Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Recycling & Waste Management

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Teenager Who Turned Rubbish into Pencil Cases

Fourteen-year-old Jamie always cares a lot about the natural environment. Every single day at his high school, he saw his classmates throwing away hundreds of empty plastic bottles after they finished their lunch. He knew this was very bad for our planet, so he decided to do something highly useful with them.

One evening, Jamie watched an interesting video on the internet about recycling. It quickly gave him a brilliant idea. He started collecting all the empty plastic bottles from the large school bins. He washed them carefully in his kitchen at home, cut them in half with some scissors, and added colourful zips to the plastic. Suddenly, the dirty old rubbish became fantastic pencil cases!

When Jamie finally took his clever new invention to his classroom, his friends were completely amazed. Everyone wanted one immediately because they were so unusual. Jamie didn’t want to ask for money, so he gave them to his classmates for free. Soon, nearly every student in his year was keeping their daily school pens in Jamie’s special bottles.

Last week, Jamie’s science teacher saw the colourful pencil cases and was extremely impressed. He asked Jamie to start an after-school eco-club to teach other teenagers how to make them. Jamie feels incredibly proud of his successful project. Next term, he hopes to try making small sports bags from old clothes too.

1   Why did Jamie decide to start his recycling project?

     (A) He noticed other students leaving a lot of trash behind.

     (B) He was throwing away hundreds of empty plastic bottles.

     (C) He knew he was very bad for our planet.

2   How did Jamie get the idea for his new invention?

     (A) By collecting all the empty plastic bottles from the large school bins.

     (B) From a short online clip that he found about the topic.

     (C) He washed them carefully in his kitchen at home.

3   What did Jamie do with the things he made?

     (A) He handed them out to people without charging cash.

     (B) He wanted to ask for money.

     (C) He was keeping his daily school pens in Jamie’s special bottles.

4   What will Jamie do in the new school club?

     (A) Show other young people his special craft skills.

     (B) Try making small sports bags from old clothes too.

     (C) Make sure his science teacher was extremely impressed.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) Throwing away hundreds of empty plastic bottles

     (B) Making small sports bags from old clothes

     (C) The schoolboy who transformed plastic waste into useful items

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Cleaner School for Everyone

Fourteen-year-old Lily has always loved the environment. Every day after lunch, she walked through her secondary school playground and felt very sad. The grass was always full of plastic bottles, sweet wrappers, and empty chip packets. She decided she had to do something to change this and make her school cleaner.

Last month, she spoke to her head teacher about organizing a special event called ‘Zero Rubbish Day’. The head teacher thought it was a brilliant idea, but he said Lily must plan everything herself. So, Lily spent her whole weekend painting large, colourful posters. On Monday morning, she put them up in the library and all the classrooms.

When the special Friday finally arrived, the students did an amazing job. Nobody brought their sandwiches in plastic bags. Instead, everyone used small boxes that they could take home, wash, and use again. During the afternoon break, twenty of Lily’s classmates even wore gloves and helped her pick up the old rubbish from the grass.

The event was a huge success and the school playground looks much better now. The head teacher is so pleased that he wants to repeat the event every single month. Lily feels incredibly proud of her classmates. She hopes that teenagers at other schools will hear her story and start their own environmental days soon!

1   Why did Lily feel sad at her school?

     (A) There was too much waste on the ground.

     (B) She walked through her secondary school playground.

     (C) She decided she had to do something to change this.

2   What did the head teacher tell Lily?

     (A) He spent his whole weekend painting large, colourful posters.

     (B) She needed to organize the activity alone.

     (C) He put them up in the library and all the classrooms.

3   On ‘Zero Rubbish Day’, the students

     (A) brought their sandwiches in plastic bags.

     (B) washed their small boxes during the afternoon break.

     (C) carried their food in reusable containers.

4   What is going to happen in the future?

     (A) Teenagers at other schools will start their own environmental days soon.

     (B) The educational center will have this special day regularly.

     (C) The head teacher will feel incredibly proud of his classmates.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) The head teacher’s amazing environmental day

     (B) How to paint large, colourful posters

     (C) A student’s successful idea to clean up her school

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

From Rubbish to Art

Fifteen-year-old Oliver lives in a big city. Every morning, he walks to school. On his way, he often sees pieces of broken glass on the street. At first, he thought the glass was dangerous and ugly. Then, one day, he decided to do something about it. He bought some thick gloves and started bringing the pieces home safely.

In his bedroom, Oliver washes the glass carefully. After that, he uses bright colours to paint the pieces and puts them together to make beautiful pictures of animals and flowers. His mother sometimes complains because his desk is always messy, but his art teacher thinks his work is fantastic.

Last month, Oliver’s school had an art competition. He decided to enter his favourite piece, a picture of a blue bird made of glass. When he arrived at the competition, he felt a bit worried. Most of his classmates just painted normal pictures with watercolours. He thought nobody would like his unusual art.

However, the judges loved it, and Oliver won first prize! Now, people in his town often ask him to make special glass pictures for their houses. Oliver feels incredibly happy. He is making his city cleaner and creating beautiful things at the same time.

1   Why did Oliver start collecting broken glass?

     (A) He thought the glass was beautiful.

     (B) He wanted to solve a problem he saw.

     (C) He needed to buy some thick gloves.

2   What do we learn about Oliver’s mother?

     (A) She doesn’t like his untidy desk.

     (B) She washes the glass carefully for him.

     (C) She thinks his work is fantastic.

3   How did Oliver feel at the art competition?

     (A) He felt a bit worried about using watercolours.

     (B) He was unhappy because he painted a normal picture.

     (C) He was afraid people wouldn’t enjoy his work.

4   What is Oliver doing now?

     (A) He is buying special glass pictures for his house.

     (B) He is creating artwork for local residents.

     (C) He is giving first prize to people in his town.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to win a school art competition

     (B) The dangers of broken street glass

     (C) Turning city rubbish into beautiful art

Exercises:   12345