Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Teachers & Student Relationships
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Special Science Lesson
Leo is fifteen years old and he usually finds science lessons quite boring. In most classes, the students just read heavy books and write long notes. However, last Friday was completely different. His teacher, Mr. Harris, told the teenagers to put their pens away because they were going to watch something special.
Mr. Harris stood at the front of the laboratory. First, he put on some big plastic glasses and thick yellow gloves. He explained that the activity was exciting but could be dangerous if they weren’t careful. He asked all the students to stand by the door and not to move.
Then, the teacher carefully mixed a dark green liquid with some white powder in a glass bowl. For a second, nothing happened. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a cloud of bright purple smoke hit the ceiling! Some students shouted, but Mr. Harris just smiled. He knew exactly what he was doing and everything was perfectly safe.
Leo thought the demonstration was amazing. He finally understood that chemistry is not only about answering questions on paper. When he went home, he asked his parents to buy him a children’s science kit. He is looking forward to creating his own safe reactions in his kitchen!
1 What does Leo think about his normal science lessons?
(A) They are not very interesting.
(B) He likes to read heavy books.
(C) They are about watching something special.
2 What did the teacher ask the students to do?
(A) put on some big plastic glasses
(B) wait near the entrance of the room
(C) stand at the front of the laboratory
3 What happened when Mr. Harris mixed the items together?
(A) A dark green liquid hit the ceiling.
(B) Some students smiled.
(C) A noisy, colourful gas went up into the air.
4 What does Leo want to do now?
(A) try doing safe chemistry activities at home
(B) answer questions on paper
(C) buy his parents a children’s science kit
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) An exciting and surprising science class
(B) How to make bright purple smoke
(C) The teenager who loves heavy books
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 A 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finishing the Race with a Little Help
Fourteen-year-old Toby is not the fastest boy in his school. However, last Saturday, he decided to take part in a five-kilometre running race. After three kilometres, Toby felt terrible. His legs hurt, and he was breathing heavily. He looked at the other students far ahead and wanted to stop completely.
Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice. It was Mr. Miller, his sports coach. The teacher ran onto the path and started running next to him. “Come on, Toby! You can do this!” said Mr. Miller. Toby shook his head and replied that he was too tired to finish the competition.
Mr. Miller didn’t leave him. He told Toby to forget about the other runners and just focus on his own steps. “Remember how hard you trained every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon,” the coach said. Hearing this made Toby think about his months of practice. He took a deep breath, looked straight ahead, and slowly began to run faster.
Ten minutes later, Toby finally crossed the finish line. He didn’t win a medal, but a lot of people clapped for him. Mr. Miller gave Toby a big bottle of water and a high-five. Toby felt incredibly proud of himself. He learned that with some good advice, he could achieve difficult things.
1 How did Toby feel after three kilometres?
(A) He was far ahead of the other students.
(B) He wanted to give up because he was exhausted.
(C) He was happy to be the fastest boy in his school.
2 What did Mr. Miller do when he saw Toby?
(A) He said he was too tired to finish the competition.
(B) He shook his head at the teenager on the path.
(C) He joined the student to support him.
3 What did Mr. Miller tell Toby to do?
(A) Train hard every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.
(B) Ignore his classmates and pay attention to his own running.
(C) Forget about his months of practice before the race.
4 At the end of the race, Toby
(A) was extremely pleased with his achievement.
(B) managed to win a medal after a long time.
(C) gave Mr. Miller a big bottle of water.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The fastest boy in the school
(B) How to win a running competition
(C) Never giving up on a difficult run
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 C 3 B 4 A 5 C
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Special Celebration for Mr. Brown
Next Friday is a very special day. It is Mr. Brown’s birthday. He is the most popular teacher at school, so fifteen-year-old Mateo and his friends want to do something nice for him. They have decided to organise a surprise party in their classroom after the last lesson of the day.
On Wednesday, the friends started getting ready. Sarah went to the supermarket because she needed to buy some drinks and a big chocolate cake. David is very good at art, so he painted a beautiful birthday card. Mateo had the most important job. He collected some money from all the students and bought a nice book for Mr. Brown.
When Friday afternoon arrived, the students had to work quickly. The school bell rang at three o’clock, and Mr. Brown went to the school office for a meeting. While he was away, the friends put the food on the teacher’s desk and hung some colourful balloons on the windows.
Ten minutes later, Mr. Brown opened the classroom door. Everyone shouted, “Happy Birthday!” The teacher was completely surprised because he didn’t expect a party. He opened his present and thanked everyone for the wonderful book. The students ate cake, listened to music, and felt very happy that their plan was a success.
1 Why did Mateo and his friends organise a party?
(A) to celebrate the last lesson of the day
(B) to do something nice for Mateo’s birthday
(C) to give a special day to their favourite teacher
2 What was Mateo’s job for the party?
(A) to buy a present using his classmates’ money
(B) to get some drinks from the supermarket
(C) to paint a beautiful birthday card for Mr. Brown
3 What did Mr. Brown do at three o’clock?
(A) He hung some colourful balloons on the windows.
(B) He went to another room in the building.
(C) He put some food on the teacher’s desk.
4 How did Mr. Brown feel when he opened the door?
(A) He was glad because he expected a wonderful book.
(B) He was happy to listen to the students’ music.
(C) He was amazed because he didn’t know about the plans.
5 What is the best title for the text?
(A) How to make a great birthday cake
(B) A wonderful surprise for a teacher
(C) Mateo’s difficult school project
ANSWER KEY
1 C 2 A 3 B 4 C 5 B