Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – The Bond Between Humans and Animals

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Girl Who Talks to a Bird

Lily is eleven years old and she has a very unusual best friend. His name is Charlie, and he is a beautiful green and yellow parrot. Lily’s parents gave him to her for her tenth birthday last year. Charlie is not like a dog or a cat because he can actually speak!

Every afternoon, when Lily comes home from school, she does the same thing. She leaves her backpack in the hall, gets an apple from the kitchen, and goes straight to her bedroom. Then, she spends hours talking to Charlie. She tells him everything about her day, from the games she played with her friends to the homework her teachers gave her.

Sometimes, school can be difficult. Last week, Lily was very worried because she had a big maths test. She sat in front of Charlie’s cage for a long time and told him how afraid she felt. Suddenly, Charlie looked at her and said, “Don’t worry!” He just repeated something he often hears Lily’s mother say, but it made Lily laugh and feel much better.

The next day, Lily took her maths test and got the best mark in her class. She was so happy! She ran home to tell her parents, but of course, she told Charlie the good news first. She knows Charlie doesn’t understand everything, but talking to him always helps her relax.

1   How did Lily get her parrot?

     (A) Her mother and father gave him to her.

     (B) She bought him on her tenth birthday.

     (C) She found him last year.

2   What does Lily do before she goes to her bedroom after school?

     (A) She takes her backpack to her room.

     (B) She finds some food to eat.

     (C) She plays a game with her friends.

3   Why did Lily feel better about her test?

     (A) Her mother told her not to be afraid.

     (B) She listened to a long story from Charlie.

     (C) Her pet said something that made her laugh.

4   After she got her test mark, Lily

     (A) thought that Charlie understood all of her good news.

     (B) told her parents the news before talking to Charlie.

     (C) spoke to her bird before she told anyone else.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to pass your maths tests

     (B) A pet that helps a young girl

     (C) The parrot who loves school

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The Best Greeting of the Day

My name is Leo and I am fifteen years old. I have two big hobbies: I love reading books and I love animals. Last week, my English teacher gave our class some interesting homework. We had to write a short poem about a special moment in our lives that makes us feel really happy.

At first, I didn’t know what to write about. I thought about writing a poem about my favorite video game or playing football with my friends. Those things are great, but then I remembered my favorite part of every day. It is the time when I finish school and walk back to my house.

When I walk up to my front door, I always see my dog, Barnaby. He is a big brown dog, and he always waits for me right next to the window. When I open the door, he jumps up and makes happy noises. He usually has a yellow toy in his mouth. He drops the toy by my feet because he wants to play immediately.

Writing the poem about Barnaby was very easy, and I finished it in only twenty minutes. The next day, I read my poem to the class. My classmates smiled, and my teacher said it was excellent. I even got a good grade! But for me, the best thing is still opening that door and seeing my best friend.

1   What did Leo have to do for his English homework?

     (A) create a text about an experience that brings him joy

     (B) read books about animals

     (C) give the class some interesting homework

2   What subject did Leo finally choose for his poem?

     (A) returning home at the end of the day

     (B) his favorite video game

     (C) playing football with his friends

3   What does Barnaby do when Leo opens the door?

     (A) He shows that he wants to have fun with his owner right away.

     (B) He waits for him right next to the window.

     (C) He tries to find a yellow toy.

4   What do we learn about Leo’s poem?

     (A) He completed the writing task without much trouble.

     (B) He needed twenty minutes to read it to the class.

     (C) He wrote it because he wanted a good grade.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A special poem for my dog

     (B) Getting a good grade in English

     (C) How to play a new video game

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Big Dog and a Good Night’s Sleep

Fourteen-year-old Toby had a secret. Even though he was a teenager, he was still afraid of the dark. Every night, he had to leave a small lamp on in his bedroom. Because of the light, he often woke up feeling tired in the morning. He never told his friends at school about his problem because he thought they would laugh at him.

Last month, Toby’s parents decided to adopt a dog from an animal centre. They chose a very large, black dog named Barnaby. Barnaby was huge and looked a bit scary, but he was actually really friendly and quiet. For the first few weeks, Barnaby slept downstairs in a comfortable bed in the kitchen.

Then, one night, there was a terrible storm. Barnaby didn’t like the loud thunder, so he walked upstairs to Toby’s room. Toby opened his door and invited the big dog inside. Barnaby immediately lay down on the rug next to Toby’s bed. With Barnaby there, Toby felt completely safe. For the first time in years, he turned off his small lamp and slept deeply all night.

Now, Barnaby sleeps in Toby’s room every single night. Toby doesn’t need his lamp anymore, and he finally has enough energy for school. He is very happy that his fear has gone, all thanks to his brave, furry best friend.

1   Why was Toby tired in the morning?

     (A) He stayed up late talking to his friends at school.

     (B) He couldn’t sleep well because his bedroom wasn’t dark.

     (C) He woke up to turn off a small lamp.

2   What do we learn about Barnaby in the second paragraph?

     (A) He was a gentle animal even though he was very big.

     (B) He was a bit scary and not very friendly.

     (C) He liked to sleep in a comfortable bed in Toby’s room.

3   Why did Barnaby go to Toby’s bedroom?

     (A) He wanted to sleep on the rug next to Toby’s bed.

     (B) Toby opened his door and invited him.

     (C) The bad weather frightened the dog.

4   How has Toby’s life changed now?

     (A) He has to take his lamp to school.

     (B) He rests much better and is no longer afraid.

     (C) He is very happy to be a brave, furry best friend.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How a pet helped a boy overcome a problem

     (B) The bad storm that kept a teenager awake

     (C) How to choose a large dog at an animal centre

Exercises:   12345