Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Business, Retail & Entrepreneurship
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Comfort in Every Step
Sixteen-year-old Tariq loves playing sports, especially basketball and tennis. However, he always had a problem with his sports clothes. He noticed that many expensive T-shirts and shorts look amazing, but they are often not comfortable to wear when you run and jump for a long time. Tariq wanted to do something to change this.
Last year, he decided to make his own sportswear. He went to a large market in his town and bought some very soft material. Then, he borrowed his aunt’s old sewing machine and spent his weekends making a special pair of shorts. It took him a long time to finish, but the shorts were absolutely perfect.
When Tariq wore his new shorts to a basketball practice, his teammates immediately noticed them. They couldn’t believe that Tariq made the shorts himself. Soon, three of his friends asked him to make shorts for them, too. He agreed to do it, and his friends loved how easy it was to move in them.
This experience gave Tariq a brilliant idea for his future. He wants to start his own brand of comfortable sportswear for teenagers. Right now, he is reading books about how to start a business. When he finishes high school next year, he is going to study fashion at college. Tariq hopes that one day, athletes everywhere will wear his clothes.
1 What did Tariq think about popular sports clothes?
(A) They did not feel nice on the body.
(B) They were too expensive to buy.
(C) They didn’t look amazing when you run.
2 How did Tariq get his first pair of new shorts?
(A) He bought them at a large market in his town.
(B) His aunt made them for him at the weekend.
(C) He used a family member’s machine to create them.
3 What happened when Tariq wore his shorts to basketball practice?
(A) He made shorts for three of his friends there.
(B) The other players admired what he was wearing.
(C) His teammates couldn’t believe it was easy to move.
4 What is Tariq doing at the moment to help his dream?
(A) He is studying fashion at college.
(B) He is starting his own brand of sportswear.
(C) He is finding out how to run a company.
5 What is the best title for this text?
(A) How to play basketball and tennis
(B) A teenager’s plan for a clothing business
(C) The most expensive clothes in the world
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 C 3 B 4 C 5 B
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Sarah’s Big Business Dream
Fifteen-year-old Sarah has a different life from her friends. When classes finish, her classmates usually go to the park or play video games. However, Sarah walks to her family’s small grocery shop. Her parents opened the shop twenty years ago, and Sarah loves helping them sell fresh fruit and vegetables.
The shop is quite old and only has a few shelves. Her mother and father are happy with their small business, but Sarah has a very big dream. When she is older, she wants to take over the shop and turn it into a large, modern supermarket.
To prepare for this, Sarah is already learning a lot. She often goes to the local library to read books about successful businesses. Last month, she also had a great idea. She made a website for the shop. Because of this, many new customers now come to buy their food there. Her parents were extremely surprised.
Next year, Sarah is going to go to college to study business. She wants to learn how to manage a lot of workers and look after money. She hopes that one day, her family’s name will be on the front of big supermarkets all over the country.
1 What does Sarah do when classes finish?
(A) She works with her parents in their store.
(B) She goes to the park or plays video games.
(C) She opens a small grocery shop.
2 What does Sarah want to do when she is older?
(A) grow her parents’ business into a large store
(B) be happy with a small business
(C) build a few shelves for the old shop
3 What was the result of Sarah making a website?
(A) The family shop got lots of extra buyers.
(B) Her parents went to the local library.
(C) She read books about successful businesses.
4 Why is Sarah going to college next year?
(A) to find out how to organise staff and finances
(B) to visit big supermarkets all over the country
(C) to put her family’s name on the front of a shop
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A teenager’s exciting plans for a family shop
(B) How to make a website for a small grocery store
(C) The best local library to read about businesses
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Max’s Funny Dream
Max is fourteen years old and he loves watching television. However, he doesn’t have a favourite programme. Instead, he loves the short, funny videos that play between the shows. These videos are called commercials, and they make people want to buy things. Max has a big dream. He wants to become an advertising executive and create these videos for television.
Last month, Max decided to make his own commercial. He used his father’s camera to film a short video about a new kind of fruit juice. He asked his best friends to act in it. They drank the juice, wore silly clothes, and danced to some loud music. The filming took all day, but everyone had a lot of fun.
When the video was ready, Max put it on the internet. In the beginning, only his family watched it. Max was a little disappointed. But after a few days, hundreds of strangers started sharing the video. They thought the dancing was hilarious. People wrote very nice messages about his work, and Max felt incredibly proud.
Next year, Max is going to join the film club at his school. He wants to learn how to use computers to edit videos. He knows he has to study hard. In the future, he hopes to go to university to learn about business. He can’t wait to work in a big office and make people laugh with his commercials.
1 What does Max prefer watching on TV?
(A) His favourite programme.
(B) The advertisements between shows.
(C) An advertising executive.
2 How did Max make his first video?
(A) He borrowed some equipment from his dad.
(B) He wore silly clothes.
(C) He drank the juice.
3 How did Max feel when he first put the video online?
(A) He felt incredibly proud.
(B) He thought the dancing was hilarious.
(C) He was unhappy because not many people saw it.
4 What is Max planning to do next year?
(A) Go to university to learn about business.
(B) Become a member of a school group.
(C) Work in a big office.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to use computers to edit videos
(B) A boy’s goal to make funny TV ads
(C) The best new fruit juice commercial
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 A 3 C 4 B 5 B