Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Starting and Developing Traditional Sports 2
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Accidental Goalkeeper
I have always loved playing football, but I am definitely a midfielder. I love running up and down the pitch, passing the ball, and helping my team score. However, before our most important match of the season last Saturday, our coach gave us some terrible news. Our regular goalkeeper, Max, had woken up with a high fever and couldn’t play. The coach asked if anyone wanted to take his place. Everyone looked at the ground, hoping he wouldn’t choose them. Finally, the coach pointed directly at me. I was completely shocked and tried to refuse, but he said he trusted me.
Reluctantly, I borrowed Max’s massive gloves. They felt incredibly strange on my hands, and the bright green goalkeeper shirt was much too big for me. During the warm-up exercises, I was absolutely terrified. My biggest fear wasn’t getting hurt by the ball; I was just so anxious about making a silly mistake and letting my whole team down. My best friend, Sam, tried to make me feel better by telling me to just do my best. But when I looked at the opposing team’s strikers, who seemed unusually tall and strong, I felt tiny standing between the goalposts.
When the referee blew his whistle to start the game, my stomach was turning. Luckily, for the entire first half, the ball rarely came to my end of the pitch, which was a huge relief. Our team even managed to score a brilliant goal. But with only ten minutes left in the second half, disaster struck. One of our defenders accidentally tripped a player from the other team inside our penalty area. The referee awarded a penalty immediately. My heart pounded as their captain, who had a very powerful shot, stepped up to take the kick.
Suddenly, I remembered something Max had once told me during training: always watch the striker’s eyes, not their feet. I noticed him look quickly to my right. As he kicked the ball, I dived to the right as hard as I could. The ball hit my thick gloves and bounced safely away! The crowd cheered loudly, and all my teammates ran over to hug me. We won the match 1-0. I was completely exhausted by the final whistle, and although I still prefer playing in the midfield, I now have a huge amount of respect for goalkeepers.
1 Why did the writer play as the goalkeeper?
(A) He wanted to try a different position on the pitch.
(B) The coach selected him because someone else was ill.
(C) He was the only player who volunteered for the job.
(D) He was known as the best defender on the team.
2 How did the writer feel during the warm-up?
(A) Worried about disappointing the rest of his team.
(B) Afraid that he might get seriously injured by the ball.
(C) Uncomfortable because his friend Sam was pressuring him.
(D) Confident after putting on the special goalkeeper equipment.
3 What happened in the second half of the match?
(A) The writer’s team scored a brilliant goal to take the lead.
(B) The opposing team’s captain missed the goal completely.
(C) A player on the writer’s team made a mistake that caused a penalty.
(D) The writer had to do a lot of defending because his team was tired.
4 How did the writer manage to save the penalty?
(A) He carefully watched how the striker moved his feet.
(B) He waited until the ball was kicked before deciding where to dive.
(C) He guessed which way the powerful ball was going to go.
(D) He followed the advice that the regular goalkeeper had given him.
5 What might the writer text his friend after the match?
(A) I actually enjoyed being the goalkeeper today! I think I’m going to ask the coach to let me play in this position for the rest of the season.
(B) We lost the game because of a penalty, but I’m not upset. Playing in goal was a really interesting experience anyway!
(C) I was so scared about playing in goal today, but I actually saved a penalty! It was amazing, though I definitely want to go back to midfield next week.
(D) Max is such a bad goalkeeper compared to me! I saved a penalty today and won the match all by myself without any help.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer explains that their regular goalkeeper, Max, “had woken up with a high fever” (was ill) and when nobody volunteered, the coach “pointed directly at me” (selected him).
2 A – The second paragraph states, “My biggest fear wasn’t getting hurt by the ball; I was just so anxious about making a silly mistake and letting my whole team down.” This means he was worried about disappointing them.
3 C – The third paragraph describes the second half: “…disaster struck. One of our defenders accidentally tripped a player from the other team inside our penalty area. The referee awarded a penalty immediately.”
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, the writer saves the ball by remembering “something Max had once told me during training” (to watch the striker’s eyes). Max is the regular goalkeeper.
