Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Outdoor Adventures & Nature
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Map and Compass
Thirteen-year-old Mia loves walking in the forest with her dad. Usually, they use the GPS on his mobile phone to find their way. But last month, his phone battery died while they were miles from home. They got lost for two hours. Because of this, Dad decided Mia needed to learn some real explorer skills.
For her birthday, Dad gave Mia a paper map and a compass. He showed her how to hold the compass flat in her hand to find North. At first, Mia thought it was too difficult. There were so many strange lines and colours on the map. She just wanted to use a phone instead.
The next weekend, they visited a big national park. Dad told Mia she had to lead them to the lake. After twenty minutes, Mia made a mistake and they walked up a high hill. Instead of getting angry, she looked at the map again, found her error, and changed their direction.
Soon, they heard water and saw the beautiful lake. Mia felt incredibly proud. She understood that mobile phones are useful, but batteries can die. Knowing how to use a map and a compass makes her feel like a true explorer. She is already planning their next adventure!
1 Why did Dad want Mia to learn new skills?
(A) He wanted to use his mobile phone to find the way.
(B) They lost their way when his device stopped working.
(C) Mia loves walking in the forest miles from home.
2 How did Mia feel about using the map and compass at first?
(A) She found the new tools very hard to understand.
(B) She enjoyed looking at the strange lines and colours.
(C) She wanted to use a phone to call her friends instead.
3 What happened during their trip to the national park?
(A) Dad got angry because they walked up a high hill.
(B) They successfully arrived at the lake after twenty minutes.
(C) Mia chose the wrong path but soon fixed the problem.
4 What has Mia learned from this experience?
(A) She believes that mobile phones are no longer useful.
(B) It is important to know how to travel without technology.
(C) She needs to pack extra batteries for their next adventure.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) Mia’s Forest Birthday Party
(B) The Girl Who Lost Her Mobile Phone
(C) Finding the Way Without a Screen
ANSWER KEY
1 (B) 2 (A) 3 (C) 4 (B) 5 (C)
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Who Looked at the Stars
Fourteen-year-old Toby has a very interesting hobby. Most of his classmates spend their evenings playing video games or watching television. However, Toby prefers doing something completely different. He absolutely loves studying the night sky. Last month, his parents gave him a large telescope for his birthday, and now he uses it every day.
Every Friday evening, Toby prepares for his favourite activity. He takes his heavy telescope into the garden. Because the nights are often quite cold, he always puts on a thick coat and a hat. He also has to wait patiently. It is impossible to see anything when the streetlamps are on, so he waits until his neighbors turn off their lights.
Last weekend, Toby wanted to find a special planet. He read a science book about Mars and wanted to see it himself. At first, he felt quite disappointed because there were too many grey clouds. But after an hour, the sky finally cleared. He looked through his telescope and saw the beautiful red planet! He quickly took a fantastic picture with his phone.
Toby felt incredibly happy about his discovery. He showed the photo to his science teacher, and she was very impressed. Now, Toby wants to learn even more about our universe. Next month, he is going to join a local astronomy club. When he finishes high school, he hopes to become a professional scientist.
1 What does Toby enjoy doing in his free time?
(A) Observing the stars and planets.
(B) Playing video games.
(C) Watching television.
2 Why does Toby have to wait in the garden?
(A) He needs his street to be completely dark.
(B) Because the nights are often quite cold.
(C) So he can put on a thick coat and a hat.
3 Why was Toby unhappy at the beginning of the evening?
(A) The weather conditions made it hard to see.
(B) He wanted to read a science book about Mars.
(C) He couldn’t take a fantastic picture with his phone.
4 What is Toby planning to do soon?
(A) Become a member of a space group.
(B) Show the photo to his science teacher.
(C) Finish high school and become a professional scientist.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The teenager who loves exploring the night sky
(B) How to take a fantastic picture with your phone
(C) A science book about the planet Mars
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Helping Out at Happy Paws
Fourteen-year-old Ben has always loved animals. He really wanted a dog, but his family lives in a small apartment. Because he couldn’t have his own pet, he decided to do something else. Two months ago, he started volunteering at ‘Happy Paws’, a local animal shelter.
Ben goes to the shelter every Saturday morning. When he arrives, his first job is to clean the cages. It is hard and dirty work, and some of his friends think it sounds boring. However, Ben doesn’t mind at all. He enjoys giving the animals fresh water and making their beds comfortable.
In the afternoon, Ben has a different job. He takes the dogs for a long walk in the big park near the shelter. Sometimes, the large dogs pull very hard on their leads, which can be difficult. But Ben is learning how to control them safely. He loves watching them run on the green grass.
By the time Ben goes home at five o’clock, he feels extremely tired. But he is also very happy because he is helping animals find new families. Working at the shelter has changed his life. Now, he studies hard at school because he hopes to become a vet in the future.
1 Why did Ben start working at the animal shelter?
(A) He didn’t have enough space for a dog at his house.
(B) His family wanted to buy a dog from ‘Happy Paws’.
(C) He needed to do something else for two months.
2 How does Ben feel about cleaning the cages?
(A) He thinks it sounds boring.
(B) He doesn’t think it is a problem.
(C) He wants his friends to do the dirty work.
3 What happens when Ben takes the dogs to the park?
(A) He runs on the green grass with them.
(B) He has a different job with the large dogs.
(C) He sometimes finds the bigger animals hard to manage.
4 What do we learn about Ben at the end of the text?
(A) He wants a career looking after sick animals.
(B) He feels extremely tired of helping animals.
(C) He hopes to find new families in the future.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to find new families for large dogs
(B) A young person’s weekend job with animals
(C) The best way to clean dirty cages
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 A 5 B