Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Environmental & Sustainability

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Teenager Who Saved the School Garden

Fifteen-year-old Lily loves spending her free time in her school garden. She grows vegetables and beautiful flowers there with her friends. But every summer, there is a big problem. The weather gets very hot, the plants become dry, and the school has to spend a lot of money on water to keep them alive.

One evening, Lily read an article on the internet about collecting rainwater. She thought this was a brilliant idea for her school. The next morning, she spoke to her science teacher, Mr. Davies. She asked him if they could put large plastic bins under the school roof to catch the rain.

Mr. Davies loved the plan. A few days later, he helped Lily and her classmates buy four huge bins. They placed them carefully outside the building. During the spring, it rained heavily for two weeks, and the plastic bins filled up completely. The students were very excited.

When summer arrived, the weather was hotter than ever. However, this time, the students didn’t need to use the school’s water. They used the saved rainwater every day. The garden stayed green, and the head teacher was very happy because the school saved money. Lily feels incredibly proud of her project. Next year, she is going to teach students from other schools how to do it!

1   Why is summer a difficult time for the school garden?

     (A) The school has to spend a lot of money on beautiful flowers.

     (B) It costs the school extra cash to look after the plants.

     (C) Lily cannot spend her free time growing vegetables there.

2   How did Lily get the idea for her project?

     (A) She found some information about it online.

     (B) Her science teacher, Mr. Davies, gave her a brilliant idea.

     (C) She decided to put large plastic bins under the school roof.

3   What happened during the spring?

     (A) Mr. Davies helped Lily to buy four huge bins.

     (B) The students were very excited to stand outside the building.

     (C) The group successfully caught a large amount of water.

4   What was the result of Lily’s project?

     (A) The plants survived without needing the school’s normal water.

     (B) The head teacher used the saved rainwater every day.

     (C) Lily used the school’s water to teach students from other schools.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to grow vegetables and beautiful flowers

     (B) A clever student’s project to help the environment

     (C) The high school that spends a lot of money on water

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Teenager Cleaning with Nature

Sixteen-year-old Chloe has a very unusual after-school job. Most of her friends work in cafes or shops, but Chloe makes her own cleaning products. Last year, she noticed her parents bought many expensive bottles of chemicals to clean their house. Chloe wanted to make something cheaper and better for the environment.

She read some articles on the internet and discovered that lemons are fantastic for cleaning. She decided to make a natural spray. Chloe didn’t have to buy the fruit because many of her neighbours have lemon trees in their gardens. They were happy to give her the extra lemons for free.

In the beginning, it was quite difficult to get the recipe right. Her first spray smelled too strong, and her mum didn’t like it. Chloe didn’t stop trying. She mixed the lemons with some mint from her garden. After a few weeks, she finally made the perfect cleaning spray.

Now, Chloe sells her eco-friendly products at the local market every Sunday. People love them because they clean well and are completely natural. Chloe is saving all the money she earns because she wants to study business at university. She is extremely proud that her small idea is helping the planet.

1   Why did Chloe start making her own cleaning products?

     (A) She wanted to get an after-school job in cafes or shops.

     (B) Her parents bought many expensive bottles for her.

     (C) She wished to create a natural and less expensive option.

2   Where did Chloe get the lemons for her spray?

     (A) She read some articles on the internet to find them.

     (B) People living near her provided them without charging money.

     (C) She picked them from the lemon trees in her gardens.

3   What was the problem with Chloe’s first mixture?

     (A) It had a very powerful scent.

     (B) She mixed the lemons with some mint.

     (C) She made the perfect cleaning spray.

4   What is Chloe doing with the cash she gets?

     (A) She is spending it at the local market every Sunday.

     (B) She is keeping it for her future education.

     (C) She is using it because her small idea is helping the planet.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to grow lemon trees in your garden

     (B) The teenager who makes nature’s cleaning spray

     (C) Why you should buy expensive chemicals

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Teenager Who Cleaned Up Her School

Fourteen-year-old Emma loves her school, but she was very unhappy about the cafeteria. Every day at lunchtime, she watched students eat their meals and throw away hundreds of plastic cups, forks, and spoons. Emma knew that single-use plastics are terrible for the environment, so she decided to stop this problem.

First, Emma spoke to her head teacher, Mr. Jones. She told him her idea to use metal forks and glass cups instead of plastic ones. Mr. Jones said it was a fantastic plan, but they needed money to buy the new items. He asked Emma to think of a way to get the money.

Emma and her classmates quickly started a project. They baked delicious cakes and biscuits, and sold them to parents after school. With the money they made, the school bought enough metal spoons, forks, and glasses for everyone. The cafeteria workers were also happy to help wash the new dishes every afternoon.

Now, the school cafeteria uses almost no plastic. The rubbish bins are empty at the end of the day, and the students are very proud. Next term, Emma is going to put special bins in every classroom for paper. She hopes other teenagers will start similar projects in their own towns.

1   Why did Emma feel unhappy at lunchtime?

     (A) Her classmates put too much rubbish in the bins.

     (B) She watched students eat their meals.

     (C) She decided to stop this problem.

2   What did Mr. Jones want Emma to do?

     (A) Discover a way to pay for the new equipment.

     (B) Use metal forks and glass cups instead.

     (C) Think of a fantastic plan.

3   How did the students get the metal spoons and forks?

     (A) They collected cash by offering sweet food to adults.

     (B) They baked delicious cakes and biscuits for the school.

     (C) The cafeteria workers were happy to help buy them.

4   What is Emma planning to do next term?

     (A) Start collecting another material to help the environment.

     (B) Put special bins in the school cafeteria.

     (C) Start similar projects in their own towns.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A student’s success in stopping plastic waste

     (B) How to wash dishes in the school cafeteria

     (C) The best delicious cakes and biscuits

Exercises:   12345