Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Hardware & Creation Tools
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
1 Which person says they use their smartphone for their studies?
(A) Max (B) Lily (C) Omar
2 Which person carries a piece of equipment to give their phone more power?
(A) Max (B) Lily (C) Omar
3 Which person no longer does a fun activity on their device?
(A) Max (B) Lily (C) Omar
4 Which person explains that their smartphone is not very new?
(A) Max (B) Lily (C) Omar
5 Which person uses their device for directions?
(A) Max (B) Lily (C) Omar
6 Which person borrows something from a classmate to keep their phone on?
(A) Max (B) Lily (C) Omar
7 Which person plans to get another smartphone in the future?
(A) Max (B) Lily (C) Omar
Smartphone Battery Problems
Max
My battery goes from 100% to zero so fast! I love taking photos, but I had to delete all my fun racing apps because they used too much energy. I really miss playing them. I live in a big city and I always use maps on my screen so I don’t get lost, which takes a lot of power too. My friend Omar carries a portable charger, but I don’t like carrying extra things in my pocket. I hope to save enough cash this year to purchase a different mobile.
Lily
It is very annoying when my screen suddenly goes black in the middle of the day. I have a brand new mobile, so the battery should be better. I need it for my classes because my teachers send us reading materials and assignments online. If it dies, I cannot do my schoolwork! Thankfully, a girl who sits next to me always brings her cable, and she lets me plug my mobile in when it is nearly empty. I don’t play games like Max does, so I don’t know why it empties so quickly.
Omar
I have had my current mobile for almost four years now. Because it is quite ancient, the battery only lasts for about three hours. I am not planning to change it yet because it still makes calls perfectly. To solve the power problem, I bought a portable battery pack. I never leave my house without it in my backpack. Lily often runs out of power doing her homework, but I only use mine to chat with my parents and check the bus times, not for studying.
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 C 3 A 4 C 5 A 6 B 7 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
1 Who bought a microphone that did not cost a lot of money?
(A) Chloe (B) Daniel (C) Sophia
2 Which person has to fix the sound on their computer after recording?
(A) Chloe (B) Daniel (C) Sophia
3 Which person says their microphone is good for travelling?
(A) Chloe (B) Daniel (C) Sophia
4 Who says their microphone damaged easily?
(A) Chloe (B) Daniel (C) Sophia
5 Which person records voiceovers for videos they share online?
(A) Chloe (B) Daniel (C) Sophia
6 Which person thinks their recorded voice sounds very real?
(A) Chloe (B) Daniel (C) Sophia
7 Which person found it hard to learn how to use the microphone?
(A) Chloe (B) Daniel (C) Sophia
Reviews of External Microphones
Chloe
I needed a new microphone to record speech for my school project. I chose this one because the price was very low, which was great because I didn’t have much money to spend. It is very simple to plug into a laptop. However, I dropped it on my bedroom floor once, and the plastic case broke completely. Now it does not work at all. Also, when it did work, my voice always sounded a bit strange and high, not like me at all. I think I need to look for a stronger one next time.
Daniel
This microphone is quite large and stays on my desk. It took me a long time to understand the instruction guide before I could record anything, as there are too many buttons. But the audio quality is excellent. My words sound exactly like I am speaking face-to-face in the same room. The only problem is that it picks up the sound of the wind outside. Because of this, I always have to use a special software program on my laptop to clear the background noise after I finish. It was expensive, but worth it.
Sophia
I make short films about food and upload them to my internet channel for my followers. Clear speech is very important for my online clips. This microphone is amazing because it is tiny and light. I can put it in my bag or pocket when I go to different cities. It is made of metal, so it feels very strong and never breaks if it falls. It is very easy to use, and I did not even need to read the manual. I just connected it to my phone and started talking immediately.
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 A 5 C 6 B 7 B
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
1 Who used their own money to pay for the screen?
(A) Liam (B) Chloe (C) Noah
2 Who dropped their mobile while doing a sport?
(A) Liam (B) Chloe (C) Noah
3 Who managed to put a new screen on their phone themselves?
(A) Liam (B) Chloe (C) Noah
4 Who didn’t get their phone back for a few days?
(A) Liam (B) Chloe (C) Noah
5 Who was given a different phone because the broken one couldn’t be fixed?
(A) Liam (B) Chloe (C) Noah
6 Who had an accident with their phone while they were in the bathroom?
(A) Liam (B) Chloe (C) Noah
7 Who borrowed a different device while their screen was broken?
(A) Liam (B) Chloe (C) Noah
Broken Phone Screens
Liam
I was running for the bus when my phone fell out of my pocket. It hit the street, and the screen broke into pieces. I didn’t break it playing football, which is what usually happens to my friends! I took it to a shop in town. They said it would take a whole week to fix, so I had to live without a mobile for a while. My parents were angry and didn’t give me any cash to help. Because of that, I had to give the shop my savings from my weekend job.
Chloe
I love riding my skateboard. Last weekend, I tried to do a fast jump, but I fell over. My phone was in my jacket, and the glass smashed everywhere. I didn’t have to use my pocket money because my dad has insurance for our electronics. We went to the mobile store hoping they could replace the glass in a few days. However, the man looked at it and said it was impossible to repair. Instead of fixing it, he just handed me a brand-new mobile in a box!
Noah
I was brushing my teeth and washing my face before bed. My mobile was on the shelf, and I accidentally knocked it onto the hard floor. The glass was completely ruined! I couldn’t use it, so my mum let me take her old tablet to message my friends. I didn’t want to wait days for a store to fix it, or pay a lot of money. I bought the glass parts online and watched a video on the internet. It was tricky, but I successfully changed the screen with my own hands in just one hour!
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 A 5 B 6 C 7 C