Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Green Energy & Saving Electricity

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Turning Off the Lights for the Stars

Fifteen-year-old Clara has always loved astronomy. She enjoys reading books about the moon and the planets. However, Clara lives in the centre of a large, busy city. Because of the bright streetlamps and tall buildings, the night sky is always orange. She can almost never see the stars, and this makes her feel very sad.

Last month, Clara decided to change this situation. She searched the internet and read about a special ‘Dark Sky’ hour in another country. During this event, everyone turned off their lights. Clara talked to her science teacher, Mr Davis, about starting a similar campaign in their city. He thought it was a brilliant idea and helped her design a website.

The following week, Clara and her classmates worked very hard. They visited people in their neighbourhood and gave them small paper flyers. They asked everyone to turn off all their lights for exactly one hour on Saturday night at 9 p.m. A few shop owners said no, but most of the neighbours agreed to help.

When Saturday evening arrived, Clara felt quite nervous. But exactly at 9 p.m., the city went completely dark. Families walked out of their houses and looked up at the beautiful, clear sky. For the first time, they could see hundreds of stars! Clara was completely delighted. Next year, she hopes to invite the city mayor to join their fantastic event.

1   Why does Clara feel sad in the first paragraph?

     (A) She is unable to view the stars in her area.

     (B) She lives in the centre of a large, busy city.

     (C) She reads books about the moon and the planets.

2   What did Clara do after she found information online?

     (A) She travelled to another country for a ‘Dark Sky’ hour.

     (B) She discussed her idea with someone at her school.

     (C) She helped her science teacher design a website.

3   How did Clara and her friends get people to participate?

     (A) They agreed to help a few shop owners.

     (B) They turned off all their lights for exactly one hour.

     (C) They handed out short messages to local people.

4   What happened on Saturday evening?

     (A) Clara felt quite nervous exactly at 9 p.m.

     (B) Residents went outdoors to enjoy the night sky.

     (C) The city mayor joined their fantastic event.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A teenager’s project to reveal the night sky

     (B) How to design a website for your neighbourhood

     (C) The best bright streetlamps in the city

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Bicycle Phone Charger

Fifteen-year-old Lily loves two things: riding her bicycle and taking photos with her smartphone. Every weekend, she cycles to the park with her friends. However, she always had a big problem. She listened to music and took so many pictures that her phone battery usually died before she went home.

One evening, Lily watched an interesting science video on the internet. It explained how movement can make electricity. Lily had a great idea. She wanted to build a charger for her bicycle. She didn’t want to buy new things, so she asked her dad to help her look for old parts in their garage.

Building the charger wasn’t easy. It took Lily about three weeks to finish it. Now, when she rides her bike, the front wheel turns a small machine. This makes enough power to charge her phone. At first, her friends said it was a bad idea and it wouldn’t work. But now, they are amazed when they see her 100% full battery.

Next month, Lily is going to show her bicycle at the school science competition. She hopes to win first prize. She is also planning to build a second charger for her younger brother’s bike, so he can keep his phone on during long trips too.

1   What problem did Lily have at the weekend?

     (A) Her mobile device lost all its power while she was out.

     (B) She couldn’t take photos with her smartphone.

     (C) She had to go home before her friends.

2   How did Lily get the things she needed for her project?

     (A) She bought new things on the internet.

     (B) She asked her dad to build a charger.

     (C) She found some used items at her house.

3   What did Lily’s friends think about her idea in the beginning?

     (A) They were amazed by her 100% full battery.

     (B) They didn’t believe it would be successful.

     (C) They thought it would take about three weeks.

4   What is Lily planning to do next?

     (A) Win first prize for her younger brother.

     (B) Go on long trips for a school competition.

     (C) Make another machine for a family member.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A clever way to keep a phone working

     (B) How to win a school science competition

     (C) The best bicycle for long weekend trips

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Leo’s Science Project

Leo is fourteen years old and his favourite hobby is playing video games. Last week, his science teacher asked the class to write a report about saving energy. Students had to choose a topic about their homes. Leo decided to write about the electricity his games use.

First, Leo looked for information on the internet. He was very surprised by what he read. He learned that the newest, biggest game machines use much more power than older ones. He also found out that playing games on a large television needs more electricity than playing on a small laptop.

Next, Leo wanted to check this at home. He asked his family to help him measure the energy of different things. His younger sister loves playing puzzles on her tablet. Leo saw that her tablet used very little power. However, when Leo played sports games on his new console in the living room, it used a lot of electricity.

After a few days, Leo gave his report to his teacher and got a fantastic mark. Leo still enjoys video games, but his habits are different now. He always turns off his console completely when he stops playing. He doesn’t leave it on anymore, and he tells his friends to do the same.

1   What did Leo’s science teacher want the class to do?

     (A) Write a report about their favourite hobby.

     (B) Do a piece of schoolwork about power in their houses.

     (C) Choose a new topic about video games.

2   What did Leo find out when he looked online?

     (A) Playing on a small laptop needs more electricity.

     (B) Modern gaming equipment takes a lot of energy.

     (C) The newest machines use much more power than large televisions.

3   What happened when Leo measured the items in his house?

     (A) The machine his sister plays on needed the least energy.

     (B) His younger sister used a lot of electricity playing puzzles.

     (C) His new console in the living room used very little power.

4   How are Leo’s habits different now?

     (A) He stops playing video games completely.

     (B) He tells his friends to leave it on.

     (C) He switches off his machine when he isn’t using it.

5   What is the best title for this text?

     (A) How to get a fantastic mark in science

     (B) A boy’s homework about gaming and electricity

     (C) Why teenagers should stop playing video games

Exercises:   12345