Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Documentaries & Educational Media 3

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find a television programme or film about the biographies of famous musicians.

There are descriptions of eight biographical music films.

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

1   Lucas wants a short programme under an hour. He is interested in learning about what happens off-stage before a group performs. He also enjoys listening to conversations with the other group members about their experiences.

2   Emma wants to find a funny programme with plenty of jokes that will make her laugh. She loves seeing real recordings from live musical shows. She needs a series she can stream online without paying anything.

3   Tariq wants to watch an inspiring film about an individual pop vocalist with his young son, so it must be safe for children. He is particularly keen to see how the artist creates and writes her songs.

4   Sophie has a free evening and wants a long, thorough film over two hours. She is interested in a classical artist from the past and wants to hear opinions from the people who played music with them.

5   Kenji wants a serious documentary with a formal, factual tone about a rock star. He enjoys films that feature a beautiful background musical score and loves looking at the private dressing rooms and rehearsal areas.

Biographies of Famous Musicians

A Backstage Secrets

This fantastic forty-five-minute film focuses on a famous rock group. Viewers can explore the rehearsal spaces and dressing rooms to see what happens before a show begins. The documentary features wonderful chats with the fellow musicians, who share their favorite memories of touring together. It fits perfectly into a busy evening.

B Laughter on Stage

Available to stream on our web page without any paid subscription, this cheerful series is full of hilarious stories and amusing moments. Half of each episode features spectacular recordings of actual stage performances in front of thousands of fans. It is a bright, light-hearted production that will definitely make you smile.

C Making Melodies

This delightful picture tells the true life story of a legendary solo singer. It contains no bad language or adult themes, making it perfect for parents and kids to enjoy together. Audiences will love watching how she composes her lyrics and melodies at the piano, showing the real creative process.

D Chords of History

At exactly a hundred and forty minutes, this gripping drama takes a serious look at a famous nineteenth-century violinist. This detailed biography includes fascinating interviews with the orchestra members who shared the stage with him. They discuss his complex personality and musical style, creating a thorough history of a past era.

E The Quiet Studio

Discover the daily routine of a brilliant guitarist in this professional movie. It takes a formal approach, focusing entirely on historical facts with a strict serious tone. The camera follows him into private preparation areas, accompanied by a gorgeous orchestral soundtrack that plays quietly throughout this peaceful and highly educational film.

F Rock Legends

This spectacular three-hour biography takes you deep inside the lives of an electronic music duo. It features great footage of their private studios and exclusive conversations with their studio producers. While it is perfect for serious adults, it requires a premium cable TV package to watch and takes up a very long evening.

G The Final Tour

Stream this amazing series for free on our internet page anytime you want! The film features incredible video clips of live stadium concerts from around the world. However, be prepared for a very serious and sad drama about the singer’s final weeks, with absolutely no funny moments or jokes in it.

H Pop Fashion

This happy movie follows a famous young solo artist as she travels the world. It is an excellent choice for families with small children because the clean story focuses on her incredible outfits and clothes. While it is wonderful to look at, it doesn’t show any concert recordings or how she writes music.

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find a true crime documentary to watch.

There are descriptions of eight documentaries.

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

1   Jack wants a documentary about a crime that remains unsolved. He prefers stories with a very dark, scary atmosphere. Because he works late, the film must be a single episode rather than a long series.

2   Chloe enjoys learning about how detectives catch criminals using modern science and DNA. She really wants to see real interviews with the police officers involved. She is looking for a long television series with many episodes.

3   Marco wants a true crime story about stolen paintings or money, rather than murder. He prefers documentaries that show actual video from inside the courtroom. He plans to watch with his children, so it must be family-friendly.

4   Elena loves mysteries set in small, quiet villages. She is looking for a show where a female journalist investigates the crime. She also wants an interactive show where the viewers can send in clues to help.

5   David is interested in internet crimes and hackers. He prefers watching foreign documentaries, so he needs English text at the bottom of the screen. He wants to hear from the actual victims who lost their money.

True Crime Documentaries

A Shadows of the Night

This terrifying, ninety-minute film explores a strange case where the guilty person was never discovered. The director uses heavy shadows and creepy music to build a truly frightening mood. It is a brilliant, quick watch for anyone who loves dark mysteries that still have no clear answers even today.

B The Evidence Room

This massive ten-part documentary follows law enforcement teams as they solve complicated cases. You will hear directly from the investigators who worked on the streets. The episodes focus heavily on laboratory work, showing exactly how fingerprints, hair, and biology are used to finally put dangerous criminals in prison forever.

