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 wet picnic
Last Sunday morning, Sally and her parents drove to the beautiful city park. The weather was hot and very sunny. They wanted to have a lovely picnic under a big old tree. Sally’s father carried a heavy blue bag, and her mother carried a red blanket. They put the blanket on the soft grass.
Examples
Sally and her family drove to the park last ………Sunday morning……… .
The weather was hot and ………very sunny……… on that day.
Questions
1 The family wanted to have their picnic under a ………………………… .
2 Sally’s father carried a ………………………… to the park.
3 They sat down on a red blanket on the ………………………… .
Inside the bag, there was a lot of delicious food. They had chicken sandwiches, sweet apples, and some cold lemonade. Sally was very hungry and ate a sandwich quickly. But suddenly, the sky changed. Big black clouds came, and a loud wind blew through the trees. Then, heavy rain started to fall. The family’s food was totally wet!
4 Inside the heavy bag, there was a lot of ………………………… .
5 Sally felt ………………………… , so she quickly ate a sandwich.
6 The weather changed when ………………………… came in the sky.
7 The heavy rain made the family’s food ………………………… .
Sally and her parents picked up their things quickly. They ran back to their car because they were very cold. “Our picnic is finished,” Sally said sadly. Her dad smiled and said, “Don’t worry! We can go to a nice café.” They drove to town and ate some hot soup. Sally was happy again.
8 Sally and her parents ran back to ………………………… because they felt cold.
9 Sally’s dad said they could visit a ………………………… .
10 In the town, the family ate some ………………………… .
ANSWER KEY
1 big old tree 2 heavy blue bag 3 soft grass
4 delicious food 5 very hungry 6 big black clouds 7 totally wet
8 their car 9 nice café 10 hot soup
Reading 2
Read the story. Write words to complete the sentences about the story.
You can use 1, 2 or 3 words.
Peter’s new pop song
Last Friday afternoon, Peter sat in his bedroom. His favourite hobby was listening to music. He liked pop music a lot. After school, Peter went to the big music shop in town and bought a new CD. He was very excited to share it with his best friend, Sally.
Examples
Peter sat in his ………bedroom……… last Friday afternoon.
Peter’s favourite hobby was ………listening to music……… .
Questions
1 Peter enjoyed listening to ………………………… a lot.
2 Peter bought a new CD from the ………………………… in town.
3 Peter wanted to share the music with Sally, who was his ………………………… .
At five o’clock, Sally walked to Peter’s house. Peter smiled and opened his bedroom door. “I have a great new pop song,” he said. “Come and sit on my blue rug.” Sally sat down next to Peter. “Now, close your eyes and listen carefully,” Peter told her. He turned on the CD player. The music started, and it was very loud and happy.
4 Sally arrived at Peter’s house at ………………………… .
5 Peter asked his friend to sit on his ………………………… .
6 Peter told Sally to ………………………… and listen to the song carefully.
7 When the music started, it was happy and ………………………… .
When the song finished, Sally opened her eyes. “Wow, that was fantastic!” she laughed. She clapped her hands happily. “Can we listen to it again?” she asked. Peter said yes, and the two friends stood up to dance. They played the exciting music all evening.
8 Sally opened her eyes when the ………………………… .
9 Sally laughed and ………………………… happily because she liked the song.
10 The two friends stood up to ………………………… to the exciting music.
ANSWER KEY
1 pop music 2 big music shop 3 best friend
4 five o’clock 5 blue rug 6 close her eyes 7 very loud
8 song finished 9 clapped her hands 10 dance
Reading 3
Read the story. Write words to complete the sentences about the story.
You can use 1, 2 or 3 words.
Oliver’s bad stomach-ache
It was Monday. Oliver was at school with his classmates. In the morning, they had an English lesson and an art lesson. The school bell rang at twelve o’clock. It was time for lunch. All the children walked down the stairs to the big dining room.
Examples
Oliver was at ………school……… on Monday.
Before lunch, the children had an English lesson and an ………art lesson……… .
Questions
1 At …………………… , the school bell rang for lunch.
2 The children walked down the …………………… to get their food.
3 The children ate their lunch in the big …………………… .
Oliver sat at a table with his best friend, Ben. Ben had some pizza and a green apple. “This food looks delicious,” Ben said. But Oliver didn’t want to eat. He didn’t feel well. “I have a terrible stomach-ache,” Oliver said quietly. He held his tummy. He didn’t eat his cheese sandwich. Ben called their teacher, Mr Brown, for help.
4 Oliver’s best friend is called …………………… .
5 Ben ate some pizza and a …………………… for his lunch.
6 Oliver couldn’t eat because he had a …………………… .
7 Oliver didn’t want to eat his …………………… .
Mr Brown took Oliver to the school nurse. The nurse gave Oliver a glass of water and a white blanket. Oliver slept on a soft bed for an hour. Then, his mother came to the school. She took him home in her car. Oliver was happy to go to sleep in his own bedroom.
8 Mr Brown walked with Oliver to the …………………… .
9 The nurse gave Oliver a …………………… and a glass of water.
10 Oliver went home in his mother’s …………………… .
ANSWER KEY
1 twelve o’clock 2 stairs 3 dining room
4 Ben 5 green apple/apple 6 terrible stomach-ache/stomach-ache 7 cheese sandwich
8 school nurse/nurse 9 white blanket/blanket 10 car