Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – School Subjects & Classroom Activities

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Tom’s Keyboard Challenge

Tom is a thirteen-year-old student. He loves his weekly music class at school. Usually, he plays the guitar, and he is quite good at it. However, last Tuesday, his teacher, Mr. Clark, told the students to use the keyboards. Tom felt a bit nervous because he had never played one before.

Mr. Clark gave them a special task. They had to learn a famous pop song called “Summer Days.” Reading the music was very difficult for Tom. His best friend, Emma, plays the piano at home, so she finished the song quickly. Tom, however, had a big problem using his left hand and his right hand at the same time. He started to feel angry.

Then, Mr. Clark walked over to Tom’s desk. He saw that Tom was having a bad time. He smiled and gave Tom some useful advice. He told him to play very slowly and to only use his right hand first. Tom tried this new way, and suddenly, the music sounded much better.

By the end of the lesson, Tom could play the first part of the song without any mistakes. He felt incredibly proud of himself. He didn’t know everything, but it was a great start. In fact, he enjoyed it so much that he is going to ask his parents to buy him a small keyboard for his birthday next month.

1   Why was Tom worried about the music class?

     (A) He didn’t know how to use the instrument.

     (B) He had to play the guitar.

     (C) He is usually quite good at it.

2   What do we learn about Tom’s friend, Emma?

     (A) She had a big problem using her left hand.

     (B) She started to feel angry.

     (C) She completed the teacher’s exercise in a short time.

3   How did Mr. Clark help Tom?

     (A) He told him he was having a bad time.

     (B) He advised him to try playing with just one hand.

     (C) He walked over to Tom’s desk to play the song fast.

4   How did Tom feel when the class finished?

     (A) He was sad because he didn’t know everything.

     (B) He was happy with what he achieved.

     (C) He was worried about making any mistakes.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to play the guitar

     (B) A successful music lesson

     (C) Buying a new birthday present

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Biology Poster

Last week, Sam’s biology teacher, Mr. Davis, gave the class a special homework project. The students had to work in small groups to make a large, colorful poster about rainforests. Sam was in a team with two of his classmates, Maya and Ben. Sam felt a bit nervous because he usually preferred doing homework alone.

On Wednesday afternoon, the group met at Maya’s house to start the project. They decided who was going to do each job. Ben is fantastic at art, so he drew the monkeys and birds. Maya used her laptop to look for interesting facts on the internet. Sam’s job was to write the information on the paper and paint the big green trees.

Everything was going well until Sam made a mistake. He wanted to clean his brush, but he knocked over a glass of water. Some water fell on the bottom of their poster! Sam felt terrible, but Maya wasn’t angry. She used scissors to cut the wet paper and said, “Now it looks like real grass!”

On Friday, it was time to show their work to the class. Mr. Davis loved the bright colors and thought the bottom of the poster looked very creative. He gave them the best mark in the class. Sam was so happy and learned that working with others can actually be a great experience.

1   How did Sam feel about the new homework at first?

     (A) He was worried because he didn’t like working with others.

     (B) He wanted to work in small groups.

     (C) He preferred doing homework with Mr. Davis.

2   What was Sam’s job for the project?

     (A) He used a laptop to look for interesting facts.

     (B) He drew the monkeys and birds.

     (C) He put words and colour on the paper.

3   What did Maya do after the water fell on the poster?

     (A) She got angry at Sam for making a mistake.

     (B) She changed the shape of the paper.

     (C) She told Sam to clean his brush.

4   Why did the teacher give the group a top grade?

     (A) He thought the design and painting were great.

     (B) He was happy they showed their work to the class.

     (C) He wanted to give them the best mark in the class.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A successful team project

     (B) The best biology teacher

     (C) How to paint a rainforest

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Speaking in Front of the Class

Meet Sarah. She is 14 years old. Tomorrow is a big day for her. She has to give a presentation in her history class. She must speak in front of thirty students. Usually, Sarah is a confident girl, but today her stomach hurts and she feels very nervous. She hates speaking while everyone is looking at her.

After school, she told her older brother, Tom, about her problem. Tom is at university and often has to speak in front of large groups. He told her a secret. “Everyone feels scared before they speak,” he said. “The best thing to do is practice.” He listened to Sarah read her presentation three times in the living room.

Tom also gave her a good idea. He said, “When you stand at the front of the classroom, don’t look at the students’ eyes. Look at the clock on the back wall, or look at your best friend.” Sarah’s best friend, Emma, always smiles and helps her feel relaxed.

The next morning, Sarah stood in front of the class. Her hands were shaking a little. She started to speak and looked at the clock. Then she looked at Emma, who smiled at her. Suddenly, it wasn’t so difficult. She spoke slowly and clearly. When she finished, the teacher said, “Excellent work, Sarah!” She felt so proud.

1   Why is Sarah feeling nervous today?

     (A) She has to talk while everyone is watching her.

     (B) She has thirty students in her history class.

     (C) She is usually not a confident girl.

2   How did Tom help his sister?

     (A) He spoke in front of a large group for her.

     (B) He heard her practice what she had to say.

     (C) He read her presentation in the living room.

3   Tom told Sarah that she should

     (A) look directly at the students’ eyes.

     (B) try to smile and feel relaxed.

     (C) look at a thing in the room or a friend.

4   What happened when Sarah spoke to the class?

     (A) She found it very difficult to speak.

     (B) Her hands were shaking until the end.

     (C) She spoke well and her teacher was pleased.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A difficult history exam

     (B) How to be confident every day

     (C) A successful presentation

Exercises:   12345