Practice English Reading Exercises for A1 – Health, Food & The Body
Reading 1
Read the story. Write words to complete the sentences about the story.
You can use 1, 2 or 3 words.
The sweet cake
Last Wednesday afternoon, Mary walked to the small café on the corner of her street. She went there with her older brother, Tom. The café was very famous for its sweet food. Mary was very hungry and wanted a big snack. The weather was cold, so they wanted a hot drink, too.
Examples
Mary went to the small café last ………Wednesday afternoon……… .
Mary walked to the café with her ………older brother……… , Tom.
Questions
1 The café on the corner was famous for its ………………………… .
2 Mary wanted to eat a ………………………… because she was hungry.
3 The children wanted a ………………………… because the weather was cold.
Tom bought two cups of hot chocolate and a very big chocolate cake. The cake looked beautiful. Mary ate her cake very quickly because it was delicious. But then, she started to cry. “What is the matter?” asked Tom. Mary touched her face. She had a terrible toothache because the cake was too sweet. Her mouth hurt a lot.
4 Tom got some hot chocolate and a ………………………… at the café.
5 Mary ate the cake ………………………… because it was very delicious.
6 Mary started ………………………… after she ate her sweet food.
7 Mary got a ………………………… because the cake was too sweet.
Tom phoned their mother. She drove the children to the dentist in the town. The dentist looked inside Mary’s mouth and helped her. “You must clean your teeth every morning and evening,” the dentist said kindly. Mary felt better. She smiled and went home with her family.
8 Their mother drove the children to the ………………………… in the town.
9 The dentist told Mary to ………………………… every morning and evening.
10 Mary ………………………… and went home with her family.
ANSWER KEY
1 sweet food 2 big snack 3 hot drink
4 big chocolate cake 5 very quickly 6 to cry 7 terrible toothache
8 dentist 9 clean her teeth 10 smiled
Reading 2
Read the story. Write words to complete the sentences about the story.
You can use 1, 2 or 3 words.
Oliver’s warm scarf
Last winter, the weather in the town was very cold and windy. A young boy called Oliver woke up with a bad cough. His throat hurt a lot. He didn’t want to eat his breakfast because he felt ill. “You must wear warm clothes today,” his mother said.
Examples
The weather in the town was ………cold and windy……… last winter.
The young boy’s name was ………Oliver……… .
Questions
1 Oliver had a bad cough and his …………………… hurt a lot.
2 Oliver felt ill, so he didn’t want to eat …………………… .
3 Oliver’s mother told him to put on some …………………… that day.
Oliver went to his bedroom to find some clothes. He put on a warm sweater and long trousers. Then, he found a long green scarf in his cupboard. He put the nice scarf carefully around his neck. “This is very warm,” Oliver thought. He sat on the sofa in the living room and watched television. He didn’t go outside to play in the snow.
4 Oliver found his clothes in his …………………… .
5 Oliver got a long green scarf from his …………………… .
6 Oliver put the nice scarf around his …………………… .
7 Oliver watched television on the …………………… in the living room.
In the afternoon, his grandmother visited him. She brought some hot lemon drink for Oliver. He drank it slowly. Because of the hot drink and his nice scarf, Oliver’s neck felt much better. The next day, his bad cough stopped, and he went to the park with his friends!
8 Oliver’s …………………… came to visit him in the afternoon.
9 Oliver drank some …………………… slowly.
10 Oliver’s bad cough stopped the …………………… , so he went to the park.
ANSWER KEY
1 throat 2 his breakfast 3 warm clothes
4 bedroom 5 cupboard 6 neck 7 sofa
8 grandmother 9 hot lemon drink 10 next day
Reading 3
Read the story. Write words to complete the sentences about the story.
You can use 1, 2 or 3 words.
Sally’s day in bed
It was Monday morning, but Sally didn’t get up for school. She felt very bad. She had a hot head and a bad cough. Her mother came into her bedroom and looked at her. “You are ill today, Sally,” her mum said. “You cannot go to school. You must stay in your bed.”
Examples
On ………Monday morning……… , Sally didn’t get up for school.
Sally felt very bad because she had a hot head and a ………bad cough……… .
Questions
1 Sally’s mother went into her …………………… to look at her.
2 Mum told Sally she couldn’t go to …………………… that day.
3 Sally had to stay in …………………… because she was ill.
Sally was sad because she wanted to see her friends. Her mum went to the kitchen and made some chicken soup and hot tea for her. She brought the food upstairs with Sally’s favourite toy, a beautiful doll called Rosie. The doll had long blonde hair and a purple dress. Sally drank her tea and started to play with Rosie.
4 Sally felt sad because she couldn’t see …………………… .
5 Mum went to the kitchen to make chicken soup and some …………………… .
6 Mum brought the food and a beautiful …………………… called Rosie upstairs for Sally.
7 The doll had long blonde hair and a …………………… .
Sally played doctor with her doll. She put a small blanket on Rosie because she was cold. After her game, Sally was very tired and she slept for three hours. When she woke up in the afternoon, she felt much better. Her mum smiled and gave her some sweet grapes.
8 Sally put a …………………… on the doll because it was cold.
9 After the game, Sally was tired and she slept for …………………… .
10 When Sally woke up, her mum gave her …………………… .
ANSWER KEY
1 bedroom 2 school 3 her bed/bed
4 her friends/friends 5 hot tea/tea 6 doll 7 purple dress
8 small blanket/blanket 9 three hours/3 hours 10 some sweet grapes/sweet grapes/grapes