Reading Exercise: Start Helping Your Community Today! English •

In this exercise, we will practise reading for gist, detail, and specific information in the context of helping and supporting communities.

Start Helping Your Community Today!

When people hear the word volunteer, they often think of travelling and helping people in other countries. However, volunteering can start at home and comes in many different forms! There are so many ways you can help your community.

Column 1: Clean the Environment

Pollution is a long-term problem facing us in the modern world. You can help by joining a conservation charity that helps protect wild animals and natural resources. River and beach cleaning events are an easy and fun way to get involved! You can go alone, with friends, or with family. You might even make some friends while you’re there! In the UK, over 450 events were organised in 2020, where volunteers helped to collect and recycle rubbish from British beaches. However, it’s not just in the UK! In January 2020, an organisation called VeryNile launched a project to work with Cairo fishermen to collect plastic from the Nile and raise awareness in the community. Have a look in your area, can you help clean a local nature spot?

Column 2: Donate!

There are loads of ways to donate and help your community!

Money! Lots of charities hold fundraisers to raise money and awareness. You can donate money, which will help charities run and buy supplies for people in need. Explore what events are happening in your community!

Blood! Donating blood is a generous act that will help hundreds of people. There’s even a World Blood Donor Day on the 14th of June, which was started in 2005. Did your local community do anything to celebrate the day last year? It’s also good for you; when you donate blood, a nurse checks your blood pressure and iron levels. Hospitals use donated blood to help with transplants and long invasive surgeries.

Food! Some charities will accept food donations in places called food banks, especially if their objective is to look after disadvantaged people. Next time you go to the supermarket, why not pick up a few extra things and look for a local food bank? In 2020, the UK reported that 4.5 million tons of food was wasted! If you have food you aren’t going to eat, you could donate it. It’s best to donate food that will last a long time, like tinned or dry food such as beans, rice, or pasta.

Column 3: Get Artistic!

Are you creative? Art and music can be used to help your community. Mashrou ElSaada, or The Happiness Project, paints murals on buildings around Egypt, particularly in poor areas. The group was founded in 2013, and they are inspired by colour theory. You can volunteer to paint with them, or you can try and organise your own project where you live! In the UK, Music in Hospitals and Care (MiHC) relies on volunteers to help patients in long-term care or in hospital. In 2018, they celebrated 70 years of bringing music to patients all over the UK. Have you ever used art or music to help you through a difficult time? Check out what creative projects you could join today!

Reading for Gist

Q1:

What is the purpose of the text?

  • ATo entertain the reader
  • BTo give the reader information
  • CTo debate a personal opinion
  • DTo give information about a historical event
  • ETo make the reader laugh

Q2:

How many different ways does the article suggest you can help your community?

  • ATwo
  • BThree
  • COne
  • DFour
  • EThe article doesn’t suggest any.

Q3:

Which of the following statements is true?

  • AThe article is about climate change.
  • BThe article is about helping the community where you live.
  • CThe article is about helping communities abroad.
  • DThe article is about a celebrity that often helps people.
  • EThe article is about how to save money.

Q4:

How does the article describe volunteering?

  • AAs something only a few people can do
  • BAs something fun and useful
  • CAs something difficult but necessary
  • DAs something that doesn’t happen anymore
  • EAs something new

Reading for Detail and Specific Information

Q5:

Read the section titled Clean the Environment.Which of the following statements is true?

  • ABeach cleaning events happen 450 times every year.
  • BCleaning beaches is a boring activity.
  • CYou can only go to a beach cleaning event alone.
  • DOnly rivers in the UK need cleaning.
  • EYou can go to a beach cleaning event with friends.

Q6:

Read the section titled Donate! Which of the following statements is true?

  • ADonated blood can’t be used for surgery.
  • BDonated blood is needed for transplants.
  • CDonating blood will make you feel tired.
  • DDonating food is more important than donating money.
  • EYou shouldn’t donate food from your home.

Q7:

Read the section titled Get Artistic! Which of the following statements is false?

  • AThe Happiness Project normally works in poor areas.
  • BThe MiHC works in Egypt.
  • CMusic can be beneficial to people with illnesses.
  • DThe MiHC needs volunteers.
  • EPainting is a great way to help your community.

Q8:

What kind of animals are protected by conservation charities?

  • APets
  • BAnimals that live in nature
  • CAnimals that live in the water
  • DAnimals that can fly
  • ESmall animals that need protection from larger animals

Q9:

In what situation would a person need donated blood?

  • AWhen someone wants to check their iron levels
  • BAfter a serious injury
  • CWhen feeling unwell
  • DOn the 14th of June
  • EWhen training to be a nurse

Q10:

Who does MiHC help?

  • APeople who live in poor areas
  • BPeople who need ongoing treatment or who are in hospital.
  • CAnyone in need
  • DEveryone who lives in the UK
  • EMusicians

Q11:

In which of the following countries does MiHC work?

  • AUnited States of America
  • BEngland
  • CEgypt
  • DUganda
  • EUkraine

Q12:

Look at this phrase from the section titled Donate!

It’s also good for you.

What is it referring to?

  • ADonating blood
  • BWorld Donor Day
  • CDonating in general
  • DIncreasing your blood pressure and iron levels

Q13:

Look at this sentence from the section titled Get Artistic!

