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Read the text about Anna's holiday and choose the correct answer.
Anna is a 26-year-old teacher who lives in Warsaw, Poland. She loves travelling and tries to visit a new country every year. Last summer, she went on a two-week holiday to Japan with her friend Lena. It was the first time she had ever visited Asia.
Anna and Lena planned the trip for three months before they left. They booked their flights online and found a small hotel in Tokyo city centre. They also bought a travel guide and made a list of places they wanted to visit.
In Tokyo, they visited many famous places. They went to the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, walked through the busy streets of Shibuya, and ate sushi at a local restaurant. Anna said the food was the best part of the trip. She tried many new dishes every day.
After five days in Tokyo, they took a bullet train to Kyoto. The journey took about two hours and fifteen minutes. In Kyoto, they saw beautiful temples and gardens. They also wore traditional Japanese clothes called kimonos and took many photos.
On the last day of the trip, Anna bought gifts for her family and friends at a local market. She bought green tea, Japanese sweets, and small souvenirs. When she got home, she said it was the best holiday of her life and she wants to go back to Japan next year.
Anna is a 26-year-old teacher who lives in Warsaw, Poland. She loves travelling and tries to visit a new country every year. Last summer, she went on a two-week holiday to Japan with her friend Lena. It was the first time she had ever visited Asia.
Anna and Lena planned the trip for three months before they left. They booked their flights online and found a small hotel in Tokyo city centre. They also bought a travel guide and made a list of places they wanted to visit.
In Tokyo, they visited many famous places. They went to the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, walked through the busy streets of Shibuya, and ate sushi at a local restaurant. Anna said the food was the best part of the trip. She tried many new dishes every day.
After five days in Tokyo, they took a bullet train to Kyoto. The journey took about two hours and fifteen minutes. In Kyoto, they saw beautiful temples and gardens. They also wore traditional Japanese clothes called kimonos and took many photos.
On the last day of the trip, Anna bought gifts for her family and friends at a local market. She bought green tea, Japanese sweets, and small souvenirs. When she got home, she said it was the best holiday of her life and she wants to go back to Japan next year.
Keep practising with related reading and grammar units at your level.
All A2 reading questions for “Pack Your Bags: Planning the Perfect Holiday – A2 Reading Exercises”, each with the correct answer and a short explanation. Read the passage above, try the interactive exercises, then check your answers here.
1. Where does Anna live?
Answer: Warsaw, Poland
The passage states: 'Anna is a 26-year-old teacher who lives in Warsaw, Poland.'
2. How long was Anna's holiday in Japan?
Answer: Two weeks
The passage states: 'she went on a two-week holiday to Japan with her friend Lena.'
3. How long did Anna and Lena plan the trip before they left?
Answer: Three months
The passage states: 'Anna and Lena planned the trip for three months before they left.'
4. Where did they stay in Tokyo?
Answer: In a small hotel in the city centre
The passage states: 'they found a small hotel in Tokyo city centre.'
5. What did Anna say was the best part of the trip?
Answer: The food
The passage states: 'Anna said the food was the best part of the trip.'
6. How did Anna and Lena travel from Tokyo to Kyoto?
Answer: By bullet train
The passage states: 'they took a bullet train to Kyoto.'
7. How long did the journey from Tokyo to Kyoto take?
Answer: Two hours and fifteen minutes
The passage states: 'The journey took about two hours and fifteen minutes.'
8. What did Anna and Lena wear in Kyoto?
Answer: Traditional Japanese kimonos
The passage states: 'They also wore traditional Japanese clothes called kimonos.'
9. What did Anna buy at the market on the last day?
Answer: Green tea, Japanese sweets and small souvenirs
The passage states: 'She bought green tea, Japanese sweets, and small souvenirs.'
10. What does Anna want to do next year?
Answer: Go back to Japan
The passage states: 'she wants to go back to Japan next year.'
1. Anna and Lena _____ their flights online three months before the trip.
Answer: booked
'Book' means to reserve something in advance, such as a flight or hotel room. Past Simple: book becomes booked.
2. They bought a travel _____ to help them plan which places to visit.
Answer: guide
A 'travel guide' is a book with information about places to visit, eat, and stay in a city or country.
3. They took a _____ from Tokyo to Kyoto. It was very fast.
Answer: bullet train
A 'bullet train' is a very fast train. In Japanese it is called the Shinkansen.
4. In Kyoto, they wore traditional Japanese clothes called _____.
Answer: kimonos
A 'kimono' is a traditional Japanese garment. It is worn on special occasions and by tourists.
5. Anna bought small _____ at the market to take home for her friends.
Answer: souvenirs
'Souvenirs' are small objects that people buy when they travel to remember their trip.
