Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Green Energy & Saving Electricity
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Studying by Sunlight
Thirteen-year-old Oscar lives in a town where electricity costs a lot of money. Every month, his parents worry about paying the expensive electricity bill. Oscar heard them talking about it one evening and decided he really wanted to do something to help his family save money.
Normally, students do their schoolwork in the evening after dinner. However, Oscar decided to change his daily routine completely. Now, as soon as he gets home from school at four o’clock, he goes straight to his bedroom. He opens his curtains and does all his homework using only the natural sunlight from the window.
In the beginning, this new schedule was quite difficult for him. His friends always play football in the park in the afternoon, and they often asked him to join them. But Oscar stayed at his desk. Because he works fast in the afternoon, he always finishes his studies before it gets dark. He never turns on his bright desk lamp at night anymore.
Last week, Oscar’s parents got the new electricity bill. They were very surprised because it was much cheaper than usual. Oscar felt incredibly proud when he told them about his secret plan. Now, instead of studying at night, he spends his free evenings relaxing in the living room with his parents.
1 Why did Oscar want to help his family?
(A) He wanted them to spend less cash on energy.
(B) He wanted to pay the expensive electricity bill himself.
(C) He wanted to hear them talking about it one evening.
2 What does Oscar do differently now?
(A) He completes his school tasks earlier in the day.
(B) He does his schoolwork in the evening after dinner.
(C) He gets home from school at four o’clock.
3 What was hard for Oscar at first?
(A) Not going outside to do sports with his mates.
(B) Having to play football in the park.
(C) Using his bright desk lamp at night.
4 How did Oscar’s parents feel last week?
(A) Shocked because the cost was lower.
(B) Very surprised because it was more expensive.
(C) Incredibly proud of their secret plan.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A student’s clever idea to cut energy costs
(B) Why you should do your schoolwork in the evening
(C) The teenager who pays his family’s electricity bill
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Lucas Films the Sun
Lucas is a sixteen-year-old student who loves making short films. Last month, his geography teacher asked the class to do a project about the environment. Lucas decided to make a documentary about Sunville. It is a special village because it only uses solar power, which means all its energy comes from the sun. He travelled there with his older brother for the weekend.
When they arrived, Lucas was very surprised. He thought the village would look old and be completely quiet. Instead, it was very busy and modern. He saw large glass panels on the roof of every house. Lucas interviewed a local woman who explained how the panels catch the sunlight and turn it into electricity for the whole town.
However, Lucas had a big problem on the second day. It rained heavily, so he couldn’t film the sunny village outside. He had to wait inside a small café for hours. But this wasn’t a bad thing. He used the time to chat with some teenagers. They told him that their families never have to pay expensive electricity bills.
Last week, Lucas showed his documentary to his class. His teacher loved it and gave him a fantastic mark. Lucas is extremely happy. The project changed how he thinks about the planet. Next year, he hopes to visit another town to make a longer film about wind energy.
1 Why did Lucas go to Sunville?
(A) to go away for the weekend with his older brother
(B) to complete a piece of schoolwork
(C) to help his geography teacher
2 What did Lucas think of the village when he got there?
(A) It was completely quiet and looked old.
(B) It was difficult to find the large glass panels.
(C) It was different from what he imagined.
3 What did Lucas do while it was raining?
(A) He filmed the sunny village outside.
(B) He had conversations with some young locals.
(C) He paid some expensive electricity bills.
4 What did the project do for Lucas?
(A) It gave him new ideas about the natural world.
(B) It made his teacher extremely happy.
(C) It helped him visit a town to see wind energy.
5 What is the best title for this article?
(A) How to build solar panels for your village
(B) A teenage filmmaker’s green energy project
(C) The boys who live without electricity
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 C 3 B 4 A 5 B
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Who Calculated the Cost of Television
Fourteen-year-old Oliver lives with his parents and younger brother. In the past, his family loved watching television. Every evening after dinner, they turned it on and watched shows until bedtime. But last month, Oliver’s dad showed the family their electricity bill. He was quite upset because it was incredibly expensive.
Oliver wanted to help. He was learning about energy in his maths class, so he had a clever idea. He asked his family to turn off the TV completely for thirty days. Instead of watching screens, he wanted them to read books or play games. His parents agreed quickly, but his brother thought it was a terrible plan.
During the month, Oliver wrote down everything in a small notebook. He calculated how many hours of electricity they saved each week. The first few evenings were difficult for everyone. However, they soon started playing board games together. They laughed a lot and enjoyed the quiet evenings.
When the new electricity bill finally arrived, everyone was surprised. The cost was much lower! Oliver used his calculator and found they saved thirty pounds. He told his parents they could use the cash to buy tickets for the cinema. Now, the family keeps the TV off twice a week, and Oliver feels very proud.
1 Why was Oliver’s dad upset at the beginning of the story?
(A) The family had to pay a lot of money for their power.
(B) His family loved watching television every evening.
(C) Everyone watched shows until bedtime.
2 How did Oliver’s brother feel about the experiment?
(A) He had a clever idea.
(B) He agreed quickly.
(C) He strongly disliked it.
3 What happened during the thirty days?
(A) The family had fun doing activities as a group.
(B) Oliver wrote down everything about board games.
(C) Everyone enjoyed the first few evenings.
4 What is the family going to do with the extra cash?
(A) Keep the TV off twice a week.
(B) Pay to go and watch a movie.
(C) Buy a new calculator for thirty pounds.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to use a calculator for thirty days
(B) The schoolboy who helped his parents spend less
(C) Learning about energy in maths class
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 C 3 A 4 B 5 B