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Reading Worksheet

Exam Day

A1 Present Continuous: Actions in Progress School 20 minutes
Before You Read

Discuss these questions with a partner before you read.

  • How do you feel before an exam? What do you do to prepare?
  • What is the most difficult exam you have ever taken? What was it about?
  • Is it better to write quickly or slowly in an exam? What do you think?
  • Look around the classroom right now. What are people doing? Tell your partner.
Key Vocabulary
Word Definition Example
exam (n.) a test that checks what you know The students are taking an important exam today.
nervous (adj.) worried or anxious about something Many students feel nervous before an exam.
concentrate (v.) to think carefully and give full attention Maya is concentrating hard on her answers.
question (n.) a sentence that asks for information Tom is reading the first question.
tick (v.) to make a regular clicking sound The clock is ticking loudly on the wall.
whisper (v.) to speak very quietly The teacher is not whispering — she is silent.
Reading Text
Short Description ~145 words

Exam Day

It is 9 o'clock on a Monday morning. Twenty students are sitting at their desks. They are taking an important English exam. The room is very quiet.

Maya is writing quickly. She is not looking up. She is concentrating very hard. Tom is sitting next to her. He is reading the questions slowly and carefully.

Two students near the window are looking outside. The sun is shining. The sky is blue. But the exam is not finished yet.

Ms Green is the teacher. She is not sitting at her desk. She is walking slowly between the desks. She is watching the students. She is not talking.

One student is drinking water from a bottle. Someone is tapping a pen on the desk. The clock on the wall is ticking. Everyone can hear it.

In one hour, the exam will finish. But right now, everyone is working hard.

Notice the Grammar

Look back at the article. Find five sentences that use the present continuous (am/is/are + -ing). Write them below. Then discuss with a partner: why does the writer use the present continuous to describe this classroom scene?

1 Reading for Gist

Answer these questions in a few words.

  1. What are the students doing?
  2. What is the teacher doing?
  3. What is the weather like outside?
2 Reading for Detail

Answer these questions. Write short answers.

  1. What time does the exam start?
  2. How is Maya writing?
  3. How many students are looking out of the window?
  4. What is making a sound in the classroom?  a) A phone b) The clock and someone's pen c) The teacher 
  5. When will the exam finish?
3 True, False, or Not Given

Write T (True), F (False), or NG (Not Given). Use only information from the article.

  1. The students are taking an English exam.
  2. Maya is looking out of the window.
  3. Tom finds the exam easy.
  4. Ms Green is walking around the classroom during the exam.
  5. The classroom is very noisy.
4 Vocabulary in Context

Answer these questions about words and phrases in the article.

  1. In paragraph 2, what does 'concentrating' mean?  a) feeling very tired b) thinking carefully and giving full attention c) writing very quickly without stopping 
  2. In paragraph 5, the writer says 'someone is tapping a pen on the desk'. What does this action suggest about the student?
  3. Find a verb in paragraph 5 that means 'to make a regular clicking sound'. Write it here. 
  4. In paragraph 6, what does 'right now' mean? Write your own definition.
5 Grammar in Context

Complete these activities. Go back to the article.

  1. Find five present continuous verbs in the article. Write the complete sentences.
    a)  b)  c)  d)  e) 
  2. We use the present continuous in this article because:  a) These actions happen every day. b) These actions are happening right now, at this moment. c) These actions happened in the past. 
  3. Find two time expressions in the article that tell us the actions are happening now.
  4. Rewrite these present simple sentences using the present continuous: (a) 'She writes.' → (b) 'He reads.' → (c) 'They sit.' →
  5. Write three sentences about what you are doing right now, or what people around you are doing. Use the present continuous.
Personal Response — Discuss with a partner

Discuss these questions with a partner. Then share one idea with the class.

  1. Maya is writing quickly and concentrating hard. Tom is reading slowly and carefully. Which style is more like you in an exam? Do you think one approach is better than the other?
  2. The students can hear the clock ticking. How does time pressure affect you? Do you work better with a deadline or without one?
  3. What do you think is the best way to prepare for an exam? Share your top tip with your partner.

Answer Key

Exam Day — A1 — Present Continuous: Actions in Progress

Exercise 1 — Reading for Gist

  1. They are taking / doing an English exam.
  2. She is walking between the desks and watching the students.
  3. The sun is shining. The sky is blue.

Exercise 2 — Reading for Detail

  1. 9 o'clock.
  2. Quickly.
  3. Two students.
  4. b)
  5. In one hour.

Exercise 3 — True, False, or Not Given

  1. T — Paragraph 1: 'They are taking an important English exam.'
  2. F — Paragraph 2: 'She is not looking up. She is concentrating very hard.'
  3. NG — The article says Tom is reading carefully, but does not say whether he finds it easy or difficult.
  4. T — Paragraph 4: 'She is walking slowly between the desks.'
  5. F — Paragraph 1: 'The room is very quiet.'

Exercise 4 — Vocabulary in Context

  1. b)
  2. The student is nervous / not concentrating / thinking hard or feeling stressed.
  3. ticking
  4. At this moment / at this exact time / not before or after, but now.

Exercise 5 — Grammar in Context

  1. Any five sentences with is/are + -ing, e.g.: 'Twenty students are sitting at their desks.' / 'Maya is writing quickly.' / 'Tom is reading the questions slowly and carefully.' / 'The sun is shining.' / 'Ms Green is walking slowly between the desks.' / 'She is watching the students.' / 'One student is drinking water.' / 'Someone is tapping a pen on the desk.' / 'The clock on the wall is ticking.'
  2. b)
  3. e.g. 'right now' / 'It is 9 o'clock on a Monday morning' / 'today' / 'But right now' — accept any two correct examples from the text.
  4. (a) She is writing. (b) He is reading. (c) They are sitting.
  5. Answers will vary. Answers will vary. Check: am/is/are + verb-ing.

Notice the Grammar — suggested answers

Accept any five correct examples from the article that use the target grammar. Students should be able to explain why the grammar is used in each case.

Personal Response

Answers will vary. This section is for spoken discussion or short written response. There are no single correct answers.