Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Arts, Music & Literature
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Writing Beautiful Invitations
Fourteen-year-old Maya has an unusual hobby. While her classmates enjoy playing video games or watching TV, Maya loves doing calligraphy. This is the art of writing beautifully with a special pen. Last month, Maya really wanted to buy a new smartphone. However, her parents told her that she had to save her own pocket money to get it.
A few weeks later, Maya’s older cousin, Sarah, visited them. Sarah was planning her wedding, but she felt quite sad. She wanted beautiful wedding invitations, but the ones in the local shop were far too expensive. Maya had a brilliant idea. She asked if she could write the cards by hand for a much lower price. Sarah agreed immediately.
Making the invitations was a very big job. Maya had to write one hundred cards! At first, she made a few mistakes and had to throw some paper in the bin. She felt a bit tired, but her mum helped her organize her time. She worked for an hour every evening after her homework. In the end, the cards looked fantastic.
When Sarah sent the invitations, all her friends thought they were amazing. Now, other people are calling Maya because they want her to write their wedding cards. Maya finally has enough cash for her new smartphone. Next year, she hopes to open a small calligraphy business online.
1 What do we learn about Maya in the first paragraph?
(A) She had to earn cash to purchase a new phone.
(B) She likes playing video games or watching TV.
(C) She asked her parents for her own pocket money.
2 Why was Maya’s cousin sad about her wedding?
(A) She had to write the cards by hand for her guests.
(B) The items she wanted from a store cost too much.
(C) The ones in the local shop were for a much lower price.
3 What happened while Maya was doing the job?
(A) Her mum had to write one hundred cards for her.
(B) She worked for an hour every evening before her homework.
(C) She did not do everything perfectly in the beginning.
4 What is the result of Maya’s hard work?
(A) Sarah sent the invitations to her new smartphone.
(B) More people are asking her to create things for them.
(C) She hopes to open a small calligraphy business next month.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) Why wedding invitations in the local shop are expensive
(B) How to save your pocket money for a brilliant wedding
(C) The schoolgirl who turned her beautiful writing into a business
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 C
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Who Brings Magic to the Hospital
Fifteen-year-old Leo has an unusual hobby. While his friends play sports, Leo practises magic. He started learning magic tricks when he was ten. His grandfather showed him his first trick with a coin. Now, Leo uses his hobby to do something very special. He wants to bring joy to children who are ill.
Every Saturday afternoon, Leo visits the local children’s hospital. He never wears normal clothes for his shows. Instead, he puts on a colourful coat and a big black hat. He walks into the hospital rooms and performs tricks with cards and scarves. The nurses always give him a warm welcome because they know he helps the patients.
Sometimes, it is not an easy job. A few children feel too tired to watch his show. However, Leo usually makes everyone smile. Last month, he met a young boy named Tom. Tom was very sad and didn’t want to talk to anyone. But when Leo made a plastic rabbit disappear, Tom laughed loudly.
Leo feels amazing when he sees the children’s happy faces. Next year, he is going to start a magic club at his high school. He hopes his classmates will join the club. He wants to teach other teenagers his tricks so they can visit hospitals together.
1 What first made Leo interested in magic?
(A) A family member taught him how to do a trick.
(B) He wanted to bring joy to children who are ill.
(C) He liked to watch his friends play sports.
2 What does Leo do when he goes to the hospital?
(A) He dresses up in unusual clothes to entertain the patients.
(B) He gives the hospital nurses a warm welcome.
(C) He wears normal clothes for his shows.
3 How did Tom react to Leo?
(A) His mood improved a lot after seeing Leo’s performance.
(B) He felt too tired to watch his show.
(C) He made a plastic rabbit disappear.
4 What are Leo’s plans for next year?
(A) Instruct people his own age on how to perform tricks.
(B) Join a magic club at his high school.
(C) Visit hospitals together with the nurses.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A teenager making sick kids smile
(B) How to start a high school magic club
(C) The history of hospital magic shows
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Showing Our Secret Skills
Seventeen-year-old Chloe is a very creative student. During her lessons, she often looked at her classmates’ notebooks. She saw that many of them drew fantastic pictures, but they always closed their books quickly. They felt too shy to show their art to anyone. Chloe wanted everyone to see these hidden skills, so she decided to plan a school exhibition.
First, Chloe had a meeting with the head teacher to ask for a large room. He agreed, but he told her she could only use the old sports hall. It was very dirty and needed a lot of work. Chloe didn’t mind. She spent her whole weekend cleaning the floors and putting up lights, while two friends helped her carry heavy tables.
The exhibition happened on a Saturday afternoon. Chloe was worried because she thought nobody would arrive, but soon the hall was full of teachers and parents. Everyone was amazed by the artwork. For example, a quiet boy from Chloe’s math class showed some beautiful paintings of the sea. Nobody knew he was such a talented painter!
At the end of the day, Chloe was very tired but completely happy. The head teacher said it was the best school event of the year. Because it was so successful, Chloe is going to organize another show next spring. She hopes even more teenagers will share their secret hobbies.
1 Why did Chloe decide to organise the exhibition?
(A) To let people see her friends’ secret abilities.
(B) Because she wanted to draw fantastic pictures.
(C) To ask her classmates to look at her notebooks.
2 What was the problem with the room for the show?
(A) The head teacher had to carry heavy tables into it.
(B) It was not clean and needed a lot of preparation.
(C) Chloe had to spend her weekend finding a large room.
3 At the exhibition, the visitors were
(A) worried because they thought nobody would arrive.
(B) quiet boys from Chloe’s math class.
(C) surprised by the quality of the students’ work.
4 What is Chloe planning to do in the future?
(A) Run another art event the following year.
(B) Attend the best school event of the year.
(C) Look for some new secret hobbies to share.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The girl who shared her classmates’ talents
(B) How to paint beautiful pictures of the sea
(C) Why you should help clean the sports hall
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 A 5 A