Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Consumer Habits & Shopping Situations

Exercises:   12345678910

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Which person usually writes down what they want before visiting the store?

     (A) Leo   (B) Mia   (C) Noah

2   Which person leaves the supermarket without buying anything?

     (A) Leo   (B) Mia   (C) Noah

3   Which person asks someone they don’t know for help?

     (A) Leo   (B) Mia   (C) Noah

4   Which person prefers shopping at places with fewer options?

     (A) Leo   (B) Mia   (C) Noah

5   Which person spends more cash than they planned to?

     (A) Leo   (B) Mia   (C) Noah

6   Which person feels that deciding what to buy takes too many hours?

     (A) Leo   (B) Mia   (C) Noah

7   Which person often forgets the item they originally needed?

     (A) Leo   (B) Mia   (C) Noah

Too Many Supermarket Choices

Leo

When I visit the giant supermarket in my town, I always carry a piece of paper with everything I need on it. However, there are hundreds of different snacks and drinks inside. Because of this, I often get confused and can’t remember why I came in the first place! My mum tells me not to stay all day, so I try to be quick. Sadly, I always see a new type of chocolate or juice on the shelves. I always end up paying a lot of extra money at the till for things I didn’t mean to get.

Mia

I hate walking around huge supermarkets. Last weekend, I wanted some breakfast cereal. But there was a whole wall full of different boxes! My parents usually give me advice, but I was by myself. After twenty minutes of looking at all the colours and prices, my head hurt and I gave up. I walked out of the building with completely empty hands. Now, I only get my food from the tiny grocery store on my street. They only have one or two kinds of everything, which is so much easier for me.

Noah

My dad usually makes a shopping list, but yesterday he sent me to the massive supermarket without one. I needed to find some shampoo. There were over fifty bottles to look at! Some were for dry hair, some smelled like apples, and they all cost different amounts. Trying to pick the right one uses up my whole afternoon! In the end, I spoke to a woman standing next to me in the shop. She didn’t work there, but I requested her opinion. She pointed to a good bottle, so I only bought that.

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Who changed their gift because it was too small?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Sofia   (C) Tyler

2   Who says the people working at the shop were nice?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Sofia   (C) Tyler

3   Who spent a lot of time inside the shop before getting help?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Sofia   (C) Tyler

4   Who chose a new item that was not clothing?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Sofia   (C) Tyler

5   Who felt frightened that they could not return their gift?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Sofia   (C) Tyler

6   Who decided to save their store credit for another day?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Sofia   (C) Tyler

7   Who visited the store with the relative who gave them the gift?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Sofia   (C) Tyler

Changing Gifts Without a Receipt

Ryan

My grandmother got me a thick blue sweater for my birthday. The size was actually perfect, but I just don’t enjoy wearing dark colours. She didn’t have the piece of paper to prove she bought it, so she drove to the shopping centre with me to see if we could change it. The store’s new rule is brilliant! You can bring almost anything back. I looked at the jackets, but then I walked over to the games. In the end, I took home a wonderful basketball instead of a new piece of clothing.

Sofia

I received a beautiful pair of winter boots from my uncle. Sadly, my toes hurt when I put them on because my feet are quite large. I felt very nervous about going to the shop alone without any proof that my uncle paid for them. I thought the manager would definitely say no! However, the new rule makes exchanging things simple. I looked at all the shoes, but there were no interesting things on the shelves. So, the shop gave me a plastic card with cash on it to spend next summer.

Tyler

I got a smart jacket from my parents, but I really wanted some black jeans. Because I didn’t have the payment slip, I went to the store to use their new return rule. The shop was incredibly busy! I had to stand in a line of people for almost an hour before reaching the front desk. I thought I would feel angry, but the assistants were so cheerful and lovely. They immediately found the trousers I wanted. I didn’t save any money for later because I found exactly what I needed!

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Which person had to leave some items at the shop?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) Tom

2   Which person was paying for food in a restaurant?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) Tom

3   Which person was trying to buy something for a hobby?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) Tom

4   Which person paid for their items using coins or notes?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) Tom

5   Which person found out their bank had stopped their card?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) Tom

6   Which person got some cash from a friend to help them pay?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) Tom

7   Which person typed the wrong numbers into the machine?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) Tom

When the Card Says ‘No’

Mark

I make a lot of videos for the internet, so I went to a camera shop to get a new microphone. When I went to the desk, my plastic card didn’t work. I felt so worried! I thought my bank locked my account, but then I looked at the little screen. I understood my mistake immediately. I didn’t remember my four-digit password and pressed the incorrect keys! The shop assistant was very kind and let me try again. I didn’t have any paper money in my wallet, so I was happy when it finally worked.

Sarah

Last week, my classmate and I went to the supermarket. I wanted to cook a healthy meal at home, so my basket was full of fresh vegetables and fruit. At the checkout, the machine said ‘no’ to my card. I typed my secret code perfectly, so I didn’t know why! I had some paper money in my pocket, but it wasn’t enough for everything. I decided not to buy the fruit and gave it back to the assistant. Then, my classmate handed me five pounds so I could take the rest of my shopping home.

Tom

On Saturday, I had a lovely dinner at a new place with my family. When it was time to leave, I tried to pay for our dishes, but the machine wouldn’t take my card. I didn’t forget my code, so I called my bank right away. The person on the phone explained that they blocked it for my safety because I was in a different city. After a quick chat, they fixed the problem. I didn’t need to ask my parents to lend me any cash, and we certainly didn’t have to stay and wash the plates!

Exercises:   12345678910