Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Household Chores & Family Duties

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Hard Lesson in the Laundry Room

Thirteen-year-old Lily loves fashion, and her favourite piece of clothing is a beautiful dark pink sweater. Usually, her mother washes all the family’s clothes at the weekend. However, last Saturday, her mum travelled to London to visit her aunt. Because of this, Lily had to use the washing machine for the first time.

Lily collected her pink sweater and her white school shirts. She put them all into the machine together. She wanted her clothes to smell nice and look extremely clean, so she added a large cup of washing soap. Then, she chose a programme with very hot water, turned the machine on, and went to watch television.

An hour later, the machine stopped making a noise. Lily opened the door and took her clothes out. Suddenly, she had a terrible shock. Her clean school shirts weren’t white anymore. They were bright pink! The hot water made the colour from her sweater change the other clothes.

When her mum came home, Lily felt quite worried, but her mum wasn’t angry. She explained that it is important to read the instructions on clothes. She also told Lily that she must always wash dark and light colours at different times. Now, Lily understands how to do laundry properly, and she is much more careful with her clothes.

1   Why did Lily use the washing machine last Saturday?

     (A) Her mother was away in another city.

     (B) She needed to wash her family’s clothes.

     (C) She wanted to travel to London to visit her aunt.

2   Why did Lily use a lot of soap?

     (A) She chose a programme with very hot water.

     (B) She wanted her items to be as clean as possible.

     (C) She had to put them all into the machine together.

3   What happened to Lily’s school shirts?

     (A) They stopped making a noise.

     (B) They became a completely different colour.

     (C) They changed the colour of her sweater.

4   What advice did Lily’s mum give her?

     (A) She should feel quite worried about her clothes.

     (B) She needs to clean dark and pale items separately.

     (C) She must read the instructions to her mum.

5   What is the best title for the text?

     (A) A useful lesson about washing clothes

     (B) How to buy a beautiful new sweater

     (C) Lily’s terrible trip to London

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Earning My Dream Bike

My name is Danny, and I am a fifteen-year-old high school student. Last month, I really wanted to buy a new bicycle. My parents give me a little pocket money every week, but it was not enough for the bike. I asked my dad for some extra cash.

My dad smiled and said he could help me, but I had to work for it. We made a special plan. Every Saturday, I had to cut the tall grass in our large garden. Then, on Sunday mornings, it was my job to clean his dirty car. He promised to give me ten pounds for each weekend I did these jobs.

The first weekend was quite difficult. Washing the car with a bucket of water was actually fun and fast. However, mowing the grass in the hot sun took a long time. My arms and legs ached when I finally finished. I wanted to stop, but I thought about the new bicycle.

After four weeks of hard work, I finally had enough money to buy my dream bike! When I rode it to school for the first time, I felt incredibly proud. I have decided to continue doing my weekend chores. Now, I am going to save my extra cash for a fun summer holiday trip with my friends.

1   Why did Danny speak to his father in the first paragraph?

     (A) He wanted to get a little pocket money every week.

     (B) He wanted to buy a new bicycle for his dad.

     (C) He needed more money to get something he wanted.

2   What was Danny’s agreement with his dad?

     (A) He needed to complete two tasks at the weekend to earn money.

     (B) He had to cut the tall grass on Sunday mornings.

     (C) He promised to give his dad ten pounds each weekend.

3   How did Danny feel about his chores during the first weekend?

     (A) He thought washing the car took a long time.

     (B) He found the work in the garden very tiring.

     (C) He wanted to stop thinking about the new bicycle.

4   What is Danny planning to do next?

     (A) He is going to buy his dream bike.

     (B) He will keep working to pay for a vacation.

     (C) He is going to ride it to school for the first time.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to Clean a Dirty Car

     (B) A Fun Summer Holiday Trip

     (C) Working Hard for What You Want

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Helping at Home

Many teenagers think that after a long day at school, they should just relax. They want to play video games or chat with friends online. However, I believe we should all spend some time doing chores to help our busy parents.

Last month, I watched my mum and dad come home from work. They looked really tired, but they immediately started cooking and cleaning. I felt a bit bad because I was just sitting on the sofa. So, the next day, I decided to make dinner before they returned.

I cooked a simple pasta dish. When my parents walked through the door, they couldn’t believe it. They were so surprised and happy! That day, I learned that doing chores is actually very useful. We all need to learn how to clean our clothes and cook healthy meals before we become adults and live on our own.

Now, I help around the house every day. Because I wash the dishes and take out the rubbish, my parents have more free time in the evenings. We often watch a movie or play a board game together. If you want to spend more fun time with your family, you should try helping out, too! Just start with something small.

1   What does the writer say most teenagers want to do after school?

     (A) have a rest and do fun activities

     (B) spend some time doing chores

     (C) go to work with their busy parents

2   Why did the writer decide to cook dinner last month?

     (A) He wanted to sit on the sofa.

     (B) His mum and dad told him to cook.

     (C) He felt sorry for his tired parents.

3   What does the writer think about doing chores?

     (A) It is difficult to cook a simple pasta dish.

     (B) It is good practice for when teenagers become adults.

     (C) It makes young people want to live on their own.

4   Because the writer helps at home now,

     (A) his parents have to wash the dishes in the evenings.

     (B) the family has more time to enjoy things together.

     (C) his parents ask him to start doing something small.

5   What is the main message of the blog post?

     (A) to encourage teenagers to do housework

     (B) to explain how to make a healthy dinner

     (C) to describe a fun board game for families

Exercises:   12345