1. Last summer, Anna _____ on holiday to Japan.
Answer: went
'Go' is an irregular verb. Past Simple: go becomes went.
2. They _____ their flights online before the trip.
Answer: booked
'Book' is a regular verb. Past Simple: book becomes booked (add -ed).
3. Anna and Lena _____ the trip for three months.
Answer: planned
'Plan' is a regular verb. Past Simple: plan becomes planned (double the final consonant + -ed).
4. They _____ the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa.
1. Anna is a teacher from Warsaw who loves _____. Last summer, she _____ to Japan with her friend Lena. They _____ the trip for three months and _____ their flights online. In Tokyo, they _____ famous places and _____ many new dishes. After five days, they _____ a bullet train to Kyoto. There, they _____ kimonos and _____ beautiful temples. On the last day, Anna _____ souvenirs and green tea for her family.
Answer: travelling, went, planned, booked, visited, tried, took, wore, saw, bought
1. a new country / every year / Anna / to visit / tries
Answer: Anna tries to visit a new country every year.
Subject + verb + to + infinitive + object + time expression. 'Try to' is followed by the base verb.
2. their flights / they / online / booked
Answer: They booked their flights online.
Subject + Past Simple verb + object + adverb. 'Online' describes how they booked.
3. a list / they / of places / made / to visit
Answer: They made a list of places to visit.
Subject + verb + object + prepositional phrase. 'Of places to visit' modifies 'list'.
4. the Senso-ji Temple / in Asakusa / they / visited
Answer: They visited the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa.
Subject + Past Simple verb + object + place. Place expressions come after the object.
5. every day / new dishes / Anna / many / tried
Answer: Anna tried many new dishes every day.
Subject + Past Simple verb + object + time expression. Time expressions come at the end.
1. You are a friendly English teacher helping an A2 level student practise talking about travel and holidays. Ask 8 short, simple questions one at a time about where they last went on holiday, how they travelled, what they did, what they ate, what they bought, and whether they enjoyed it. Use Past Simple and Present Simple throughout. After each student answer, give warm encouraging feedback. Gently correct any grammar mistakes and briefly explain why. Keep your language simple, clear, and supportive.
1. Question 1
6. It was the first time she had ever _____ Asia.
Answer: visited
'Visit' means to go to a place as a traveller or tourist. Past participle: visit becomes visited.
7. They made a _____ of all the places they wanted to see in Japan.
Answer: list
'Make a list' means to write down a number of things you want to do or buy.
8. Anna tried many new _____ every day during her trip to Japan.
Answer: dishes
'Dishes' are specific types of prepared food. Trying local dishes is a popular part of travelling.
9. They walked through the busy _____ of Shibuya in central Tokyo.
Answer: streets
'Streets' are roads in a town or city, usually with buildings on both sides.
10. When she got home, Anna said it was the best holiday of her _____.
Answer: life
'The best ... of my life' is a common expression used to describe something very special or memorable.
Answer: visited
'Visit' is a regular verb. Past Simple: visit becomes visited (add -ed).
5. Anna _____ many new dishes every day in Japan.
Answer: tried
'Try' is a regular verb ending in -y. Past Simple: try becomes tried (change -y to -ied).
6. They _____ a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto.
Answer: took
'Take' is an irregular verb. Past Simple: take becomes took.
7. In Kyoto, they _____ beautiful temples and gardens.
Answer: saw
'See' is an irregular verb. Past Simple: see becomes saw.
8. They _____ traditional kimonos and took many photos.
Answer: wore
'Wear' is an irregular verb. Past Simple: wear becomes wore.
9. Anna _____ gifts for her family at a local market.
Answer: bought
'Buy' is an irregular verb. Past Simple: buy becomes bought.
10. When she got home, she _____ it was the best holiday of her life.
Answer: said
'Say' is an irregular verb. Past Simple: say becomes said.
6. a bullet train / from Tokyo / they / to Kyoto / took
Answer: They took a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto.
Subject + verb + object + from + place + to + place. Direction of travel: from... to...
7. beautiful temples / they / in Kyoto / and gardens / saw
Answer: They saw beautiful temples and gardens in Kyoto.
Subject + Past Simple verb + object + place. Two objects joined with 'and'.
8. kimonos / and / wore / they / photos / took / many
Answer: They wore kimonos and took many photos.
Subject + Past Simple verb + object + and + Past Simple verb + object. Two actions joined with 'and'.
9. for her family / gifts / Anna / at a local market / bought
Answer: Anna bought gifts for her family at a local market.
Subject + verb + object + for + person + place. 'For her family' tells us who the gifts were for.
10. the best holiday / it was / she / of her life / said
Answer: She said it was the best holiday of her life.
Subject + said + that-clause. 'That' is optional and is often dropped in spoken English.