Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Science, Environment & Research

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Oliver’s Forest Dream

Fifteen-year-old Oliver has a very different dream from his classmates. While his friends spend their weekends going to the cinema or playing video games, Oliver prefers to be outdoors. His biggest ambition is to get a job at a national park. He really wants to protect the forest and stop people from cutting down old trees.

To prepare for his future career, Oliver volunteers at a local nature reserve every Sunday. He doesn’t just pick up dangerous rubbish or clean the paths. His favourite job is planting small trees and learning how to look after them. He also spends a lot of time reading thick books about the environment because he wants to know everything about plants.

Last month, Oliver heard some bad news. A building company wanted to cut down a very old, beautiful tree near his school to make a new car park. Oliver was worried, so he decided to write a letter to the local newspaper. He asked the people in his town to help him save the tree.

In the end, everyone agreed to keep the tree, and the company built the car park somewhere else. Oliver felt amazing because he made a real difference. Next year, he is going to study environmental science at college. He knows it will take many years of hard work to become a park ranger, but he is excited to start his journey.

1   What does Oliver want to do in the future?

     (A) cut down old trees in a national park

     (B) keep ancient trees safe from being destroyed

     (C) go to the cinema or play video games

2   What does Oliver enjoy doing most at the nature reserve?

     (A) putting new trees into the ground

     (B) picking up dangerous rubbish

     (C) cleaning the paths every Sunday

3   Why did Oliver write a letter to the newspaper?

     (A) to tell a building company to make a new car park

     (B) to share some bad news about his school

     (C) to ask his town for help to protect an old tree

4   What does Oliver understand about his future career?

     (A) He will build a car park somewhere else.

     (B) He must put a lot of effort in for a long time.

     (C) He can become a park ranger next year.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A teenager’s plan to protect nature

     (B) How to plant trees at a nature reserve

     (C) The best national park for old trees

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Cleaner, Greener Future

Sixteen-year-old Maya loves science more than anything. While her friends spend their free time reading about fashion or playing sports, Maya prefers looking at chemistry books. She has a very clear idea for her future career. She wants to be a chemist, but she doesn’t want to make medicines. She wants to create cleaning products that are safe for the environment.

Last year, Maya noticed something in her home. Her parents always bought strong liquids to clean the kitchen and bathroom. These liquids smelled bad and had dangerous chemicals in them. Maya decided to make something better. She spent her weekends mixing natural things, like lemon juice and vinegar, in her garage.

After a few weeks, she finally made a fantastic cleaning spray. It worked perfectly! Her parents were very surprised. They completely stopped buying the expensive bottles from the supermarket and only used Maya’s natural cleaner. Soon, a few neighbours heard about it and asked Maya to make some for them, too.

Next year, Maya is going to study chemistry at college. She knows that learning about science takes a long time, but she is excited. Her dream is to open her own company and sell her eco-friendly products all over the country. Her family thinks her business will be very successful.

1   What do we learn about Maya in the first paragraph?

     (A) Her hobbies are completely different from her friends’ interests.

     (B) She wants to make medicines as her future career.

     (C) She spends her free time reading about fashion.

2   Why did Maya start making her own cleaning liquids?

     (A) Her parents spent their weekends mixing natural things.

     (B) She disliked the bad things her family used to wash the house.

     (C) She needed to clean the kitchen and bathroom.

3   What happened after Maya finished making her new spray?

     (A) Her parents bought expensive bottles from the supermarket.

     (B) A few neighbours were very surprised by it.

     (C) Her mother and father preferred it to the shop versions.

4   What does Maya plan to do next year?

     (A) Get an education to help her build her future business.

     (B) Open her own company to sell eco-friendly products.

     (C) Travel all over the country to learn about science.

5   What is the best title for this article?

     (A) How to clean your kitchen and bathroom

     (B) A young scientist who wants to help nature

     (C) The best chemistry college in the country

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Harry’s Earth-Shaking Dream

Fifteen-year-old Harry has a very unusual hobby. While his classmates enjoy playing video games or going to the sports centre, Harry prefers spending time outdoors. He loves looking at different rocks and learning about the ground we walk on. His biggest dream is to become a geologist when he finishes school.

Harry is especially interested in earthquakes. He knows that when the ground shakes, it can be very dangerous for people in towns and cities. He wants to study how the earth moves so he can help engineers build stronger, safer buildings. He hopes his future work will protect families and save many lives.

Last year, Harry had an amazing experience. His grandfather took him to a big science museum in the capital city. Harry did not want to visit the space or animal rooms. Instead, he spent hours looking at a special machine that measures earthquakes. He even talked to a real scientist there, who told Harry to study hard in geography and maths.

Next summer, Harry is going to travel to the mountains on a special school trip. He wants to collect new rocks and practice his skills outdoors. He knows that becoming a geologist takes many years of hard work at university, but he is ready. He cannot wait to travel the world and keep people safe from dangerous earthquakes.

1   What does Harry enjoy doing when he is not at school?

     (A) learning about the earth and finding rocks

     (B) going to the sports centre with his classmates

     (C) playing video games outdoors

2   Why does Harry want to study earthquakes?

     (A) to help create secure structures for people

     (B) to shake the ground in dangerous towns and cities

     (C) to get a job building houses as an engineer

3   What did Harry do at the science museum?

     (A) He examined equipment that checks the earth’s movement.

     (B) He spent a lot of time visiting the space and animal rooms.

     (C) He showed a real scientist his geography and maths work.

4   What is Harry planning to do next summer?

     (A) go to the mountains with his classmates and teachers

     (B) spend many years doing hard work at university

     (C) travel all over the world to keep people safe

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A teenager’s plans for an important science career

     (B) How to build stronger and safer buildings in the city

     (C) The best science museums to visit in the capital city

Exercises:   12345