The Story of a School Vegetable Plot
About this practice test
Read about Class 5B turning an unused school corner into a vegetable plot, caring for the plants, and sharing the harvest.
What you’ll practice
Finding detail
Locate specific information and evidence.
Interpreting ideas
Connect main points and inferences.
Evaluating arguments
Assess claims, evidence, and limitations.
What to expect:
2 questions with explanations to review after submission.
Study the questions and tasks
Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- A2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Cloze (text)
How to approach this practice
Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.
The Story of a School Vegetable Plot
Our school had an empty corner behind the gym. In spring, Ms Lane asked Class 5B to turn it into a vegetable plot. The students pulled out stones, added dark soil, and made four small beds. Then they planted lettuce, carrots, and beans in neat rows. Every Monday and Thursday, two children from each group watered the beds with cans from the rain barrel. They also wrote the date on a chart, so they could see which plants grew best. At first, the plants were slow, because April was cold. After a sunny week, the leaves became stronger and the bean poles stood up straight. In June, the class picked enough food for a salad day in the cafeteria. Some vegetables went home in paper bags, and the rest were used in soup. The children said the plot was hard work, but they liked seeing food come from their own hands. Next year, they want to try tomatoes and herbs.
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Question 1 · Cloze (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each gap. Complete the summary. At the start, Ms Lane helped Class 5B change an 1___ behind the gym into a vegetable plot. The pupils made 2___, planted vegetables, and watered the beds with cans from the 3___. They also used a chart to watch which plants grew 4___.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- empty corner
- Blank 2
- small beds
- Blank 3
- rain barrel
- Blank 4
- best
Gap 1: “empty corner” fits because the school had this unused space behind the gym. Gap 2: “small beds” fits the description of what the students made. Gap 3: “rain barrel” identifies where the watering cans came from. Gap 4: “best” completes the phrase about comparing plant growth.
Our school had an empty corner behind the gym.
The students pulled out stones, added dark soil, and made four small beds.
They also wrote the date on a chart, so they could see which plants grew best.
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Question 2 · Cloze (text)
Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each gap. Complete the summary. At first, the plants were 1___ because April was cold. After a sunny week, the leaves became stronger and the bean poles stood up 2___. In June, the class picked enough food for a 3___ in the cafeteria. The children said the plot was 4___, but they liked the result.
Return to the passage, recording or visualCheck answers and explanations
- Blank 1
- slow
- Blank 2
- straight
- Blank 3
- salad day
- Blank 4
- hard work
Gap 1: “slow” describes the plants’ growth during the cold April weather. Gap 2: “straight” completes the description of the bean poles after the sunny week. Gap 3: “salad day” is the cafeteria event for which the class picked enough food. Gap 4: “hard work” gives the children’s opinion about the plot.
At first, the plants were slow, because April was cold.
After a sunny week, the leaves became stronger and the bean poles stood up straight.
In June, the class picked enough food for a salad day in the cafeteria. Some vegetables went home in paper bags, and the rest were used in soup. The children said the plot was hard work, but they liked seeing food come from their own hands.
What to review next
Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.
Before you practise: a worked example
Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.
The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?
The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.
This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.