Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Unusual Pets & Exotic Animals
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Perfect Quiet Pet
Fourteen-year-old Leo has a very unusual pet. When he told his classmates about it, many of them were surprised and a bit frightened. While most teenagers have a fluffy cat or a friendly dog, Leo keeps a small green snake called Monty in his bedroom.
Some of Leo’s friends think having a snake is a bad idea, but Leo always tells them that Monty is an amazing pet. Dogs often bark loudly when someone knocks on the door, and cats can ruin the furniture. However, Monty never makes any noise. He spends most of his time resting quietly in his special heated glass box.
Taking care of Monty is also incredibly easy. He doesn’t need to go outside for walks in the rain like a dog. Also, Leo doesn’t have to give him meals every single morning or evening. Monty only eats one small meal a week. Cleaning his glass home just takes a few minutes on Saturday afternoons.
Last weekend, Leo invited a few friends to his house to do their homework. At first, they didn’t want to go into his room. But when they saw Monty sleeping peacefully under a rock, their feelings changed. Now, they all agree that keeping a snake is actually really cool, and one boy even wants to get one!
1 How did Leo’s classmates react to the news about his animal?
(A) They wanted to get a fluffy cat or a friendly dog.
(B) They were shocked and a little scared of it.
(C) They decided to keep a small green snake in their bedroom.
2 What does Leo say about his pet in the second paragraph?
(A) He often barks loudly when someone knocks on the door.
(B) He is completely silent and stays in his heated box.
(C) He likes to ruin the furniture in the house.
3 Looking after Monty is simple because
(A) he needs to go outside for walks in the rain.
(B) he needs meals every single morning or evening.
(C) he only requires food once every seven days.
4 When Leo’s friends came over last weekend, they
(A) were sleeping peacefully under a rock.
(B) stopped being afraid of the snake.
(C) invited a few friends to his house to do their homework.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) Why a snake is an easy and quiet pet
(B) How to do your homework with friends
(C) The problem with keeping a fluffy cat
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Warm Glass Home for Spike
Fourteen-year-old Leo loves strange pets. While his friends have dogs or cats, Leo has a large green iguana called Spike. Iguanas are lizards that come from hot countries, so they always need to stay warm. Last month, winter arrived in Leo’s town, and the weather became incredibly cold.
Leo usually keeps Spike in his bedroom, but the room was quite cold at night. Soon, Leo noticed a problem. Spike stopped eating his vegetables and didn’t move around very much. Leo felt extremely worried about his pet’s health, so he decided to make a better, warmer home for him.
Leo saved his pocket money and bought some pieces of strong glass and two special heating lamps. Last weekend, he asked his father to help him. Together, they spent Saturday and Sunday building a large glass box. They put the warm lamps at the top and added some comfortable wooden branches inside.
When the new home was ready, Leo carefully put Spike inside. After just ten minutes under the bright lamps, the iguana started walking around and ate a big bowl of green leaves. Spike was finally warm and happy. Leo is proud of his hard work, and he hopes to build homes for other animals in the future.
1 What do we learn about Spike the iguana in the first paragraph?
(A) He requires a high temperature to be comfortable.
(B) He comes from a town with incredibly cold weather.
(C) He belongs to one of Leo’s friends.
2 Why did Leo become worried about his pet?
(A) Leo stopped eating his vegetables in his bedroom.
(B) The lizard was doing very little and refusing his food.
(C) Leo didn’t move around very much at night.
3 How did Leo get the new glass box for his pet?
(A) His father saved his pocket money to buy the strong glass.
(B) He asked his father to put the warm lamps at the top.
(C) He constructed the container with the help of a family member.
4 What happened when Spike went into his new home?
(A) Leo spent ten minutes under the bright lamps.
(B) The animal quickly began to move and had a meal.
(C) Leo ate a big bowl of green leaves.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A student’s perfect project to help his pet
(B) How to buy strong glass with pocket money
(C) The green iguana that lives in hot countries
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Safe Home for a Hairy Friend
My name is Leo and I am fourteen years old. Most of my friends have normal pets like dogs or cats, but I love unusual animals. For my next birthday, I really want to get a tarantula. They are very large, hairy spiders. However, there is a big problem. My mother is completely terrified of them.
When I asked my mother for the spider, she immediately said no. She thinks that tarantulas are very fast and dangerous. Her biggest fear is that the spider will escape from its cage in the middle of the night and run around our house. She told me she couldn’t sleep with a spider in the next room.
I decided to do some research on the internet to change her mind. I found out that pet tarantulas are actually quite slow and peaceful. More importantly, I found a special glass home for them. It has a very heavy door and a strong metal lock. The website explained that these spiders actually love staying inside quiet, dark places and do not want to leave.
Yesterday evening, I showed my mother the information and a video of the secure glass box. She looked at it carefully. She didn’t say yes, but she finally agreed to visit the pet shop with me next weekend. We are going to speak to an expert there. I am very hopeful that I will get my dream pet soon!
1 What problem does Leo have with his birthday wish?
(A) His mum is extremely afraid of the animal he wants.
(B) Most of his friends have normal pets like dogs.
(C) He cannot find a tarantula that is large and hairy.
2 Why doesn’t Leo’s mother want the spider in the house?
(A) She is worried that the animal will get out of its box.
(B) She thinks that the spider will sleep in the next room.
(C) She believes that a tarantula will escape in the middle of the day.
3 What did Leo learn on the internet about tarantulas?
(A) They prefer to remain inside their small spaces.
(B) They are actually very fast and dangerous spiders.
(C) They have a very heavy door and a strong metal lock.
4 What is Leo’s mother going to do next weekend?
(A) go to an animal store to talk to someone who knows a lot
(B) buy Leo a tarantula for his dream pet
(C) show him some information and a video of the glass box
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) Trying to get my perfect pet
(B) How to build a heavy glass box
(C) The most dangerous spider in the world
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A