Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Part-time Jobs & Early Career

Exercises:   1234567

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Who complains that a piece of clothing doesn’t feel comfortable?

     (A) Liam   (B) Chloe   (C) Dan

2   Who says they have to clean their work clothes frequently?

     (A) Liam   (B) Chloe   (C) Dan

3   Who likes the colour of their uniform because it hides food marks?

     (A) Liam   (B) Chloe   (C) Dan

4   Who spent their own money on footwear for the job?

     (A) Liam   (B) Chloe   (C) Dan

5   Who thinks their uniform looks quite fashionable?

     (A) Liam   (B) Chloe   (C) Dan

6   Who puts their uniform on after they arrive at the restaurant?

     (A) Liam   (B) Chloe   (C) Dan

7   Who would like a lighter top for the hotter months?

     (A) Liam   (B) Chloe   (C) Dan

Wearing a Fast-Food Uniform

Liam

I work at a burger restaurant at the weekends. The manager gave me a pair of black trousers and a red shirt for free. However, I needed some dark trainers, so I used my pocket money to get some from the sports shop. I don’t get changed at work. I just travel on the bus wearing everything! The only thing I really hate is the green cap we must wear. It is much too tight and gives me a headache after an hour. At least I don’t have to wash my uniform every day; my mum puts it in the washing machine on Sundays.

Chloe

My fast-food uniform is a dark brown polo shirt and a small apron. I think the colour is perfect because if I drop ketchup or coffee on myself while cooking, you can’t see the mess at all! The boss also gave me some thick safety boots, which are actually very soft to stand in all day. I never walk through town in my work clothes because they smell like fried food. Instead, I carry them in my backpack and get dressed in the staff room before my shift starts. The short sleeves are also brilliant when the kitchen gets busy.

Dan

At my pizza restaurant, we wear black jeans and a grey sweater. It doesn’t really look like a uniform at all. In fact, it’s very similar to my own weekend clothes, so I always feel quite smart when I wear it. There is one problem, though. The material of the sweater is very heavy. Now that it is summer, the kitchen gets incredibly warm, and I really want to change into a thin t-shirt! Also, the grey fabric shows tomato sauce easily. Because it gets dirty so fast, I must put it in the washing machine after every single shift.

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Which person had a customer who kept changing their mind?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sophie   (C) Liam

2   Which person needed to get their manager to speak to a customer?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sophie   (C) Liam

3   Which person says that they usually get angry easily?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sophie   (C) Liam

4   Which person didn’t make a customer pay for an item?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sophie   (C) Liam

5   Which person helped someone with a product that didn’t work?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sophie   (C) Liam

6   Which person has a job serving hot meals?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sophie   (C) Liam

7   Which person says a customer complained about standing in a line?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sophie   (C) Liam

Learning Patience at Work

Mark

I have a weekend job in a clothes shop. Last Saturday, a woman wanted to buy a dress. First, she picked a blue one, then she put it back for a red one, and finally, she asked for a green one! It took almost an hour. I am not a calm person, and I normally feel annoyed very fast when things are slow. But I just smiled and helped her. She didn’t return anything damaged, she just couldn’t choose! My boss was busy, so I had to handle it all by myself. It really taught me how to wait.

Sophie

I work in a busy electronics store. We don’t sell food or drinks, just computers and phones. Yesterday, a man came in to return a keyboard because it was in pieces and wouldn’t connect to his laptop. He was very loud because the shop was full, and he hated waiting behind five other people to speak to me. I tried to be kind, but he wouldn’t listen. In the end, I had to phone the person in charge to come downstairs and explain the rules to him. Dealing with him showed me how to stay relaxed.

Liam

My part-time job is taking orders in a local café. Serving hot lunches and coffees all day is hard work. Last week, a customer was very unhappy because his soup was cold. He was quite rude to me! Usually, if people have a big problem, they speak to the manager. However, she wasn’t there that day, so I had to stay polite and solve the problem alone. I brought him a fresh bowl of soup, and I also gave him a large slice of chocolate cake without adding it to his bill. Learning to be patient with difficult people is so important.

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Which person helps the children with work from their school?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Megan   (C) Pablo

2   Which person gives maths lessons to a relative?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Megan   (C) Pablo

3   Which person wants to do this job when they finish their own studies?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Megan   (C) Pablo

4   Which person says the children didn’t look at the lesson at first?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Megan   (C) Pablo

5   Which person gives the children something nice when they get the right answer?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Megan   (C) Pablo

6   Which person uses the internet to talk to the children?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Megan   (C) Pablo

7   Which person uses toys to help the children count?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Megan   (C) Pablo

Tutoring Primary School Children in Maths

Ryan

I teach basic maths to my little brother, who is seven. He doesn’t like his school work very much, so I try not to use his books. Instead, I bring some colourful building blocks into his bedroom. We use them to add and subtract numbers, and he thinks it is just a fun game! Sometimes I look on the web to find new ideas, but we never use a computer together. He is doing much better now. I don’t want to be a teacher later, but I like helping him.

Megan

Every Tuesday afternoon, I help two young girls who live on my street. I don’t sit in their house with them. Instead, we use a video call on my laptop. Their mum sends me the papers their school teacher gave them, and we complete the maths problems together. We can’t use real toys because we are not together, so I draw pictures on my screen. I absolutely love helping children understand numbers. In fact, when I am an adult, my dream is to work in a primary school!

Pablo

I go to a local community centre twice a week to help kids with maths. When I first started, the children just wanted to chat and look out of the window. It was really difficult to make them look at the numbers! Now, I have a great plan. When someone finishes a math activity without making a mistake, I hand them a cool sticker or a lovely piece of chocolate. Now, they always watch what I am doing! I don’t use computers with them because the centre doesn’t have any.

Exercises:   1234567