Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Recycling & Waste Management

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Green Paper Club

Fifteen-year-old Ben has always cared about the environment. Last June, at the end of the school year, he noticed a big problem. Many students were throwing their old notebooks into the bins. Some of these books still had a lot of clean pages. Ben thought this was terrible and decided he had to do something about it.

When the new school year began in September, Ben spoke to his science teacher, Mr. Clark. With Mr. Clark’s help, Ben started the ‘Green Paper Club’. In the beginning, it was difficult to find members. Most of Ben’s classmates wanted to play football or basketball after school. Only three girls from his maths class joined the club.

However, the small group worked very hard. Every Friday afternoon, they collected the old paper from the classrooms. They carefully took out the clean pages and used them to make beautiful new notebooks. Then, they gave these notebooks to the younger children at the school.

Soon, other students saw the new notebooks and thought they were a great idea. Now, the club has twenty members! Ben is very happy because his club is helping the planet. Next year, he is going to start collecting plastic bottles, too. He hopes even more people will want to help.

1   Why was Ben unhappy at the end of the school year?

     (A) He had to throw his old notebooks into the bins.

     (B) He needed a lot of clean pages for his classes.

     (C) He saw students putting useful things in the rubbish.

2   What does the writer say about the beginning of the club?

     (A) Very few people wanted to be in it.

     (B) Most of Ben’s classmates joined the club.

     (C) The members wanted to play football after school.

3   What did the club members do on Friday afternoons?

     (A) They collected the old paper from the younger children.

     (B) They created something new for little kids to use.

     (C) They carefully took out the clean pages for their teachers.

4   What do we learn about Ben in the final paragraph?

     (A) He is going to recycle a different material soon.

     (B) He has twenty members collecting plastic bottles now.

     (C) He hopes to buy new notebooks for twenty members next year.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) The best sports clubs at Ben’s school

     (B) How to make your own paper at home

     (C) A great school recycling project

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Teenager Turning Car Parts into Cool Chairs

Thirteen-year-old Toby has an unusual and interesting hobby. While his friends spend their weekends playing football in the park, Toby prefers being in his garage. He loves building new things. Last month, he was walking home from school when he saw several dirty old car tires outside a local garage. He decided to take them home and use them.

First, Toby had to clean his new items. He spent hours washing the black rubber with hot water and soap. After that, he used special paints to colour them bright yellow, red, and blue. Finally, he found some old pillows and put them inside the holes. Suddenly, the ugly rubbish became beautiful, comfortable seats!

Toby put the new furniture in his bedroom and outside in the garden. When his parents saw the seats, they were completely amazed. His mother even asked him to make a special one for her living room. When his classmates visited his house, they all loved the colourful chairs and wanted to take one home.

Now, Toby makes and sells his tire chairs on the internet. People love buying them because they are cheap and excellent for the environment. Toby is not keeping the cash for toys. He is saving everything to pay for university. When he leaves high school, he hopes to open his own recycling business.

1   What does Toby like doing on Saturday and Sunday?

     (A) Making objects in a workspace.

     (B) Playing football in the park.

     (C) Walking home from school.

2   What did Toby do to make the tires nice to sit on?

     (A) He placed soft items in the center of them.

     (B) He spent hours washing the black rubber.

     (C) He used special paints to colour them.

3   How did Toby’s mother react to his project?

     (A) She requested an item for their home.

     (B) She put the new furniture in his bedroom.

     (C) She wanted to take one home.

4   What does Toby do with the money he gets?

     (A) He puts it away for his future education.

     (B) He is keeping the cash for toys.

     (C) He uses it to open his own recycling business.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) Washing the black rubber with hot water

     (B) The schoolboy who built useful seats from old tires

     (C) Playing football in the park with your classmates

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Sorting Our Trash to Save the Planet

My name is Mark and I am fifteen years old. Last month, I started writing a blog on the internet. I wanted to write about something important, so I chose the environment. I noticed that my family wasn’t very good at recycling, so I decided to learn more about it and share my ideas.

Before I started the blog, our kitchen was a disaster. My parents and my little sister just put everything into one big black bin. There were plastic bottles, old newspapers, and even leftover food all mixed together. I knew this was terrible for the planet, and I really wanted to change our daily habits.

First, I went to the local shop and bought three different boxes. I chose a blue box for paper, a green one for plastic and glass, and a brown one for food waste. After that, I wrote simple instructions on small pieces of paper and put them on each box. This made it very easy for everyone to understand where things should go.

Writing the blog has been a fantastic experience. Now, everyone in my house separates their rubbish correctly. My little sister actually enjoys choosing the right box! My teachers read my blog and they said they were very proud of me. I really hope my readers will start recycling in their own homes, too.

1   Why did Mark start a blog about the environment?

     (A) He noticed that his family was very good at recycling.

     (B) He wanted to help his relatives handle their waste better.

     (C) He wanted to share his ideas with fifteen-year-olds.

2   What was the main issue in Mark’s kitchen?

     (A) Family members threw all their things into the same place.

     (B) His parents kept one big black bin for leftover food only.

     (C) His little sister put everything into empty plastic bottles.

3   How did Mark make recycling simpler for his family?

     (A) He wrote simple instructions on the plastic and glass.

     (B) He went to the local shop and bought a brown box for paper.

     (C) He put useful notes on several new coloured containers.

4   What is the situation in Mark’s house now?

     (A) His little sister separates his rubbish correctly.

     (B) His teachers enjoy choosing the right box for him.

     (C) Every person is dealing with their trash properly.

5   Why has Mark written this text?

     (A) To share a fantastic experience he had with his teachers.

     (B) To encourage other people to divide their waste at home.

     (C) To show how to put all old newspapers in one big black bin.

Exercises:   12345