Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – TV Programmes & Shows 2

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find a cooking or baking competition.

There are descriptions of eight cooking competitions.

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

1   Sarah loves making cakes and bread. She wants to enter a competition that is strictly for people who don’t cook for a living. She hopes to win some new kitchen tools to use at home.

2   David and his brother enjoy cooking together and want to enter a team competition. They are very fast and want a challenge with a tight time limit. They want the judges to care mostly about the food’s appearance.

3   Elena wants to prepare a classic, traditional dish from her home country. She enjoys being in nature and is looking for an event held in an open-air environment. She also wants the experts to comment on her food’s flavour.

4   Mark wants to cook a healthy, meat-free dinner for his challenge. He doesn’t want to bring his own food, so the organizers must supply everything. He dreams of being famous and wants a competition filmed for TV.

5   Aisha specializes in making very hot, spicy dishes and wants a competition where she can show off this skill. She works during the week, so it must be on a Saturday or Sunday. She also hopes to meet famous professional cooks.

Cooking and Baking Competitions

A The Great Bake-Off

Are you great at making sweet treats and fresh loaves? This fun event is designed entirely for everyday home cooks, so anyone who works in a restaurant is not allowed. Show off your skills and the winner will receive a fantastic set of high-quality bowls, pans, and an electric mixer to upgrade their kitchen.

B The Speed Plate

Grab a partner for this exciting cooking battle! You and your teammate will have just thirty minutes to complete a wonderful dish. Our judges are looking for beautiful meals, and the winner will be chosen based on the artistic design and colourful arrangement on the plate, rather than the recipe itself.

C Global Flavours Festival

Join us in the city park for a wonderful day of cooking under the sky. We invite you to create a classic recipe that represents your culture or nation. Afterwards, our panel of experts will taste your meal and give you helpful advice on how to improve its delicious flavours.

D Green Screen Chef

Show the country your skills in this exciting cooking challenge, which will be broadcast live on Channel 4! We are looking for the best plant-based recipes full of fresh vegetables. You just need to arrive; we will give you a box containing all the vegetables and spices you need to succeed.

E Heat and Meet

If you love cooking with chillies and bold spices, this two-day event on Saturday and Sunday is for you! Enter our hot food challenge to prove you can handle the heat. While you cook, well-known restaurant owners and celebrity cooks will walk around to chat with you and share their secrets.

F Master Bakers

This competition is the ultimate test for people who make cakes and bread. If you work in a bakery or run your own restaurant, we want you! The grand prize includes professional ovens and top-quality baking tools. Prove you are the best in the business in this difficult challenge!

G The Chilli Challenge

Can you make the hottest meal in town? Bring your spiciest recipes to our Wednesday evening competition. You will have the amazing opportunity to meet our judges, who are all stars from top international restaurants. It is a fantastic evening for anyone who loves cooking with a lot of heat!

H Veggie TV Star

Do you make amazing, healthy meals without meat? We are filming our brand new cooking show and need talented amateur chefs. You will have an hour to cook your dish on camera. Please remember to bring all your own fresh produce and vegetables, as the studio only provides the cooking equipment.

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find an evening talk show to watch.

There are descriptions of eight evening talk shows.

Decide which evening talk show would be the most suitable for the people below.

1   Anna wants to see conversations with famous movie actors. She also loves when shows feature a real group of musicians playing instruments. Because she wakes up early, she needs a short program that lasts under forty-five minutes.

2   Ben is looking for a presenter who tells hilarious jokes. He wants to watch interviews with well-known football and tennis champions. He works late shifts, so he needs a program that begins after midnight.

3   Clara enjoys listening to deep, serious conversations without any silly games. She specifically wants to learn about people who have written new books. She only has free time to watch television on Friday evenings.

4   Dan and Emma want an entertaining show hosted by a professional comedian. They love watching the presenter play silly games with the crowd. They are watching with their young kids, so it must contain no adult language.

5   Felix wants to watch a show where the guests are exclusively famous pop singers. He dislikes loud crowds, so he prefers programs filmed without any people watching in the studio. He wants the conversation to focus on the daily news.

Evening Talk Shows

A The Evening Screen

Join us for a fantastic thirty-minute broadcast packed with entertainment. Every episode, we sit down with Hollywood’s biggest cinema stars to discuss their latest films. Plus, our wonderful resident guitar and drum group provides incredible background tunes throughout the night, making it perfect for a quick, musical television break.

B Night Owl Chats

Starting at twelve-thirty in the morning, this hilarious program is perfect for night workers. The presenter is famous for making everyone laugh out loud with his brilliant opening routine. He spends the hour chatting exclusively with top athletes, discussing their biggest matches, gold medals, and fantastic athletic careers.