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: he was terrified to play in goal, he was the hero who saved the penalty, but he ultimately still prefers his normal position in the midfield.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Step Up in Speed
I’ve been playing badminton in the park with my friends for a couple of years now. Because I was usually the one winning our casual weekend matches, I naturally started to believe I was a rather talented player. When I saw a poster advertising a local badminton tournament for teenagers at the town’s main sports centre, I immediately filled in the application form online. I felt incredibly confident that I could easily reach the final and perhaps even win the whole competition. I even invited my parents to come and watch me play.
However, my confidence quickly disappeared as soon as I arrived at the sports centre and stepped onto the court for my first match. I was playing against a boy named David, who looked completely relaxed while warming up. When the actual game started, I was absolutely shocked by how fast the shuttlecock flew across the net. At a competitive level, the speed of the game is nothing like a relaxed summer match with friends. Before I could even react to David’s first serve, the shuttlecock had already hit the floor on my side of the net.
During the first few minutes of the game, I decided my best chance of winning was to hit the shuttlecock as hard as I possibly could. I used all my arm strength, hoping to smash the shuttlecock past David. However, this strategy didn’t work at all. Instead of using power, David just moved around the court with incredible speed and lightness. He returned my strongest shots with gentle, carefully controlled taps. It was at that exact moment I finally understood that in real badminton, agility and quick footwork are far more important than just having physical strength.
In the end, I lost the match quite badly, but surprisingly, I didn’t feel disappointed. In fact, the experience was exactly what I needed to improve. Watching how the more experienced players moved gave me a completely new perspective on the sport. Since that day, I have completely changed the way I train. Instead of just practising hitting the shuttlecock as hard as possible, I now spend hours doing specific exercises to improve my running speed and balance. I might not have won a medal this time, but I will definitely be ready for next year’s tournament!
1 Why did the writer decide to enter the badminton tournament?
(A) He was persuaded by his parents to try a new sport.
(B) He wanted to find new friends who also enjoyed playing.
(C) He thought his skills were good enough to be successful.
(D) He had easily won several local competitions in the past.
2 How did the writer feel when his first match began?
(A) Annoyed because his opponent hadn’t warmed up properly.
(B) Surprised by how quickly the game was actually played.
(C) Worried that the court was too different from his local park.
(D) Disappointed by his own serving technique at the start.
3 During the match, what did the writer learn about playing badminton?
(A) Hitting the shuttlecock hard is the only way to score points.
(B) Players need to be very strong to return a heavy smash.
(C) It is impossible to win if you do not hit the shuttlecock gently.
(D) Being able to move quickly is more useful than hitting with power.
4 What is the writer’s attitude towards losing the match?
(A) He regrets inviting his parents to watch him lose.
(B) He is glad because it showed him how to become a better player.
(C) He feels embarrassed about how badly he was beaten.
(D) He thinks the other players had an unfair advantage.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that evening?
(A) I played in my first tournament today! I realised that casual games with friends are much harder than competitive matches.
(B) I lost my match today, but it taught me a valuable lesson. I need to focus on my movement rather than just my strength.
(C) The tournament was fun, but I think I’ll go back to playing in the park. Competitive badminton requires too much energy for me.
(D) I was so close to reaching the final! If I had just hit the shuttlecock a little harder, I definitely would have won.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – Paragraph 1 states that because he usually won casual matches, he started to “believe I was a rather talented player” and “felt incredibly confident that I could easily reach the final,” which matches thinking his skills were good enough.
2 B – Paragraph 2 explains that when the game started, he was “absolutely shocked by how fast the shuttlecock flew across the net” and that the speed was “nothing like a relaxed summer match,” mapping to being surprised by the speed of the game.
3 D – Paragraph 3 details how hitting hard didn’t work and that he understood “agility and quick footwork are far more important than just having physical strength,” which means moving quickly is more useful than power.
4 B – Paragraph 4 shows he didn’t feel disappointed, noting that “the experience was exactly what I needed to improve” and that it gave him a “new perspective on the sport.”
