Practice English Reading Exercises for A1 – Shopping, Clothes & Presents
Reading 1
Read the story. Write words to complete the sentences about the story.
You can use 1, 2 or 3 words.
The Winter Coats
Last Sunday morning, it was very cold. Mary looked out of her bedroom window. It was snowing hard outside. Everything in the garden was white. She wanted to build a snowman with her brother, Peter. “We need our heavy winter coats,” Mary said. She went downstairs to look for them in the big cupboard.
Examples
The weather was ………very cold……… last Sunday morning.
Mary saw that it was ………snowing hard……… outside.
Questions
1 The children’s ………………………… was completely white.
2 Mary wanted to make a ………………………… with Peter.
3 Mary looked for the coats in the ………………………… downstairs.
Mary found three coats in the cupboard. First, she put on a long black coat. It was her father’s coat, so it was too big for her. Then, Peter came into the hall. He tried on a yellow jacket, but it was too short. “My arms are very cold in this,” Peter laughed. Finally, Mary found her red coat and Peter’s blue coat under a warm blanket.
4 Mary put on a ………………………… first, but it was too big.
5 The long coat was too big because it was her ………………………… .
6 Peter’s ………………………… were cold because the yellow jacket was too short.
7 The children’s coats were under a ………………………… in the cupboard.
The children put on their correct coats, strong boots, and thick scarves. They opened the front door and ran outside into the snow. They played in the garden all morning. They built a funny snowman and put a green hat on its head. They were very happy.
8 The children wore thick scarves and ………………………… on their feet.
9 Mary and Peter spent ………………………… playing in the snow.
10 The children put a ………………………… on the snowman’s head.
ANSWER KEY
1 garden 2 snowman 3 big cupboard
4 long black coat / black coat 5 father’s coat / father’s 6 arms 7 warm blanket / blanket
8 strong boots / boots 9 all morning / the morning 10 green hat / hat
Reading 2
Read the story. Write words to complete the sentences about the story.
You can use 1, 2 or 3 words.
A Present for Grandfather
Last Friday was Grandfather’s birthday. He was seventy! Emma and her brother Tom wanted to buy a great present for him. Grandfather loves catching fish in the lake on sunny days. So, the two children went to a big bookshop in the town with their dad.
Examples
Grandfather was ………seventy……… on his birthday last Friday.
Emma and Tom wanted to buy a ………great present……… for their grandfather.
Questions
1 Grandfather enjoys …………………… in the lake.
2 He likes doing this on …………………… .
3 The children and their dad went to a …………………… to buy the present.
Inside the shop, Emma and Tom looked at lots of different books. Tom found a small book about boats, but Emma saw a fantastic new book about fishing. It was very big and had pictures of beautiful rivers and hungry fish on the cover. “This is perfect!” Emma said. Dad bought the book and they put it in a green bag.
4 The children looked at lots of …………………… inside the shop.
5 Tom saw a …………………… about boats.
6 Emma found a fantastic new …………………… .
7 Dad bought the book and put it inside a …………………… .
In the evening, the family had a party at Grandfather’s house. Emma and Tom gave him the green bag. Grandfather opened it and smiled. “Thank you,” he said. “I can read this on my next holiday!” Then, the family ate a delicious chocolate cake.
8 The family had a party at …………………… in the evening.
9 Grandfather wants to read the book on his …………………… .
10 After Grandfather opened his present, the family ate a …………………… .
ANSWER KEY
1 catching fish 2 sunny days 3 big bookshop
4 different books 5 small book 6 book about fishing 7 green bag
8 Grandfather’s house 9 next holiday 10 delicious chocolate cake
Reading 3
Read the story. Write words to complete the sentences about the story.
You can use 1, 2 or 3 words.
A New Home for Pirate
Last Wednesday afternoon, Daisy and her mother went shopping in the town. They walked to a very big pet shop. Daisy’s parrot, Pirate, needed a new home because he was bigger now. The shop was very loud because there were lots of different animals inside.
Examples
Daisy and her mother went shopping last ………Wednesday afternoon……… .
They walked to a very big ………pet shop……… in the town.
Questions
1 Pirate is the name of Daisy’s ………………………… .
2 The bird needed a new home because he was ………………………… .
3 The pet shop was ………………………… because of all the different animals inside.
Inside the shop, Daisy saw some beautiful white rabbits and some small green turtles. She wanted to play with them, but her mother said, ‘We must find a cage for Pirate first.’ They looked at lots of cages. Daisy found a very big blue cage near the window. ‘This is perfect!’ she said. The shop assistant helped them carry the heavy cage.
4 In the shop, Daisy saw white rabbits and ………………………… .
5 Daisy’s mother wanted to find a ………………………… first.
6 Daisy found a big blue cage near the ………………………… .
7 A ………………………… helped Daisy and her mother carry the heavy cage.
Daisy’s mother bought the blue cage and a new plastic toy for the parrot. They carried everything to their car and drove home quickly. When they put Pirate in his new cage, he jumped up and down. He was a very happy bird.
8 Daisy’s mother bought the cage and a ………………………… for the parrot.
9 Daisy and her mum went ………………………… in their car.
10 The parrot was a ………………………… when he went inside his new cage.
ANSWER KEY
1 parrot 2 bigger now 3 very loud
4 small green turtles 5 cage 6 window 7 shop assistant
8 new plastic toy 9 home quickly 10 very happy bird