Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Teachers & Student Relationships

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Fair Set of Rules

David is fifteen years old. His favourite sport is basketball, but his worst subject at school is maths. This year, his maths teacher is Mrs. Robinson. Everyone says she is very strict. In the beginning, David felt quite worried about being in her class.

Mrs. Robinson has a lot of rules. Her students must always work quietly and they cannot use their mobile phones. She also gives them difficult homework every Tuesday. If a student arrives late for her lesson, they have to stay after school. Some teenagers complain about the rules, but they always listen to her.

Last month, David had a big problem. His little sister was very ill, so he didn’t have time to finish his maths homework. He went to school and felt extremely frightened. However, when he explained his situation, Mrs. Robinson didn’t shout. She listened carefully and gave him one more day to complete the work.

Now, David really respects his teacher. He knows that she is strict, but he thinks she is always fair to everyone. She treats all the students exactly the same way. Because of her clear rules and good lessons, David’s marks are getting much better. He actually looks forward to maths now!

1   How did David feel at the start of the school year?

     (A) He was nervous about his new teacher.

     (B) He was very strict with everyone.

     (C) He wanted to play his favourite sport.

2   What happens when students are not on time for Mrs. Robinson’s class?

     (A) They must do difficult homework every Tuesday.

     (B) They are told to always work quietly.

     (C) They need to remain in the building at the end of the day.

3   Why was David unable to do his schoolwork?

     (A) He had to take one more day to complete it.

     (B) A younger family member was sick.

     (C) He went to school and felt extremely frightened.

4   What is David’s opinion of Mrs. Robinson today?

     (A) He admires her because she treats all teenagers equally.

     (B) He is pleased his marks are getting much better.

     (C) He thinks she has clear rules and good lessons.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to stay after school for maths

     (B) Learning to appreciate a tough teacher

     (C) The boy who failed his difficult homework

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A New Way to Look at the Past

Fourteen-year-old Ben is a good student, but he always hated history in the past. He thought it was the most boring subject at his school. For him, history was just about learning long lists of dates and reading about old kings in thick books. He always felt tired in those lessons.

Things changed in September when a new teacher, Mr. Adams, started working at the school. Mr. Adams never just reads from the textbook. Instead, he teaches his students by telling them very funny stories about famous people from the past. He speaks with strange voices and walks around the classroom like the people he is talking about.

Last Thursday, the class studied the ancient Romans. Mr. Adams put a plastic helmet on his head and acted like a real Roman soldier. He dropped his sword on his foot and started jumping around! The whole class laughed loudly. Because the lesson was so entertaining, Ben found it very easy to remember the important facts.

Yesterday, Mr. Adams gave the class a surprise history test. Usually, Ben feels nervous before tests, but this time he felt completely relaxed. He easily remembered the funny stories and answered all the questions correctly. Ben just got the highest mark in his class! He is amazed, and he even plans to borrow some history books from the library this weekend.

1   How did Ben feel about history before this year?

     (A) He found the classes extremely uninteresting.

     (B) He enjoyed reading about old kings in thick books.

     (C) He was a tired student who disliked school.

2   What is special about Mr. Adams’s lessons?

     (A) He only reads from the textbook.

     (B) He talks to famous people from the past.

     (C) He shares amusing tales to explain things.

3   What happened during the lesson about the Romans?

     (A) A real Roman soldier came into the classroom.

     (B) Ben dropped his sword on his foot and jumped around.

     (C) The teacher’s performance helped Ben learn the information.

4   How did Ben feel about the surprise test yesterday?

     (A) He felt nervous about answering the questions.

     (B) He wasn’t worried about taking it at all.

     (C) He needed to borrow library books to get the highest mark.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) The most boring subject at school

     (B) How to pass a surprise history test

     (C) A teacher who changed a student’s mind

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Useful Conversation

The school bell rang at three o’clock, but fifteen-year-old Sofia didn’t go home. She waited in the classroom until all the other students left. She wanted to speak to her teacher, Mr. Harris, because she felt worried about her future career. She didn’t know what to do when she finishes school.

Mr. Harris sat at his desk and smiled. ‘How can I help you, Sofia?’ he asked. Sofia explained her problem. She told him that she loves drawing and painting more than anything else. However, her parents think she must study computers. They say it is much easier to get a good job in technology.

Mr. Harris listened carefully and then he had an idea. He explained that people don’t have to choose between art and computers. ‘You can do both,’ he said. He told her about jobs like designing websites or creating characters for video games. Sofia was surprised because she didn’t know these careers existed.

Suddenly, Sofia felt much more positive. She decided to use the internet to look for information about digital art courses. She also planned to show her parents some videos about these exciting jobs. She thanked Mr. Harris for his great advice and walked home with a big smile on her face.

1   Why was Sofia still at school after three o’clock?

     (A) She wanted to ask her teacher for help.

     (B) She needed to finish some work with the other students.

     (C) She didn’t want to go home when the school bell rang.

2   What do Sofia’s parents think about her future?

     (A) She must get a job drawing and painting.

     (B) She should learn about technology to find work.

     (C) She is going to have a good job in a school.

3   What did Mr. Harris tell Sofia?

     (A) She must choose between computers and art.

     (B) It is difficult to create characters for video games.

     (C) She can choose a job that includes both subjects.

4   After talking to Mr. Harris, Sofia plans to

     (A) find out more about some courses online.

     (B) show her parents some of her digital art.

     (C) give some great advice to her parents.

5   What is the best title for the story?

     (A) A new plan for the future

     (B) How to make your own video games

     (C) Sofia’s difficult computer class

Exercises:   12345