Readings

For Diego
There are 12 readings

Test 1: Memories of my first day at school

Read the text about a girl’s first day at school and for questions 1 to 6, choose the
correct answer.

I remember my first day at school very well. I knew the school quite well because my older
sister, Sandy, went there and every day, dad and I met her at the school gate after school.
Every day, she ran out of the school with her friends. She often carried a painting. I felt
jealous. I wanted to paint too!

I was five years old when I started school. Most children in my class started school in
September, but I started school in January, when I was five years old, because my birthday is
in December. Three other kids started school on the same day as me. I was excited about my
first day. I had my new uniform: a black skirt, a white t-shirt and green jumper, and a new
red bag. When we arrived that day, a teacher met the new children at the school gate. Dad
hugged me and said goodbye. I stood with the other children. I didn’t talk to them because I
was too nervous. Then, Mrs Wilson took us to our classroom. All the other children were
already there. They looked at us when we entered the room. When thirty children looked at
me, I started to cry!

But I wasn’t upset for long. I sat with the other children on the carpet and the class teacher,
Miss Holland, read us a story. Later, we drew pictures with coloured pencils, and at break
time, I made friends with a girl called Megan. At the end of the day, I ran to the school gate
with Megan and my picture, just like Sandy always did.
Reading comprehension test

1. The writer was jealous of Sandy because she _____ at school.

a.learned to write

b.painted pictures

c.had many friends

2. The writer started school in ___.

a.September

b.December

c.January

3. The writer and ___ other children started school that day.

a.three

b.five

c.thirty

4. Before the writer started school, she felt ___.

a.excited

b.nervous

c.upset

5. The writer started to cry when ___.

a.her father left.

b.she entered the school

c.other children looked at her

6. On the first day, the writer ___.

a.learned to read

b.listened to a story

c.painted a picture
 Test 2: About my family
Read the text and for questions 1 to 9 choose the correct answer.

Dear Marta,

I’m going to tell you about my family. I live with my little sister, mum, and dad. We live in
London, although I grew up in Lancaster, a beautiful city in the North of England.

My dad’s name is Pierre. He’s from France, and he speaks English and French. When he was
young, my mother went to France on a student exchange, and they met there. A few years
later, my dad moved to England and married my mum. He works as a French teacher. He’s
very tall –much taller than my mum– and athletic. He’s got short blonde hair and blue eyes.

My mum’s name is Anna. She’s English. She’s quite short, and she’s got long curly brown
hair and brown eyes. She works at a chemist’s opposite our home. She can speak French too!

My sister Julia is 18 years old, and she’s got the same color of hair and eyes as my father. She
loves playing the piano and dancing. She’s very talented, and she would like to be a
professional musician.

I’ve got short blonde hair like my dad, but brown eyes like my mom. We all love playing
board games together on Friday evenings, and we always order pizza. Our favourite game is
Monopoly. Oh, I almost forgot…we’ve also got a pet cat, Snowball. She’s all white and has
got a lot of fur. She likes sleeping on me.

Write back soon. Please, tell me about your family too.

Love, Jonathan

Reading comprehension test

1. Jonathan was born in London.

a.True b.False

2. His parents both speak more than one language.

a.True b.False
 3. They got married in France.

a.True b.False

4. Jonathan's mother is a lot shorter than his father.

a.True b.False

5. She doesn't work far from home.

a.True b.False

6. Jonathan's sister's got blue eyes.

a.True b.False

7. She works as a musician.

a.True b.False

8. Jonathan's hair is the same colour as his mother's.

a.True b.False

9. On Fridays, they always eat the same thing.

a.True b.False

Test 3: The daily routines of a sportswoman

Read the text about the daily routines of a sportswoman and for questions 1 to 7
choose the correct answer.

Janet is an athlete, and she wakes up at 4:30 am every weekday morning. She spends the first
30 minutes reading and then 15 minutes meditating. At 5:15 am Janet checks her email for
only 30 minutes and then goes for her first run of the day. She runs for an hour and a half
along the lake near her house. After running, Janet has a shower and then prepares
breakfast, which is usually cereal and fruit. However, she occasionally has a less healthy
breakfast.

