Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Lost Pets & Unexpected Events

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Surprising Discovery in the Hall

Ten-year-old Leo has a small, golden hamster called Barnaby. Barnaby is a very active pet. He loves running in his wheel at night and exploring Leo’s bedroom. Sometimes, Barnaby manages to open his cage door and climb out, but Leo always finds him quickly under the bed or behind the curtains.

Last Saturday morning, however, things were different. When Leo woke up, he saw that the cage door was wide open, but Barnaby wasn’t inside. Leo felt extremely worried. He spent an hour looking on his desk and moving all his toys, but the hamster was not there.

Leo asked his parents to help him. Together, they looked everywhere in the living room and the kitchen. They even looked inside the cupboards! His dad said, “Maybe he ran out into the garden.” But it was December and there was a lot of snow outside. Leo was so sad that he started to cry.

In the afternoon, Leo’s mum asked him to go to the supermarket with her. Leo went into the hall to put on his heavy winter coat. When he put his hand inside the left pocket, he felt something warm and soft. It was Barnaby! The hamster was sleeping quietly. Leo was incredibly happy, and now he always checks that the cage is locked.

1   What does Leo usually do when his pet escapes?

     (A) He loves running in his wheel at night.

     (B) He easily discovers where the animal is hiding.

     (C) He manages to open his cage door.

2   Why was Leo worried on Saturday morning?

     (A) He spent an hour looking on his desk.

     (B) His small animal was not inside its home.

     (C) He was moving all his toys.

3   What did Leo’s dad think about the lost pet?

     (A) They needed to look everywhere in the living room.

     (B) The hamster possibly went outside the house.

     (C) There was a lot of snow outside.

4   Where was Barnaby at the end of the story?

     (A) at the supermarket with her

     (B) inside a piece of cold-weather clothing

     (C) sleeping quietly in the kitchen cupboards

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A strange trip to the supermarket

     (B) The boy who lost his winter coat

     (C) A safe and warm hiding place

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Best Sound in the Engine

My name is Tom and I am sixteen years old. I really love cars, and I am finally learning to drive. Last weekend, my father asked me to wash his old car. It was inside our dark garage, so I opened the door to get some light. I took a large bowl of warm water and started cleaning the windows.

After ten minutes, I stopped my work because I heard a very strange sound. It was quite low, but it sounded like an animal crying. I walked around the car, but I couldn’t see anything on the floor. Then, I understood that the noise was coming from the front of the car, right where the engine is.

I felt a bit nervous, but I slowly opened the front of the car. I looked inside the dirty engine carefully. Suddenly, I saw two big green eyes looking at me. It was a tiny grey kitten! It was very frightened and had black oil all over its face. I spoke to it softly and gently picked it up.

I carried the dirty little animal into the kitchen to show my parents. My mother immediately gave it a warm bath and some milk. We couldn’t find the owner, so we decided to keep the little cat. I named him Motor. Cleaning that car was the best chore ever because I found a wonderful new friend!

1   What was Tom doing in the garage?

     (A) He was completing a job for his father.

     (B) He was learning to drive a car.

     (C) He was getting a large bowl of water.

2   When Tom heard the unusual sound, he first

     (A) looked outside the car to find the animal.

     (B) stopped his work for ten minutes.

     (C) saw something crying on the floor.

3   What did Tom discover inside the engine?

     (A) a baby cat that was very dirty

     (B) some black oil on his hands

     (C) two big green eyes looking at the car

4   What happened to the kitten after Tom brought it inside?

     (A) It stayed to live with Tom and his family.

     (B) Its owner came to the kitchen to get it.

     (C) It immediately had a warm bath in a large bowl.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A surprising discovery in an old car

     (B) How to wash an engine with warm water

     (C) A teenager’s difficult driving lesson

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Lucky Rescue for Bella

Fourteen-year-old Mia was walking home from school on a cold Tuesday afternoon. Suddenly, she saw a dog on the street. It wasn’t a normal street dog. It had beautiful, clean white hair and a shiny silver collar. Mia knew it was an expensive pet. The dog was walking slowly and looking around. It was completely alone.

Mia walked quietly towards the dog. It didn’t run away. She looked at the shiny silver collar and saw a small tag with the name “Bella” and a phone number. Mia wanted to call the owner immediately, but her mobile phone battery was dead. Because her house was only five minutes away, she decided to take Bella home with her.

When Mia opened her front door, her mother was very surprised. Mia quickly explained the situation and gave her mother the phone number. Her mother called the number immediately. A woman answered the phone. She was crying because she couldn’t find her dog after they went to the local park together.

Twenty minutes later, a woman arrived at Mia’s house to collect Bella. She was so happy to see her pet again. She thanked Mia and gave her a large box of expensive chocolates. Mia was 

very glad that she decided to help the beautiful dog that afternoon.

1   What did Mia think about the dog when she first saw it?

     (A) She thought it was a normal street dog.

     (B) She thought it cost a lot of money.

     (C) She thought it was walking slowly and looking around.

2   Why couldn’t Mia phone Bella’s owner on the street?

     (A) She wanted to call the owner immediately.

     (B) Her house was only five minutes away.

     (C) Her device was not working.

3   How did the woman feel when Mia’s mother called?

     (A) She was very surprised.

     (B) She was extremely sad.

     (C) She went to the local park together.

4   What did the woman do when she met Mia?

     (A) She decided to help the beautiful dog.

     (B) She brought Mia something sweet to eat.

     (C) She collected a large box of expensive chocolates.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) Mia’s expensive new pet

     (B) A walk in the local park

     (C) A safe return for a lost dog

Exercises:   12345