Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – School Rules & Problems
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Terrible Week of Mornings
Fourteen-year-old Jamie is a good student, but he always finds mornings very difficult. Last week, he had a terrible time. On Monday, he stayed up until midnight playing a new video game. Because of this, he didn’t hear his alarm clock in the morning. He missed the school bus and arrived twenty minutes after the lesson started.
On Wednesday, Jamie really wanted to be on time. He got up early and left the house quickly. However, while he was riding his bicycle to school, he got a flat tyre. He had to walk the rest of the way, pushing his heavy bike. When he finally walked into the classroom, his maths teacher, Mr. Green, looked very annoyed.
Then, Friday was a complete disaster. It was raining heavily, and Jamie couldn’t find his winter coat. He looked everywhere in his bedroom for it. By the time he found it under his bed, the bus was already gone. This was his third time arriving late to school in just one week.
During the lunch break, the headteacher asked Jamie to come to her office. She told him that his behaviour was unacceptable and gave him a letter for his parents. Jamie felt extremely embarrassed about the situation. That evening, he packed his school bag before bed and set two different alarm clocks. He knows he must change his morning routine!
1 Why was Jamie late for his class on Monday?
(A) He was playing a new video game in the morning.
(B) He didn’t wake up early enough to catch his transport.
(C) He arrived twenty minutes before the lesson started.
2 What caused Jamie’s delay on Wednesday?
(A) He got up early and left the house quickly.
(B) His maths teacher, Mr. Green, looked very annoyed.
(C) Something broke while he was travelling to school.
3 What happened to Jamie on Friday?
(A) He spent too long searching for a piece of clothing.
(B) He looked everywhere in his bedroom but couldn’t find it.
(C) He left his heavy winter coat under the school bus.
4 What did Jamie do after his meeting with the headteacher?
(A) He gave a letter to his parents during the lunch break.
(B) He got his things ready for school the night before.
(C) He asked the headteacher to come to his office.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The boy who couldn’t arrive on time
(B) How to fix a heavy bicycle
(C) A letter from the maths teacher
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 C 3 A 4 B 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Great Speech About Uniforms
Fourteen-year-old Alex is a member of his school’s debate club. Every Friday afternoon, the students meet to discuss important topics. Yesterday, the teacher chose an interesting subject: school uniforms. Most teenagers in the room hate wearing their dark blue trousers and white shirts. However, Alex actually believes that uniforms are a very good idea.
When it was his turn to speak, Alex stood up. First, he explained that uniforms save a lot of time in the mornings. Before he came to this school, he never knew what to put on. He often spent twenty minutes choosing his clothes. Now, he can get ready in five minutes. He also told the club that uniforms are much cheaper for parents than buying expensive fashion brands.
Then, Alex talked about how students feel. He said that when everyone wears the exact same clothes, nobody feels different or poor. In the past, some students laughed at children who didn’t have the newest trainers. Now, everyone looks equal, so this bad behaviour doesn’t happen very often.
When the debate finished, the teacher asked the students to vote. Alex was quite nervous. To his surprise, many of his classmates changed their minds and agreed with him. They decided that uniforms are actually quite useful. Alex felt extremely proud of his speech and went home with a big smile on his face.
1 What is Alex’s opinion about school clothes?
(A) He thinks they are a positive thing.
(B) He hates wearing dark blue trousers.
(C) He feels they are an interesting subject.
2 According to Alex, wearing a uniform means he
(A) spends twenty minutes choosing his clothes.
(B) can get dressed much faster now.
(C) has to buy expensive fashion brands.
3 What was the problem before the school had uniforms?
(A) Some teenagers made fun of other people’s shoes.
(B) Children wanted to wear the exact same clothes.
(C) Students laughed at the newest trainers.
4 Why was Alex surprised after the vote?
(A) The teacher asked the students to vote.
(B) He felt extremely proud of his speech.
(C) Lots of people shared his point of view.
5 What is the best title for the text?
(A) A successful argument for uniforms
(B) Why students hate the debate club
(C) How to buy the newest trainers
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 A 4 C 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Difficult PE Lesson
Tom is fourteen years old and usually loves Wednesdays because he has his physical education (PE) class. But last Wednesday was terrible. He woke up very late and had to eat his breakfast quickly. He ran to catch the school bus and completely forgot to take the bag with his sports clothes.
When Tom arrived at school, he opened his backpack to get his math book. Suddenly, he realized his mistake. His sports bag wasn’t there! He felt extremely embarrassed because he always plays football with his friends during PE. He didn’t want to tell his classmates that he forgot his things.
Later that morning, it was time for the PE lesson. The sports teacher, Mr. Jones, asked the students to go to the sports hall. When he saw Tom in his normal school uniform, he asked him where his clothes were. Tom’s face went red, and he quietly explained the problem.
Mr. Jones wasn’t angry, but he told Tom he couldn’t play football. Instead, Tom had to sit on a bench and write the score of the game. It was a very boring lesson for him while his friends had a great time. That evening, Tom decided to always pack his school bag the night before. He never wants to feel that embarrassed again!
1 Why was last Wednesday a bad day for Tom?
(A) He left his sports clothes at home.
(B) He had a physical education class.
(C) He missed the school bus in the morning.
2 How did Tom feel when he looked inside his backpack?
(A) glad that he found his math book
(B) uncomfortable about what his friends might think
(C) angry because he couldn’t play football
3 What did Tom do when Mr. Jones spoke to him?
(A) He went back to the sports hall.
(B) He changed into his normal school uniform.
(C) He told the teacher why he didn’t have his things.
4 During the PE lesson, Tom
(A) did a different activity from his classmates.
(B) had a great time sitting on a bench.
(C) played a very boring game of football.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A difficult PE lesson
(B) The sports teacher who was very angry
(C) How to win a school football match
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 A 5 A