She usually finishes breakfast at around 8 am. If it is a weekday, she always leaves the house
at 8:20 and goes to training. Her training starts at 9 am, and she needs 30 minutes to drive to
the gym. She trains for 3 hours with her team and then goes home for lunch. She always eats
a very big and healthy lunch. As soon as she finishes lunch, she has a nap for one hour.

After her nap, she likes to go for a walk around the lake and look at nature. She sometimes
reads or meditates at the lake in the afternoon. In the evening, during the week, she meets
up with friends. Most of her friends are athletes too, so they have a lot to talk about.

She typically goes to bed at 9 pm because she prefers to be awake in the morning than at
night. She sometimes falls asleep listening to music, but she never watches the television or
reads anything on her tablet. She always makes sure her alarm is set and is almost always
asleep by 9:45 pm.

Reading comprehension test

1. What time does she finish checking her emails?

a.5:30 am.

b.5:45 am.

c.6:00 am.

2. How long does she run for in the morning?

a.45 minutes.

b.60 minutes.

c.90 minutes.

3. Janet ______ has a healthy breakfast.

a.always

b.occasionally

c.usually

4. How often does she meditate?

a.Once or twice a day.

b.Once a day.

c.Rarely.
5. What does Janet do to help her get to sleep?

a.listen to music

b.read on her tablet

c.watch TV

6. What is the last thing she does before going to sleep?

a.She reads.

b.She sets her alarm.

c.She checks the time.

Test 4: My neighborhood
My neighborhood is very peaceful and quiet. It is a new neighborhood, and there are a lot of
big houses and some apartment buildings. The streets are very clean, and there aren’t many
cars. My school is near my house. I can walk there in 10 minutes.

There’s also a park, which has a small playground for children and a large field. I like to play
baseball there with my friends after school. All of the houses have a small front yard but big
backyards. Most of my neighbors have a swimming pool, and some even have a trampoline!

Everyone has a flower garden, and in the spring, it is very beautiful. My road is called Maple
Road. It is not in the city. It’s in the suburbs. There aren’t any restaurants, bars or cinemas
on my road. But, if you go to Main street, you can find a lot of things to do. My favorite store
is there. It’s called Knick-Knack, and they sell everything you can imagine.

I like my neighborhood because it is very safe. There is no crime, and all of my neighbors
take care of each other. The police station is next to the school, which is very nice. However,
the hospital is quite far. It is in the city, and we have to drive 30 minutes to get there.

My friends live near me, and we often meet up to play or just talk. We love playing hockey in
the street because there isn’t any traffic. I think I am lucky to live in my neighborhood.
Reading comprehension test

1. It's a busy neighborhood with lots of activity.

a.True

b.False

2. There are only a few cars on the streets.

a.True

b.False

3. He enjoys playing in the playground near his home.

a.True

b.False

4. People decorate their flower gardens in the fall to make them beautiful.

a.True

b.False

5. He lives in the city.

a.True

b.False

6. He lives on Main Street.

a.True

b.False

7. He lives beside the police station.

a.True

b.False

8. He’s very happy with his neighborhood.

a.True b.False
 Test 5: What do you do with your free time?
I’m almost 19 years old, and I finished my first year of university. I’m currently on holiday,
and I have a lot of free time. Having free time is nice, but the problem is that when you are a
student, you never have money. And when you have a lot of free time, but you don’t have
much money, it can get boring.

Every morning I go to the gym, and I read in the afternoons. But I still have a lot of free time.
Going to the gym takes me about two hours, including the road time and the post-gym
shower. And I usually read for one hour. Another activity that I do is watch documentaries. I
study history, and I love historical documentaries. I learn a lot from them. I watch
documentaries for one and a half hours four or five times a week.

But those activities are a small part of my day. When I’m not at the gym or reading, I get
bored, and I often play video games for hours. I enjoy playing video games, but I don’t think
it’s a productive activity. When I play for a long time, I feel bad. I’d like to find more
productive activities to do, but it isn’t easy. I live in a small town, and there aren’t many
things to do.

Do you have any suggestions? What do you do with your free time?

