Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Language Learning & Academic Skills
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A New Way to Remember
Leo is a 15-year-old student who really enjoys history. He loves learning about the exciting lives of kings and queens from the past. However, he always had a big problem with history tests. He just couldn’t remember the years when important things happened. Because of this, his marks were never very good.
One afternoon, his older sister Emma saw him looking sad with his history book. She told him about a special way to remember numbers by using pictures in his head. Leo thought it sounded a bit strange, but he decided to try it. He chose a different funny picture for every number from zero to nine.
When Leo had to study for his next big exam, he used the new trick. For example, to remember the year 1666, he didn’t just repeat the numbers. Instead, he closed his eyes and imagined a sick man mixing a big pot of soup. It felt like playing a game, and he spent the whole evening laughing at his own silly ideas.
The next day, Leo took his history test and he didn’t forget a single date! His teacher was very surprised when she saw his perfect paper. Leo felt incredibly proud of himself. Now, he is planning to use his new memory pictures to help him remember difficult facts for his science classes, too.
1 What did Leo find difficult about his history classes?
(A) learning about the exciting lives of kings and queens
(B) knowing exactly when past events took place
(C) getting good marks for his history stories
2 What did Leo think about his sister’s idea in the beginning?
(A) He was sure it was a special way to study.
(B) He felt sad about using pictures in his head.
(C) He believed it was quite an unusual thing to do.
3 While Leo was preparing for his next exam, he
(A) enjoyed creating images in his mind.
(B) repeated the numbers many times.
(C) cooked a big pot of soup for dinner.
4 In the future, Leo hopes to
(A) give his teacher another perfect paper.
(B) use his trick for a different school subject.
(C) remember difficult facts about history.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A clever trick for better marks
(B) Why history is a difficult subject
(C) How to paint funny pictures
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 C 3 A 4 B 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Learning to Write
Fifteen-year-old Maya loves reading, but she always had problems with her school writing homework. She often got bad marks because her work was untidy and didn’t have a clear ending. When her dad found a weekend writing workshop at the local college, he asked her to go. Maya didn’t really want to spend her Saturday and Sunday studying, but she finally agreed.
On Saturday morning, Maya felt very nervous. She thought the class would be just like school, with a strict teacher and lots of boring rules. However, the teacher, Mr. Jones, was very friendly. He didn’t ask them to write immediately. First, they played some fun word games. Then, he showed them how to draw a picture to plan their ideas before they started writing.
On Sunday, the teenagers had to write a real essay. Maya decided to write about a recent school trip to the mountains. Mr. Jones helped her use interesting adjectives and told her to always read her work again to check for spelling mistakes. Maya actually enjoyed finishing her text.
Two weeks later, Maya had to write a history essay for school. She used the new planning skills she learned at the workshop. When her teacher gave the homework back, Maya got the highest mark in the class! She now feels much more confident and even wants to enter a short story competition next month.
1 Why did Maya attend the weekend class?
(A) Her dad thought it would be a good idea for her.
(B) She wanted to spend her Saturday and Sunday studying.
(C) She needed help to finish her school writing homework.
2 What surprised Maya on Saturday morning?
(A) The class was just like school with a strict teacher.
(B) The activities they did were actually fun.
(C) The teacher asked them to write immediately.
3 What did Mr. Jones teach Maya to do on Sunday?
(A) go on a school trip to the mountains
(B) help the teacher use interesting adjectives
(C) look for mistakes in her own text
4 After the workshop, Maya
(A) wrote a history essay for the weekend workshop.
(B) got an excellent result in a school subject.
(C) entered a short story competition next month.
5 What is the writer’s main purpose in this text?
(A) to show how a weekend class helped a student
(B) to describe the best way to teach a history lesson
(C) to advise teenagers to plan a trip to the mountains
ANSWER KEY
1 (A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 4 (B) 5 (A)
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Who Drew His Way to Success
Fifteen-year-old Leo usually enjoys going to school, but last month he had a big problem. He thought his science classes were very difficult. He tried reading his thick science books every evening, but he couldn’t remember all the important facts. He needed to find a better way to learn before his next test.
One afternoon, his older sister gave him some brilliant advice. She told him to try making a mind map. Leo thought it was a great idea. He immediately went to the local shop and bought some large pieces of paper and a box of colourful pens.
When he started studying, Leo drew a big circle in the middle of his paper. Then, he used different colours for different ideas. For example, he used green for plants and blue for the ocean. He also added small drawings next to the words. Suddenly, learning science felt like a fun art project instead of boring homework.
A few days later, Leo took his science test and got an excellent mark. His teacher was very happy, and Leo felt incredibly proud of his hard work. Now, his classmates want to learn his special study method. Next week, Leo is going to create another map for his history exam.
1 What was Leo’s main problem last month?
(A) He was unable to recall the details from his reading.
(B) He had to read his thick science books every evening.
(C) He needed to find a better way to go to school.
2 What did Leo do after talking to his sister?
(A) He got some drawing materials from a store.
(B) He gave her some brilliant advice.
(C) He told her to try making a mind map.
3 How did Leo feel about his new way of studying?
(A) He thought it was just boring homework.
(B) He thought it felt like a fun art project.
(C) He thought he used different colours for different ideas.
4 What is Leo planning to do next week?
(A) Help his classmates learn his special study method.
(B) Prepare for a different subject using his new system.
(C) Take his science test and get an excellent mark.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) Reading thick science books every evening
(B) The student who used colourful pictures to study better
(C) How to buy large pieces of paper and colourful pens
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 B 4 B 5 B