C The Weekend Page

Broadcast right at the end of the working week before the weekend begins, this quiet, thoughtful program completely avoids silly activities. Instead, it offers an hour of deep, intelligent discussion with top novelists and poets. They explore the stories behind their latest best-selling novels in a wonderfully calm atmosphere.

D The Big Smile Show

Guided by one of the country’s best stand-up joke-tellers, this energetic broadcast is full of absolute fun. The presenter regularly invites ordinary ticket-holders from the seats down to the stage to compete in crazy competitions. Best of all, it is completely family-friendly, making it perfectly appropriate for younger viewers.

E The Quiet Room

Filmed in an empty, private room to keep things completely peaceful, this interesting program focuses on current events and politics. The presenter discusses today’s newspaper headlines with chart-topping vocalists and recording artists. It offers a fascinating chance to hear what your favourite musical stars think about what is happening globally.

F Midnight Laughs

Hosted by a hilarious joke-teller, this extremely popular show is broadcast live on Saturdays. Viewers are treated to amazing performances by our talented resident musicians. However, because the presenter often uses very strong, adult language during his funny stories, it is strictly banned for anyone under the age of sixteen.

G The Daily Whistle

Every evening at six o’clock, join our presenter as he looks at the biggest global newspaper stories of the day. He is joined by famous tennis and rugby champions to discuss their opinions on current events. Filmed in front of five hundred screaming fans, the studio atmosphere is incredibly loud.

H Silver Screen Secrets

Airing every Tuesday night, this quiet and intelligent program features deep, hour-long conversations. The host sits down with legendary Hollywood actors and actresses to discuss their long careers in cinema. There are absolutely no musical performances or silly jokes, just fascinating, serious discussions about the difficult art of making movies.

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find a home improvement or DIY television show to watch.

There are descriptions of eight home improvement shows.

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

1   Tom has recently bought a very old cottage and needs help repairing it. He wants a programme that offers excellent decoration ideas for modern rooms but does not have much money to spend on expensive building materials.

2   Alice lives in a new flat and wants to create her own furniture. She is very busy with her job, so she needs a series with short episodes under thirty minutes that gives modern design tips.

3   Mark and Julia are planning to restore a large historic building. They want to watch expert builders working with high-quality materials and are happy to buy luxury furniture, as they do not have a budget limit.

4   Elena wants to make her tiny studio apartment look larger. She is looking for a show that teaches about painting walls and choosing colours, and she wants something fun to watch together with her young children.

5   David wants to redesign his outdated kitchen area. He is keen to learn how to recycle old wooden items instead of buying new things, and he can only watch TV early on Saturday or Sunday mornings.

Home Improvement and DIY Shows

A Fix and Style

This useful programme focuses on historic properties that need a lot of work. The friendly hosts show viewers how to rebuild broken walls and give fantastic indoor style guidance. Best of all, they explain how to change your home completely at very low prices, making it perfect for anyone saving cash.

B Quick Creations

If you love contemporary looks in new flats, this show is perfect. Each episode lasts only twenty minutes, fitting easily into a busy day. Viewers will learn how to build their own tables, shelves, and chairs from scratch using simple tools, while getting excellent advice on choosing fashionable styles.

C Grand Restorations

This spectacular series follows professional craftsmen as they bring massive ancient homes back to life. Money is never a problem in this show, so you will see some of the most expensive decorations and high-quality wood being used. It is a fantastic guide for people with unlimited funds who want top advice.

D Bright Spaces

This cheerful series helps people living in tiny rooms make their homes look much bigger. The presenters offer amazing lessons on selection of paints and matching different wall shades. It provides clean, pleasant entertainment with zero adult language, making it a wonderful show for parents and kids to enjoy together on the sofa.

E Morning Maker

Broadcast at 8 a.m. every Saturday, this programme is excellent for early risers. The host transforms old cooking spaces into beautiful areas. You will find out how to reuse broken wooden things to make beautiful cupboards, rather than throwing them away. It is a brilliant lesson in recycling old materials beautifully.

F Green Living

This popular weekend show follows ordinary families fixing up old countryside properties. They share brilliant tips on how to repair broken fences and plant beautiful flowers without spending much money. It is an excellent choice for anyone on a tight budget who wants to make their outdoor areas look absolutely wonderful.

G Night Designs

Do you want to update your old cooking area? This series shows you how to collect discarded materials and turn them into useful storage boxes for your kitchen. It is a very creative show packed with recycling ideas. Tune in live every Thursday night at eleven o’clock to catch the action.

H Tidy Homes

This fast-paced show helps people clear the clutter from modern flats and new apartments. Each bite-sized episode is just fifteen minutes long, making it a very quick watch. The host gives excellent advice on how to organize your clothes and keep your rooms clean, tidy, and completely organized every single day.

Exercises:   123456