Take the reading test

1. He ...

a.is working.

b.is not a student.

c.is 18 years old.

2. He ...

a.doesn't have free time.

b.is travelling.

c.doesn't have money.

 3. He ...

a.is very happy because he has a lot of free time.

b.is not happy because he doesn't have any free time.

c.is sometimes bored.

4. Every day, he ...

a.watches documentaries.

b.goes to the gym.

c.reads for two hours.

5. He ...

a.teaches history.

b.studies history at university.

c.reads history books four or five times a week.

6. He ...

a.does not enjoy playing video games.

b.thinks video games are stupid.

c.doesn't think playing video games is productive.

7. He wants ...

a.to do more productive things in his free time.

b.to live in a big city.

c.to find a job.

 Test 6: Online shopping
My name is Sara, and I love shopping online. I prefer mobile phone apps, but sometimes I
use my computer. The phone is more convenient for me, and I can even do my shopping
from bed!

I love shopping so much that I buy everything I need at home. I get food, electronics, books,
and even large pieces of furniture like my sofa and bookshelves all online! But I still prefer
getting clothes from a store so I can try them on to be sure they fit me fine.

Yesterday, I bought a birthday present for my mother, and it arrived today! That saves me a
lot of time. I am a very busy person, and I am a little forgetful too. If I think of something I
need, then it is wonderful that I can buy it at that moment.

My friends aren’t as comfortable with buying things online as I am because they think that it
can be dangerous. Of course, bad things sometimes happen, but I am very careful with all of
my personal details. I think the biggest fear that people have with using their credit cards
online is that someone will steal their number. It is important to be sure that the web page is
secure. You can see this if the address has got an “s” in it, like https://. That “s” means it is
safe.

People should not be afraid of shopping online. I think it will be the only way we will do our
shopping in the future!

Take the reading test

1. What is Sara’s favourite way of shopping?

a.On her computer.

b.On her phone.

c.In a shop.

2. What doesn’t Sara buy online?

a.Food.

b.Furniture.

c.Clothes.
 3. What does the word ‘it’ refer to in paragraph 3?

a.Shopping online.

b.A present.

c.Her mother’s birthday.

4. Why does Sara think online shopping is very convenient?

a.It’s fast.

b.It’s cheap.

c.It’s good quality.

5. What does ‘steal’ mean in paragraph 4?

a.To make public.

b.To take without permission.

c.To use something that is not yours.

6. Sarah thinks that shopping online ...

a.is often dangerous.

b.is always safe.

c.is safe if you are careful.

7. Sara’s thinks that in the future ...

a.online shopping will be safer.

b.a lot of people will shop online.

c.everybody will only shop online.

 Test 7: Tips for travelling alone
Read the text and for questions 1 to 6 choose the correct answer.

Travelling alone seems scary if it’s the first time you are going to leave the comfort of home.
You will probably think about the potential risks or difficult situations. What happens if I get
ill, or have an accident? Isn’t it dangerous to go out alone at night? What happens if I get
attacked? Isn’t it strange to eat at restaurants alone all the time?

Most travellers have these worries and more before their first trip alone, but all these fears
disappear when they see all the benefits of this great experience. Here I’m going to give you
3 tips on how to travel alone and have a good time.

Speak the language

Humans are sociable creatures. We all need to talk to other people. If you are travelling
alone, it’s a good idea to go somewhere you speak the language.

Sleep with the locals

Hotels are comfortable but very lonely, and hostels are perfect for people who travel alone,
but you will only speak with other tourists. Try to rent a room in an apartment. This will give
you a connection with local residents and they can give you a lot of tips on what you can do.

Don’t be shy

Don’t be afraid of asking. Ask for directions in the street, or ask about the place, the culture
or the customs to the local people that you find in bars, parks, etc. You will be surprised how
much people like to talk about their town or their culture. Remember you are alone. Asking
can be an effective way to start a conversation and meet new people.

Take the reading test

1. The writer thinks that travelling alone is...

a.worse than staying at your comfortable home.

b.dangerous.
c.a good idea.

