Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Office Environment, Tech & Automation

Exercises:   123456789101112

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Which person stops drinking coffee before it gets very late?

     (A) Felix   (B) Nina   (C) Omar

2   Which person makes their own hot drinks because it is cheaper?

     (A) Felix   (B) Nina   (C) Omar

3   Which person walks to a shop to get their drinks?

     (A) Felix   (B) Nina   (C) Omar

4   Which person likes working at night because it is peaceful?

     (A) Felix   (B) Nina   (C) Omar

5   Which person says they sometimes go to sleep while working?

     (A) Felix   (B) Nina   (C) Omar

6   Which person feels ill if they drink too many cups?

     (A) Felix   (B) Nina   (C) Omar

7   Which person says they need a cold drink to stay awake?

     (A) Felix   (B) Nina   (C) Omar

Programming Late at Night

Felix

I love writing software after the sun goes down. The street is totally quiet, and nobody calls my phone, so I can really think. To stop my eyes from closing, I always need coffee. I love hot drinks! However, I never have a cup after midnight. If I do, I cannot go to bed easily when I finish my job. I usually buy my drinks from the supermarket during the day, so I just make them in my kitchen at night. I can drink a lot, but I never get a stomach ache or feel bad.

Nina

I often build computer programs until 3 a.m. because I have to finish my projects quickly. Buying things from the cafe on my street costs too much cash, so I always prepare my own warm cups of coffee. It saves me lots of pounds! Even with caffeine, sometimes I am so tired that my eyes close and I start dreaming right in front of my keyboard. I have to be careful with my drinks, though. If I have three or four mugs, my head starts hurting terribly. After that, I have to take some medicine.

Omar

Writing code is my favourite thing to do, but my apartment is quite noisy during the evening. I usually put on headphones to help me think. When it is very late and I feel tired, hot mugs of coffee actually make me sleepy! I must put lots of ice in my glass to feel active and ready to type. I am terrible at preparing things in the kitchen. Instead, I put my shoes on and visit the 24-hour place on the corner. It is a bit expensive to pay for cups there, but it is delicious!

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Who says their team-building event takes place outside?

     (A) Emma   (B) Liam   (C) Noah

2   Who did an activity with people they don’t usually work with?

     (A) Emma   (B) Liam   (C) Noah

3   Who felt worried before the activity started?

     (A) Emma   (B) Liam   (C) Noah

4   Who explains they don’t have to use their free time for these events?

     (A) Emma   (B) Liam   (C) Noah

5   Who thinks the activity helped them speak more comfortably to their manager?

     (A) Emma   (B) Liam   (C) Noah

6   Who had to look for answers to win a game?

     (A) Emma   (B) Liam   (C) Noah

7   Who made food as part of their team-building event?

     (A) Emma   (B) Liam   (C) Noah

Office Team-Building Activities

Emma

My office believes talking is important, so we have fun events every month. We don’t do them at the weekend or in the evening. The managers always stop our tasks on a Friday afternoon! We usually go to a large park or forest near the city to play games in the fresh air. Last time, we had a picnic, but we bought the sandwiches from a café, so we didn’t cook anything. I talk to my boss every day, so I didn’t feel nervous at all about playing games with her.

Liam

Our company likes to test our brains! Last week, they put us in a strange room in the centre of town, and we couldn’t go out until we found hidden messages and keys to open the door. I loved it! I was in a group with staff from the sales and computer desks. I never normally see them! We had to listen to each other to finish the challenge. We didn’t make a meal, but we went to a lovely restaurant after we won. I wasn’t scared, just very excited!

Noah

For our team building, my company rented a huge kitchen on a Saturday morning. I don’t know much about preparing meals, so I was quite anxious about looking silly in front of everyone. But it was brilliant! We all chopped vegetables and baked an amazing chicken dish together. I spent two hours working next to the director of the company. Before, I never knew what to say to him, but now we chat without any problems. We couldn’t go into the garden because it rained, but we had fun indoors.

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Which person eats their morning meal while travelling?

     (A) Mark   (B) Nina   (C) Paul

2   Which person spends a lot of cash on their journey?

     (A) Mark   (B) Nina   (C) Paul

3   Which person goes to the office with someone they work with?

     (A) Mark   (B) Nina   (C) Paul

4   Which person catches two different types of transport to work?

     (A) Mark   (B) Nina   (C) Paul

5   Which person gets to work before the streets get busy?

     (A) Mark   (B) Nina   (C) Paul

6   Which person explains that their journey keeps them fit?

     (A) Mark   (B) Nina   (C) Paul

7   Which person enjoys a book on the way to the office?

     (A) Mark   (B) Nina   (C) Paul

Commuting to the Financial District

Mark

I cycle to the financial district every day. The roads are full of cars and buses at eight o’clock, so riding a bike is usually much faster. It is also excellent exercise, which means I don’t need to visit the gym after I finish my tasks! Cycling is completely free, so I never spend money on expensive train tickets. I don’t like travelling alone, so I always meet a friend from my department at the corner of my street, and we ride to the company building together. I sometimes feel tired when I arrive, but I never eat until lunchtime.

Nina

I like to start my day early. I leave my flat at half past six in the morning. By the time I get to the financial district, it is only seven o’clock, so the pavements are still really quiet. The trains are empty at that time, so I can always find a comfortable seat. I usually read a few chapters of a novel during the trip. I never wake up early enough to cook at home, so I just pack a banana and a sandwich to eat on the way. I prefer being alone, so I don’t journey with anybody from my company.

Paul

My trip to the financial centre is terrible. First, I have to catch a local bus near my house. After that, I walk down the stairs and jump on an underground train to the city. Using different vehicles takes almost two hours! Because I have to travel so far, my monthly travel card costs hundreds of pounds. It is certainly not cheap! The carriages are full of business people, so I never get a seat. I stand the whole way. It is too crowded to hold a novel or a newspaper, so I just listen to music on my phone until I arrive.

Exercises:   123456789101112