Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Water Conservation & Clean Oceans
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Green Idea for Leftover Water
Twelve-year-old Leo lives in a warm country where it doesn’t rain very often. Last summer, he noticed something in his house that made him feel really unhappy. Every day, his parents and sister left half-empty glasses of drinking water on the dinner table. They always threw this water into the kitchen sink. Leo wanted to stop this terrible waste.
Leo decided to get some house plants for his bedroom. He went to the local market and bought five small green plants. Every evening, instead of throwing the leftover water away, Leo poured it carefully into a large plastic bottle. The next morning, he used this collected water to give his new plants a drink.
In the beginning, it was quite difficult to change his family’s habits. His parents often forgot his new rule and still threw their water into the sink. So, Leo drew a big, colourful picture and put it on the kitchen wall. The poster reminded everyone to give their glasses to Leo. After a few weeks, the whole family remembered to help him.
Now, Leo’s bedroom looks like a beautiful small jungle. His green plants are very tall and healthy. Because of his clever idea, his family never wastes a single drop of drinking water. Leo feels extremely proud. Next month, he hopes to talk to his classmates and show them how to grow plants with leftover water.
1 Why was Leo unhappy last summer?
(A) His relatives were throwing away useful liquid.
(B) He left half-empty glasses of drinking water on the table.
(C) He lived in a warm country where it doesn’t rain often.
2 What did Leo do every evening?
(A) He threw the leftover water into the kitchen sink.
(B) He bought five small green plants at the local market.
(C) He saved the remaining water inside a container.
3 How did Leo change his family’s daily habits?
(A) He put a piece of art in the room where they cook.
(B) He often forgot his new rule and threw water into the sink.
(C) He asked everyone to give their glasses to his parents.
4 What is Leo planning to do in the future?
(A) Create a beautiful small jungle inside his bedroom.
(B) Explain his environmental project to other students.
(C) Never waste a single drop of drinking water again.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A young boy’s clever project to reuse water
(B) How to draw a big, colourful picture for your kitchen
(C) The best small green plants for your bedroom
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 C 3 A 4 B 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Speech for the Sea
Seventeen-year-old Leo has always loved the sea. Since he was a child, he has lived near the coast and enjoyed swimming and surfing. But last summer, while he was walking on his favourite beach, he saw something terrible. The sand was full of plastic bottles and old bags. He felt very upset and decided he had to do something to help the ocean.
Leo asked his teachers if he could speak to the whole school about the problem. When they said yes, he spent three weeks reading articles and making a video. He was quite nervous about talking in front of hundreds of people. His older sister helped him practice his speech every evening in the living room until he felt ready.
On the day of the speech, Leo stood on the stage in the school hall. He spoke clearly about how dirty water hurts fish and sea birds. He showed the video of the plastic on their local beach. The room was very quiet because everyone was listening so carefully.
After the speech, many classmates went to talk to him. They didn’t know the problem was so bad and wanted to help. Because of this, Leo is starting a beach clean-up group next month. Over fifty students want to join him. Leo feels proud and believes that young people can make the world a better place.
1 Why did Leo decide to help the ocean?
(A) He noticed a lot of rubbish near the water.
(B) He has always loved the sea.
(C) He enjoyed swimming and surfing.
2 Who helped Leo prepare for his presentation?
(A) A member of his family.
(B) His teachers.
(C) Hundreds of people.
3 What happened during Leo’s speech?
(A) The audience paid close attention to his words.
(B) He stood on the stage and was very quiet.
(C) He spoke clearly to fish and sea birds.
4 What are Leo and his classmates going to do next month?
(A) Work together to collect trash on the coast.
(B) Go to talk to him after the speech.
(C) Make the world a better place.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A student’s talk that changed his school
(B) How to make a video about the beach
(C) The boy who loves swimming and surfing
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Maya’s Safe Soap
Maya is a sixteen-year-old girl who loves the natural world. She lives near a beautiful lake and goes swimming there every summer. One day, her science teacher explained that dirty water from our showers and washing machines often travels into rivers and lakes. This water has soap in it, which can make fish very sick. Maya was unhappy about this.
She decided to create a different kind of washing product that is safe for animals. She didn’t look on the internet. Instead, she borrowed some thick books from the town library to learn how to make it. Maya used natural things, like green plants and sweet flowers from her parents’ garden. She didn’t add any dangerous chemicals to her mixture.
At first, it wasn’t easy. Her first soap was very hard and smelled terrible! But Maya didn’t stop trying. After three weeks of hard work, she finally made a wonderful soap that smelled like fresh lemons. She washed her clothes and her hands with it, and it cleaned them perfectly.
Now, Maya makes a lot of soap and sells it at a busy market on Saturdays. Her neighbours buy it because they want to help the environment too. Maya doesn’t keep the cash for herself. She gives all the money to a group that cleans up local rivers. Next month, she hopes to start a club to show her classmates how to make the soap.
1 Why was Maya unhappy in the first paragraph?
(A) Dirty water travels into her washing machine.
(B) She learned that things we wash with can hurt animals.
(C) She cannot go swimming in the lake every summer.
2 How did Maya find out how to make soap?
(A) She looked on the internet.
(B) She asked questions in her parents’ garden.
(C) She got some information from the library.
3 What happened when Maya first tried to make soap?
(A) It smelled like fresh lemons.
(B) The result was not very good.
(C) It cleaned her clothes and hands perfectly.
4 What does Maya do with the money she earns?
(A) She keeps the cash for herself.
(B) She pays for a busy market on Saturdays.
(C) She gives it away to help the natural world.
5 What is the best title for this article?
(A) A teenager’s idea for safer water
(B) How to clean your washing machine
(C) The best places to swim in the lake
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 C 3 B 4 C 5 A