2. The writer wants to...

a.help people who want to travel alone.

b.talk about the possible risks of travelling alone.

c.talk about his or her experiences travelling

3. If you travel alone, it’s a good idea...

a.to learn the language of the place before you go there.

b.to go to a place where you can speak their language.

c.to speak to other tourists.

4. The writer thinks that if you travel alone, hostels are...

a.the best option.

b.very good but not the best option.

c.worse than hotels.

5. The local residents can help you...

a.to find a good hotel or hostel.

b.giving you ideas for your trip.

c.to find a cheap room that you can rent.

6. The best thing about asking is that...

a.you get the information you need.

b.you can find the places where you are going.

c.you can talk to the local people.

 Test 8 : Three American Festivals
Burning Man

Burning Man is an event that started in 1986 in Black Rock City, Nevada. People go to the desert and
build a giant community for nine days. At the end of the festival, they burn a giant wooden statue of a
man. That’s where the name comes from. The festival celebrates inclusion, community, and
responsibility. Everyone should share their talents so others can enjoy them for free. It is now also
very popular with young influencers on social media and other famous people.

The Taste of Buffalo

The Taste of Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, is the largest 2-day food festival in the country every year.
Nearly half a million people visit the festival to eat food from over 50 restaurants. There are over 200
different dishes to try! Most of the food is from regional restaurants, and it is a great family event.
You can listen to live music from 2 stages, walk through the parks and downtown as well as
participate in a lot of different family-friendly activities.

National Cherry Blossom Festival

The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. is a spring event that remembers the gift of
cherry trees from Japan to the USA in 1912. The trees were a present from the mayor of Tokyo to the
mayor of Washington DC. The first celebration was in 1934. There is a parade every year with large
balloons, marching bands from all over the country, and concerts. There are also a lot of different
shows and events, such as a kite flying festival, a 10-mile run, and fireworks at night.

Take the reading test

attracts has
people musicians
celebrates who like is most walking
friendship doing a lot is the popular on and
Which between probably isn't of different biggest of is mostly a social playing in
festival... cities a family event things its kind local event media the street
Burning Man
The Taste of
Buffalo
The National
Cherry
Blossom
Festival
 Test 9: Famous people’s first job
Read the text about three famous people’s first jobs and for questions 1 to 6, choose
the correct answer.

Not all famous people were born into famous families. A lot of them had normal lives before
becoming famous. They also had jobs like the rest of us. Here are just a few:

Former President Obama worked at an ice-cream parlour selling ice-cream cones. He was in
high school in Honolulu, Hawaii and said it was quite hard. He also said that the job taught
him about responsibility, hard work and how to spend time with work, friends and family.

Brad Pitt had a weird job when he was younger. He worked as a chicken! That’s right. He
worked at a restaurant called El Pollo Loco in Hollywood, and his job was to dress up like a
chicken and wave at the cars on the road. In fact, if you go on a “See the Stars” tour in
Hollywood, many of them will take you past the same restaurant where Brad used to work.

Maybe the strangest path in life was that of Pope Francis. When he was young in Argentina,
he worked several jobs before joining the Jesuits and dedicating his life to religion. He
worked as a cleaner sweeping floors, a chemical tester at a laboratory and as a bouncer at a
bar! Yes, the pope was the person responsible for security at a bar in case anything wrong
happened. Can you imagine?!

Reading comprehension test

learned a had a
helped lot from thought the couple of
protect pretended to be their first worked in job was different
Who...? people an animal job advertising difficult jobs

President
Obama

Brad Pitt

Pope Francis
 Test 10: Going to the mall
Read the text about travelling around the USA and for questions 1 to 6, choose the
correct answer.

Every city in the USA has a mall or four. There are about 1,100 malls in the US. These giant
store-filled buildings are one of America’s greatest entertainment options for teens and
families.

Mall of America in Minnesota is the largest mall. It is so big that it has an amusement park
in it, Nickelodeon Universe, with several roller coasters! There are more than 500 stores in it,
about 400,000m2 and about 12,000 people work there.

But malls nowadays aren’t the same as they used to be in the 80s and 90s. During those
decades, teens would go to the mall and spend hours shopping, playing video games at the
arcade, or just hanging out with friends. It was cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
In those days, malls provided the perfect source of shopping and entertainment for entire
families.

