Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Travel Mishaps & Surprises
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Missing Jacket
Toby is an eighteen-year-old student. Last month, he travelled to Rome for a holiday. One afternoon, he felt very hungry after a long morning of visiting museums. It was quite a cold day, so he wore his favourite warm blue jacket. He found a small, busy restaurant near his hotel and sat down at a table by the window.
He ordered a large pizza and a glass of lemonade. When he finished, he paid the bill and left quickly because he wanted to catch a bus to the mountains. He walked for ten minutes towards the bus station. Suddenly, the wind blew and he felt very cold. Then he remembered! His jacket was still on the chair in the restaurant.
Toby ran back through the streets as fast as he could. He was extremely worried, but not because the jacket was expensive. His return train tickets were in the pocket! When he arrived at the restaurant, it was full of people. He could not see his jacket on the chair by the window.
He quickly went to speak to a friendly waiter. Before Toby could say anything, the waiter smiled and held up the blue jacket. “A kind customer gave this to me,” the waiter said. Toby felt incredibly happy. He put his jacket on, thanked the waiter, and hurried to his bus.
1 Why did Toby go to the restaurant?
(A) He wanted to visit museums.
(B) He needed a meal after a busy morning.
(C) He needed to go back to his hotel.
2 When did Toby realise he didn’t have his jacket?
(A) when he paid the bill
(B) during his journey to the bus station
(C) after he arrived in the mountains
3 Why was Toby so worried about his jacket?
(A) It was very expensive.
(B) The restaurant was full of people.
(C) It contained something he needed for his trip.
4 Who found Toby’s jacket?
(A) a friendly waiter
(B) someone who was eating there
(C) Toby
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A lucky day for a young traveller
(B) The best restaurant in Rome
(C) How to buy cheap train tickets
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Ben’s Unlucky Start to the Weekend
Fifteen-year-old Ben was very excited. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and his family was ready for a fantastic weekend trip. They wanted to drive to the coast and spend two days swimming and playing on the sand. After breakfast, everyone put their heavy bags into the back of the car and the journey began.
For the first hour, the drive was completely fine. They listened to happy music and talked about the ocean. Then, while they were travelling on a quiet country road, the car suddenly made a terrible noise. Ben’s dad quickly stopped the vehicle. He opened the front of the car to look inside, but he couldn’t see the problem. They couldn’t go any further.
Ben’s parents used their mobile phones to call a mechanic. They told Ben and his younger sister that they had to wait patiently for an hour. At first, Ben felt quite angry and bored. But then, he found a ball in the boot of the car. He and his sister played games in a safe field near the road, and they actually had a lot of fun.
Finally, a friendly mechanic arrived and repaired their car in just twenty minutes. The family got back inside and drove the rest of the way. They arrived at the beach late in the afternoon, but the weather was still warm. Ben realised that a bad start doesn’t mean a bad holiday.
1 Why was Ben so happy on Saturday morning?
(A) He was looking forward to a short holiday by the sea.
(B) He wanted to put heavy bags into the back of the car.
(C) He had breakfast on a beautiful Saturday morning.
2 What problem did the family have on the quiet country road?
(A) They listened to happy music and talked about the ocean.
(B) Their vehicle broke down and could not move.
(C) Ben’s dad opened the front of the car to look inside.
3 What did Ben and his sister do while they waited?
(A) They used their mobile phones to call a mechanic.
(B) They felt quite angry and bored for an hour.
(C) They enjoyed a physical activity in a nearby area.
4 What is the main point of the final paragraph?
(A) They arrived at the beach late in the afternoon.
(B) Ben discovered that a difficult trip can still be enjoyable.
(C) A friendly mechanic repaired their car in twenty minutes.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to repair your family car in twenty minutes
(B) The terrible noise on a quiet country road
(C) A broken car cannot stop a fantastic trip
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 C
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Frightening Start to the Holiday
Fifteen-year-old Leo was extremely excited. It was the first day of the summer holidays, and his family was travelling to Spain. When they arrived at the airport, it was already incredibly busy. They waited in a long line for thirty minutes before they finally reached the check-in desk.
The friendly assistant smiled and asked for their tickets and passports. Leo’s dad gave her his documents, and then looked at Leo. Leo opened his backpack, but his passport wasn’t there. He quickly checked his jacket pockets. Nothing! His heart started to beat very fast, and he felt terrible. He suddenly remembered seeing it on the kitchen table that morning.
“Don’t worry,” his dad said calmly. “Let’s look everywhere.” They opened all their suitcases right there on the floor. People behind them were watching, which made Leo feel even worse. Then, his mum opened her large blue handbag. “Here it is!” she laughed. “I put it in my bag to keep it safe, but I forgot to tell you.”
Leo took a deep breath and finally relaxed. After checking in, they quickly went through security and found their seats on the plane. As they flew up into the sky, Leo felt happy but tired. He decided that next time they travel, he will hold his own passport!
1 What did Leo’s family do when they arrived at the airport?
(A) They stood in a queue for half an hour.
(B) They waited in a long line for fifteen minutes.
(C) They finally reached the check-in desk immediately.
2 Why did Leo feel terrible at the check-in desk?
(A) He believed his travel document was still at his house.
(B) The friendly assistant smiled and asked for their tickets.
(C) He slowly opened his backpack and checked his jacket pockets.
3 Where was Leo’s missing passport?
(A) right there on the floor
(B) inside his mother’s bag
(C) with the people behind them
4 What did Leo decide to do on his next trip?
(A) quickly go through security
(B) find his seat on the plane
(C) look after his document himself
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A summer holiday in Spain
(B) The missing passport
(C) The friendly airport assistant
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 B 4 C 5 B