Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Sustainable Shopping & Fashion

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Leo’s Fight Against Fast Fashion

Fifteen-year-old Leo always loved buying cheap clothes. But last month, he watched a documentary in his geography class about “fast fashion”. He learned that factories make these cheap clothes very quickly, and people often throw them away after wearing them only once or twice. Leo felt terrible about this and decided to write an article for the school magazine.

He spent the whole weekend on his laptop, looking for information. Leo discovered that making just one cotton T-shirt uses thousands of litres of water. Also, the factories often put dangerous chemicals into local rivers. He wrote all these shocking facts in his text because he wanted his classmates to understand the problem.

When he finished, Leo gave the article to his older sister, Mia. She told him that the information was excellent, but it was a bit sad. She gave him a great idea: he should also tell the students what they can do to help the planet.

Leo added a new paragraph at the end of his article. He told students to buy second-hand clothes or organize clothes-swapping parties with their friends. The school magazine printed his work the following week. Now, many teenagers at his school are changing the way they shop, and Leo is very proud.

1   Why did Leo want to write for the school magazine?

     (A) Because he always loved buying cheap clothes.

     (B) He wanted to make a documentary for his geography class.

     (C) He found out some bad news about how clothes are made.

2   What did Leo discover when he was on his laptop?

     (A) Creating a single piece of clothing needs a lot of water.

     (B) Factories put dangerous chemicals into thousands of litres of water.

     (C) His classmates didn’t understand the problem with local rivers.

3   What did Mia tell Leo to do?

     (A) Share the excellent information with his older sister.

     (B) Include some advice on how to protect the earth.

     (C) Think of a great idea that is a bit sad.

4   After the article was in the magazine, what happened?

     (A) Leo organized clothes-swapping parties with his friends.

     (B) Some students changed their habits when getting new clothes.

     (C) Teenagers bought second-hand clothes the following week.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How one boy’s writing made a difference

     (B) The best way to make cheap clothes quickly

     (C) A terrible documentary about local rivers

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Year With No New Clothes

Sixteen-year-old Chloe always loved shopping. Her bedroom cupboard was full of dresses and shoes, but she always wanted more. Then, in January, she watched a video online about the environment and fashion waste. She felt bad about her habits and decided to try a popular internet challenge. She promised not to buy any clothes or shoes for twelve months.

At first, it was quite difficult. Chloe usually went to the shopping centre with her friends every Saturday. When her friends tried on beautiful new coats or boots, Chloe just sat and waited. Sometimes she felt a bit sad because she couldn’t buy anything.

To stop thinking about shopping, Chloe decided to clean her bedroom. At the back of her cupboard, she found lots of lovely clothes she forgot about. Her grandmother also taught her how to sew. Chloe used her grandmother’s sewing machine to change her old dresses and make them look modern. Suddenly, her friends wanted to borrow her amazing clothes!

Now, the year is almost over. Chloe has saved a lot of her pocket money and feels fantastic. Next month, she is going to buy a dress for her cousin’s wedding, but she will only shop in second-hand stores. She hopes other teenagers will try this brilliant challenge too.

1   Why did Chloe decide to start the challenge?

     (A) She saw a film on the internet that made her think.

     (B) She wanted to get more dresses and shoes.

     (C) She wanted to make a popular internet video.

2   How did Chloe feel at the shopping centre?

     (A) pleased to try on beautiful new coats or boots

     (B) unhappy because she wasn’t able to get anything

     (C) tired of going there with her friends every Saturday

3   What did Chloe do to help her with the challenge?

     (A) She asked her grandmother to make her some modern clothes.

     (B) She borrowed a sewing machine from her friends.

     (C) She learned how to update the things she already owned.

4   What is Chloe planning to do next month?

     (A) get something to wear for a special family event

     (B) save a lot of her pocket money

     (C) buy a second-hand store in her town

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to buy the best second-hand clothes

     (B) The girl who stopped shopping for new fashion

     (C) Why teenagers need more pocket money

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Clothes Label Guide

Fifteen-year-old Toby has always enjoyed shopping for new clothes with his friends. Last month, his science teacher showed the class an interesting video about the environment. Toby learned that making clothes from certain materials can really damage the planet. He decided he only wanted to buy greener clothes. However, when he looked at the little labels inside his T-shirts, he did not understand the difficult words.

Toby spent his next few weekends reading about clothing materials on the internet. He discovered that things like organic cotton and recycled plastic are much better for the environment. When he talked to his classmates, he found out that they also wanted to buy eco-friendly clothes. But, just like Toby, they were completely confused by the information on the labels.

Because he wanted to help his friends, Toby created a small, colourful booklet. Inside the guide, he drew pictures of common clothing labels and explained exactly what the words meant in simple English. He printed fifty copies on recycled paper and gave them to the students at his high school.

The project was a big success. Now, Toby’s friends always check the labels before they buy new trousers or sweaters in town. Toby feels really happy that his idea is working so well. Next term, he is going to start a school club to teach more teenagers about protecting the world through fashion.

1   What problem did Toby have when he wanted to be greener?

     (A) He didn’t know the meaning of the text on the tags.

     (B) He wanted to go shopping for new clothes with friends.

     (C) He did not understand his science teacher.

2   What did Toby learn about his classmates?

     (A) They had trouble understanding the labels too.

     (B) They spent weekends reading about clothing materials.

     (C) They discovered things like organic cotton and recycled plastic.

3   What did Toby put inside his booklet?

     (A) easy translations of the difficult words

     (B) fifty copies on recycled paper

     (C) the students at his high school

4   What is Toby planning to do next term?

     (A) buy new trousers or sweaters in town

     (B) check the labels before shopping

     (C) open a group about eco-friendly fashion

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to print on recycled paper

     (B) A teenager’s guide to shopping for the planet

     (C) The best science teacher at high school

Exercises:   12345