Nowadays, you can still eat in the food court and go to the movies, but there aren’t many
arcades left. Millennials have their Xboxes or Ps4s, and they like shopping online, which is
also happening with more and more people from other generations. And as more people
shop online and play video games at home, fewer people go to the mall to hang out.

Hopefully, malls will remain one of the great American pastimes. But only time will tell how
people in the future will prefer to spend their time.

1. People like malls because...

a.it is a fun place to be.

b.it’s cheap.

c.there are so many of them.

 2. Why is the Mall of America so famous?

a.Because it’s the official Mall of the country.

b.Because it’s in Minnesota.

c.Because of its size.

3. At the mall of America, you can...

a.visit the president of the USA.

b.ride a rollercoaster.

c.walk in a park.

4. What can’t people do at malls very much anymore?

a.Hang out with friends.

b.Play video games.

c.Go for lunch.

5. Malls nowadays ... than in the past.

a.are bigger

b.are more popular

c.have fewer entertainment options

6. Why are malls dying?

a.People prefer other options.

b.They are too expensive.

c.They aren’t entertaining.

7. The future of malls...

a.is going to get better.

b.is certainly going to be bad.

c.is uncertain.
 Test 11: A trip around the USA
Read the text about travelling around the USA and for questions 1 to 7, decide if the
sentences are true or false.

Dear Family,

Everything has been so much fun here in the US. I am sorry that it has taken me so long to
write. When we arrived yesterday, we immediately went to our hotel in New York City, took
showers, and began our sightseeing trip! We saw the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, and
Times Square, all in just one day.

Unfortunately, we could only spend that one day in New York because we had to take the
train to see the Niagara Falls. I am riding the train now as I write. We should arrive in a few
hours. I think we’ll go straight to bed as it will be past midnight when we arrive.

After Niagara Falls, we’re going to visit Toronto in Canada as it is only a little further north.
I’ve never been to Canada, so that will be exciting. From Toronto, we’re going to take a flight
to Los Angeles. That’s where we’re going to stay for the rest of the trip. I think Sam wants to
go to Disneyland, so I’m sure we’ll do that. And of course, we’re going to surf in the Pacific
Ocean!

I will try to write again soon, but we are doing so much that I can’t make any promises. Take
care.

We love you both,

Francis and Sam

Reading comprehension test

True. False.
Francis forgot to write because the trip was long
Francis isn't happy about only spending one day in NYC
They get off the train very late at night
They are going to visit another country apart from the USA
Francis really wants to go to an amusement park

Francis will certainly write again

 Test 12: Thanksgiving
Read the text about Thanksgiving and for questions 1 to 7, choose the correct answer.

Thanksgiving is celebrated in the USA on the 4th Thursday of November. The tradition
comes from the first people to arrive from England to North America. The Native Americans
taught them to grow food and hunt, and the pilgrims invited the Native Americans for a
dinner after the harvest. This was the first Thanksgiving in common folklore.

Nowadays, Thanksgiving is the country’s largest secular holiday and represents a time when
friends and family get together for a large turkey dinner. Traditionally people make stuffing,
mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie to go with the huge
roast turkey.

In the morning, there is a massive parade in NYC called the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day
parade, which has a lot of giant balloons, famous people, and marching bands. In the
afternoon, people watch American football games. There is usually one game in the
afternoon and one in the evening.

Thanksgiving also marks the unofficial beginning of the Holiday season in America. The
Friday after Thanksgiving, which is the following day, is black Friday and has a lot of crazy
sales. Also, it is traditional to start putting up Christmas decorations after Thanksgiving if
your family celebrates Christmas.

Reading comprehension test

True. False.
The first Thanksgiving was a way to say thank you from the
English to the Native Americans.

Native Americans and Pilgrims ate together at the first

Thanksgiving.

The first Thanksgiving was in New York City.

People enjoy playing football after eating.

You can find big sales the Friday before Thanksgiving.

You aren’t supposed to decorate for the holidays before

Thanksgiving.