Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Animations & Family Entertainment 3

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find a foreign animated film with subtitles to watch.

There are descriptions of eight animated movies.

Decide which animated film would be the most suitable for the people below.

1   Clara loves traditional Japanese artwork and wants to learn about old customs through film. She prefers stories with on-screen text so she can practice her English reading skills. She needs a movie that is under an hour and a half.

2   David is interested in European hand-drawn animation set in modern cities. He doesn’t like dubbing and wants to read the dialogue in English. Since he is a student, he needs to find a video that is completely free online.

3   The Taylor family wants a European animated film based on ancient fairy tales to learn about folk stories. They prefer watching original voices with subtitles and need a peaceful story that is perfect for their six-year-old child.

4   Kenji enjoys futuristic Japanese sci-fi anime with high-tech cities. He loves challenging plots where he can read translation text while listening to the original actors. He only wants to watch famous movies that have won global prizes.

5   Emma wants an Asian animated film that explores nature and traditional village life. She prefers reading subtitles rather than listening to translations. She is looking for an energetic movie filled with fast action and exciting adventures.

Reviews of Foreign Animated Films

A Spirit of the North

This beautiful French animation brings ancient European legends and woodland fairy tales to life. The calm, gentle plot contains no scary scenes, making it ideal for the youngest viewers. The film is shown with its original French audio and clear English text across the bottom of the screen.

B Samurai Days

Set in historical Tokyo, this gorgeous movie explores nineteenth-century Japanese traditions and social customs. To help viewers practice, the dialogue features English translation text to read throughout. Running for exactly eighty minutes, this short, brilliant story fits perfectly into a busy evening without keeping you up late.

C Island Secrets

This lovely animated story from Italy follows an adventure through quiet Mediterranean villages. It is a fantastic option for family movie nights with small children. Although it focuses heavily on traditional local music, the entire film is fully dubbed into spoken English, meaning there is no text to read.

D The Green Valley

Produced by an independent studio in Seoul, this exciting movie focuses on the relationship between human villages and the wild forest. The fast-paced plot is packed with high-speed chases and non-stop movement. Audiences must read the translation text provided on screen, as the characters speak their native Korean.

E Berlin Beats

This modern German film captures the fast life of teenagers growing up in contemporary European capitals. The story requires viewers to read written dialogue in English while enjoying the original track. You can watch this creative work on our streaming site right now for zero cost without registering.

F Tokyo 2100

This incredible science-fiction anime shows a wild future of spaceships and robots in Japan. The complex, intelligent storyline won three international film awards last year. However, please note that this version has been completely re-recorded with English voices, so it does not include any on-screen subtitles.

G Cyber City

An absolute masterpiece of Japanese anime, this legendary film explores a dark, futuristic world of advanced technology. It is globally famous and received the top prize at the World Animation Festival. Viewers can enjoy the authentic voice acting by reading the clear English translation text during the movie.

H Voices of Kyoto

Travel back in time to explore ancient temples and historical Japanese lifestyles in this slow, peaceful movie. It requires viewers to read the text on screen to follow the plot. The film is beautifully made, but it lasts for nearly three hours, making it a very long watch.

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find a collection of short animated films to watch.

There are descriptions of eight short animated film collections.

Decide which collection would be the most suitable for the people below.

1   Anna wants to watch traditional, pencil-drawn animation. She loves funny stories featuring animals. She is watching with her three-year-old son, so the collection must be completely safe for very small children to enjoy.

2   Mark is looking for short, exciting space adventures. He strongly prefers modern, computer-generated animation rather than older styles. He also wants a collection that features lots of energetic pop music playing in the background.

3   Chloe loves scary ghost stories. She wants to see short films made using models or clay rather than drawings. She also prefers collections where the characters do not speak, using only actions to tell the tale.

4   David wants to learn about real historical people through animation. He loves films painted with traditional watercolours. He also hopes the collection includes extra videos showing interviews with the people who made the films.

5   Elena wants to watch a collection of romantic love stories in the Japanese anime style. She is very busy, so the entire collection of short films must take less than half an hour to finish.

Short Animated Film Collections

A Tokyo Hearts

This beautiful collection focuses on young couples finding true love in the city. It is drawn perfectly in the popular, classic Asian comic-book animation style. It contains five extremely brief episodes, meaning you can easily complete the entire magical journey in just twenty-five minutes during your daily travel.

B Midnight Shadows

Prepare for a chilling evening with these spooky, five-minute mysteries about haunted houses. The creators carefully moved detailed plasticine figures by hand to produce the incredibly creepy movement. Interestingly, nobody says a single word during the stories. Instead, the terrifying plot is explained entirely through the characters’ physical actions and expressions.

C Barnyard Fun

Your little ones will laugh out loud at these gentle, brief stories about silly cows and sheep. It is completely safe for even the youngest toddlers. However, rather than using traditional flat artwork, the creators used advanced 3D computer software to design these brightly coloured, extremely modern digital farmyard adventures.

