Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Sports, Fitness & Athletics

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Learning to Love Tennis

My name is Charlie and I am thirteen years old. I always played football with my friends, but a few months ago, I wanted to try something new. I decided to start playing tennis. At first, I didn’t understand the game at all because the rules seemed very strange.

In the beginning, the points system was the most difficult thing for me to learn. My coach, Mr Davis, explained that you don’t count points like one, two, three. Instead, you say fifteen, thirty, and forty. He also showed me the white lines on the court and taught me where the ball has to land. I had to listen carefully.

Now, I understand the game well and I play in matches every Saturday morning. Sometimes I win, and sometimes I lose, but it doesn’t matter. I just love running fast and hitting the yellow ball as hard as I can. My parents and my little sister always come to the sports club to watch me.

Next summer, I am going to enter a local tennis tournament. I am practising a lot for it. My old tennis racket is quite heavy, so I hope to get a new one for my birthday next month. I can definitely say that tennis is the best sport in the world!

1   Why did Charlie start playing tennis?

     (A) He wanted to play football with his friends.

     (B) He wanted to learn some strange rules.

     (C) He was looking for a new activity to do.

2   What does Charlie say about learning the game?

     (A) Understanding the points took a lot of effort.

     (B) His coach told him to count one, two, three.

     (C) Mr Davis painted the white lines on the court.

3   How does Charlie feel about his Saturday matches?

     (A) He only enjoys the game when he wins.

     (B) He goes to the sports club to watch his family.

     (C) He has fun whether he is the winner or not.

4   What is Charlie hoping to do soon?

     (A) play in a local tennis tournament next month

     (B) receive a lighter racket for his birthday

     (C) buy a heavy tennis racket

5   What is the main reason Charlie wrote this text?

     (A) to teach readers how to score in tennis

     (B) to describe his experience of learning a sport

     (C) to explain why his family comes to the sports club

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Teenager Who Started a Local Sports Event

Fifteen-year-old Tom loves playing football. During the summer holidays, he noticed that most of the students in his neighbourhood preferred to stay indoors. They spent hours sitting on the sofa and playing video games. Tom wanted to get his friends outside, so he decided to plan a friendly football competition for the local teenagers.

First, Tom needed to do a lot of work. He designed some colourful posters and put them in the local supermarket. Then, he spoke to his school sports teacher to ask for some useful advice. After that, he visited a few small shops in his town to ask for help. A kind shop owner gave him free bottles of water and healthy snacks for the players.

When the weekend of the tournament arrived, the weather was quite cloudy, but luckily it didn’t rain. Six different teams from the neighbourhood came to the big park to play. Everyone ran fast and tried their best to win. It was a really exciting day, and nobody got hurt.

Now, Tom feels extremely tired but very proud of his project. The local teenagers had a fantastic time and they don’t want to stay inside anymore. They are already asking him about the next competition. Next spring, Tom hopes to organize an even bigger football event and invite students from other towns to play.

1   Why did Tom decide to plan the competition?

     (A) He hoped to make young people leave their houses.

     (B) He preferred to stay indoors during the holidays.

     (C) He spent hours sitting on the sofa and playing video games.

2   What did Tom do to prepare for the matches?

     (A) He put the players in the local supermarket.

     (B) He visited his school sports teacher in a small shop.

     (C) He got food and drinks for the teams without paying.

3   What happened on the weekend of the tournament?

     (A) The weather was quite cloudy, so it rained.

     (B) The players had a great time and remained safe.

     (C) The six different teams from the neighbourhood got hurt.

4   What does Tom want to do next spring?

     (A) He hopes to invite students to stay inside.

     (B) He wants to plan a larger sports activity next year.

     (C) He doesn’t want to stay inside anymore.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) Sitting on the sofa and playing video games

     (B) How to put colourful posters in the supermarket

     (C) The schoolboy who brought his neighbourhood together for a game

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Fast Summer in the Water

Fourteen-year-old Mia has always loved going to the beach with her family. However, she was never a fast swimmer. Last May, her best friends asked her to join a special summer water sports camp. Mia really wanted to go, but she was quite worried because she couldn’t move quickly in the deep water.

When the camp began in July, Mia decided to take extra swimming lessons. She had to wake up at six o’clock every single morning. Her coach, David, taught her how to breathe correctly and use her arms to push through the water. At first, the classes were extremely tiring, but soon she started to travel much faster.

After three weeks, Mia felt completely different. Because her swimming improved so much, she tried other exciting activities at the camp. She loved kayaking and even tried surfing on the large waves. On the last day of camp, there was a fun swimming race in the lake. Mia didn’t get the first prize, but she swam faster than all of her close friends.

Now that autumn is here, Mia feels incredibly proud of her hard work. She knows that she is a strong swimmer now. She still visits the local pool twice a week to practice. Next month, she hopes to become a new player on her high school swimming team.

1   Why was Mia nervous about the summer camp?

     (A) She felt afraid because she was a slow swimmer.

     (B) She always loved going to the beach with her family.

     (C) Her best friends asked her to join.

2   What do we learn about Mia’s swimming lessons?

     (A) They happened very early in the day.

     (B) Her coach decided to take extra swimming lessons.

     (C) Mia taught her how to breathe correctly.

3   What happened on the final day of the camp?

     (A) Mia beat her mates in a water competition.

     (B) Mia got the first prize in a fun swimming race.

     (C) Mia tried surfing on the large waves.

4   What does Mia want to do in the future?

     (A) Join a sports group at her educational centre.

     (B) Visit the local pool twice a week to practice.

     (C) Feel incredibly proud of her hard work.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) Improving my skills in the water

     (B) How to get the first prize in a race

     (C) A terrible summer at the beach

Exercises:   12345