Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Weekend Activities & Leisure
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Great Garden Party
Summer is finally here. To celebrate the beautiful warm weather, my parents decided to have a big barbecue in our garden last Saturday. I love eating outside with my family, so I was really excited and asked if I could help them prepare for the wonderful party.
There was a lot of work to do. Early in the morning, my mum drove to the supermarket to get some meat, fresh salads, and cold drinks. Meanwhile, I went outside to wash the garden chairs because they were quite dirty after the long winter. My dad spent an hour looking for the barbecue equipment in the dark garage!
By one o’clock, our friendly neighbours and some of my school friends arrived. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, making it the perfect day for a garden party. My dad started cooking the food, and it smelled amazing. While we waited to eat, I taught my little sister how to play a new board game on the green grass.
When the food was finally ready, we all sat down together at the big wooden table. Everything tasted delicious, especially the sausages. After all the guests went home in the late evening, I felt completely exhausted but very pleased. It was definitely a fantastic way to begin the summer holidays.
1 Why did Sam’s parents organise the barbecue?
(A) To welcome the hotter season.
(B) Because Sam wanted to eat outside with family.
(C) Because they wanted to help them prepare.
2 What was Sam’s job before the guests arrived?
(A) Driving to the supermarket to get some meat.
(B) Making the outdoor seats clean.
(C) Looking for the barbecue equipment in the garage.
3 What did Sam do before the meal?
(A) He arrived at one o’clock with his school friends.
(B) He started cooking the food for the garden party.
(C) He showed a family member a fun activity.
4 How did Sam feel at the end of the day?
(A) He wanted all the guests to go home.
(B) He had no energy left but felt glad.
(C) He was full from eating delicious sausages.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The perfect start to the summer
(B) How to cook delicious sausages
(C) Cleaning the dirty garden chairs
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 A
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Picture-Perfect Trip
Leo has always loved taking pictures with his smartphone. Last month, for his fifteenth birthday, his parents gave him a fantastic new camera. When his dad announced a weekend hiking trip to Mount Blue, Leo was thrilled. He packed his bag quickly, making sure his new present was safely inside.
On Saturday morning, the family woke up very early to start their walk. The path was quite difficult and steep, but the forest was beautiful. Leo stopped every five minutes because he wanted to photograph the tall trees and colourful birds. His mum and dad had to wait for him and often told him to hurry up.
At midday, they finally reached the top of the mountain. While his parents rested and ate their sandwiches, Leo took the most amazing picture of the whole family with the valley behind them. Suddenly, dark clouds appeared in the sky. His dad said they needed to walk back down immediately before it started to rain.
Now, Leo is back home and looking at all the images on his computer. His parents think they are excellent, and his mum asked him to print some for the living room wall. Leo is planning to make a special photo book of their trip. He hopes to become a wildlife photographer when he finishes school.
1 Why was Leo excited about the trip to Mount Blue?
(A) He wanted to try out his birthday gift.
(B) He wanted to take pictures with his smartphone.
(C) His dad announced the trip last month.
2 During the walk up the mountain, Leo
(A) delayed his parents by pausing frequently.
(B) often told his mum and dad to hurry up.
(C) walked for five minutes to see the tall trees.
3 What happened when the family was at the top?
(A) The weather suddenly looked bad.
(B) Leo rested and ate his sandwiches.
(C) It started to rain immediately.
4 What is Leo going to do with his pictures soon?
(A) create an album with the memories
(B) print some for the living room wall
(C) become a wildlife photographer
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A Great Weekend for a Young Photographer
(B) How to Use a New Smartphone Camera
(C) The Best Mountain for Colourful Birds
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Winter Puzzle Project
My name is Alex, and I am eleven years old. Last weekend, the weather was very cold and it snowed heavily. My mother and I decided to stay inside our warm house. We looked in the living room cupboard and found a large puzzle that we got for my birthday last year.
The box said the puzzle had one thousand pieces. It was a picture of a beautiful castle next to a lake. We put all the small pieces on the dining table. My mom said we should find the straight pieces first to make the outside square. This was quite difficult and took us the whole afternoon.
On Sunday morning, we woke up early to continue working. The hardest part was the top of the picture because it was all blue sky. A lot of pieces looked exactly the same. I started to feel a bit bored and wanted to stop. However, my mom made us some hot chocolate and told me we could do it together.
By Sunday evening, we finally found the last piece and finished the puzzle. I felt so proud of our hard work. The picture looked amazing on the table. My mom is going to buy some special glue tomorrow so I can put the castle on my bedroom wall. It was a perfectly quiet but fun winter weekend.
1 Why did Alex and his mother stay indoors last weekend?
(A) It was Alex’s birthday.
(B) The weather outside was very bad.
(C) They wanted to clean the living room cupboard.
2 What did Alex and his mom do first with the puzzle pieces?
(A) They looked for the pieces to build the edges.
(B) They tried to make the castle and the lake.
(C) They counted them to make sure there were one thousand.
3 Why did Alex want to stop making the puzzle on Sunday morning?
(A) He wanted to drink some hot chocolate instead.
(B) He was tired because he woke up too early.
(C) It was hard to find the right pieces for the sky.
4 What is Alex going to do with the finished puzzle?
(A) Put it back in the box on Sunday evening.
(B) Hang it up in his room.
(C) Buy some special glue for his mother.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The hardest castle to visit in winter
(B) A great weekend activity at home
(C) How to buy the perfect birthday present
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 A 3 C 4 B 5 B