C The Great Museum Heist

This safe, gentle documentary is perfect for teenagers and adults to enjoy together, as nobody gets physically hurt. It investigates how famous artwork disappeared from a national gallery. Audiences will watch real video recordings of the judge and lawyers arguing the case during the official legal trial at the end.

D Secrets of Green River

A talented woman reporter travels to a tiny countryside community to uncover buried secrets. This unique program asks the audience to participate by emailing their own theories or evidence. It is a fantastic investigation into rural life, led by a brilliant lady who never gives up searching for truth.

E Digital Deception

This fascinating Spanish production looks into international computer thieves who steal personal data. Viewers will need to read the English translations provided on their display. The most emotional moments come from speaking directly with the innocent people who had their bank accounts emptied by these invisible, online criminals. It is heartbreaking.

F The Dark Detective

This documentary has a terrifying, scary atmosphere and features lots of chats with local officers. However, it is a massive television series that takes weeks to finish, and every single criminal is caught by the end. It focuses mostly on traditional detective work rather than using microscopes or biology.

G The Missing Diamond

A male television presenter visits a tiny rural town where a million-dollar jewel vanished without a trace. While there is no violence, making it fine for all ages, the thief was never caught. Therefore, there are no legal trial scenes or judges to watch in this quiet country mystery.

H The Hacker’s Code

This exciting film explains how clever computer experts break into secure websites. It is recorded entirely in English, so no reading is necessary. Instead of focusing on the citizens who lost money, the director spends the whole time interviewing the police who successfully chased the criminals across the web.

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find a documentary or show about technology and future living.

There are descriptions of eight tech shows.

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

1   Lucas wants to watch a show about AI robots helping with daily chores in smart homes. He prefers a funny, lighthearted tone with lots of jokes. He is watching with his five-year-old son, so it must be completely safe for young children.

2   Maya wants to learn about the future of transportation and flying cars. She specifically wants to hear interviews with famous tech inventors. She has a busy schedule, so the episodes must definitely be under half an hour.

3   David is interested in how smart homes will save energy and protect the natural world. He prefers a serious, educational documentary style. As a student, he needs a video that is entirely free to stream online without paying.

4   Chloe is fascinated by AI robots that do dangerous jobs, like exploring space or deep oceans. She wants a show that offers interactive links to mobile applications. Because of her schoolwork, she can only watch television during the weekend.

5   Omar wants an audio series about the history and development of artificial intelligence. He wants to listen to interviews with university professors. He needs to save the files to his phone to listen offline while travelling on the train.

Technology and Future Living Shows

A Green Living 2050

This serious, educational documentary explores how future smart homes will use new technology to save electricity and protect the environment. It is highly informative and completely free to watch on our public video website without any registration or monthly fees.

B My Robot Best Friend

Discover how AI robots will soon clean our smart homes and cook our meals! This lively television show is packed with hilarious jokes and physical comedy. There are absolutely no scary scenes or bad words, making it a perfect, safe choice for young kids to enjoy.

C The AI Story

This fantastic audio series explores the fascinating history of artificial intelligence. Every episode features deep, interesting interviews with top university professors. Best of all, users can easily download the recordings directly to their mobile devices to enjoy offline without an internet connection.

D The Automated House

This gripping drama tells the fictional story of a futuristic smart home that suddenly stops obeying its owners. It is a very dark, scary thriller that is strictly for adult viewers only. You will need to pay a high monthly subscription fee to watch it on our premium platform.

E Extreme Machines

Discover the amazing AI robots designed to do dangerous tasks in deep space and under the freezing ocean. Broadcast live every Saturday afternoon, this exciting weekend show also provides viewers with special links to interactive mobile apps where you can practice controlling your own digital robot.

F Sky Roads

Find out exactly how we will travel in the future! Each episode focuses on flying cars and high-speed hovercrafts. Running at just twenty minutes long, it perfectly fits into a quick break. Viewers will also enjoy exclusive, fascinating interviews with the world’s most famous tech inventors.

G Journey to Tomorrow

This spectacular, two-hour documentary explores the high-tech trains and planes of the next century. It features incredible digital graphics, though it relies entirely on a single narrator rather than interviews with experts. It is broadcast every Monday evening, offering a long, relaxing watch.

H Metal Brains

This is a fantastic, laugh-out-loud comedy podcast about two lazy robots trying to run a futuristic smart home. The voice actors are incredibly funny and share brilliant jokes. However, please note that this audio series is only available to stream live and cannot be saved for offline listening.

Exercises:   123456