Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Coastal & Nature Travel
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Maya’s Relaxing Beach Holiday
Fifteen-year-old Maya absolutely loves the ocean. Last week, she travelled to a lovely coastal city called Marimar with her parents and her older brother, Sam. They wanted a quiet holiday, so they rented a modern apartment just a five-minute walk from the sea. Maya was extremely excited to finally have a break from her school exams.
On their first morning, Maya walked down to the beach. She was surprised by how clean the white sand was. There was absolutely no rubbish anywhere! Her brother Sam immediately started playing volleyball with some other teenagers. However, Maya preferred to lie under a large umbrella. She spent hours just reading a new novel and swimming in the clear blue water.
In the evenings, the family explored the city centre. On Wednesday, they ate dinner at a fantastic seafood restaurant. Sam ordered a big pizza, but Maya tried the grilled fish. The meal was delicious, but Maya’s favourite part of the evening was watching the beautiful orange sunset from their table. She took dozens of amazing photographs with her phone.
The relaxing week finished much too quickly. Maya feels completely rested and ready to go back to school now. She loved her time in Marimar, and she is already asking her parents to book the same apartment for next summer. She hopes her best friend can come with them next time!
1 Why was Maya excited about her trip to Marimar?
(A) She wanted to rent a modern apartment.
(B) She needed to rest after doing her tests.
(C) She travelled to a lovely coastal city.
2 What did Maya do on the beach?
(A) She started playing volleyball.
(B) She checked the clean white sand.
(C) She relaxed with a story.
3 What did Maya enjoy most on Wednesday evening?
(A) She ordered a big pizza.
(B) She tried the grilled fish.
(C) She looked at the sun going down.
4 What is Maya planning for the future?
(A) to go back to school now
(B) to book the same apartment for next summer
(C) to return to the coast with a mate
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A perfect holiday by the sea
(B) Playing volleyball in the summer
(C) How to take amazing photographs
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 C 3 C 4 C 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Perfect Day on a Quiet Island
My name is Leo and I live in a very noisy city. There are always thousands of cars on the streets, so it is never peaceful. Last weekend, my parents decided to take my sister and me to an island for a day trip. They wanted us to have a break and relax in a quiet place.
We had to wake up at six o’clock in the morning to catch the boat. The journey on the water took about two hours. At first, the wind was quite strong and the boat moved a lot, so my sister felt a little sick. But I loved looking at the dark blue sea and watching the birds fly behind us.
When we finally arrived, I was amazed. The island was completely different from our city. There were no busy roads, supermarkets, or tall buildings anywhere. We spent the whole afternoon walking through a beautiful green forest and swimming in the clear water. I didn’t even look at my mobile phone once!
We caught the boat back home late in the evening. Now, I am back in my classroom, but I can’t stop thinking about our fantastic trip. I am going to save my pocket money because I really want to visit the island again next summer.
1 Why did Leo’s parents plan the trip?
(A) to spend some time away from their busy town
(B) to drive thousands of cars on the streets
(C) to visit a peaceful city
2 What happened during the boat journey?
(A) Leo’s sister enjoyed looking at the dark blue sea.
(B) The strong wind made Leo feel a little sick.
(C) Leo had a good time watching the water and the animals.
3 What did Leo like about the island?
(A) He enjoyed visiting the supermarkets and tall buildings.
(B) It didn’t look like his home town at all.
(C) He used his mobile phone in the beautiful green forest.
4 What is Leo planning to do?
(A) stop thinking about his fantastic trip
(B) keep some cash so he can go back for another holiday
(C) take his pocket money to his classroom
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A wonderful day in nature
(B) How to catch a boat in the city
(C) The worst boat journey of my life
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 C 3 B 4 B 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Jamie’s Underwater Adventure
Last month, fourteen-year-old Jamie went on a beach holiday to Egypt with his family. Usually, Jamie hates swimming in the sea. He prefers the hotel swimming pool because the water is warmer. But on the first day of their trip, his older sister, Sarah, bought him a snorkel and asked him to try it.
The next morning, they walked down to the beach. Jamie put on his new equipment. He felt very nervous because he thought it would be difficult to breathe underwater. When he first went in, the sea felt quite cold, but after a few minutes, he was fine. He swam away from the beach with his sister.
When Jamie looked down into the water, he couldn’t believe his eyes. There were hundreds of amazing fish everywhere. He saw a group of tiny yellow and blue fish swimming around his legs. Then, a large green sea turtle swam slowly past him. The creatures were so beautiful that Jamie completely forgot to be scared.
After an hour, Jamie and Sarah returned to the beach. Jamie was tired but extremely happy. He told his parents all about the turtle and the colourful fish. He has already asked his dad to buy him an underwater camera. He cannot wait to go snorkeling again tomorrow!
1 What do we learn about Jamie in the first paragraph?
(A) He usually thought the sea was too cold.
(B) He preferred swimming in Egypt.
(C) His older sister hated the hotel swimming pool.
2 Why was Jamie nervous about using the snorkel?
(A) He thought it would be hard to get air.
(B) He was worried the sea felt quite cold.
(C) He did not want to walk down to the beach.
3 What did Jamie think about the animals in the sea?
(A) The yellow and blue fish were very large.
(B) The sea turtle made him feel very scared.
(C) The creatures he looked at were beautiful.
4 After he finished snorkeling, Jamie
(A) returned to the beach to sleep for an hour.
(B) asked his father for some photography equipment.
(C) told his parents he was tired of the colourful fish.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A teenager’s great first snorkeling trip
(B) How to breathe underwater with a snorkel
(C) The best hotel swimming pools in Egypt
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 C 4 B 5 A