A2 English Reading Test

For each question, choose the correct answer..

School boat festival

Elena
Our class heard about the school boat festival in our science class. Our
teacher explained that we had to make several different boats so we could
learn what makes boats float on water. First, my group made a sailing boat,
but when we sailed it in the school swimming pool, it sank because there
were holes in the wood! So, we decided to make a boat from old plastic
bottles and that didn’t sink under the water!
Astrid
The boats our class built for the school boat festival were amazing. Our
technology teacher showed us a video about how boats and ships are built.
Then she told us to make a model of a ship using wood, plastic and metal.
After that, we had to make a short film that explained how we made our
model of a ship. Then we took our models to the local park and sailed them
on the lake.
Kumiko
We were really excited and stopped talking when the headteacher told us
about the school boat festival at our whole school morning meeting. We
decided to make a model of a Viking long boat and give it to our English
teacher because her husband is Danish and she’s leaving at the end of the
school year to go and work in his country. We didn’t want to sail it on the
river in case it sank!
1 Whose teacher asked the class to make a boat from different things?
A Elena B Astrid C Kumiko
2 Whose class was interested when they heard about the boat festival?
A Elena B Astrid C Kumiko
3 Whose teacher told the students why they had to make boats?
A Elena B Astrid C Kumiko
4 Whose class wanted to make a present for their teacher?
A Elena B Astrid C Kumiko
5 Whose class recorded a video showing what they learned?
A Elena B Astrid C Kumiko
6 Whose classmates built a boat that didn’t work?
A Elena B Astrid C Kumiko
7 Whose classmates didn’t test their boat on the water?
A Elena B Astrid C Kumiko

Jobs we’d like to do

Artur
I’ve always enjoyed playing computer games and I’d like to make them when
I’m older. My cousin works in IT and makes cartoons and games so I asked
him if I could go to work with him. I learned so much including how to draw a
simple cartoon. But it was really tiring – all I wanted to do was relax at the
end of the day, not play computer games!
Mika
I love sport the most and want to teach it when I’m older. I’m good at
basketball, but I need to work harder in rugby lessons so I can teach different
sports. After school, I want to go to college and study sports science. After
that, I want to help with after-school clubs and lessons. My uncle is a teacher
so I plan to ask him if I can give drinks to the players at the American football
club next week.
Henri
I play a lot of musical instruments including the piano and guitar and would
love to have a career in music. Last year, I received a prize for the best
young musician in my town. I want to study music at university. I probably
won’t get work as a musician after school so I might have to get a job in a
café or restaurant first. My dream is to be paid to play in a group and travel
around the world.
1 Who is going to ask a family member for help with their job plans?
A Artur B Mika C Henri
2 Who hopes to work in different countries?
A Artur B Mika C Henri
3 Who has won a competition in their chosen subject?
A Artur B Mika C Henri
4 Who needs to get better at the school subject they like best?
A Artur B Mika C Henri
5 Who has had some help from their family with their job plans?
A Artur B Mika C Henri
6 Who was ready for a break after their experience of working?
A Artur B Mika C Henri
7 Who may have to work as a waiter after school?
A Artur B Mika C Henri

Our free-time activities

Lei Wei
I’ve been a member of the school cooking club since I was ten. I’m best
known as a brilliant cake maker. Last year, I made 100 cupcakes for my
cousin’s 18th birthday party and everyone said they were delicious. Cooking
is only expensive if you buy unusual food, like Chinese vegetables that you
can’t find in a supermarket. I did this and make a special dinner for my Dad
when he was 50.
Deepak
When I was younger, I became interested in photography when my uncle let
me take photos on his big digital camera. I’ve got my own camera now – I
saved my pocket money for a year to buy it and it’s fantastic. I love taking
photos of people playing sport – it’s really difficult to catch them at the right
moment so I take several photos. The headteacher has asked me to take the
photos at the school fashion show, which will be fun.
Romeo
My aunt works for a fashion magazine and wears really cool clothes. I’m
different to most boys because I love making clothes for me and my sisters,
so I want to study fashion at college. I’ve already got some experience of the
fashion world. With my aunt’s help, I won a competition to help get the
clothes ready when a famous American photographer came to take photos of
models wearing winter clothes. It was a really interesting day and I could
earn some money.
1 Who got some help with their hobby from a family member?
A Liu Wei B Deepak C Romeo
2 Who had success with something they did for their family?
A Liu Wei B Deepak C Romeo
3 Who used their own money to get something they needed to do their
hobby?
A Liu Wei B Deepak C Romeo
4 Whose hobby could be what they choose to learn about in the future?
A Liu Wei B Deepak C Romeo
5 Whose hobby has allowed them to do some paid work?
A Liu Wei B Deepak C Romeo
6 Whose hobby sometimes costs them a lot of money?
A Liu Wei B Deepak C Romeo
7 Whose hobby is sometimes hard to do well?
A Liu Wei B Deepak C Romeo

