Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Recycling & Waste Management

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Saying No to Plastic Straws

Fourteen-year-old Toby has always loved the sea. Last month, he watched a film about the ocean. It showed how much plastic people throw away and how it hurts sea animals. Toby felt very sad about this. He decided he had to do something to help the environment in his own town.

Toby noticed that everyone used plastic straws for their cold drinks. He thought this was a big problem, so he started visiting cafes in the town centre. Before he went inside the buildings, he felt quite nervous. But when he spoke to the cafe managers, he clearly explained why plastic is so dangerous for nature.

Some managers didn’t want to listen to Toby. They told him that paper straws cost more money than plastic ones. But Mrs Smith, who runs the busiest cafe in town, thought Toby’s idea was fantastic. She threw away all her plastic straws and bought paper ones instead.

After a few weeks, the customers at Mrs Smith’s cafe said they loved the new paper straws. When the other cafe managers heard this, they quickly changed their straws, too. Toby is incredibly happy about what he has achieved. Next month, he is going to build a website to tell other teenagers how to do the same thing.

1   Why did Toby decide to help the environment?

     (A) He wanted to throw away plastic.

     (B) He visited the ocean last month.

     (C) He learned about the damage rubbish does to sea life.

2   How did Toby feel before talking to the cafe managers?

     (A) a bit worried

     (B) angry about cold drinks

     (C) dangerous for nature

3   Why did some managers say no to Toby’s idea?

     (A) They wanted to buy more plastic ones.

     (B) They thought the change was too expensive.

     (C) They already had the busiest cafe in town.

4   What happened in the end?

     (A) Other businesses decided to copy Mrs Smith.

     (B) Customers asked the managers for plastic straws.

     (C) Toby built a website for the cafe managers.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to make paper straws at home

     (B) One teenager’s fight against plastic

     (C) The busiest cafe in the town centre

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Newspaper Beds for Furry Friends

Fourteen-year-old Emma loves animals, but she cannot have a pet because she lives in a small apartment. Last winter, she decided to visit a local animal shelter to help. While she was there, she noticed that the dogs and cats were sleeping on the cold floor. She wanted to give them a comfortable place to rest.

Emma discovered that old newspapers are excellent for keeping animals warm. She asked her family and neighbours to give her their old newspapers instead of throwing them away. Every evening, she sat in her living room and tore the pages into small pieces to make soft beds. Sometimes, her older brother helped her.

In the beginning, taking the newspapers to the shelter was a big problem. The bags were very heavy, and Emma had to travel on the bus for forty minutes. Then, her science teacher heard about her project. He put a large plastic box in the school hall. Now, all the students leave their old newspapers there for Emma, and her teacher drives her to the shelter.

The animals are now much warmer, and the people at the shelter are very happy with Emma’s hard work. Emma feels incredibly proud of what she has done. Because of her experience with the dogs and cats, she is going to study hard and become an animal doctor when she is older.

1   Why did Emma first visit the animal shelter?

     (A) She wanted to get a pet for her small apartment.

     (B) She hoped to do something useful for dogs and cats.

     (C) She needed a comfortable place to rest.

2   How did Emma get the soft beds ready?

     (A) She pulled the pages into little bits.

     (B) She asked her older brother to throw them away.

     (C) She gave them to her family and neighbours.

3   What was difficult for Emma in the beginning?

     (A) Putting a large plastic box in the school hall.

     (B) Travelling on the bus with her science teacher.

     (C) Moving the heavy bags to the shelter.

4   Because of her project, Emma has decided to

     (A) work for the people at the shelter.

     (B) study hard to get some dogs and cats.

     (C) get a job helping sick animals later in life.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to find a pet for a small apartment

     (B) A teenager’s clever idea to help animals

     (C) The teacher who built an animal shelter

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Teenager Who Made Cleaning Up a Sport

Fourteen-year-old Julian loves playing basketball with his friends. Last summer, he went to his local park and saw a big problem. People were eating lunch and leaving their empty plastic bottles and food boxes on the grass. The public rubbish bins were completely empty. Julian felt very sad because his favourite park looked terrible.

Julian wanted to change this, so he thought of a clever idea. He decided to use his favourite sport to make cleaning up more fun. He went home, found some pieces of old wood, and painted them bright orange. Then, he built small basketball hoops. The next morning, he carefully attached them above the public rubbish bins in the park.

At first, visitors just looked at the new bins and walked away. But soon, some young children started trying to score points with their rubbish. It became an exciting game! By the end of the weekend, adults were doing it too. Suddenly, there was absolutely no trash on the ground. Julian’s friends thought his invention was amazing.

Last week, the town mayor visited the park and thanked Julian for his hard work. Julian felt incredibly proud. Now, he wants to put his special hoops in local school playgrounds. He is going to ask his teachers for help next Monday.

1   Why was Julian unhappy at the park last summer?

     (A) Visitors were dropping their waste on the green areas.

     (B) He wanted to leave his empty plastic bottles.

     (C) The public rubbish bins were completely full.

2   What did Julian do to fix the problem?

     (A) He created a game to encourage people to use the bins.

     (B) He went home to play his favourite sport.

     (C) He painted the public rubbish bins bright orange.

3   What was the result of Julian’s new invention?

     (A) People of all ages began to throw their trash correctly.

     (B) Visitors just looked at the new bins and walked away.

     (C) Some young children thought his invention was amazing.

4   What is Julian’s plan for the future?

     (A) To set up his objects in outdoor places for students.

     (B) To visit the park and thank the town mayor for his hard work.

     (C) To ask his teachers to put his special hoops in the park.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) The teenager who turned cleaning up into a sport

     (B) Playing basketball with your friends in the park

     (C) Leaving empty plastic bottles on the grass

Exercises:   12345