Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Healthcare, Medicine & Helping Professions

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Sarah’s Medical Dream

Fifteen-year-old Sarah has a very special dream. While her friends want to be famous singers or make a lot of money in business, Sarah wants to do something different. Her biggest hope is to travel to poor countries and work as a medical volunteer. She wants to help sick people who don’t have good hospitals.

To prepare for her future, Sarah works very hard at school. She spends a lot of time studying biology and chemistry because she knows science is important. At the weekends, she doesn’t just relax. She volunteers at the local hospital. She cannot give medicine to patients yet, but she helps the nurses by bringing food and talking to people who feel lonely.

Last month, Sarah’s school invited a special guest to speak to the students. It was a doctor who works for an international charity. He showed photographs of his work in Africa and Asia. Sarah was amazed. After his talk, she asked him a lot of questions. He told her that being a volunteer is often tiring and difficult, but it is the best job in the world.

Next year, Sarah is going to go to college. After that, she hopes to study medicine at university to become a real doctor. She knows it will take many years of studying, but she is ready. She cannot wait to buy her first plane ticket and start her adventure.

1   How is Sarah’s dream different from her friends’ dreams?

     (A) She wants to help ill people in other places.

     (B) She hopes to be a famous singer one day.

     (C) She wants to make a lot of money in business.

2   What does Sarah do at the local hospital?

     (A) She gives medicine to the patients.

     (B) She has conversations with the people there.

     (C) She helps the nurses to relax.

3   What did the doctor tell Sarah about volunteering?

     (A) It is hard work but it is a wonderful experience.

     (B) It is important to take lots of photographs.

     (C) It is always tiring to travel to Africa and Asia.

4   What does Sarah understand about her future?

     (A) She needs to buy her plane ticket next year.

     (B) She will become a real doctor at college.

     (C) She has to spend a lot of time learning.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A teenager’s dream to care for others

     (B) How to find a job at a local hospital

     (C) The best ways to study biology and chemistry

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Healing the Team

Sixteen-year-old Maya loves spending her weekends at the local sports centre. Most of her friends are fantastic at playing football or basketball, but Maya prefers doing something else. She is very interested in how the human body works. Her dream is to become a physical therapist.

A physical therapist is a person who helps athletes when they have an injury. If a player hurts their arm or leg, the therapist gives them special exercises to get strong again. Maya decided she wanted to do this job last year when her best friend broke her foot during a big match.

To get ready for her future career, Maya is already learning a lot. She goes to all her school’s football matches. She does not play in the games, but she helps the team coach. She carries a first-aid bag, gives ice to players when they fall, and asks the team doctor lots of questions.

Next year, Maya is going to study biology and sports science at college. Some teenagers don’t know what to do when they leave school, but Maya’s plans are very clear. Last week, she visited a real sports clinic in her town. The therapists there showed her how they work, and Maya knew this was the perfect job for her.

1   What do we learn about Maya in the first paragraph?

     (A) She is fantastic at playing football or basketball.

     (B) She enjoys different activities than her classmates.

     (C) She spends her weekends learning to play sports.

2   Why did Maya choose to become a physical therapist?

     (A) She broke her foot during a big match.

     (B) Someone close to her got hurt in a game.

     (C) She needed special exercises to get strong again.

3   What does Maya do during the school football matches?

     (A) She asks the team coach lots of questions.

     (B) She plays in the games with a first-aid bag.

     (C) She supports the person who trains the team.

4   How did Maya feel after visiting the sports clinic?

     (A) She was sure about her choice of profession.

     (B) She did not know what to do when she left school.

     (C) She was happy to show the therapists how they work.

5   What is the best title for this article?

     (A) Playing football at the local sports centre

     (B) Getting ready to help injured athletes

     (C) How to do special exercises for your leg

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Emma’s Science Dream

Sixteen-year-old Emma has a very different hobby from her friends. While her classmates enjoy watching films or going to the shopping centre after school, Emma prefers staying at home with big biology books. She loves learning about the human body. Her biggest dream is to become a medical researcher and find new medicines for dangerous diseases.

Emma studies extremely hard in her science classes. Her favourite teacher, Mrs. Smith, knows about Emma’s dream. She often gives her special books from the university library. Sometimes the English words in the books are quite difficult, but Emma never gives up. She enjoys discovering how cells work and why people get sick.

Last month, Emma had an amazing experience. Her older cousin took her to visit a real science laboratory in the city. Emma met a friendly researcher who showed her how to use a large microscope. She looked at tiny cells and wrote lots of information in her notebook. She felt incredibly happy.

Next summer, Emma is going to attend a special science camp for teenagers. She knows she must get excellent marks in her exams to enter a good university. Studying to be a researcher takes many years of hard work, but Emma is ready. She cannot wait to put on a white coat and help sick people all over the world.

1   What does Emma like doing when she has free time?

     (A) reading about how the body works

     (B) going to the shopping centre with her classmates

     (C) finding new medicines for dangerous diseases

2   How does Mrs. Smith help Emma?

     (A) She translates the difficult English words for her.

     (B) She lends her extra materials to study.

     (C) She teaches her about dangerous diseases at the university.

3   What did Emma do during her visit to the laboratory?

     (A) She examined small items using a special tool.

     (B) She travelled to the city with a friendly researcher.

     (C) She showed her older cousin how to use a large microscope.

4   What is Emma planning to do next summer?

     (A) take part in an educational programme for young people

     (B) get excellent marks in her university exams

     (C) put on a white coat to help sick people everywhere

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A teenager’s preparations for a career in science

     (B) The best biology books for high school students

     (C) How to get a job in a city laboratory

Exercises:   12345