Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Special Events & Competitions

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A brilliant day at the science fair

Leo, a fourteen-year-old student, loves learning about technology. Every year, his school has a big science fair, and this time Leo wanted to enter. He spent two months building a small robot that could find and pick up plastic rubbish. On the morning of the fair, he felt quite worried because there were many fantastic projects in the school hall.

At midday, three science teachers walked around the hall to look at the projects. When they arrived at Leo’s table, his robot worked perfectly and collected all the plastic bottles. However, Leo still felt unsure. His classmate, Sarah, made an amazing volcano, and he thought she might be the winner.

In the afternoon, all the students waited quietly for the results. The headteacher stood on the stage and finally opened a gold envelope. When he called Leo’s name for the first prize, Leo couldn’t believe it. He was so excited that he jumped high in the air and shouted with joy. All his friends clapped and smiled.

The headteacher gave Leo a beautiful medal and a brilliant book about space travel. Leo felt incredibly proud of his hard work. Now, he wants to read his new book quickly. He is also planning to study engineering at university when he is older so he can build bigger robots!

1   What is true about Leo’s project?

     (A) It was the most fantastic project in the school hall.

     (B) It took him several weeks to finish his machine.

     (C) It was designed to find and pick up technology.

2   Why did Leo think he might not win the competition?

     (A) He believed another student had a better idea.

     (B) Three science teachers walked around the hall.

     (C) His robot collected all the plastic bottles.

3   What did Leo do when he heard the results?

     (A) He opened a gold envelope on the stage.

     (B) He waited quietly for the results.

     (C) He made a loud noise and moved upwards.

4   What do we learn about Leo in the last paragraph?

     (A) He wants to learn about journeys to other planets soon.

     (B) He is going to study engineering at university now.

     (C) He gave a beautiful medal to the headteacher.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to build bigger robots at university

     (B) A teenager’s very successful science project

     (C) The best way to pick up plastic rubbish

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Very Special Race

Thirteen-year-old Toby loves running more than any other sport. Every year, his high school has a sports day in the summer. Toby is usually one of the fastest boys in his class. However, he often feels a bit sad on sports day because his parents are always busy at work. But this year, they promised to come and watch him.

On Friday morning, Toby arrived at the large sports field with his classmates. He looked everywhere for his mum and dad. He saw the parents of his best friend, Leo, standing near the teachers. Toby couldn’t see his parents anywhere. He started to worry that they had an important meeting at the office.

At eleven o’clock, it was time for Toby’s big event, the 200-metre race. He stood on the grass and waited for the teacher to start the competition. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice shouting his name. Toby looked up and saw his parents! His mum was waving her bright red hat. All his worries disappeared, and he felt full of energy.

Toby ran as fast as he could. He didn’t come first, but he crossed the finish line in second place. He wasn’t upset about losing the gold medal. His parents ran over to him and gave him a huge hug. Toby felt incredibly proud of himself. It was definitely the best sports day he ever had!

1   Why does Toby normally feel sad on school sports day?

     (A) His mother and father are not able to be there.

     (B) He is usually one of the fastest boys in his class.

     (C) They promised to come and watch him this year.

2   When Toby arrived at the sports field, he

     (A) had an important meeting at the office.

     (B) was standing near the teachers with Leo.

     (C) couldn’t find the people he was looking for.

3   Just before the competition began, Toby

     (A) noticed that his family had actually arrived.

     (B) started waving a bright red hat on the grass.

     (C) was shouting his name in a familiar voice.

4   What do we learn about Toby at the end of the story?

     (A) He was upset about losing the gold medal.

     (B) He was extremely satisfied with his performance.

     (C) He ran over to his parents and gave them a huge hug.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) The fastest boys in the class

     (B) How to win the gold medal

     (C) A memorable day for a young runner

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Spelling Competition

Fourteen-year-old Anna stood quietly on the big stage in her school hall. She looked at the hundreds of people in the audience and felt completely terrified. Her hands were shaking slightly, and her heart was beating very fast. It was the final round of the national spelling competition, and she was the youngest student there.

Anna prepared for this important day for three months. Every evening after dinner, her parents sat with her at the kitchen table. They read long lists of difficult words, and Anna practiced spelling them. At home, she always felt confident and rarely made mistakes. However, standing under the bright lights of the stage felt completely different.

Suddenly, the main judge looked at Anna and called her name. He asked her to spell the word “environment”. Anna took a deep breath. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to remember her practice sessions. She knew she couldn’t use a pen or paper, so she had to see the letters in her head.

Very slowly, Anna opened her mouth and began to speak. She said every letter clearly into the microphone. When she finished, the hall was silent. Then, the judge smiled warmly and said, “That is absolutely correct!” The audience started clapping loudly. Anna’s fear disappeared immediately, and she finally smiled. She knew she was ready for the next round.

1   How did Anna feel at the beginning of the story?

     (A) quiet because she was the youngest student

     (B) extremely afraid of the large crowd of people

     (C) fast because she was in the final round

2   How did Anna prepare for the competition?

     (A) She made lots of mistakes at the kitchen table.

     (B) She studied spelling with her mother and father.

     (C) She stood under the bright lights every evening.

3   What did Anna do when she heard her word?

     (A) She asked the main judge to call her name.

     (B) She used a pen or paper to write it down.

     (C) She pictured the spelling in her mind.

4   How did Anna feel at the end of the text?

     (A) She was angry because the hall was silent.

     (B) She was absolutely correct about the microphone.

     (C) She stopped being nervous and felt prepared.

5   What is the best title for the text?

     (A) A frightening but successful moment

     (B) How to spell long words correctly

     (C) Anna’s terrible mistake on stage

Exercises:   12345