D Forest Friends

This delightful set of brief tales follows the hilarious adventures of silly bears and rabbits. Created using old-fashioned paper and sketching pencils, the artwork is truly beautiful. There is absolutely nothing frightening or violent, making it the perfect choice to safely entertain preschoolers and babies on a quiet Sunday morning.

E The Clay Castle

These terrifying five-minute tales take place in a spooky castle full of unseen spirits. Everything on screen was built using actual physical models. You will be scared by the amazing voice actors, who spend the whole time screaming and shouting scary lines of dialogue at each other in the dark.

F Galaxy Beats

Travel to other planets in these rapid, futuristic tales. Created completely on digital screens with the latest 3D software technology, the visual effects are spectacular. Instead of quiet, traditional orchestras, every episode is packed with huge chart-topping tunes by famous modern singers, creating a wonderfully energetic and exciting experience.

G Painted Past

Discover the factual lives of famous inventors in these beautiful short documentaries. The artists used wet brushes and paints on thick paper to bring the past alive. After the final story, there is a fascinating extra section where the film-makers answer questions about how they created this amazing project.

H Cherry Blossom Tears

This emotional series of short films focuses on the beautiful romance between two students. Fans of classic Japanese animation will absolutely adore the gorgeous, detailed artwork. Because the collection includes twenty different five-minute films, you will definitely need a couple of hours to sit and enjoy the whole experience.

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find a slapstick comedy cartoon to watch.

There are descriptions of eight slapstick comedy cartoons.

Decide which cartoon would be the most suitable for the people below.

1   Sam loves cartoons where animals are the main characters. He particularly enjoys watching them run after each other at high speeds. He doesn’t have much free time, so he needs episodes that last for less than ten minutes.

2   Maria wants a full-length cartoon movie to watch on Saturday night. She finds it hilarious when characters throw food or objects at each other. She also loves hearing classical music playing in the background while the action happens.

3   Julian is looking for a comedy cartoon set in outer space. He wants a show where nobody speaks at all. He thinks the funniest cartoons are the ones where characters are constantly slipping, falling down, and making silly mistakes.

4   Chloe enjoys sports and wants to watch a cartoon about characters playing different games. She loves hearing really loud, funny noises when people crash into things. It is also important to her that the cartoon teaches a positive lesson.

5   Leo and his dad want to watch a classic cartoon that isn’t in colour. They are looking for a story about two main characters who hate each other. They also want the story to include some kind of magic.

Slapstick Comedy Cartoons

A Furry Racers

Join a crazy dog and a clever mouse as they zoom around the neighbourhood! They never stop sprinting and trying to catch one another. Each hilarious story is just seven minutes long, making it a perfect quick break. You will laugh out loud watching these energetic pets causing trouble everywhere.

B The Bakery Battle

This fantastic ninety-minute film features a baker and his assistant who just can’t get along. Soon, cakes and pies are flying across the kitchen in a massive, messy fight! The entire beautiful film is accompanied by famous orchestral pieces, which makes the crazy bakery destruction even more amusing to watch.

C Cosmic Clowns

Travel to distant planets with these clumsy aliens! They are always stepping on banana peels or crashing into walls in their spaceship. Because they communicate using only gestures and funny faces, there are zero words spoken in this show. It is a fantastic galactic adventure filled with painful but hilarious accidents.

D The Crazy Olympics

Watch your favourite characters compete in athletics and swimming! Every time they drop a ball or bump into a wall, you will hear hilarious crashes and ‘boing’ sounds. Besides the incredible physical comedy, every episode finishes by showing younger viewers why working as a team is a wonderful idea.

E The Wizard’s Duel

This brilliant old-fashioned animation has no colour at all, giving it a fantastic historical feel. The story focuses on a wizard and a witch who are bitter rivals and constantly try to ruin each other’s day. They use crazy spells and magical potions that often go terribly and hilariously wrong!

F Jungle Dash

This feature-length movie follows a cheetah and a monkey who spend the entire time sprinting through the forest. The high-speed action and crazy traps they set for each other will make you smile. However, you will need a full two hours to enjoy this incredible animal adventure to the end.

G Silent Stars

Explore the universe in this beautifully drawn series about an astronaut travelling alone. There is no talking at all, just gentle background music. Instead of silly accidents or people crashing into things, the hero solves clever puzzles to fix his ship. It is a very peaceful and thoughtful galactic journey.

H Messy Mayhem

In this hour-and-a-half comedy movie, two brothers turn their entire house into a battlefield. They are constantly throwing paint, water, and toys at each other, creating absolute destruction everywhere! The action is matched with loud, modern rock songs and electric guitars, giving it a very energetic and highly modern feel.

Exercises:   123456