School cooking competition

Alice
Our class has just won a prize in a cooking competition – and we’re going to
be on the local TV news tonight. The judges liked our pizzas because they
were delicious and we also made pasta with sauce and dessert for the
children in our school for lunch yesterday. Our teacher is married to a chef
who helped us with our main course. We’re planning to bake some cakes
tomorrow and sell them. We want to get enough money to pay for a school
trip.
Eva
Our class teacher heard about the cooking competition on the local TV news
and told us about it. We decided to enter and won second prize! We made
rice and vegetables, lemonade and dessert for our parents. We turned the
school hall into a restaurant for one evening. Our prize is a visit to the
kitchens of a famous restaurant in our city – Gigi’s. My cousin works there
and she says the food is amazing.
Jenny
The food our class made for the cooking competition was amazing. We baked
a lot of cakes – chocolate, orange, lemon and honey. We also used
vegetables from the school garden to make steak with vegetable salad for
the class below us and everyone said it was fantastic. It was an interesting
project and we learned a lot about food. We won third prize for our cakes and
took them to a home for old people near our school.
1 Whose food was popular with other students?
A Alice B Eva C Jenny
2 Whose class learned about the cooking competition from a TV
programme?
A Alice B Eva C Jenny
3 Whose class baked cakes and gave them away?
A Alice B Eva C Jenny
4 Whose class won a trip in the cooking competition?
A Alice B Eva C Jenny
5 Whose class got some help from someone who works in a restaurant?
A Alice B Eva C Jenny
6 Whose class used food grown in the school to make lunch for another
class?
A Alice B Eva C Jenny
7 Whose class plans to use their cakes to make money?
A Alice B Eva C Jenny

Part-time jobs
Helena
I have a part-time job in a café in the city centre. I work there every Saturday
from 9.00 to 5.00 and I have worked there every week for almost a year. I
like working there – the customers are really friendly and they always ask
how I am. We get to eat the café’s food for lunch – it’s all delicious. My
favourite is the cheese sandwiches with chips! When I’m older, I’d like to
have my own café.
Katja
I have worked in the local supermarket since last summer now and I really
enjoy it. I work two evenings a week and a full day on either Saturday or
Sunday. Saturdays are the best day for me to work so I can go out with my
friends after work and have a rest the day after. It’s often very busy at work
so the time goes quickly. I prefer it when I’m busy.
Paula
I’ve got a part-time job in a gift shop. It sells cards and birthday presents and
it also has presents for days like Mother’s Day. I’ve worked there for two
years and get on well with the other staff. I work on Saturdays, but in the
summer holidays I work on some days during the week as well. We
sometimes get people asking what to buy for their family – I like giving them
ideas. It’s a great job!
1 Who wants to work in the same field later in life?
A Helena B Katja C Paula
2 Who likes to have a lot to do at work?
 A Helena B Katja C Paula
3 Who helps people make decisions at work?
A Helena B Katja C Paula
4 Who works only at the weekend?
A Helena B Katja C Paula
5 Who prefers to work on Saturdays?
A Helena B Katja C Paula
6 Who has worked in their job for the longest time?
A Helena B Katja C Paula
7 Who works more in the summer?
A Helena B Katja C Paula

Favourite places
Esteban
The most beautiful place to visit in my city is the Alhambra castle. There has
been a castle there since the 9th century, although it’s only since the 13th
century that kings have lived there. The best time to visit is first thing in the
morning or in the late evening, as the castle gets very busy with tour groups
during the day. My favourite part of the castle is the gardens, as they have
water running through all of them
George
My favourite place in my town is the sports center. I go there every weekend
to play tennis with my cousin. He’s older than me and a really good player,
but sometimes I manage to beat him! The sports centre is really big and it
has two swimming pools. In the summer when it’s hot I like to use the
outdoor pool, but my cousin prefers the indoor pool as it’s bigger.
Michele
I think that the best place to visit near where I live is the local museum. It
has paintings from the 15th century that are very beautiful and sculptures,
too. Most tourists want to take photos of the tower because the city is
famous for it, and many of them visit the cathedral that is next to it in the
square. Not many tourists go to the museum, so it’s always peaceful there.
1 Whose account tells us about who lived in their favourite place?
A Esteban B George C Michele
2 Who goes to their favourite place with someone else?
A Esteban B George C Michele
3 Whose city is well known for one building?
A Esteban B George C Michele
4 Whose favourite place has a lot of tourists that visit it?
A Esteban B George C Michele
5 Whose favourite place has a lot of beautiful things to look at inside it?
A Esteban B George C Michele
6 Who prefers the outdoor facilities at their favourite place?
A Esteban B George C Michele
7 Whose favourite place is quiet?
A Esteban B George C Michele