Reading Comprehension Practice Exam for Beginner ESL Learners

Beginner Level – Reading Comprehension Test

Introduction:

Welcome to your Reading Comprehension Test for Beginners. This test is designed to assess your ability to understand and interpret simple English texts. Below, you will find several short passages, each followed by a set of questions. Read each passage carefully and then answer the related questions. This exercise will help you improve your reading skills and understand basic English texts. Take your time, and try to comprehend each sentence before answering the questions. Good luck!

Passage 1: Tom is a young boy. He likes to play football. Every afternoon, Tom goes to the park with his friends. They play football until it gets dark. Tom’s favorite position is the goalkeeper.

  1. Who is the main character in the passage?
  2. What sport does Tom like to play?
  3. Where does Tom play football?
  4. When does Tom play football?
  5. What is Tom’s favorite position in football?

Passage 2: Sara is a teacher. She teaches mathematics at a local school. Every morning, she drives to school. Sara enjoys teaching and loves to see her students learn.

  1. What is Sara’s job?
  2. What subject does Sara teach?
  3. How does Sara get to school?
  4. Does Sara like her job?
  5. What does Sara love to see?

Passage 3: Mr. Lee owns a small shop in the town. He sells fruits and vegetables. People come to his shop to buy fresh produce. Mr. Lee wakes up early every morning to stock his shop with the freshest fruits and vegetables.

  1. Who is Mr. Lee?
  2. What does Mr. Lee sell in his shop?
  3. Why do people visit Mr. Lee’s shop?
  4. What does Mr. Lee do every morning?
  5. Where does Mr. Lee’s story take place?

Passage 4: Lily and her brother, Jack, went to the beach on Sunday. They built a big sandcastle and collected seashells. They had a picnic lunch with sandwiches and juice. They stayed at the beach until the sunset.

  1. Who are the main characters in this story?
  2. Where did Lily and Jack go?
  3. What did they do at the beach?
  4. What did Lily and Jack have for lunch?
  5. How long did they stay at the beach?

Passage 5: Maria loves to read books. Her favorite type of book is mystery. On rainy days, she sits by the window with a cup of tea and a mystery novel. She says it makes her feel like she’s part of the story.

  1. What is Maria’s favorite hobby?
  2. What kind of books does Maria enjoy the most?
  3. What does Maria do on rainy days?
  4. What does Maria like to drink while reading?
  5. How does reading make Maria feel?

Passage 6: David is an artist. He paints beautiful landscapes. His paintings are in a gallery downtown. Many people visit the gallery to see his work. David loves using bright colors in his paintings.

  1. What is David’s profession?
  2. What does David paint?
  3. Where are David’s paintings displayed?
  4. Why do people visit the gallery?
  5. What is distinctive about David’s paintings?

Answer Key

Passage 1

  1. The main character is Tom.
  2. Tom likes to play football.
  3. Tom plays football in the park.
  4. Tom plays football every afternoon.
  5. Tom’s favorite position is the goalkeeper.

Passage 2

  1. Sara is a teacher.
  2. Sara teaches mathematics.
  3. Sara drives to school.
  4. Yes, Sara likes her job.
  5. Sara loves to see her students learn.

Passage 3

  1. Mr. Lee owns a small shop.
  2. Mr. Lee sells fruits and vegetables.
  3. People visit Mr. Lee’s shop to buy fresh produce.
  4. Mr. Lee wakes up early to stock his shop.
  5. The story takes place in a town.

Passage 4

  1. The main characters are Lily and her brother, Jack.
  2. Lily and Jack went to the beach.
  3. They built a sandcastle and collected seashells.
  4. They had sandwiches and juice for lunch.
  5. They stayed at the beach until sunset.

Passage 5

  1. Maria’s favorite hobby is reading.
  2. Maria enjoys mystery books the most.
  3. On rainy days, Maria sits by the window with a book.
  4. Maria likes to drink tea while reading.
  5. Reading makes Maria feel like she’s part of the story.

Passage 6

  1. David is an artist.
  2. David paints landscapes.
  3. David’s paintings are in a gallery downtown.
  4. People visit the gallery to see David’s work.
  5. David loves using bright colors in his paintings.

This test concludes with passages that slightly increase in complexity, introducing more detailed descriptions and a broader vocabulary. These final questions continue to reinforce basic reading comprehension skills while also encouraging learners to engage more deeply with the text.

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