In 2018, they celebrated 70 years of bringing music to patients.

Who does they refer to in this sentence?

  • AThe patients
  • BThe Happiness Project
  • CPeople in the UK
  • DThe people who work at MiHC
  • EThe musicians

Q14:

What does the article suggest you can donate?

  • AMoney only
  • BBlood, food, and money
  • CBlood only
  • DFood and money
  • EMoney and blood

Q15:

What is the objective of the VeryNile project with fishermen from Cairo?

  • ATo organise beach cleaning events in the community
  • BTo collect plastic from the river
  • CTo warn people about the dangers of fishing
  • DTo recycle plastic from British beaches
  • ETo educate people about rivers

Q16:

Fill in the blank: Charities hold fundraisers to raise .

  • Aawareness
  • Bsupplies for people in need
  • Cmoney
  • Ddonations
  • Emoney and awareness

Q17:

How much food was wasted in the UK in 2020?

  • A4.5 billion tons
  • B4.5 million tons
  • CForty-five million tons
  • DThe article doesn’t say exactly how much was wasted.
  • EMore than in Egypt

Q18:

On which date is World Blood Donor Day annually celebrated?

  • A2005
  • B14th of June
  • CJune 2020
  • DJune 2005
  • EJuly 14, 2020

Q19:

How many beach cleaning events were organised in 2020 in the UK?

  • A500
  • BOver 450
  • C450
  • DUnder 450
  • EIt isn’t said.

Q20:

For how many years had the MiHC been running in 2018?

  • A2013
  • B70
  • C2020
  • D50
  • EIt isn’t said.

Q21:

When did The Happiness Project start?

  • A2005
  • B2013
  • C14th of June
  • D2018
  • EIt isn’t said.

Reading for Vocabulary and Grammar

Q22:

How is the word spot being used in the section titled Clean the Environment?

  • AA pimple
  • BAn area or location
  • CA round shape
  • DTo mark something with spots
  • ETo see or notice something

Q23:

In the section titled Donate!, how is the word run being used?

  • ATo stand for an election
  • BTo keep a business working
  • CA continuous time of good luck
  • DA race
  • ETo move at a fast pace

Q24:

How is the word facing being used in the section titled Clean the Environment?

  • AThe outer layer of a wall
  • BA cliff edge
  • CBeing physically in front of something
  • DGetting ready to have a fight
  • EDealing with or looking at a difficult situation

Q25:

In the section titled Donate!, how is the word supplies being used?

  • AFood
  • BThings or objects that are needed
  • CA person acting as a temporary substitute, usually a teacher
  • DAn amount of money
  • ETo give people something they need

Q26:

Can you find another word for kind in the text?

  • AFun
  • BGenerous
  • CEasy
  • DWild
  • EWarm

Q27:

Can you find another word for goal in the text?

  • AFocus
  • BObjective
  • CAim
  • DAwareness
  • EOrganise

Q28:

Can you find another phrase for care for in the text?

  • ALong-term
  • BLook out
  • CLook after
  • DKeep safe
  • EPick up

Q29:

What word does the text use to describe large artwork usually on buildings?

  • APainting
  • BMurals
  • CTheory
  • DCreative
  • EPaint

Q30:

What word does the text use to describe the phrase thrown away?

  • ALast
  • BWasted
  • CDonated
  • DTinned
  • EDiscarded

Q31:

Which of the following is not used in the text to mean search for?

  • ACheck out
  • BPick up
  • CExplore
  • DHave a look
  • ELook for

Q32:

Look at this sentence from the text:

Pollution is a long-term problem facing us in the modern world.

Which of the following best describes the meaning of this sentence?

  • ASomething that is always or usually true
  • BA completed action in the past
  • CA routine
  • DTwo actions in the past that happened at the same time
  • EA habit in the past that doesn’t happen anymore

Q33:

Look at this sentence from the text:

Mashrou ElSaada, or The Happiness Project, paints murals on buildings around Egypt.

Which of the following best describes the meaning of this sentence?

  • ATwo completed past actions
  • BA daily routine
  • CA regular activity that happened only in the past
  • DOne completed past action
  • EA regular activity that happens in the present

Q34:

Look at this sentence from the text:

In 2018, they celebrated 70 years of bringing music to patients.

Which of the following best describes the meaning of this sentence?

  • ASomething that is always or usually true
  • BA completed action in the past
  • CTwo actions that happened one after another in the past
  • DA repeated action in the past
  • EA routine

Q35:

Look at this sentence from the text:

In the UK, over 450 events were organised in 2020.

Which of the following is true?

  • AEvents organised the UK.
  • BWe don’t know who organised the events.
  • CThe UK organised events.
  • DOne person organised all the events.
  • EMany people organised the events but their identity must be kept secret.

Q36:

Look at this sentence from the text:

They are inspired by colour theory.

Which of the following is another way of writing this sentence?

  • AColour theory inspired the people who work at The Happiness Project in the past but not now.
  • BThe Happiness Project inspired colour theory.
  • CColour theory inspires the people who work at The Happiness Project.
  • DThe Happiness Project inspired the community to use colour theory.
  • EColour theory is inspired by The Happiness Project.

Correct Answer

Incorrect Answer

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