Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Homework, Exams & Study Habits
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Colourful Way to Learn
Fourteen-year-old Lily loves learning languages, but she had a big problem last month. She was studying French, but she couldn’t remember the difficult new vocabulary. When she got a bad mark on her vocabulary test, she felt very upset. Her teacher, Mr. Jones, told her she should try a different way to study.
On Saturday, Lily went to the supermarket to buy some supplies. She got fifty small white cards and a box of bright pens. She had a brilliant idea. She decided to write the French word on one side of the card, but on the other side, she didn’t write the English meaning. Instead, she drew a small picture.
Lily spent all Sunday afternoon preparing her cards. Her younger brother wanted to watch television with her, but she went to her bedroom because she needed to work quietly. She used different colours for different topics. For example, she wrote all the words about food in green and the words about clothes in blue. Making the cards took three hours, but she actually enjoyed it.
The following week, Mr. Jones gave the class another French test. This time, Lily remembered everything and got the best mark in the class! She was so proud of herself. Her classmates loved her colourful cards, and now she is helping her friends make them for their history exam.
1 Why was Lily upset last month?
(A) She didn’t do well on a school test.
(B) She had to try a different way to study.
(C) Her teacher gave her difficult new vocabulary.
2 What did Lily put on the back of her cards?
(A) The English meaning.
(B) A little drawing.
(C) The French word.
3 Why did Lily go to her bedroom on Sunday?
(A) To watch television with her younger brother.
(B) To find a silent space to do her work.
(C) To finish making her cards in three hours.
4 What happened after the next French test?
(A) She began studying for her history exam.
(B) Mr. Jones gave her some colourful cards.
(C) She showed some classmates how to create cards.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A successful way to remember words
(B) How to pass a history exam
(C) Lily’s favourite French teacher
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 B 4 C 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Difficult Spanish Test
Fifteen-year-old Lucas stood outside the classroom on Friday morning. His stomach felt terrible, like he was ill. Today was his Spanish speaking exam. Lucas was good at reading and writing in Spanish, but he always worried about his pronunciation. He was sure he was going to fail.
While he waited, Lucas looked at his notebook one last time. His best friend, Chloe, was sitting next to him. She always got top marks in languages. “Stop reading, Lucas,” she said. “You practised with me every evening this week. Just take a deep breath.” She gave him some water, but his hands were shaking too much to drink it.
Finally, the door opened and his teacher, Mr. Ramos, called his name. Lucas walked inside and sat down. Mr. Ramos smiled and asked Lucas to talk about his favourite weekend activities. At first, Lucas spoke very quietly. Then, he remembered Chloe’s advice, took a deep breath, and started speaking louder. He said the wrong word once, but quickly corrected himself.
Ten minutes later, the test was over. Lucas walked out of the classroom with a big smile on his face. He didn’t get a perfect score, but Mr. Ramos said his speaking was very clear. Lucas realised that he shouldn’t worry so much. He actually enjoyed the conversation and couldn’t wait to tell his parents the good news.
1 How did Lucas feel before he went into the classroom?
(A) He was anxious about the way he sounded when talking.
(B) He felt ill and asked to do reading and writing instead.
(C) He was sure he was going to fail his reading exam.
2 What did Chloe do before the test?
(A) She looked at his notebook one last time.
(B) She tried to make her friend feel calmer.
(C) She drank some water because her hands were shaking.
3 What happened while Lucas was talking to his teacher?
(A) He asked Mr. Ramos about his favourite weekend activities.
(B) He spoke very quietly for the whole ten minutes.
(C) He realised he made a vocabulary mistake and changed it.
4 How did Lucas feel after the exam was finished?
(A) Happy because he got a perfect score from his teacher.
(B) Pleased because the experience was better than he expected.
(C) Worried about telling his parents the good news.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) Getting top marks in Spanish
(B) A successful speaking exam
(C) Lucas and his best friend Chloe
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 B
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Great Result
Fourteen-year-old Mia is a good student, but she usually finds science very difficult. She often gets average marks in her science exams. Last month, her teacher, Mr. Smith, told the class about an important test. Mia decided she wanted to do much better this time.
For three weeks, Mia changed her daily routine. She didn’t watch her favorite TV shows after school. Instead, she went to the local library every afternoon to read her science books. When she didn’t understand something, she asked her older brother for help because he studies science at university.
On the day of the exam, Mia felt a little nervous. She sat at her desk and looked at the paper. Suddenly, she smiled. She knew the answers to the questions! The test wasn’t as hard as she expected, and she finished it ten minutes early. She checked her work carefully before she gave it to Mr. Smith.
A week later, Mr. Smith brought the exams back to the classroom. He looked very happy. ‘Someone in this room got 100%,’ he said. ‘It is the highest mark in the school.’ Then, he gave the paper to Mia. She couldn’t believe it! Her friends clapped, and Mia felt incredibly proud. She learned that studying hard really brings great results.
1 What is usually true about Mia’s science exams?
(A) She gets the highest marks in her class.
(B) Her results are usually just OK.
(C) She finds them very easy to do.
2 What did Mia do to prepare for the test?
(A) She watched TV programs about science.
(B) She read books from the university library.
(C) She spent time studying with a family member.
3 During the exam, Mia
(A) felt very nervous the whole time.
(B) had some extra time at the end.
(C) asked Mr. Smith a question about the paper.
4 How did Mr. Smith feel when he returned the exams?
(A) surprised that Mia got 100%
(B) proud that his class had the best marks in the school
(C) pleased because of a student’s result
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) Hard work brings success
(B) How to help your brother study
(C) The most difficult science test
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 C 3 B 4 C 5 A