Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Office Environment, Tech & Automation

Exercises:   123456789101112

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Which person checks that all words are written correctly before sending?

     (A) David   (B) Emma   (C) Ali

2   Which person learned the right words to use at the beginning and finish of a message?

     (A) David   (B) Emma   (C) Ali

3   Which person tries to answer messages as fast as possible?

     (A) David   (B) Emma   (C) Ali

4   Which person writes emails that are not long?

     (A) David   (B) Emma   (C) Ali

5   Which person received advice about emails from someone at home?

     (A) David   (B) Emma   (C) Ali

6   Which person says it is bad to add pictures of faces to professional messages?

     (A) David   (B) Emma   (C) Ali

7   Which person was afraid to send a message to the manager?

     (A) David   (B) Emma   (C) Ali

Learning to Write Professional Emails

David

When I started my office job, writing to my team was hard. My main problem was I didn’t know how to say hello and goodbye perfectly. A course taught me the best phrases for opening and closing my notes. I also learned that office workers are very busy. Because of this, I make sure my text only has a few sentences. I never write a lot of details. I like to include a nice smiley face in messages to my friends, but I don’t do that at work. I don’t answer emails immediately because I only check my inbox twice a day.

Emma

Sending a message to other people in the company used to worry me. My mother is a businesswoman, so I asked her to show me what to do. She gave me some excellent tips! The best lesson she taught me was about making mistakes. Now, I always read my text carefully to find any wrong letters before I click ‘send’. It looks terrible if you don’t do that! My emails are sometimes quite long because I have to explain complex computer problems to my manager. Luckily, she is very friendly, so I always feel relaxed when I write to her.

Ali

I took an online class about business messages last month. During my first week at the office, I had to write to the head of our department. My hands were shaking because I was so scared! Now it is much easier. I always try to send a return message immediately so my team doesn’t have to wait. In my free time, I text my brothers and sisters using lots of silly symbols and faces. However, the teacher said we must only use words for work emails, so I stopped doing that. The computer fixes my spelling automatically, which is very helpful.

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Who says fixing one mistake sometimes makes a new problem?

     (A) Dan   (B) Anna   (C) Chris

2   Who asks a different person to check their work?

     (A) Dan   (B) Anna   (C) Chris

3   Who stops looking at the computer when they cannot find a mistake?

     (A) Dan   (B) Anna   (C) Chris

4   Who uses a special program to help them look for errors?

     (A) Dan   (B) Anna   (C) Chris

5   Who felt unhappy because a big problem was just a tiny spelling mistake?

     (A) Dan   (B) Anna   (C) Chris

6   Who says hearing something helps them feel relaxed while working?

     (A) Dan   (B) Anna   (C) Chris

7   Who worked until the evening was over to complete a job?

     (A) Dan   (B) Anna   (C) Chris

Finding Computer Bugs

Dan

Finding errors in a computer program is really hard work. Sometimes I spend hours trying to understand what is wrong. When I cannot see the error, I don’t ask my friends for help. Instead, I turn off my monitor, get up, and go for a walk outside. Fresh air always helps! I also never try to fix my code late at night because I am too tired. To keep my feelings calm while I am typing, I usually play some quiet classical songs. It really stops me from getting angry at my laptop!

Anna

I am creating a new game, and it has lots of problems! Yesterday, I had to stay at my desk until midnight to finish it before my class today. I couldn’t stop to rest at all! When I can’t find a bad instruction, I use a fantastic app that finds the wrong lines for me. If that doesn’t work, I invite a classmate to read my text. It is great to have another pair of eyes! I need a completely silent room to do this, so I never have the radio on.

Chris

The worst thing about writing software is that repairing one bad piece of code often breaks a completely different area! It is so annoying. I don’t have any clever programs to find my mistakes, so I have to read every single word myself. Last month, my program stopped working completely. I showed it to my teacher, but she didn’t know the answer either. Finally, after three days, I found the issue. I just forgot to type one small letter in a word! I was really mad that such a little thing caused so much trouble.

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Which person looks at things outside to rest their eyes?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Chloe   (C) Jason

2   Which person uses their phone to remind them to take a break?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Chloe   (C) Jason

3   Which person experiences pain if they stare at the screen for too long?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Chloe   (C) Jason

4   Which person moves their body when they step away from the computer?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Chloe   (C) Jason

5   Which person leaves their workspace to get a beverage?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Chloe   (C) Jason

6   Which person chats with other people at the office while resting?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Chloe   (C) Jason

7   Which person paid for an item to keep their eyes safe?

     (A) Ryan   (B) Chloe   (C) Jason

Taking Screen Breaks at Work

Ryan

I work on my laptop all day. If I forget to rest, my head aches and my eyes feel really sore by the afternoon. I don’t need my mobile to tell me to stop, though. When I stop typing for five minutes, I usually walk over to my team members and we discuss our weekend plans. I don’t leave my desk to get a drink because I always keep a bottle of water next to me. Last month, I spent some cash on some special glasses. They really help me look at the monitor safely!

Chloe

I stare at a computer all day to make digital art. To keep my sight healthy, I often stand up and watch the cars and trees through the glass. Every two hours, I walk down the hall to the staff kitchen to make a warm cup of tea. I usually do this alone, because my workmates are always too busy to talk! I wanted to buy special computer glasses to protect my eyes, but they cost too much. Luckily, taking short rests away from the screen is completely free.

Jason

I always forget to stop typing! So, I set a loud timer on my mobile. When it rings, I know it is time to close my laptop. My eyes never hurt, but I know regular screen breaks are important. I don’t look out of the window. Instead, I stand up and stretch my arms and legs. It makes my back feel great after sitting on a comfortable chair for hours. I drink a lot of coffee, but I have a machine on my desk so I don’t have to leave the room.

Exercises:   123456789101112