Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Zoos, Safari & Wildlife Parks
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Swimming with the Sharks
Leo, a high school student, is doing a science project about sea life. Last week, he visited the City Aquarium to interview Sarah, an animal expert. He wanted to learn how the team cleans the large shark tank. “I was a bit afraid before I met her,” Leo said. “But I really wanted to know about this difficult job.”
Sarah explained that cleaning the tank takes a lot of preparation. Many visitors think they move the sharks into a smaller pool first, but Sarah said this is dangerous for the animals. Instead, the sharks stay in the water with the divers. Before they jump in, the team must put on special diving suits that are very strong.
When they are in the water, the divers work slowly. They use long brushes to clean the glass so visitors can see clearly. “People always ask me if the sharks try to bite us,” Sarah laughed. “Actually, they are usually very calm. They just swim around us or sleep at the bottom. We never touch them.”
After the interview, Leo changed his mind about sharks. He understood that they are not just angry monsters. “Sarah loves her job because she helps these amazing animals,” Leo said. “Now, I don’t want to work in an office when I finish school. I want to work at the aquarium too!”
1 How did Leo feel before the interview?
(A) He was a little scared.
(B) He thought it was a difficult job.
(C) He was worried about his science project.
2 What happens before the divers clean the tank?
(A) They put the sharks into a smaller pool.
(B) They get dressed in safe clothing.
(C) They swim with the visitors.
3 What do the sharks do during the cleaning?
(A) They try to bite the long brushes.
(B) They stay relaxed and quiet.
(C) They like it when the divers touch them.
4 After talking to Sarah, Leo decided that he
(A) would like to get a job with animals.
(B) wants to work in an office.
(C) needs to finish school first.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A dangerous day for a high school student
(B) Learning the truth about a special job
(C) How to clean your fish tank at home
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 B 4 A 5 B
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Valuable Lesson at the Zoo
Fourteen-year-old Jamie loves animals. Last Thursday, he went on a school trip to the city zoo. It was a beautiful sunny day, and he was very excited. At lunchtime, Jamie sat on a bench near the monkey area to eat his sandwiches and a large bag of crisps.
While he was eating, a small baby monkey came close to the glass. It looked at Jamie’s food. Jamie thought the monkey was hungry. He wanted to be kind, so he opened his bag of crisps and prepared to throw one to the animal. Suddenly, a zookeeper ran over and shouted, “Stop!”
The zookeeper, a friendly woman called Sarah, explained why it is a bad idea to give human food to animals. She told Jamie that things like crisps and biscuits have too much salt and sugar in them. If animals eat these snacks, they get very sick and have to see a doctor. Animals need their own special food to stay strong.
Jamie felt terrible about his mistake, but Sarah smiled at him. She gave him some sweet potatoes and carrots and let him help her feed the monkeys safely. Jamie learned a very important lesson that day. Now, he always reads the signs at the zoo carefully and never shares his snacks!
1 What was Jamie doing near the monkey area?
(A) He was having his midday meal.
(B) He went on a school trip.
(C) He had a beautiful sunny day.
2 Why did Jamie open his snack?
(A) He planned to give the animal something to eat.
(B) He thought he was hungry.
(C) A zookeeper ran over and shouted.
3 What did Sarah say about human snacks?
(A) They can make the animals feel unwell.
(B) They have to see a doctor.
(C) They need their own special food.
4 What did Sarah let Jamie do at the end?
(A) assist her with giving the monkeys their correct food
(B) feel terrible about his mistake
(C) read the signs at the zoo carefully
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The boy who learned to feed animals safely
(B) Why monkeys love eating bags of crisps
(C) A school trip to the animal doctor
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Bird That Took Our Directions
My name is Lily and I am thirteen years old. Last week, my class went on a trip to the big city zoo. I was very excited because I love learning about animals. Our teacher put us into small groups. I was the leader of my group, so I had to carry the large paper map.
Before lunch, we walked to the bird area. We wanted to see the monkeys next, so I stopped to check my map. There were lots of beautiful, colourful parrots in the trees. Some of them were in cages, but a few friendly parrots were flying around our heads.
Suddenly, a large blue and yellow parrot flew down from a tree. It landed on my shoulder for a second. Then, it quickly took the map from my hands! It flew back up to a very high branch. My friends started laughing loudly, and I had to laugh too. It looked very funny holding our paper.
A few minutes later, a nice zookeeper came to help us. He held out a piece of sweet apple, and the parrot flew down to eat it. The zookeeper took the map and gave it back to me. The paper had a big hole in the middle, but I didn’t mind. It is the best souvenir from a fantastic school trip!
1 Why was Lily carrying the map?
(A) She was the head of her team of students.
(B) Her teacher put her into a small group.
(C) She wanted to learn about animals.
2 What was Lily doing when they were with the birds?
(A) trying to find out where to go next
(B) looking at some beautiful cages
(C) watching a few friendly parrots fly
3 What did the parrot do?
(A) It grabbed the piece of paper from Lily.
(B) It stayed on a very high branch.
(C) It started laughing loudly at the girls.
4 How did the zookeeper get the map back?
(A) He offered the bird some food.
(B) He made a big hole in the middle.
(C) He gave the best souvenir to Lily.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The cheeky animal that stole our map
(B) A clever student at the city zoo
(C) How to feed a colourful parrot
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A