Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Household Chores & Family Duties
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Bright New Living Room
My name is Leo, and I am fourteen years old. When the summer holidays started last week, I wanted to spend all my time at the beach with my friends. However, my parents had a different plan. They asked me to help them change the colour of our living room walls.
On Wednesday, my family drove to the local home shop to buy everything we needed. We looked at lots of colours. I really wanted a bright blue room, and my mum preferred a dark green. In the end, my dad chose a warm yellow colour, and we all agreed it was the best idea. We also bought some large brushes.
We began our work early on Saturday morning. Painting is actually very difficult! After two hours, my arms hurt a lot. I also made a silly mistake and dropped my brush. Luckily, we had lots of old newspapers on the floor, so it wasn’t a problem. I managed to get yellow paint all over my old clothes and even in my hair.
By Sunday evening, the living room was completely finished. The new yellow walls look amazing, and the room feels much bigger and brighter now. I felt very tired after all the hard work, but I was extremely proud of what we did. Next summer, I am going to ask my parents if we can paint my bedroom!
1 What did Leo hope to do during his school break?
(A) Relax by the sea with his mates.
(B) Change the colour of our living room walls.
(C) Have a different plan with his parents.
2 Which paint did the family buy?
(A) A bright blue room.
(B) A dark green.
(C) The one that his father liked.
3 What happened while Leo was working?
(A) His garments got completely covered in color.
(B) He stopped working after two hours.
(C) He dropped his brush on his old clothes.
4 How does Leo describe the finished living room?
(A) It made him feel very tired after all the hard work.
(B) The space seems larger and has more light.
(C) It is the same as his bedroom will be next summer.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to Buy the Best Yellow Paint
(B) A Hard But Wonderful Summer Job
(C) My Favourite Summer Beach Holiday
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 C 3 A 4 B 5 B
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Relaxing Chore
Fourteen-year-old Alex hated doing housework. His parents always asked him to tidy his bedroom, but he usually delayed it. For Alex, the most boring job in the world was folding clean clothes. He thought it took too much time and was not fun at all.
Last Saturday morning, his mother walked into his room. She put a large basket of clean laundry on his bed. “Please put these in your wardrobe before lunch,” she said. Alex looked at the huge pile of T-shirts, trousers, and socks. He sighed and felt very annoyed. Then, he had an idea. He put on his headphones and played his favourite pop music.
He started folding a blue T-shirt while listening to a great song. Soon, he was moving his head and singing quietly. He matched socks and folded jeans to the beat of the music. Suddenly, Alex realised something strange. He wasn’t bored anymore. In fact, he wasn’t thinking about his difficult math homework or his upcoming exams. He actually felt very calm and peaceful.
After only twenty minutes, the basket was empty. All his clothes were neatly inside his wardrobe. Alex took off his headphones and smiled. His room looked great, and he felt completely relaxed. He ran downstairs and told his mother that he found a new favourite chore. He couldn’t believe that folding clothes could be so nice!
1 In the beginning, what did Alex think about folding clothes?
(A) It was the least interesting task for him.
(B) He wanted his parents to do the job.
(C) It was an activity that did not take much time.
2 What did Alex’s mother do on Saturday morning?
(A) She asked him to put a large basket on her bed.
(B) She told him to listen to his favourite pop music.
(C) She gave him some clean things to tidy away.
3 While Alex was doing the work, he
(A) thought about his difficult math homework.
(B) stopped worrying about his school studies.
(C) found a strange blue T-shirt in his laundry.
4 When the basket was empty, Alex
(A) was pleased because he felt so calm.
(B) felt completely exhausted after twenty minutes.
(C) could not find his clothes inside his wardrobe.
5 What is the best title for the story?
(A) How to study for difficult school exams
(B) A boy’s surprising and relaxing morning
(C) The mother who loves listening to music
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 C 3 B 4 A 5 B
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Problem with My Brother
My name is Sarah, and I am fourteen years old. I live with my parents and my seventeen-year-old brother, Mark. Because my parents both work, they made a chore schedule for us. We must help around the house every weekend. I usually wash the dishes and clean the kitchen, and Mark’s job is to clean the family bathroom.
However, Mark never does his job! When it is his turn to clean, he always has an excuse. He usually says that he has too much homework or that he is tired after his football practice. Because of this, the bathroom stays dirty, and my mum often gets angry with both of us.
Last Saturday, the situation was terrible. My best friend was coming to visit me in the afternoon. I went into the bathroom, and there were wet towels everywhere. I asked Mark to clean it, but he was asleep on the sofa. I didn’t want my friend to see the mess, so I had to do the hard work myself.
On Sunday, I decided to talk to my parents about it. We had a long family meeting. My dad told Mark that he must do his chores. Now, if Mark forgets to clean the bathroom, he won’t get his pocket money. I am very happy about this new rule because everything is completely fair now.
1 What do we learn about Sarah’s family in the first paragraph?
(A) The teenagers have to share the jobs at home.
(B) Sarah has to clean the family bathroom.
(C) Mark usually washes the dishes.
2 Why does the bathroom stay dirty?
(A) Sarah has too much homework.
(B) Mark gives reasons not to do his work.
(C) The mum is tired after her football practice.
3 What happened last Saturday?
(A) Mark was asleep on the wet towels.
(B) Mark had to do the hard work himself.
(C) Sarah tidied the space before a visitor arrived.
4 How did the parents solve the problem?
(A) Mark will lose his personal cash if he doesn’t work.
(B) Sarah won’t get her pocket money.
(C) Mark decided to talk to his parents.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to clean a dirty family bathroom
(B) Getting my older brother to do his job
(C) A fun weekend with my best friend
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 A 5 B