Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Wildlife Observation & Nature
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Alex’s High-Flying Hobby
Fourteen-year-old Alex has a very exciting hobby. While his friends spend their weekends going to the cinema or playing video games indoors, Alex prefers to be outside. His biggest passion is using a heavy pair of binoculars to watch eagles flying high in the sky.
To get the best view, Alex walks up the large, steep hill near his house every Saturday morning. He doesn’t mind the difficult climb because the top of the hill is very quiet. He sits on a large rock and looks carefully through his binoculars. He has to stay completely still and wait for a long time, but he loves studying how the huge birds move their wings.
Last weekend, Alex saw something truly amazing. He was watching a large eagle circle in the sky when it suddenly flew down very fast toward a nearby lake. Through his binoculars, Alex clearly saw the powerful bird catch a silver fish in the water and carry it away. He was so surprised by how fast it happened that he almost dropped his equipment!
Next year, Alex hopes to travel to a famous national park to see even more types of eagles. He knows that wildlife watching takes a lot of patience and practice. However, he feels very peaceful when he is looking up at the clouds, and he dreams of becoming an expert on these incredible birds one day.
1 How does Alex prefer to spend his weekend?
(A) staying indoors to play video games
(B) looking at large birds high up in the air
(C) going to the cinema with his friends
2 What does Alex do every Saturday morning?
(A) He climbs a hill to find a quiet place to sit.
(B) He flies high in the sky with huge birds.
(C) He stands by a lake to catch silver fish.
3 What incredible thing did Alex see last weekend?
(A) an eagle dropping his heavy equipment on a rock
(B) a powerful bird grabbing a fish out of the water
(C) an eagle losing a silver fish in a nearby lake
4 What does Alex understand about his hobby?
(A) It requires you to travel to a national park immediately.
(B) It makes him feel very anxious and surprised.
(C) It takes a great deal of time and patience.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to catch silver fish in a local lake
(B) The best binoculars for watching movies
(C) A teenager’s passion for watching eagles
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 A 3 B 4 C 5 C
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Perfect Little Picture
Fourteen-year-old Maya loves taking pictures. Last month, her parents gave her a really good camera for her birthday. Most of her friends enjoy taking photos of people, but Maya prefers taking pictures of nature. One sunny Sunday, instead of staying at home, she walked to the local park to look for interesting plants.
While she was walking near the river, she saw something unusual on a large leaf. It was a very small, strange green insect. It had long legs and bright yellow eyes. Maya quietly moved closer to it. She used her new camera to take a fantastic close-up photo. The insect didn’t move at all!
A few days later, Maya’s science teacher told the class about a school photography competition. Maya decided to enter her insect photo. However, she felt a bit worried. Her classmates had beautiful pictures of large animals like horses and dogs. She thought her photo of a tiny insect wasn’t good enough to win.
But the next week, the head teacher called Maya’s name during the school meeting. She won first prize! Her science teacher said the close-up details were amazing. Maya got a beautiful photography book as a prize. Now, she wants to spend all her free time looking for more small creatures to photograph.
1 What does Maya prefer to do with her camera?
(A) capturing images of the outdoors
(B) taking photos of people
(C) staying at home
2 What happened when Maya was near the river?
(A) She stepped on a large leaf.
(B) She found a bug that stayed completely still.
(C) A strange green insect quickly ran away.
3 How did Maya feel about the school competition?
(A) She was sure her photo of a tiny insect would win.
(B) She wanted to show her beautiful pictures of large animals.
(C) She believed the other students’ work was better than hers.
4 What was Maya’s prize for winning?
(A) a really good camera
(B) something to read about taking photos
(C) a school meeting with the head teacher
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to find large animals in the park
(B) The science teacher’s favourite camera
(C) A young photographer’s amazing success
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 C
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Very Important Lesson in the Forest
My name is Jack and I am fourteen years old. I love learning about nature, and I spend a lot of my free time watching animal programmes on television. Last summer, my uncle invited me to go camping with him in a beautiful national park. I was very excited to see some real wild animals.
On our first morning, we went for a long walk in the forest. We walked quietly near some tall trees. Suddenly, I saw a baby deer sleeping in the tall grass. It was very small and completely alone. I thought it was lost and needed my help. I slowly walked towards the animal because I wanted to hold it.
My uncle quickly caught my arm and told me to stop. He looked very serious. He explained a very important rule about nature. He told me that wild animals are not pets. If a human touches a baby animal, its mother might not want it anymore. He said that we must only watch them from a safe distance.
I felt a little bad at first, but I understood the lesson. Instead of touching the deer, I used my uncle’s camera to take a fantastic photo. We quietly walked away and left the baby in peace. Now, I know the best way to enjoy nature, and I hope to become a wildlife photographer in the future.
1 What does Jack enjoy doing when he is not at school?
(A) viewing television shows about nature
(B) camping in a beautiful national park
(C) spending time with real wild animals
2 Why did Jack walk towards the baby deer?
(A) He believed the little animal required his assistance.
(B) He wanted to walk quietly near some tall trees.
(C) He saw it sleeping in the tall grass.
3 What did Jack’s uncle teach him?
(A) People must stay away when they look at nature.
(B) A human should always touch a baby animal.
(C) Wild animals can be very good pets.
4 What happened at the end of the story?
(A) Jack got a great picture without holding the deer.
(B) Jack felt a little bad about his uncle’s camera.
(C) Jack quietly walked away with a wildlife photographer.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to learn an important rule about nature
(B) The best television programmes about animals
(C) Why you should always camp in a national park
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A