Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – E-commerce, Finance & Smart Business
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Designing Cool Things for School
Fourteen-year-old Maya has always loved drawing. Last September, when she started high school, she needed to buy new things for her classes. However, she thought the notebooks and pencil cases in the local shops were very boring. So, she decided to buy plain ones and draw her own beautiful pictures on them using bright colours.
When Maya took her new notebooks to school, her friends thought they were amazing. They immediately asked her to decorate their pencil cases too. Soon, other classmates wanted her designs. Maya started to buy cheap supplies, painted them at the weekend, and sold them to students for a little money.
At first, Maya had a problem. Painting each item took a long time, and she still had to do her homework. Her older brother, Tom, wanted to help. He found a fantastic computer program for her. Now, Maya can create her designs on the computer and print them quickly, instead of painting every single one by hand.
Maya’s small business is now very popular at her school. She doesn’t spend the cash she makes on clothes or sweets. Instead, she puts it in the bank because she wants to get a better smartphone. Maya is extremely proud of her work. She loves seeing her classmates using her cool school supplies every day.
1 Why did Maya decide to draw on her notebooks?
(A) She needed to buy new things for her classes.
(B) She felt the items in the stores were uninteresting.
(C) She wanted to buy cheap plain ones.
2 What happened when Maya showed her friends her new notebooks?
(A) They requested that she design their equipment too.
(B) She painted them at the weekend.
(C) She sold them to students for a little money.
3 How did Tom help Maya with her problem?
(A) He helped her to do her homework.
(B) He painted every single one by hand.
(C) He gave her a way to produce her goods faster.
4 What is Maya planning to do with her money?
(A) Keep it so she can purchase a new mobile device.
(B) Spend the cash she makes on clothes or sweets.
(C) Buy cool school supplies every day.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to buy cheap supplies for your classes
(B) A schoolgirl’s successful design business
(C) The best fantastic computer program
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 A 3 C 4 A 5 B
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Old Clothes, New Business
Sixteen-year-old Sophie has always loved fashion. However, buying new clothes from big shops in the city centre is very expensive. Last year, she started visiting second-hand shops near her house. She quickly found some amazing old jumpers and dresses that cost very little money.
When Sophie wore these clothes to school, her classmates thought they looked fantastic. They wanted to know where she bought them. Because of this, Sophie decided to make a short video on her phone. In the video, she showed her new clothes and talked about the prices. She put it on the internet, and thousands of people watched it!
After that, Sophie started a small business. Now, she buys cheap clothes from the second-hand shops, washes them carefully, and sells them to her online fans. Sometimes it is hard work. It takes a lot of time to pack the clothes in boxes and take them to the post office.
However, Sophie loves her online shop. She uses the money she makes to buy better camera equipment for her videos. She also feels good because buying old clothes is better for the environment than buying new things. When she finishes school next year, she hopes to study business at university so she can open a real shop.
1 Why did Sophie start visiting second-hand shops?
(A) New fashion in town costs too much cash.
(B) She wanted to buy new clothes from big shops.
(C) She needed to find some amazing old jumpers.
2 What happened after Sophie wore her old clothes to school?
(A) Her classmates decided to make a short video.
(B) She recorded a clip to share on the web.
(C) Thousands of people watched her at school.
3 What does Sophie find difficult about her business?
(A) Getting the items ready to send to buyers.
(B) She buys cheap clothes from the second-hand shops.
(C) Washing the clothes carefully for her online fans.
4 What does Sophie do with the money she earns?
(A) She hopes to open a real shop.
(B) She buys new things for the environment.
(C) She gets tools to improve her videos.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A teenager’s popular internet clothing store
(B) The best second-hand shops in the city centre
(C) How to study business at university
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 A 4 C 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Who Started a Scooter Business
Seventeen-year-old Leo wanted to buy a new laptop for his studies, but he didn’t have enough money. He thought about getting a job in a café, but he really loves spending time outside. One day, he looked at his electric scooter and had a brilliant idea. He decided to start his own delivery business in his town.
He started by bringing shopping bags from the supermarket to older people in his street. At first, the job was quite difficult. On his second day, he dropped a bag of apples on the road! The customer was very kind, but Leo felt terrible. After that, he bought a special large box for his scooter to carry things safely.
After a few weeks, Leo’s business grew. Two local restaurants asked him to deliver their hot meals to customers. Leo works for three hours after school and all day on Saturdays. He is very busy, but he enjoys riding his scooter around the quiet streets and chatting to different people.
By the end of the summer, Leo had enough cash for his dream laptop. His delivery service is now very popular. He has too many customers for one person! Because of this, he is going to ask two of his classmates to work with him next month. Leo is very proud of his successful idea.
1 Why did Leo decide to start a delivery business?
(A) He preferred to work outdoors to earn cash.
(B) He thought about getting a job in a café.
(C) He wanted to buy a new electric scooter.
2 What happened when Leo first started his job?
(A) A kind customer dropped a bag of apples on the road.
(B) He bought a special large box for older people.
(C) He made a mistake with someone’s food.
3 What does Leo say about his work now?
(A) He delivers hot meals to two local restaurants.
(B) He works for three hours all day on Saturdays.
(C) He likes talking to the individuals he meets.
4 What is Leo planning to do soon?
(A) Tell one person about his successful idea.
(B) Get some friends to help him with the orders.
(C) Save enough cash for his dream laptop.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The schoolboy whose ride became a great business
(B) How to buy a dream laptop for your studies
(C) Why older people need help from supermarkets
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 C 3 C 4 B 5 A