diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index bfca05f..f8693f1 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ FROM quay.io/jupyter/minimal-notebook:notebook-7.0.6
 # install necessary packages for analysis
 RUN conda install -y \
     python=3.11.6 \
-    altair=5.1.2 \
+    altair=altair \
     pandas=2.1.2 \
     ipykernel=6.26.0 \
     scikit-learn=1.3.2 \
     requests=2.31.0 \
-    notebook=6.5.4 
+    notebook=7.0.6 \
+    pytest=7.4.3 \
+    openpyxl=3.1.2
diff --git a/src/breast_cancer_predictor_report.ipynb b/src/breast_cancer_predictor_report.ipynb
index 0060371..dbfaf57 100644
--- a/src/breast_cancer_predictor_report.ipynb
+++ b/src/breast_cancer_predictor_report.ipynb
@@ -87,8 +87,6 @@
     "with open(\"../data/raw/breast+cancer+wisconsin+original.zip\", 'wb') as f:\n",
     "    f.write(request.content)\n",
     "\n",
-    "pd.arrays\n",
-    "\n",
     "with zipfile.ZipFile(\"../data/raw/breast+cancer+wisconsin+original.zip\", 'r') as zip_ref:\n",
     "    zip_ref.extractall(\"../data/raw\")"
    ]
diff --git a/src/read_zip.py b/src/read_zip.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4a6520
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/read_zip.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+def read_zip(url, directory):
+    """
+    Read a zip file from the given URL and extract its contents to the specified directory.
+
+    Parameters:
+    ----------
+    url : str
+        The URL of the zip file to be read.
+    directory : str
+        The directory where the contents of the zip file will be extracted.
+
+    Returns:
+    -------
+    None
+    """
diff --git a/tests/README.md b/tests/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6087516
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+## How to run the test suite
+
+### Preparation of test zip files
+The test zip files used in `test_read_zip.py` were genereated 
+by running the `generate_test_zip_files.py` script in the `tests` directory.
+These files need to exist in the remote GitHub repository for the tests to pass.
+If for some reason they go missing from the remote repository,
+we can re-run the `generate_test_zip_files.py` script to re-generate them
+and then push them to the remote repository.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/empty.zip b/tests/empty.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..15cb0ec
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/empty.zip differ
diff --git a/tests/files_txt_subdir.zip b/tests/files_txt_subdir.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6d2038
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/files_txt_subdir.zip differ
diff --git a/tests/files_txt_xlsx.zip b/tests/files_txt_xlsx.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be83991
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/files_txt_xlsx.zip differ
diff --git a/tests/generate_test_zip_files.py b/tests/generate_test_zip_files.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d0e6c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/generate_test_zip_files.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import pytest
+import os
+import openpyxl
+import zipfile
+import shutil
+
+# Create a directory named 'subdir'
+os.makedirs('subdir', exist_ok=True)
+
+# Create 'test1.txt' and write "test data" to it
+with open('test1.txt', 'w') as file:
+    file.write('test data')
+
+# Create 'test2.txt' inside 'subdir' and write "test data" to it
+with open('subdir/test2.txt', 'w') as file:
+    file.write('test data')
+
+# Create 'test1.xlsx' and write "test data" to it
+workbook = openpyxl.Workbook()
+worksheet = workbook.active
+worksheet.cell(row=1, column=1, value='test data')
+workbook.save('test1.xlsx')
+
+# Case 1 - Create a zip file containing 'test1.txt' and 'test1.xlsx'
+with zipfile.ZipFile('files_txt_xlsx.zip', 'w', zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED) as zipf:
+    zipf.write('test1.txt')
+    zipf.write('test1.xlsx')
+
+# Case 2 - Create a zip file containing 'test1.txt' and 'subdir/test2.txt'
+with zipfile.ZipFile('files_txt_subdir.zip', 'w', zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED) as zipf:
+    zipf.write('test1.txt')
+    zipf.write('subdir/test2.txt')
+
+# Case 3 - Create an empty zip file
+with zipfile.ZipFile('empty.zip', 'w', zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED) as zipf:
+    pass
+
+# Clean up the files and directories created
+test_files = ['test1.txt', 'test1.xlsx']
+
+for file in test_files:
+    if os.path.exists(file):
+        os.remove(file)
+
+if os.path.exists("subdir"):
+    shutil.rmtree("subdir")
diff --git a/tests/test_read_zip.py b/tests/test_read_zip.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..566efc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_read_zip.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import pytest
+import os
+import shutil
+
+# Test files setup
+# setup empty directory for data files to be downloaded to
+if not os.path.exists('test_zip_data1'):
+    os.makedirs('test_zip_data1')
+
+# setup directory that contains a file for data files to be downloaded to
+if not os.path.exists('test_zip_data2'):
+    os.makedirs('test_zip_data2')
+with open('test_zip_data2/test3.txt', 'w') as file:
+    pass  # The 'pass' statement does nothing, creating an empty file
+
+# test read_zip function can download and extract a zip file containing files 
+# and subdirectories containing files
+def test_read_zip_function():
+    # add tests here
+
+
+# test read_zip function throws an error if the zip file is empty
+def test_read_zip_error_on_empty():
+    # add tests here
+
+
+# test read_zip function throws an error if the input URL is invalid 
+# (e.g., points to a non-existent file or a non-zip file)
+def test_read_zip_error_on_invalid_url():
+    # add tests here
+
+
+# test read_zip function throws an error 
+# if the  directory path provided does not exist
+def test_read_zip_error_on_missing_dir():
+    # add tests here
+
+
+# clean up data directory
+if os.path.exists("subdir"):
+    shutil.rmtree("subdir")
+