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: he lost the match, learned a crucial lesson about agility and speed, and has decided to change how he trains for the future.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Surprising Lesson in Table Tennis
I have always been quite a sporty person, so when a new table tennis club opened at my local sports centre, I immediately decided to join. I had played a few times on summer holidays and usually beat my younger brother without any effort, so I felt extremely confident. To be honest, I thought table tennis was basically just a simple, miniature version of tennis that anyone could master easily. I actually expected to be one of the best players there on my very first evening.
When I arrived, the large hall was full of players of all ages. The coach welcomed me and explained that I would be playing a practice match against a man named Arthur. When Arthur walked over to my table, I was quite surprised to see that he was probably over seventy years old. He looked very friendly and relaxed. Secretly, I felt a bit sorry for him. I even planned to hit the ball gently so that he wouldn’t have to run around too much and get tired.
However, as soon as the match started, I realised exactly how wrong I was. Arthur didn’t hit the ball with power, but he used a special technique called ‘spin’. Every time the white ball hit my side of the table, it bounced off in a completely unexpected direction. When I tried to hit it back, my bat would barely touch it, and the ball would fly straight into the net or off the table completely. While I was sweating and running wildly from side to side, Arthur barely moved from his spot. He seemed to know exactly where I was going to hit the ball before I even moved.
In the end, he beat me in less than ten minutes without getting tired at all. Instead of making me feel foolish, though, Arthur smiled warmly, shook my hand, and offered to teach me how to understand the spin. That short match completely changed my opinion of the game. I quickly learned that table tennis is a highly complicated sport that requires quick thinking, precision, and technique, rather than just physical strength. I now have a huge amount of respect for Arthur, and I’m looking forward to learning from a true expert.
1 Why did the writer feel confident about joining the club?
(A) He was already taking tennis lessons at the sports centre.
(B) He thought his holiday experience made him a strong player.
(C) He knew his younger brother was also joining the club.
(D) He had watched many professional table tennis matches.
2 How did the writer feel about his opponent, Arthur, before the match?
(A) He was worried because Arthur looked very serious.
(B) He was annoyed that he had to play against an older person.
(C) He believed he should play gently to avoid making Arthur too tired.
(D) He was surprised that Arthur already knew his name.
3 During the match, the writer was surprised that Arthur
(A) hit the ball much harder than he expected.
(B) made the ball move in unpredictable ways.
(C) ran around the table faster than he did.
(D) kept hitting the ball into the net on purpose.
4 What did the writer learn from his experience?
(A) You need to be extremely fit to be good at table tennis.
(B) Older people shouldn’t play fast sports like table tennis.
(C) The sport is much more technical and difficult than it looks.
(D) It is important to have the right equipment to win a match.
5 What would the writer write in a text message to his brother?
(A) I just played an old man at the club and won easily. You should come next week, it’s just like on holiday!
(B) I lost my first match badly, but I’m going to start running every day so I’m physically fit enough to win next time.
(C) I got completely destroyed by a guy in his seventies! It turns out this game requires a lot more skill than we thought.
(D) The coach was really mean to me because I couldn’t return the ball. I don’t think I’m going back to the club again.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that he “had played a few times on summer holidays and usually beat my younger brother… so I felt extremely confident.”
2 C – In paragraph two, the writer says, “Secretly, I felt a bit sorry for him. I even planned to hit the ball gently so that he wouldn’t have to run around too much and get tired.”
3 B – Paragraph three explains that Arthur used ‘spin’, and “Every time the white ball hit my side of the table, it bounced off in a completely unexpected direction,” which paraphrases to making the ball move in unpredictable ways.
4 C – In the final paragraph, the writer concludes that “table tennis is a highly complicated sport that requires quick thinking, precision, and technique,” rather than just physical strength.
5 C – This option correctly captures the global meaning and attitude of the text. It highlights his surprising defeat to an elderly opponent (“destroyed by a guy in his seventies”) and perfectly summarizes his main realization about the sport (“requires a lot more skill than we thought”).