Read the passage carefully before attempting Exercise 1 (Multiple Choice) and Exercise 2 (Fill in the blanks dropdown) below.
It is Saturday morning and Kenji is in a hurry. His grandmother Rosa has a birthday tomorrow, and he does not have a gift yet. He takes the bus to the shopping centre near his house. It is busy and a little noisy, but Kenji likes it there.
First, he goes to a bookshop. He sees a nice cookbook with beautiful photos of Italian food. Grandma Rosa loves cooking, so Kenji thinks this is a great idea. The book costs twelve euros. That is not too expensive, so he buys it. He also finds a small card with flowers on the front. He writes “Happy Birthday, Grandma! I love you” inside.
After shopping, Kenji is hungry. He goes to a café next to the bookshop and orders a hot chocolate and a sandwich. He sits by the window and looks at the gift. He puts the book in a blue bag with white stars on it. Grandma Rosa likes the colour blue. Kenji smiles. He is sure she is going to love her birthday present.
Exercise 1
Read the passage about shopping for a birthday gift carefully. Then choose the correct answer for each question based on the text.
Example: Where does the person go to buy a birthday gift?
Answer: The person goes to a shop.
Shopping for a Birthday Gift
Finding the perfect gift for someone special is not always easy! Before you read, think about these two questions: What do you usually buy for a friend's birthday? and Where do you go shopping in your town or city? Keep these ideas in mind as you read the passage below.
Reading Passage: A Gift for Grandma Rosa
It is Saturday morning and Kenji is in a hurry. His grandmother Rosa has a birthday tomorrow, and he does not have a gift yet. He takes the bus to the shopping centre near his house. It is busy and a little noisy, but Kenji likes it there.
First, he goes to a bookshop. He sees a nice cookbook with beautiful photos of Italian food. Grandma Rosa loves cooking, so Kenji thinks this is a great idea. The book costs twelve euros. That is not too expensive, so he buys it. He also finds a small card with flowers on the front. He writes "Happy Birthday, Grandma! I love you" inside.
After shopping, Kenji is hungry. He goes to a café next to the bookshop and orders a hot chocolate and a sandwich. He sits by the window and looks at the gift. He puts the book in a blue bag with white stars on it. Grandma Rosa likes the colour blue. Kenji smiles. He is sure she is going to love her birthday present.
Key Vocabulary in Context
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| in a hurry | phrase | needing to do something quickly, with not much time | She is in a hurry because the bus leaves in five minutes. |
| shopping centre | noun phrase | a large building with many different shops inside | We can find a bakery and a bookshop at the shopping centre. |
| cookbook | noun | a book with recipes and instructions for making food | My mother has a cookbook with 200 recipes in it. |
| expensive | adjective | costing a lot of money | That jacket is too expensive for me — it costs 150 euros! |
| card | noun | a small piece of paper or card that you give to someone for a special occasion | I always send a birthday card to my friends. |
| orders | verb | asks for food or a drink in a café or restaurant | He orders a coffee and a piece of cake. |
| present | noun | a gift; something you give to someone because you like them or for a special reason | She opens her birthday present and laughs with joy. |
| sure | adjective | certain; having no doubt about something | I am sure this is the right answer. |
Reading Strategies & Comprehension Tips
Skimming for the Main Idea
Read the passage quickly — just 20 to 30 seconds — without stopping at every word. Ask yourself: What is this text mainly about? You should see straight away that it is about a boy buying a birthday gift for his grandmother.
Scanning for Specific Details
Scanning means looking for one specific piece of information, like a number, a name, or a place. For example, if a question asks "How much does the book cost?", move your eyes quickly down the text until you find a number. You will find twelve euros in paragraph two. You do not need to read every word to find it.
Using Context to Understand New Words
If you do not know a word, look at the words around it. For example, if you do not know the word cookbook, the sentence says it has "beautiful photos of Italian food" — this tells you it is a book connected to food and cooking.
Linking Words Tell You the Order
Words like first, after, and also help you follow the story. Notice how "First, he goes to a bookshop" and "After shopping, Kenji is hungry" show you what happens and in what order.
Common Reading Pitfalls & Traps
Trap 1: Confusing "present" and "present"
The word present has two meanings in English. It can mean a gift (noun) or it can mean here / at this moment (adjective). In this passage, "birthday present" means a gift. Do not confuse these two meanings if you see the word in a question.
Trap 2: Whose birthday is it?
Some students read quickly and think the birthday is Kenji's. Read carefully — the passage clearly says it is his grandmother Rosa's birthday, not his. Questions sometimes test exactly this kind of small but important detail.
Trap 3: Where does Kenji eat?
Kenji buys food at a café, not inside the bookshop. The passage says the café is next to the bookshop. Be careful with location words like next to, inside, and near — they have different meanings and exam questions often test them.
Trap 4: The colour of the bag
The gift bag is blue with white stars. Students sometimes choose just "white" or "blue and white" as a single colour. Always read the full detail in the sentence before you answer.
Quick Summary
In this passage, a boy called Kenji goes to a shopping centre on a Saturday morning to buy a birthday gift for his grandmother Rosa. He chooses a cookbook and a card from a bookshop, then stops at a café for a hot chocolate and a sandwich. He is happy with his choice and feels confident that his grandmother will love her gift. The text is a short, realistic narrative with simple past-tense actions, clear sequence language, and everyday shopping vocabulary — all perfect for A1 level practice.
Now read the passage carefully and complete Exercise 1 (Multiple Choice) and Exercise 2 (Fill-in-the-gap dropdown) below.
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