Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Unusual Pets & Exotic Animals
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
An Unusual Friend in the Living Room
Fourteen-year-old Charlie loves animals, but he doesn’t have a normal pet like a dog or a cat. Because Charlie’s brother is allergic to animal hair, their parents bought a very unusual animal. They got a miniature pig named Barnaby.
Many people think pigs must stay outside in the mud, but Barnaby is very clean. He lives inside the house with the family. His favorite thing to do is sleep on the comfortable sofa in the living room. Barnaby is also very clever and knows how to open the fridge to look for his favorite food, which is fresh carrots.
Last Thursday, Charlie invited his new classmate, Leo, to his house to study for a maths test. Charlie forgot to tell Leo about his special pet. While they were doing their homework, Barnaby suddenly walked into the living room. Leo’s mouth opened wide, and he dropped his pencil. He was completely shocked to see a farm animal in the house!
After a few minutes, Leo stopped being surprised. He touched Barnaby’s head and laughed because the pig was so friendly. Now, Leo visits Charlie’s house every week just to see Barnaby. Charlie thinks pigs are the best pets in the world, and he wants to work with farm animals when he grows up.
1 Why did Charlie’s family get a pig?
(A) Charlie wanted a normal pet like a dog or a cat.
(B) A family member gets sick from animal hair.
(C) Their parents bought a very unusual animal.
2 What does Barnaby enjoy doing the most?
(A) Resting on the furniture indoors.
(B) Staying outside in the mud.
(C) Opening the fridge to look for carrots.
3 How did Leo react when Barnaby entered the room?
(A) He forgot to tell Charlie about his special pet.
(B) He wanted to study for a maths test.
(C) He was extremely surprised by the unusual pet.
4 What do we learn about Leo at the end of the story?
(A) He thinks pigs are the best pets in the world.
(B) He regularly returns to his friend’s home to see the animal.
(C) He wants to work with farm animals when he grows up.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) An unexpected animal in the house
(B) How to study for a difficult maths test
(C) The pig that stayed outside in the mud
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 A 3 C 4 B 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Colourful Backyard Family
Fourteen-year-old Tom has a very interesting hobby. Most of his friends keep normal pets, like a cat or a small dog inside their houses. However, Tom looks after beautiful koi fish. They live in a large pond in his backyard. For Tom, these colourful animals are definitely part of his family.
Every morning, before he leaves for school, Tom goes out to the garden. He never forgets to give them their special breakfast. He actually has a name for each fish because he knows them so well. His favourite is a large orange fish called Sun. Sun is very brave and always comes to the top of the water to eat first.
Last August, Tom noticed a big problem. The water in the pond became very dirty and green, and his fish looked tired. Tom felt extremely worried about his pets. He immediately read some books and bought a new machine to clean the pond. After two days, the water was clear again, and the fish were happy.
Taking care of koi fish is a lot of work, but Tom doesn’t mind at all. He spends hours sitting quietly by the pond, watching his colourful friends swim. Because of his amazing pets, Tom knows exactly what he wants to do next. He hopes to go to university and learn how to be an animal doctor!
1 What do we learn about Tom’s pets in the first paragraph?
(A) They belong to most of his friends.
(B) They are a cat or a small dog.
(C) They stay outdoors instead of inside the house.
2 What does Tom do before he goes to his classes?
(A) He provides a morning meal for his fish.
(B) He always comes to the top of the water.
(C) He forgets to go out to the garden.
3 Why was Tom worried last August?
(A) His animals were living in unclean water.
(B) He looked tired and needed a new machine.
(C) He had to immediately read some books.
4 What does Tom want to do in the future?
(A) mind doing a lot of work
(B) train for a job helping animals
(C) go to university to learn how to swim
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The teenager and his special outdoor pets
(B) Why cats and dogs make the best family
(C) How to build a large backyard pond
ANSWER KEY
1 C 2 A 3 A 4 B 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Helpful Place for Unusual Pets
My name is David and I am fifteen years old. I have a very unusual pet. He is a large green lizard called Rex. I love Rex very much, but keeping a strange animal is not always easy. Sometimes, people buy unusual pets, but they do not know how to care for them properly. They also forget to check the law in their country to see if they can keep them.
Last month, I decided to do something to help. I used my computer and started a new online group. At first, I only invited a few friends from my school who have strange pets like spiders and snakes. I wanted us to have a safe place to talk and share our ideas.
Soon, more people joined the group. Every day, we write messages about the best food to buy and how to build a safe, warm home for our animals. We also read about the rules for keeping these pets legally. Last week, I asked a local animal doctor to join our group. Now, she answers our most difficult questions.
Our online group is very successful. We have more than one hundred members now! It feels great to help so many people understand their pets better. Next year, I am going to make a website to share our advice with people all over the world. I want every unusual animal to have a happy and safe life.
1 Why did David think there was a problem with unusual pets?
(A) People always want to buy a large green lizard.
(B) It is very easy to check the law in their country.
(C) Owners often do not know how to look after them.
2 Who did David first ask to join his group?
(A) anyone who has a safe place to talk
(B) some of his classmates that own strange animals
(C) an expert who likes spiders and snakes
3 What happens in the online group?
(A) People share useful information about caring for their animals.
(B) The members buy the best food for each other.
(C) Everyone answers the most difficult questions about the law.
4 How does David feel about his online group now?
(A) He is worried because there are more than one hundred members.
(B) He is very pleased that he is supporting other pet owners.
(C) He wants every unusual animal to visit his website.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The most dangerous animals in the world
(B) How to become a local animal doctor
(C) An online space for strange pet owners
ANSWER KEY
1 C 2 B 3 A 4 B 5 C