Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Fashion, Design & Crafts
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Who Changed School Sports Clothes
Fourteen-year-old Sam loves playing different sports, but he was always completely unhappy with his school sports clothes. During long football games and running practice, the heavy shirts and trousers made the students feel very hot and uncomfortable. Sam wanted to help his classmates feel much better when they exercised.
Because Sam enjoys drawing and making things, he decided to create some better sportswear. He went to a large market in his town and bought some special, light material. Then, he spent his whole weekend working carefully in his bedroom. He used his mother’s old sewing machine to make a new T-shirt and a pair of running shorts.
On Monday morning, Sam gave the new clothes to his best friend, Ben. Ben is the fastest runner in the school. He wore them in an important race that afternoon and won first prize! Ben told everyone that the new clothes were amazing. He said they were perfect because he didn’t feel too warm while he was running.
Soon, the sports teachers heard about Sam’s clever idea. They asked him to design comfortable clothes for all the different school teams. Sam is very busy making them now, but he is extremely happy. When he finishes high school, he plans to go to college and then start his own sports fashion business.
1 Why did Sam want to make new sports clothes?
(A) He loves playing different sports.
(B) To wear them during long football games.
(C) The old ones did not feel nice to wear.
2 How did Sam get the new T-shirt and shorts?
(A) He produced them himself using his family’s equipment.
(B) He bought them at a large market in his town.
(C) He worked carefully in his mother’s bedroom.
3 What happened when Ben wore the clothes?
(A) He became the fastest runner in the school.
(B) He was pleased because he stayed cool.
(C) He gave the new clothes to his best friend.
4 What is Sam doing now?
(A) He is starting his own sports fashion business.
(B) Producing sports outfits for his classmates.
(C) He plans to go to college.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A schoolboy’s great idea for sportswear
(B) How to win an important running race
(C) The best sewing machine to buy
ANSWER KEY
1 C 2 A 3 B 4 B 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Beautiful Bags
Fifteen-year-old Lily has always enjoyed drawing and making art. Last year, her grandmother taught her how to sew pictures using colourful threads. Lily’s school backpack was very old, but she didn’t have enough money to buy a new one. So, she decided to sew a beautiful yellow flower onto the front of it to make it look nicer.
When Lily took her bag to school, her classmates thought it looked amazing. They were tired of carrying boring, plain bags to their lessons. Several friends asked Lily to put special patterns on their backpacks, too. Lily agreed to help them, and soon she was a very busy teenager.
Doing this kind of art is not easy and takes a long time. When Lily first started, she often broke her needles. Sometimes her fingers hurt a lot after working for several hours. But she practised every day, and her work improved. Now, she easily creates amazing pictures of animals and stars. She usually does this work on Saturday mornings.
Lily charges a small amount of money for each bag she designs. However, she doesn’t spend her money on clothes or cinema tickets with her friends. Instead, she keeps it because she wants to buy better threads and a modern sewing machine. Next year, she hopes to begin a fashion course at her local college.
1 Why did Lily sew a flower on her bag?
(A) She didn’t have enough money to buy a new one.
(B) Her grandmother taught her how to sew pictures.
(C) She wanted to improve an item she already owned.
2 What happened when Lily went to school?
(A) Her classmates thought carrying boring, plain bags was amazing.
(B) Other students wanted her to decorate their things.
(C) Several friends asked Lily to be a very busy teenager.
3 What does the writer say about Lily’s work?
(A) She had some problems when she began doing it.
(B) She often broke her needles to create amazing pictures.
(C) Her fingers hurt a lot now on Saturday mornings.
4 What does Lily do with the cash she earns?
(A) She spends her money on clothes or cinema tickets.
(B) She pays to begin a fashion course at her local college.
(C) She saves it to get new equipment for her hobby.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The teenager bringing old bags to life
(B) How to buy a modern sewing machine
(C) The girl who makes her own school clothes
ANSWER KEY
1 C 2 B 3 A 4 C 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Who Designed a Clever Coat
Seventeen-year-old Liam has always loved making his own clothes. He lives in a town where the winters are freezing. Every morning, he and his classmates have to wait for the school bus in the snow. They always feel extremely cold. Last autumn, Liam decided to solve this problem. He also wanted to enter a national fashion competition for teenagers.
He decided to create a special winter coat. Liam bought some small heating pads and put them carefully inside the material of a jacket. He then connected them to a small battery that sits inside the pocket. If you feel cold, you just press a button on the arm and the coat gets warm! It took Liam exactly four weeks to finish it.
In December, Liam travelled to London for the final of the design contest. There were over a hundred other young designers there. When the judges saw Liam’s jacket, they were amazed. They said it looked really modern and was also very useful. Because of this, they gave Liam first prize! He couldn’t believe it.
Now, a famous clothes company wants to sell Liam’s jacket in their shops next winter. Liam won a thousand pounds in the competition, and he is saving it to study clothes design at university. He hopes to invent more smart clothing in the future to help people stay comfortable in bad weather.
1 Why did Liam create his new jacket?
(A) To help his friends stay warm before classes.
(B) Because he has always loved making his own clothes.
(C) To wait for the school bus in the snow.
2 What do we learn about Liam’s coat?
(A) It becomes hot when the wearer touches the sleeve.
(B) It has a small battery that sits inside the material.
(C) It took Liam exactly four weeks to buy it.
3 What happened at the contest in London?
(A) The people choosing the winner loved Liam’s idea.
(B) Over a hundred other young designers won first prize.
(C) The judges said the coat was not very useful.
4 What is Liam going to do with his prize money?
(A) Use it to pay for his further education.
(B) Sell Liam’s jacket in their shops next winter.
(C) Invent more smart clothing in the future.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The young student who invented a brilliant jacket
(B) How to win a national fashion competition
(C) Why you should study clothes design at university
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A