Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Mechanical Engineering & Automotive

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Mark’s Dream Job

Seventeen-year-old Mark is in his final year of school. Most of his classmates are studying hard because they want to go to university next year. However, Mark feels different. He hates sitting at a desk all day reading books. Since he was a child, he has loved cars and how they work.

Instead of going to university, Mark wants to do an apprenticeship. This means he can learn how to be a mechanic while working. For a few weeks, he walked around his town and visited different garages. He asked the owners if he could work for them and learn. It wasn’t easy. Many garages said no because they only wanted to hire people who already had experience.

Then, Mark visited a small garage at the end of his street. The owner, an older man named Mr. Davis, listened to him. Mr. Davis saw that Mark really wanted to learn. He didn’t say yes immediately. First, he asked Mark to help him with a broken car to see what the teenager could do.

Mark worked carefully and found the problem quickly. Mr. Davis was very pleased. He told Mark he could start his apprenticeship next month. Mark is really excited. He knows his friends will have a good time at university, but he is happy to learn the skills he needs for his dream job.

1   What makes Mark different from his classmates?

     (A) He is studying hard to go to university next year.

     (B) He wants to learn outside of a normal classroom.

     (C) He enjoys sitting at a desk all day reading books.

2   Why did some businesses refuse to give Mark a chance?

     (A) They preferred to hire someone who knew the work well.

     (B) They wanted him to walk around his town for a few weeks.

     (C) They did not want to pay people to learn while working.

3   What did Mr. Davis do when Mark asked for a job?

     (A) He said yes immediately to the teenager.

     (B) He wanted to check the boy’s abilities first.

     (C) He gave Mark a broken car to drive home.

4   How does Mark feel at the end of the story?

     (A) He is sad he won’t have a good time at university.

     (B) He is pleased to begin preparing for his future career.

     (C) He is excited that he found the problem quickly.

5   What is the best title for this article?

     (A) A new student at university

     (B) Mr. Davis and his broken car

     (C) Finding a different way to learn

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Leo’s Great Idea

Sixteen-year-old Leo loves spending his free time in the garage. While his friends play video games, Leo prefers working on old vehicles with his grandfather. They enjoy fixing them together, but they know that car parts and trips to the mechanic can cost a lot of money. Leo wanted to find a way to change this.

Last year, Leo decided to build a special machine. He calls it the ‘Auto-Checker’. It is a small computer that you put inside the car engine. It finds out what the problem is and cleans the oil. Usually, you pay a high price for this service at a garage, but Leo’s machine helps you do it quickly at home for very little money.

Building the ‘Auto-Checker’ was not easy for the teenager. He needed a few expensive metal parts to finish it. He did not ask his parents for the cash. Instead, he got a weekend job at a local supermarket. It took him six months of hard work to save up and buy everything he needed.

Now, his invention is finally ready. His grandfather tried it last weekend and was amazed. The car sounded better than ever! In May, Leo is going to travel to London to show his machine at a big science competition. He hopes a business will love his idea and help him sell it to drivers everywhere.

1   What does Leo enjoy doing when he is not at school?

     (A) repairing cars with a family member

     (B) playing video games with his friends

     (C) going on trips to the mechanic

2   Why is the ‘Auto-Checker’ a useful machine?

     (A) It saves people money on car repairs.

     (B) It makes you pay a high price at a garage.

     (C) It puts a small computer inside the car engine.

3   How did Leo get the expensive metal parts for his machine?

     (A) He earned the cash by working in a shop.

     (B) He asked his parents for the cash.

     (C) He found them at a local supermarket.

4   What is Leo planning to do in May?

     (A) take part in a contest with his invention

     (B) travel to London to start a new business

     (C) sell his machine to drivers everywhere

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A smart teenager’s new car invention

     (B) How to find a cheap mechanic

     (C) The biggest science competition in London

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Max’s Racing Dream

Max is a sixteen-year-old boy who loves cars, but he does not want to be a driver. While his friends play video games, Max watches rally racing on television. He loves seeing the cars drive very fast on dirt roads. However, his big dream is to be the person who repairs them.

To prepare for his future, Max works at his uncle’s garage every Saturday. He cleans the floors and helps fix normal cars for the people in his town. It is hard work, but he enjoys it. He knows he must learn about engines now so he can work on race cars later. He also studies English at school because he knows mechanics need to speak to drivers from different countries.

Last month, Max’s father took him to a famous car show in the city. There, Max talked to a real rally mechanic. The man told Max that the job is very tiring, but also exciting. He said that a good mechanic must be very quick, because during a race, there is no time to lose.

Max is planning to go to a special college for mechanics when he is eighteen. After that, he hopes to get a job with a famous racing team. He wants to travel all over the world, from the mountains of Europe to the deserts of Africa, making sure the rally cars are ready to win.

1   What is Max’s big dream?

     (A) To fix vehicles that are used in races.

     (B) To be a driver in a rally race.

     (C) To play video games with his friends.

2   Why does Max study English?

     (A) To help fix normal cars in his town.

     (B) To talk to drivers from other places.

     (C) To work at his uncle’s garage.

3   What did the mechanic say about his job?

     (A) There is no time to lose at a car show.

     (B) The work is very tiring and never exciting.

     (C) It is important to work fast during a competition.

4   What will Max do when he is eighteen years old?

     (A) Take a course at a special school.

     (B) Get a job with a famous racing team.

     (C) Travel all over the world.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) Working in an uncle’s garage

     (B) A teenager’s dream to fix race cars

     (C) How to drive fast in a rally race

Exercises:   12345