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

Exercises:   123456789101112

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Who used the internet to understand computer languages?

     (A) Ben   (B) Lily   (C) Tom

2   Who says making the app look nice is the most fun part?

     (A) Ben   (B) Lily   (C) Tom

3   Who finds it hard to make the art and the instructions match?

     (A) Ben   (B) Lily   (C) Tom

4   Who gives their project to someone at home to check?

     (A) Ben   (B) Lily   (C) Tom

5   Who thinks having a program without mistakes is more important than beautiful pictures?

     (A) Ben   (B) Lily   (C) Tom

6   Who hopes to get an artist to help them in the future?

     (A) Ben   (B) Lily   (C) Tom

7   Who says writing the computer language is a quick job?

     (A) Ben   (B) Lily   (C) Tom

Developing a New App

Ben

I am making a new game for mobile phones. I didn’t take any lessons at school to learn how to write the software. Instead, I just viewed lots of short tutorials on my laptop to understand the instructions. For me, creating the shapes and deciding how the characters look is brilliant! It always makes me smile much more than typing lines of text all day. My best friend wants to pay a person to draw for his next project, but I love doing all the art myself.

Lily

Developing an app takes a lot of time. I really like painting the backgrounds, but putting the bright graphics together with the complex computer language always gives me a headache! The two sides of the job often do not fit together easily. Because it is so difficult, I never just put my software straight online. My older brother always plays with the game on his tablet in our living room to see if it is okay. If he finds an issue, I have to fix the text.

Tom

I prefer the mathematics of making software. While my classmates take weeks to write the background code, typing the numbers and logic is actually the fastest thing for me to do! I don’t use websites to learn new things; I just read thick books. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter if an app looks fantastic if it stops working. The program must be completely correct before I even think about adding colours! Next year, I plan to ask a creative student to join me so they can paint the characters for me.

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Which person bought a present for themselves to celebrate?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) David

2   Which person says they now work in a different place?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) David

3   Which person got their new job sooner than they thought?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) David

4   Which person had to work at the weekend to finish the project?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) David

5   Which person will be the manager of more staff now?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) David

6   Which person went out for a meal with their relatives?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) David

7   Which person felt extremely tired when the project finished?

     (A) Mark   (B) Sarah   (C) David

Getting a Promotion at Work

Mark

The last project was incredibly hard. I had to go to the office every Saturday and Sunday for a month! When we finally finished the work, I had completely lost all my energy. I just wanted to sleep! However, my manager was very happy and gave me a better role in the company. I didn’t go to a restaurant with my family to celebrate because I was too busy. Instead, I went shopping and got a beautiful new watch for myself. I am keeping my old desk, but the extra cash is wonderful.

Sarah

My team worked on a new computer system for our business. I was lucky because I didn’t work on my days off, but we stayed late every evening. When the manager called me into his office, I was so surprised. He offered me a higher position! I really didn’t think it would happen so quickly in my career. In my old role, I only helped two assistants. Next week, I will be in charge of twelve workers! I am not moving to another building, but my new job will certainly be very busy.

David

Our group completed a huge task for a very important customer. It was difficult, but I never felt too tired because I loved the work. Afterwards, the company gave me a fantastic promotion. Now, I don’t work in the town centre anymore. My daily journey is different because my new desk is in another building in the south of the city! To enjoy the good news, I took my wife and children to a wonderful pizza place. I didn’t buy any expensive gifts, but the delicious food was enough for me!

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Who says an app shouldn’t take a long time to learn?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

2   Who stopped using a program because it was confusing?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

3   Who thinks the words on the screen must be easy to read?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

4   Who believes an app is better when it has fewer choices?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

5   Who likes to use images instead of long sentences?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

6   Who gets their relatives to check if a program is simple to use?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

7   Who uses different colours to show people where to click?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

Designing Better Apps

Leo

I think making an app look good is all about keeping things simple. Some developers put twenty things on the screen, but I prefer software that only gives you two or three places to touch. If it is too busy, people get lost. Yesterday, I got a new game on my phone, but I couldn’t find the menu to start playing. I was so annoyed that I took it off my mobile immediately! I don’t ask my parents for help; if I can’t understand it, it’s just a bad design.

Maya

When I design a program, I focus on how the information looks. The letters on the page must be large and clear, or people will hurt their eyes trying to understand the message. I don’t use lots of pictures because I think a simple, well-written line of text is better. To help users know what to do next, I always make the most important buttons bright red or yellow. That way, nobody has to guess where to tap! I never delete an app just because it’s hard, but I prefer easy ones.

Sam

A really great app is one that you can pick up and play immediately. You shouldn’t have to spend a whole afternoon figuring out how it works! To make my apps easy, I usually put small photos and signs on the screen instead of writing long instructions. It is much faster for the brain to understand. I never show my new designs to my friends at school. Instead, I give my mobile to my grandparents. If they can use it without asking questions, I know the design is successful!

Exercises:   123456789101112