Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Planting Trees & Gardening
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The New School Garden
Every day after class, fourteen-year-old Leo looked at the dark corner of his schoolyard. It was a terrible place. There was always a lot of old paper and empty plastic bottles on the ground. The other students never went there because it was so dirty, but Leo wanted to change that. He wanted to do something special.
He went to his science teacher, Mr. Harris, and asked if he could make a vegetable garden in that corner. Mr. Harris loved the idea. He even gave Leo some money to buy seeds. The following Saturday, Leo arrived at school early. He spent the whole morning putting all the rubbish into big bags. It was tiring work, but he didn’t stop.
The next problem was the ground. It was very hard and dry, so it was difficult to dig. Luckily, a few of his classmates saw him working. They thought it looked like fun, so they brought some tools from their houses to help him. Together, the teenagers planted lots of tomatoes, carrots and beans.
Three months later, that dirty corner is the most popular part of the school. It is green and full of beautiful plants. The school cook even uses the fresh vegetables to make the students’ daily lunches. Leo feels very proud of the new garden, and he is already planning to plant some fruit trees next spring.
1 Why didn’t anyone visit the corner of the schoolyard?
(A) It was a dark corner.
(B) It was full of rubbish.
(C) The other students wanted to do something special.
2 How did Mr. Harris help Leo?
(A) He put the rubbish into big bags.
(B) He arrived at school early on Saturday.
(C) He offered him some cash for the garden.
3 What happened when Leo tried to prepare the ground?
(A) He used some tools from his house.
(B) Some other children assisted him.
(C) He planted lots of tomatoes alone.
4 What happens to the vegetables now?
(A) The students eat them during the day.
(B) Leo sells them to the school cook.
(C) They are planted next to the fruit trees.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The boy who loves cleaning
(B) How to cook fresh vegetables
(C) A teenager’s amazing school project
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 C 3 B 4 A 5 C
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Birthday Tree Project
Leo is a fifteen-year-old boy who lives in the centre of Greyville. Last year, he looked out of his bedroom window and felt sad. The town was full of cars and grey buildings, but there were no green spaces. For his birthday in May, his parents asked him what he wanted. Leo said, ‘I don’t need new video games or clothes. I want to plant trees.’
This gave him an idea, and he started a project called ‘Birthday Trees’. He built a simple website to explain his plan. If it is someone’s birthday, their friends and family can buy a small tree for them instead of a normal present. The town council loved the idea and gave Leo a large piece of empty land behind the sports centre to use.
In the beginning, it was quite difficult. Only Leo’s grandparents and a few neighbours bought trees. But after a local journalist wrote an article about the project, everything changed. Dozens of people from the town started buying them. Planting the trees in the dry summer ground was hard work, but Leo’s classmates helped him.
A year later, there are more than fifty young trees on the land. Leo loves visiting the new park at the weekends to watch the birds and insects there. He feels extremely proud of what he and his town have done. He hopes that teenagers in other towns will read about his project and do the same thing.
1 Why did Leo ask for trees for his birthday?
(A) He wanted to improve the area where he lived.
(B) He wanted to look at cars from his bedroom window.
(C) He needed some new video games and clothes.
2 What happened after Leo started his website?
(A) The sports centre gave him a piece of empty land.
(B) People had to buy him a normal present.
(C) The local government offered him a place for his project.
3 Who did the hard work of putting the trees in the ground?
(A) his grandparents and a few neighbours
(B) the students from his school
(C) a local journalist
4 What do we learn about Leo in the final paragraph?
(A) He goes to other towns to watch birds and insects.
(B) He is proud that fifty teenagers visited the new park.
(C) He wants young people in different places to copy his idea.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to build a sports centre
(B) The boy who made his town greener
(C) The best birthday presents for teenagers
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 C 3 B 4 C 5 B
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Balcony Gardener
Leo is a 15-year-old boy who lives in an apartment in the city. He really loves cooking for his family. However, he hates buying tomatoes from the supermarket. They are usually quite expensive and they do not taste of anything. One day, Leo decided to do something about this problem. He wanted to grow his own tomatoes on his small balcony.
First, Leo went to a garden shop and bought some seeds, soil, and big plastic pots. Growing tomatoes in an apartment is not easy. The plants need a lot of sunlight to grow big and strong, so he had to find the sunniest corner of the balcony. He also had to remember to water them every morning before he walked to school.
After three months of hard work, Leo finally saw his first red tomatoes. He picked them and made a large salad for his parents’ dinner. The taste was amazing! His mother said they were the most delicious tomatoes she had ever eaten. They were much sweeter than the ones from the shop.
Now, Leo never buys tomatoes from the supermarket. He is saving his pocket money, and he has found a wonderful new hobby. Next spring, he is going to plant other vegetables, like peppers and carrots, on the balcony. He thinks everyone should try growing their own food!
1 Why did Leo decide to grow tomatoes?
(A) He wanted to buy tomatoes from the supermarket.
(B) He was unhappy with the ones sold in stores.
(C) He wanted to help his family with the cooking.
2 What does the writer say was difficult about growing the tomatoes?
(A) putting them into big plastic pots
(B) making sure they got enough light
(C) remembering to water them as he walked to school
3 What did Leo’s mother think of the tomatoes?
(A) She liked them better than shop ones.
(B) She wanted to make a large salad with them.
(C) She thought that they were too sweet.
4 What is Leo planning to do next year?
(A) find a wonderful new hobby
(B) buy more vegetables from the supermarket
(C) put different types of plants on his balcony
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to make a great tomato salad
(B) The boy who grows his own food
(C) The cheapest supermarket in the city
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 B 3 A 4 C 5 B