Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Sustainable Shopping & Fashion

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Fresh Look for School

Fourteen-year-old Clara enjoys her classes at high school, but she always hated her school uniform. It was a long grey skirt and a really boring white shirt. The clothes were too big and very uncomfortable to wear. Every morning, she felt unhappy when she put them on, so she decided to do something about it.

Last month, Clara asked her parents to buy her a different uniform. They said no because new school clothes are quite expensive. Clara didn’t know what to do. Then, she spent a weekend watching online videos about making clothes. She decided to use her grandmother’s old sewing machine to change her uniform.

The work was not easy at the beginning, but Clara had fun. She made the grey skirt much shorter and added some cool black buttons to the white shirt. She also put a small, useful pocket on it. When she finally finished, the uniform looked fantastic and modern. It fit her perfectly.

On Monday, Clara wore her changed uniform to school. Her classmates were very surprised and loved it! Now, several friends ask her to fix their clothes, too. Clara is very happy because she loves fashion. Next term, she is going to start a special club to teach other students how to sew.

1   Why was Clara unhappy with her school uniform?

     (A) She didn’t enjoy her classes at high school.

     (B) It was too large and didn’t feel nice.

     (C) She wanted to have a long grey skirt.

2   How did Clara learn to make clothes?

     (A) She asked her parents to buy her a different uniform.

     (B) Her grandmother showed her how to use a sewing machine.

     (C) She watched clips on the web.

3   What did Clara do to her white shirt?

     (A) She attached a pocket and dark buttons.

     (B) She decided to make it much shorter.

     (C) She made the work not easy at the beginning.

4   What is Clara’s plan for next term?

     (A) to wear her changed uniform to school on Monday

     (B) to ask her friends to fix their clothes

     (C) to open a group to show others how to sew

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) Why new school clothes are quite expensive

     (B) The girl who made her school uniform cool

     (C) How to make your own online videos

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Emma’s Colourful Clothes

Seventeen-year-old Emma has always loved shopping for clothes. However, last month, she realised that buying new T-shirts every week was very expensive. She also knew that throwing away old clothes was bad for the environment. She wanted to do something different with her boring, old white clothes.

One afternoon, Emma watched an interesting video on the internet. A woman was making natural colours for clothes using normal food from her kitchen. Emma thought this was a brilliant idea. She looked in her cupboards and found some brown onions, red cabbage, and a lot of black tea. She decided to use these to change the colour of her old clothes.

First, Emma boiled the vegetables and tea in large pots of hot water for an hour. The kitchen smelled a bit strange, but she didn’t mind. When the water turned into beautiful, dark colours, she turned off the cooker. Then, she put her white T-shirts into the pots and left them there overnight.

The next morning, Emma washed the T-shirts and looked at them. They were fantastic! The tea made one shirt a lovely light brown, and the onions made another shirt bright yellow. When Emma wore them to college, her friends were amazed. Now, everyone wants Emma to colour their clothes, and she is planning to start a small business soon.

1   What made Emma change how she got her clothes?

     (A) She did not want to spend so much cash anymore.

     (B) She needed to buy new T-shirts every week.

     (C) She liked throwing away old clothes in the environment.

2   How did Emma get the idea to use food for her clothes?

     (A) She saw a film about it on the web.

     (B) A woman came to make natural colours in her kitchen.

     (C) She found brown onions and red cabbage on the internet.

3   What did Emma do to her white clothes?

     (A) She kept them in the coloured water until the next day.

     (B) She boiled the white T-shirts in hot water for an hour.

     (C) She turned off the cooker because they smelled a bit strange.

4   What is Emma going to do in the future?

     (A) Begin earning money from her new hobby.

     (B) Start a small business with her amazed friends.

     (C) Make a bright yellow shirt using black tea.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to cook vegetables from your kitchen

     (B) A teenager’s natural way to update her clothes

     (C) Why you should buy new white T-shirts

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Mia’s Greener Gifts

Fourteen-year-old Mia loves family parties. Last month, it was her younger brother’s birthday. Everyone gave him wonderful presents wrapped in beautiful, shiny paper. But Mia remembered a recent science lesson at school. Her teacher explained that recycling factories cannot take shiny wrapping paper. Because of this, all that beautiful paper goes into the rubbish bin and stays in the ground for a very long time.

Mia wanted to change this, so she started a campaign at her secondary school called “Green Gifts”. First, she painted some big posters and put them on the classroom walls. Then, she stood in front of all the students in the morning meeting and talked about the terrible problem.

She didn’t just ask them to stop using bad paper; she gave them better ideas. Mia showed everyone how to wrap presents in old newspapers or brown boxes. She also used her paints to draw lovely pictures on the brown paper to make it look really special.

Now, things are changing quickly. Many teenagers in her town are using Mia’s ideas for their friends’ birthdays. Even the school head teacher used a newspaper for a present recently! Next winter, Mia hopes to take her “Green Gifts” campaign to other schools in the area. She feels very pleased that she is helping to keep the world clean.

1   What did Mia learn from her science teacher about shiny paper?

     (A) It stays in the ground for a very short time.

     (B) Places that make new things from rubbish won’t accept it.

     (C) Everyone gave him wonderful presents wrapped in it.

2   How did Mia begin her “Green Gifts” project?

     (A) She stood in front of all the students.

     (B) She painted the classroom walls.

     (C) She created some information to display in her school.

3   What did Mia do to make her healthy wrapping look good?

     (A) She decorated the paper with her own artwork.

     (B) She used old newspapers or brown boxes.

     (C) She asked them to stop using bad paper.

4   What does Mia plan to do next winter?

     (A) Use a newspaper for a present recently.

     (B) Change things quickly for teenagers in her town.

     (C) Visit other places of education to share her ideas.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to paint wonderful posters at school

     (B) A teenager’s brilliant idea for better gifts

     (C) The science lesson about local rubbish bins

Exercises:   12345