Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Transitions & Future Plans
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Getting Ready for School
Fourteen-year-old Mia loves the last week of August. Many of her friends feel sad because the long summer holidays are ending. However, Mia feels very excited. For her, this time of year means going to the shops to buy new things for the next school year. It is her favourite activity!
On Saturday morning, Mia went to a large stationery shop with her mother. The shop was full of other teenagers doing the same thing. First, Mia looked for some new notebooks. She never buys boring black ones. She chose a bright blue notebook for her math class and a red one for history. She thinks that nice colours help her to study better.
Next, they walked to the pens section. Mia spends a lot of time choosing pens because she writes a lot. She found a beautiful set of twenty colourful pens. Her mother looked at the price and said they were a bit expensive. But she bought them for Mia anyway because she always gets good marks in her exams.
When Mia arrived home, she immediately put all her new things into her school bag. She organised her desk and looked at her beautiful new pens. Mia really hates waking up early in the morning, but now she cannot wait for her first day back in the classroom.
1 How does Mia feel about the end of August?
(A) She feels sad because the holidays are ending.
(B) She enjoys it because she can go shopping.
(C) She likes taking her friends to the shops.
2 What kind of notebooks did Mia choose?
(A) boring black ones
(B) a blue notebook for her history class
(C) ones that have different bright colours
3 Why did Mia’s mother buy the set of pens?
(A) Because they were a bit expensive.
(B) Because Mia spends a lot of time choosing them.
(C) Because Mia does very well at school.
4 What does Mia dislike about the new school year?
(A) getting out of bed in the mornings
(B) putting all her new things into her school bag
(C) waiting for her first day back
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to get good marks in your exams
(B) Exciting shopping for the new school year
(C) The girl who hates summer holidays
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 C 3 C 4 A 5 B
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Great Start to the School Year
Today was the first day of the new school term for thirteen-year-old Leo. Walking to school, he had a funny feeling in his stomach. He was anxious because he was getting a new class teacher. He really liked his old teacher, Mrs. Davis. He didn’t know anything about the new one, Mr. Clark.
When Leo arrived at his classroom, he stood outside the door. He could hear a loud voice inside and felt worried. Slowly, he opened the door and walked in. He saw Mr. Clark at the front. The new teacher was very tall and wore a bright yellow tie with stars on it. This actually made Leo smile.
Leo sat down next to his friend, Sam. He thought the teacher was going to give them a difficult maths test on the first morning. However, Mr. Clark surprised everyone. He asked the students to put their books away. Instead, they played an interesting game to learn about each other. Leo laughed a lot.
By the end of the afternoon, Leo’s feelings were completely different. When the school bell rang, he packed his bag. He felt extremely glad and couldn’t wait to tell his parents about his amazing day. He knew Mr. Clark was a brilliant teacher, and he was excited to go back tomorrow.
1 Why was Leo nervous on his way to school?
(A) He had a funny feeling in his stomach.
(B) He was unsure about the person teaching him this year.
(C) He wanted to walk with his old teacher, Mrs. Davis.
2 What made Leo feel a bit better when he went inside?
(A) He liked what the tall man was wearing.
(B) He could hear a loud voice inside.
(C) He stood outside the door for a while.
3 During the morning lesson, the students
(A) had to take a difficult maths test.
(B) opened their books to learn about each other.
(C) took part in an enjoyable class activity.
4 At the end of the day, Leo
(A) felt very positive about his new teacher.
(B) waited for his parents to pack his bag.
(C) rang the school bell completely differently.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A pleasant surprise on the first day
(B) The difficult maths test in the morning
(C) Mrs. Davis’s most interesting lesson
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 A 3 C 4 A 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A New Start in Spain
Fourteen-year-old David usually lived in England, but in August, his parents got new jobs. Because of this, his whole family moved to a sunny city in Spain. Last Monday was his first day at his new foreign school, and he felt completely terrified. He didn’t know anyone, and he missed his old friends.
When David arrived at the large school building, everything was different. The students didn’t wear uniforms, and the classrooms were very bright. However, his biggest problem was the language. David studied a little Spanish before he moved, but the teenagers talked extremely fast. During the morning lessons, he couldn’t understand what the teachers were saying.
At lunchtime, David bought a sandwich and sat alone in the school cafeteria. He felt quite sad until a boy called Carlos walked over to his table. Carlos smiled and said “Hello” in English. He explained that he loved British football and asked David to play a match with him and his friends in the yard.
David agreed immediately. They went outside and played a great game. David realised that you don’t need to speak perfectly to enjoy sports with other people. He scored a goal, and his new team cheered loudly. David still needs to learn a lot of Spanish, but when he walked home, he felt excited about his new life.
1 Why did David move to a new country?
(A) He wanted to study at a foreign school.
(B) His mother and father found work there.
(C) He decided to visit a sunny city in England.
2 What was the most difficult thing for David in the morning?
(A) Comprehending what people were saying.
(B) The students didn’t wear uniforms.
(C) The teachers talked extremely fast.
3 What happened while David was eating his lunch?
(A) He bought a sandwich for a boy called Carlos.
(B) He explained that he loved British football.
(C) A classmate invited him to join a game.
4 What did David learn from playing sports?
(A) He still needs to learn a lot of Spanish.
(B) It is possible to have fun without using many words.
(C) He needs to speak perfectly to score a goal.
5 What is the best title for the text?
(A) A positive start in a different place
(B) David’s terrible day in England
(C) How to play British football
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 A 3 C 4 B 5 A