Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Volunteering & Community Service 5

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Washing Cars for a Good Reason

My name is Tom, and I am fifteen years old. Last month, my classmate Sarah became very sick. She has to stay in the hospital for a long time. She needed a special tablet to do her schoolwork in bed, but it was very expensive. I wanted to do something to help her.

I decided to spend my weekend washing cars. On Friday afternoon, I made some big posters and put them in the local supermarket. Then, I found some large sponges and bought some cheap soap. I asked my younger brother, Jack, to work with me. He was happy to help.

On Saturday morning, we started very early. We were surprised because many neighbors drove their cars to our house. The weather was extremely hot, and we got completely wet. By lunchtime, my arms were tired, but we didn’t stop. People were very kind and gave us more cash than we asked for.

On Sunday evening, Jack and I counted all the money. We couldn’t believe it! We had enough to buy the tablet for Sarah. I felt incredibly tired but also really happy. Next week, I am going to visit Sarah in the hospital to give her the amazing present.

1   Why did Tom want to raise money?

     (A) To purchase an electronic device for his friend.

     (B) Because he wanted to do his schoolwork in bed.

     (C) Because he had to stay in the hospital for a long time.

2   What did Tom do on Friday afternoon?

     (A) He spent his time washing cars.

     (B) He bought big posters at the local supermarket.

     (C) He prepared the equipment for the weekend event.

3   What happened on Saturday?

     (A) The neighbors got extremely hot and completely wet.

     (B) The boys felt exhausted but earned plenty of money.

     (C) Tom and Jack decided to stop by lunchtime.

4   How did Tom feel on Sunday evening?

     (A) He couldn’t believe he had to visit Sarah in the hospital.

     (B) Pleased because they finally had the cash for the gift.

     (C) He was excited to visit Sarah in the hospital on Sunday evening.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A busy weekend in the hospital

     (B) Working hard to support a classmate

     (C) How to buy a special tablet online

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Bridging the Language Gap

My name is Sofia, and I am sixteen years old. I live in a busy city with people from all over the world. My parents moved here before I was born, so I grew up speaking both Spanish and English perfectly. Recently, I noticed that many new immigrants in our neighborhood have a big problem. They cannot understand important letters from the hospital or the local government.

Last month, I decided to help. I asked the manager of our local library if I could use a small room every Thursday evening. I put up signs offering free translation help. At first, I was worried that nobody would come. However, on the first evening, five different families arrived with papers in their hands.

One woman looked very frightened. She showed me a long, complicated letter from her son’s school. She thought her son was in serious trouble. I read the letter carefully and smiled. I explained in Spanish that the school just wanted permission for a fun class trip to the zoo! The woman suddenly looked incredibly relieved and hugged me.

Now, my Thursday evenings are always very busy. I am teaching two of my bilingual friends to help me because there is so much work. I love using my language skills to make life easier for my neighbors. When I finish school, I hope to study languages at university so I can keep helping people around the world.

1   Why did Sofia decide to start translating documents?

     (A) She noticed that new residents were struggling with official letters.

     (B) Her parents asked her to learn how to speak a new language.

     (C) She wanted to get a job at the local hospital or government office.

2   What happened on Sofia’s first evening at the library?

     (A) The library manager asked her to translate a new sign.

     (B) Several families came to her to get assistance with their papers.

     (C) She sat in a small room alone because nobody wanted her help.

3   Why was the woman at the library so frightened?

     (A) She didn’t want her young son to go to the zoo.

     (B) She believed the school letter contained bad news about her son.

     (C) She was unable to speak to her son’s school teachers.

4   What is happening to Sofia’s translation project now?

     (A) It is growing, and she is getting her friends to assist her.

     (B) She is stopping the project to study languages at university.

     (C) She is too busy with her own school work on Thursday evenings.

5   What is Sofia’s main purpose in this text?

     (A) complaining about the difficult letters from local schools

     (B) explaining how to learn Spanish and English perfectly

     (C) describing how she uses her skills to help her community

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Why We Should All Volunteer

My name is Mark, and I am sixteen years old. I am writing this article for our town newspaper because I want to talk about something important. Many teenagers believe they are too busy with homework or sports to help the community. Some also think they are too young to make a real difference. I am here to tell you that this is simply not true.

Last year, I decided to spend one Saturday morning picking up rubbish in our local park. At first, I was not very excited. It was early, and I wanted to stay in bed. However, when I arrived, I met five other teenagers. We worked together, listened to music, and actually had a lot of fun. When we finished, the park looked beautiful, and I felt incredibly proud of our team.

Volunteering is not just about doing free work; it has many amazing benefits for young people. When you help others, you learn useful new skills that they don’t teach you in the classroom. Also, working with different people helps you become much more confident. Finally, doing volunteer work looks absolutely fantastic when you apply for a job or a place at university in the future.

You don’t need to give up all your free time to be a volunteer. Just two or three hours a month can really help our town. You can visit the community center, ask your teachers at school, or search online for local charities that need help. So, please find a project you care about and start volunteering today!

1   Why is Mark writing this article for the newspaper?

     (A) To explain why teenagers are too busy with homework.

     (B) To encourage other young people to help their community.

     (C) To complain about the amount of rubbish in the town.

2   How did Mark feel before he went to the park last year?

     (A) He didn’t really want to go and do the work.

     (B) He was very excited to meet five other teenagers.

     (C) He felt incredibly proud to clean the local park.

3   What is one benefit of volunteering that Mark mentions?

     (A) It gives you more free time to listen to music.

     (B) It helps you earn extra money for university.

     (C) It teaches you things you don’t learn at school.

4   What advice does Mark give about the time needed for volunteering?

     (A) You should spend every Saturday morning helping out.

     (B) You only need a small amount of time each month.

     (C) You must give up all your free time to help the town.

5   What is Mark’s main purpose in this text?

     (A) explaining how to get a paid job at a local charity

     (B) describing the best way to clean up a large park

     (C) convincing teenagers that volunteering is a great idea

Exercises:   123456