Read the passage carefully before attempting Exercise 1 (Multiple Choice) and Exercise 2 (Fill in the blanks dropdown) below.
Mia lives in Lisbon, but last weekend she took the train to Porto. The journey was about three hours. She listened to music and looked out of the window at the green hills. Porto is a beautiful city in the north of Portugal.
On Saturday, Mia walked around the old part of the city. She saw colourful buildings and a big river. She took lots of photos. For lunch, she tried a famous local sandwich called a francesinha. It was hot and very filling! In the afternoon, she went to a small bookshop near the river. She bought two books and a postcard for her mother.
On Sunday, Mia visited a market. There were fruits, vegetables, cheese, and flowers. She bought some fresh strawberries. Later, she had coffee at a café by the river. The weather was warm and sunny. At five o’clock, she took the train back to Lisbon. She was tired but very happy. She wants to go back to Porto soon.
Exercise 1
Read the passage about a visit to another city carefully, then choose the correct answer for each question based on the text.
Example: Where does the person go?
Answer: The person goes to another city.
A Visit to Another City
Have you ever visited a new city for the first time? Everything looks different and exciting — the streets, the food, the people. Before you read, think about these two questions: What do you like to do when you visit a new place? and What can be difficult about travelling to a new city?
Reading Passage: Mia's Weekend in Porto
Mia lives in Lisbon, but last weekend she took the train to Porto. The journey was about three hours. She listened to music and looked out of the window at the green hills. Porto is a beautiful city in the north of Portugal.
On Saturday, Mia walked around the old part of the city. She saw colourful buildings and a big river. She took lots of photos. For lunch, she tried a famous local sandwich called a francesinha. It was hot and very filling! In the afternoon, she went to a small bookshop near the river. She bought two books and a postcard for her mother.
On Sunday, Mia visited a market. There were fruits, vegetables, cheese, and flowers. She bought some fresh strawberries. Later, she had coffee at a café by the river. The weather was warm and sunny. At five o'clock, she took the train back to Lisbon. She was tired but very happy. She wants to go back to Porto soon.
Key Vocabulary in Context
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| journey | noun | the time you travel from one place to another | The journey by bus took one hour. |
| colourful | adjective | having many bright colours | The market had colourful flowers and fruits. |
| local | adjective | from that specific place or area | She tried a local dish at the restaurant. |
| filling | adjective | food that makes you feel full quickly | The soup was very filling, so I didn't eat dessert. |
| postcard | noun | a small card with a picture, sent to someone from a place you visit | He sent his friend a postcard from Paris. |
| market | noun | an outdoor place where people sell food and other things | We bought fresh vegetables at the market. |
| fresh | adjective | recently picked or made; not old | The bread at the bakery was fresh and warm. |
| tired | adjective | feeling you need rest or sleep | After the long walk, she was very tired. |
Reading Strategies & Comprehension Tips
Skim First, Then Scan
Before reading every word, skim the passage quickly. Read the first sentence of each paragraph to understand the main idea. For this passage, the first paragraph tells you who Mia is and where she goes. The second and third paragraphs tell you what she does each day.
Look for Time Words
Words like last weekend, on Saturday, in the afternoon, and on Sunday help you understand the order of events. When a question asks "When did Mia do something?" scan the passage for these time words first.
Find Key Details Quickly
Questions may ask about specific facts — for example, what Mia bought or where she went. Do not re-read everything. Instead, scan for the key noun in the question (for example, "bookshop" or "market") and find it in the text quickly.
Use Context to Understand New Words
If you do not know a word, look at the words around it. For example, the text says the francesinha was "hot and very filling." Even if you do not know the word francesinha, you understand it is a type of food because the sentence describes taste and size.
Common Reading Pitfalls & Traps
Confusing Days and Activities
The passage describes two separate days — Saturday and Sunday. Be careful: the bookshop visit happens on Saturday, not Sunday. The market visit happens on Sunday. A common mistake is mixing up which activity happened on which day. Always look for the day word before the activity.
The Word "Local"
In this passage, "local" means something that comes from Porto specifically — the francesinha is a local sandwich. Do not confuse "local" with "small" or "cheap." It simply means from that place.
Mia's Feelings at the End
The text says Mia was "tired but very happy." Some readers only notice "tired" and think she did not enjoy the trip. Read the complete sentence carefully — the word but shows a contrast. She was tired and happy at the same time.
Where Does Mia Live?
The passage says Mia lives in Lisbon and visits Porto. Do not confuse the two cities. Lisbon is her home. Porto is the city she visits. Questions may try to trick you by mixing the two city names.
Quick Summary
In this passage, Mia travels by train from Lisbon to Porto for a weekend trip. She explores the old city, tries local food, visits a bookshop, and goes to a Sunday market. The text uses simple past tense verbs and everyday vocabulary to describe a short, enjoyable city visit. Key reading skills for this passage include identifying time words, scanning for specific details, and understanding how the word but connects two different feelings.
Now read the passage carefully and complete Exercise 1 (Multiple Choice) and Exercise 2 (Fill-in-the-gap dropdown) below.
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