Read the passage carefully before attempting Exercise 1 (Multiple Choice) and Exercise 2 (Fill in the blanks dropdown) below.
Last month, Priya and her family moved from Leeds to Bristol. They left because her mother got a new job in the city. Priya was not happy about it. She had to say goodbye to her school friends, her favourite park, and the little café on her street where she always had hot chocolate on Saturday mornings. “I don’t want to go,” she told her parents. But the removal van came, and soon the old house was empty.
Their new flat in Bristol is on the third floor of a tall building near the river. At first, Priya thought it was too small and too noisy. The rooms felt strange, and she didn’t know where anything was. But slowly, things started to get better. She painted her bedroom walls yellow, which made it feel more like her own space. Her neighbour, a girl called Zara, knocked on the door one evening and asked if Priya wanted to walk to the park together.
Now, three weeks later, Priya is feeling much more comfortable. She has started at her new school and she already likes her science teacher. She and Zara are going to join the school swimming club next week. Priya still misses Leeds sometimes, but she thinks Bristol is going to be a good home. “It just takes time,” she wrote in a message to her old friend back home.
Exercise 1
Read the passage about moving to a new home carefully. Then choose the correct answer for each question based on the information in the text.
Example: Where did the family move to?
Answer: The family moved to a new apartment in the city.
Moving to a New Home
Have you ever had to leave a place you loved? Moving to a new home can feel exciting and scary at the same time. Before you read, think about these two questions: What do you think is the hardest thing about moving to a new place? And what would you do first if you moved to a new neighbourhood? Keep these questions in mind as you read Priya's story.
Reading Passage: A New Start in Bristol
Last month, Priya and her family moved from Leeds to Bristol. They left because her mother got a new job in the city. Priya was not happy about it. She had to say goodbye to her school friends, her favourite park, and the little café on her street where she always had hot chocolate on Saturday mornings. "I don't want to go," she told her parents. But the removal van came, and soon the old house was empty.
Their new flat in Bristol is on the third floor of a tall building near the river. At first, Priya thought it was too small and too noisy. The rooms felt strange, and she didn't know where anything was. But slowly, things started to get better. She painted her bedroom walls yellow, which made it feel more like her own space. Her neighbour, a girl called Zara, knocked on the door one evening and asked if Priya wanted to walk to the park together.
Now, three weeks later, Priya is feeling much more comfortable. She has started at her new school and she already likes her science teacher. She and Zara are going to join the school swimming club next week. Priya still misses Leeds sometimes, but she thinks Bristol is going to be a good home. "It just takes time," she wrote in a message to her old friend back home.
Key Vocabulary in Context
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| removal van | noun phrase | A large vehicle used to carry furniture and belongings when you move home | The removal van arrived early in the morning and took all our boxes. |
| neighbourhood | noun | The area around the place where you live, including nearby streets and buildings | There is a nice market in our neighbourhood every Saturday. |
| flat | noun | An apartment; a set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a building | They live in a small flat on the second floor. |
| strange | adjective | Unfamiliar or unusual; not what you are used to | Everything felt strange on the first day at my new school. |
| comfortable | adjective | Feeling relaxed and at ease, not worried or uncomfortable | After a few weeks, she felt comfortable in her new city. |
| knocked on the door | verb phrase (past simple) | Hit the door with your hand to get someone's attention | My new neighbour knocked on the door and introduced herself. |
| miss | verb | To feel sad because someone or something is not there anymore | I really miss my grandmother when she is not visiting us. |
| takes time | verb phrase | Needs a period of time to happen or improve | Learning a new language takes time, but it gets easier. |
Reading Strategies & Comprehension Tips
Skim First, Then Read Carefully
Before you read every word, skim the passage quickly. Look at the title and the first sentence of each paragraph. This helps you understand the general story before you focus on the details.
Scan for Specific Information
If a question asks about a fact — for example, where Priya moved, why her family moved, or what she did to her bedroom — scan the text for the key words in the question. Do not re-read everything. Look for the specific word or idea.
Follow the Time Order
This story has a clear sequence of events. Look for time words such as last month, at first, slowly, and now, three weeks later. These words show you how Priya's feelings changed over time. Understanding this sequence will help you answer questions about her emotions and opinions.
Use Context to Understand New Words
If you see an unfamiliar word, read the whole sentence around it. For example, if you do not know what a removal van is, the sentence tells you it "came" and then "the old house was empty" — so you can guess it was used for moving.
Common Reading Pitfalls & Traps
Trap 1: Confusing Priya's feelings at different times
Priya's feelings change during the story. At the beginning, she is unhappy. At the end, she feels better. Be careful not to mix up how she felt before moving, just after moving, and three weeks later. Always check the time word near the sentence.
Trap 2: Who got the new job?
Some students think Priya got a new job, but it was actually her mother who got the new job. Read carefully and notice who the subject of each sentence is.
Trap 3: Where do they live now?
The family is from Leeds but they now live in Bristol. These are two different cities. Questions might use both city names to confuse you. Remember: Leeds = old home, Bristol = new home.
Trap 4: Future plans vs. things already happening
Priya and Zara are going to join the swimming club — this has not happened yet. However, Priya has already started at her new school. Do not confuse plans for the future with things that are already happening now.
Quick Summary
In this passage, you read about Priya, a girl who moved from Leeds to Bristol with her family. At first she was unhappy and found everything strange, but gradually she started to feel more at home. She made a new friend called Zara and began to enjoy her new life. The text is a short personal narrative with a clear emotional journey and specific details about people, places, and feelings — all of which are tested in the exercises below.
Now read the passage carefully and complete Exercise 1 (Multiple Choice) and Exercise 2 (Fill-in-the-gap dropdown) below.
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