Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Music, Arts & Creative Hobbies
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Who Studies with Mozart
Fifteen-year-old Emma usually gets a lot of homework from her teachers. Last term, she had a big problem. It was very difficult for her to concentrate on her books. Her house was always noisy because her younger brother loved playing loud video games, and her parents enjoyed watching television in the living room.
One day, Emma’s music teacher gave her some advice. He told her to listen to classical music while she studied. At first, Emma wasn’t sure. She thought that kind of music was only for old people. However, she decided to find some famous songs by Mozart on her mobile phone and put her headphones on.
Emma was completely surprised by what happened next. The slow, quiet sounds helped her relax immediately. She didn’t hear her brother’s games at all, and she finished her difficult maths project in just forty minutes! After a few weeks of doing this, Emma noticed that her marks in school tests were getting much better.
Now, Emma never studies without her headphones. She actually loves classical music and listens to it every evening. Next month, she is going to buy tickets for a real classical concert in her town. She hopes she can invite her best friends to go with her, so they can experience the beautiful music too.
1 Why did Emma find it hard to do her schoolwork?
(A) Her family was making too much sound.
(B) She loved playing loud video games.
(C) She enjoyed watching television in the living room.
2 What did Emma think about classical music at first?
(A) She believed it was only for elderly adults.
(B) She wanted to find some famous songs by Mozart.
(C) She wanted to put her headphones on.
3 What happened when Emma listened to the new music?
(A) She was able to do her school tasks much faster.
(B) She wanted to hear her brother’s games at all.
(C) She had to do a difficult maths project in just forty minutes.
4 What is Emma planning to do next month?
(A) Go to a live musical performance.
(B) Listen to it every evening.
(C) Never study without her headphones.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The teenager who used tunes to study better
(B) Playing loud video games in the living room
(C) How to buy tickets for a real classical concert
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Star on the Stage
Fourteen-year-old Charlie has always loved watching movies in his free time. However, he was usually a very quiet boy at school. Last month, his favourite teacher, Mr Harris, invited him to join the school drama class. Mr Harris thought it was a great way for Charlie to make new friends. Charlie was nervous, but he decided to try it.
In the beginning, Charlie found the classes quite difficult. He had to learn how to speak loudly and stand in front of other people. The class started practising for a play about an old castle. Charlie got a very small part as a guard. He read his lines every night in his bedroom so he wouldn’t forget them.
Then, just a week before the show, something terrible happened. The boy who was playing the king got sick. Mr Harris needed someone else for the main part. Because Charlie always listened carefully during the classes, he knew all the king’s lines. He offered to do it, and the teacher said yes.
On the night of the play, Charlie’s parents sat in the front row. When Charlie walked onto the stage, he didn’t feel shy at all. He remembered every word, and the crowd clapped loudly at the end. Now, Charlie loves acting, and he hopes to go to drama college in the future.
1 Why did Charlie join the drama class?
(A) An instructor believed it would help him meet people.
(B) He wanted to spend his free time watching movies.
(C) He was usually a very quiet boy at school.
2 What was Charlie’s first role in the play?
(A) An old castle.
(B) A soldier who didn’t have to say much.
(C) Someone who stays in his bedroom.
3 How did Charlie get the most important part?
(A) He was the boy who got sick before the show.
(B) He always listened carefully to the king.
(C) He already remembered the words for the character.
4 How did Charlie feel during the performance?
(A) He wanted to sit in the front row with his parents.
(B) He wasn’t afraid to act in front of the crowd.
(C) He felt shy at all when he walked onto the stage.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) From a quiet teenager to a confident actor
(B) How to make new friends at your school
(C) The boy who got sick before a school play
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Taking the Perfect Picture
Fourteen-year-old Sam never thought much about photography. Like most teenagers, he usually just used his smartphone to take quick pictures of his lunch or his friends. But everything changed last month when his uncle gave him an old digital camera for his birthday. At first, it stayed in its box, but one afternoon, Sam decided to try it.
He started by going into the garden and photographing trees and flowers. However, he soon felt that pictures of plants were a bit boring. He realised that he preferred looking at faces. So, he asked his family members to sit for him so he could take their portraits.
It wasn’t as easy as he thought. His little sister, Lily, never stopped moving, so all the pictures of her were terrible. Sam had to learn to be very patient. He asked his grandfather to sit in a comfortable chair near the window. The light was perfect, and Sam took an amazing photograph of him reading a book.
When Sam showed the portrait to his family, everyone loved it. His grandfather even put it in a frame on his bedroom wall. Now, Sam takes his camera everywhere. He wants to do a short photography course during the summer holidays to learn more. He hopes to be a professional photographer one day.
1 Why did Sam start using a real camera?
(A) He wanted to take quick pictures of his lunch.
(B) He bought an old digital camera for his birthday.
(C) He received one as a gift from a relative.
2 Why did Sam decide to take pictures of his family?
(A) He wanted to photograph trees and flowers.
(B) He thought that nature was uninteresting.
(C) He went into the garden to look at faces.
3 What was the problem when Sam photographed Lily?
(A) She sat in a comfortable chair.
(B) She didn’t stay in one place.
(C) She was reading a book.
4 What does Sam plan to do in the summer holidays?
(A) Put his photos in a frame on his bedroom wall.
(B) Take his camera everywhere with his grandfather.
(C) Go to some classes to get better at his hobby.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to use an old digital camera
(B) A teenager’s new favourite hobby
(C) The best photography course for teenagers
ANSWER KEY
1 C 2 B 3 B 4 C 5 B