pasted_block'] = file_read(filename)
+            with open(filename, 'r') as f:
+                self.shell.user_ns['pasted_block'] = f.read()
 
         if 'x' in opts:  # -x prevents actual execution
             print
@@ -541,8 +541,9 @@ class CodeMagics(Magics):
                 if not is_temp:
                     self.shell.user_ns['__file__'] = filename
                 if 'r' in opts:    # Untranslated IPython code
-                    self.shell.run_cell(file_read(filename),
-                                        store_history=False)
+                    with open(filename, 'r') as f:
+                        source = f.read()
+                    self.shell.run_cell(source, store_history=False)
                 else:
                     self.shell.safe_execfile(filename, self.shell.user_ns,
                                              self.shell.user_ns)
diff --git a/IPython/lib/demo.py b/IPython/lib/demo.py
index a094c10..621e44a 100644
--- a/IPython/lib/demo.py
+++ b/IPython/lib/demo.py
@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@ import shlex
 import sys
 
 from IPython.utils import io
-from IPython.utils.io import file_read
 from IPython.utils.text import marquee
 from IPython.utils import openpy
 __all__ = ['Demo','IPythonDemo','LineDemo','IPythonLineDemo','DemoError']
@@ -380,7 +379,8 @@ class Demo(object):
 
         filename = self.shell.mktempfile(self.src_blocks[index])
         self.shell.hooks.editor(filename,1)
-        new_block = file_read(filename)
+        with open(filename, 'r') as f:
+            new_block = f.read()
         # update the source and colored block
         self.src_blocks[index] = new_block
         self.src_blocks_colored[index] = self.ip_colorize(new_block)
diff --git a/IPython/utils/io.py b/IPython/utils/io.py
index 90aa59f..77e315d 100644
--- a/IPython/utils/io.py
+++ b/IPython/utils/io.py
@@ -154,22 +154,6 @@ class Tee(object):
             self.close()
 
 
-def file_read(filename):
-    """Read a file and close it.  Returns the file source."""
-    fobj = open(filename,'r');
-    source = fobj.read();
-    fobj.close()
-    return source
-
-
-def file_readlines(filename):
-    """Read a file and close it.  Returns the file source using readlines()."""
-    fobj = open(filename,'r');
-    lines = fobj.readlines();
-    fobj.close()
-    return lines
-
-
 def raw_input_multi(header='', ps1='==> ', ps2='..> ',terminate_str = '.'):
     """Take multiple lines of input.