Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Community Leadership & Social Good
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Who Painted the Park
Fourteen-year-old Leo spends every weekend at his local park. He enjoys playing football there with his friends. However, a few months ago, he noticed that the long walls around the park looked terrible. The paint was very old and dirty. Leo decided that he needed to change this to make the park beautiful again.
The next day, Leo spoke to his art teacher at school. She thought it was a brilliant idea. Leo spent the evening making colourful posters to ask for help. He was worried that nobody would want to work at the weekend. But surprisingly, twenty teenagers agreed to join his team! They bought lots of bright paint with their pocket money.
On Saturday morning, the team started painting the walls. It was quite difficult, and soon their clothes and hands were very dirty. But it was also great fun. While they were working, some older people from the town brought them cold drinks and delicious sandwiches. By the afternoon, the walls had amazing pictures of trees and birds on them.
Now, the local park is extremely popular with families again. Leo feels incredibly proud of his friends and their hard work. Next summer, he is planning to organize a different project. He wants to find a group to clean up the river in his town.
1 What made Leo want to do something about the park walls?
(A) He wanted to improve how the area looked.
(B) He wanted to play football there with his friends.
(C) He needed to change the terrible paint in his house.
2 How did Leo feel about getting help from other students?
(A) He was afraid that people would not want to work.
(B) He thought it was a brilliant idea.
(C) He wanted to buy bright paint with his pocket money.
3 What happened while the team was working on Saturday?
(A) Adults from the area gave them something to eat.
(B) They painted amazing pictures of older people from the town.
(C) They bought cold drinks and delicious sandwiches.
4 What does Leo want to do next summer?
(A) Start a new task to tidy up the water in his area.
(B) Become extremely popular with families again.
(C) Feel incredibly proud of his friends and their hard work.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A successful project to make a local place better
(B) How to make colourful posters in the evening
(C) The best way to clean your dirty clothes and hands
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Painting a Positive School
Fifteen-year-old Maya loves painting and drawing in her free time. Last term, she noticed a big problem at her school. Many of her classmates were feeling very stressed and sad about their exams. They looked tired and didn’t smile much. Maya wanted to do something to make them feel happier and more positive.
Maya thought of an excellent idea. Because she is good at art, she decided to design posters with kind and helpful messages. She found some great quotes online. Then, she spent her weekend and all her pocket money buying bright paints and huge pieces of paper to create her artwork.
On Monday morning, she asked her head teacher if she could put the posters on the school walls. He said yes! At first, Maya felt quite nervous. She thought that other teenagers might laugh at her posters. However, she was wrong. Students stopped in the corridors to read the messages, and the words made them smile.
Now, Maya’s school is a much happier place. Her teachers are incredibly proud of her hard work, and the students feel less stressed. Maya doesn’t want to stop making art. Next month, she is going to start a special after-school club. She wants to teach other students how to create their own positive posters.
1 Why did Maya want to help her classmates?
(A) She realised that they were anxious about their tests.
(B) She wanted to paint and draw in her free time.
(C) They looked tired and didn’t smile much about their exams.
2 How did Maya get the items for her project?
(A) She found bright paints and huge pieces of paper online.
(B) She used her own cash to purchase the materials.
(C) She asked her head teacher for all her pocket money.
3 How did Maya feel when she first put the posters up?
(A) She felt glad that students stopped in the corridors.
(B) She thought that other teenagers might read the messages.
(C) She was afraid that people would make fun of her work.
4 What is Maya planning to do next month?
(A) Make her teachers incredibly proud of her hard work.
(B) Open a group where teenagers can produce similar artwork.
(C) Teach other students how to feel less stressed.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A young girl’s artistic idea to support her classmates
(B) How to pass your exams and feel less stressed
(C) The best places to put posters on the school walls
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Who Rescued a Neighbour’s Pet
Seventeen-year-old Leo lives in a quiet town with his family. He has a lovely neighbour called Mrs. Higgins, who is seventy years old. Mrs. Higgins has a beautiful white cat named Luna. One Saturday afternoon, Leo was studying in his bedroom when he heard a loud noise outside. Luna was stuck at the top of a very tall tree.
Leo ran outside into the garden. Mrs. Higgins was looking up at the tree and crying. She told Leo that she wanted to call the fire station, but her telephone wasn’t working. Leo knew he had to do something. He quickly went to his garage and found a long ladder.
He put the ladder against the tree and climbed up slowly. The wind was blowing, so it was quite difficult. When Leo reached the top, the cat jumped into his arms. He brought Luna down safely. Mrs. Higgins was extremely happy and gave Leo a big hug. The next day, she wrote a letter to the local newspaper to thank him.
A week later, Leo received a phone call from the town mayor. The mayor invited Leo to a special event and gave him the ‘Community Hero’ prize. Leo felt completely surprised but very proud. He didn’t want a prize, because he just likes assisting his neighbours. Next year, he hopes to join the fire service to continue helping animals and people!
1 What happened on Saturday afternoon?
(A) The neighbour’s animal couldn’t get down from a high place.
(B) Mrs. Higgins was stuck at the top of a very tall tree.
(C) Leo was making a loud noise outside his bedroom.
2 Why couldn’t Mrs. Higgins speak to the fire station?
(A) She had a problem with her communication device.
(B) She knew she had to do something.
(C) She quickly went to his garage.
3 What did Mrs. Higgins do the day after the rescue?
(A) She sent a message to the town’s journalists.
(B) She gave Leo a big hug to thank him.
(C) She jumped into his arms safely.
4 How did Leo react to winning the award?
(A) He was quite shocked to receive it.
(B) He invited Leo to a special event.
(C) He received a phone call from the town mayor.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The brave student who saved a local cat
(B) How to write a letter to the local newspaper
(C) The mayor who hopes to join the fire service
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A