Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Starting and Developing Traditional Sports 9
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Learning to fly
by Chloe Martin
I’ve been doing gymnastics since I was seven, so I’m used to jumping, twisting, and landing perfectly on my feet. When I joined the high school cheerleading team, I felt confident about my physical abilities. Because I was one of the smallest and lightest girls on the team, the coach decided to make me a “flyer.” This meant I would be the person lifted and thrown high into the air during our routines. At first, I felt incredibly proud to be chosen for such an important role, but I didn’t realise how scary it would actually be.
During our very first practice, my teammates lifted me up by my feet. Suddenly, I was standing more than two metres above the ground. Even though I had done higher jumps in gymnastics, this was completely different. In gymnastics, I was always in control of my own body and my own landing. Here, I had to fall backward and completely rely on the girls below me, known as the “bases,” to catch me. Looking down at them, my whole body was shaking with fear, and I refused to let go.
My teammates quickly realised how terrified I was. They didn’t get angry or annoyed with me. Instead, they gently lowered me down and we sat in a circle to talk. Sarah, one of the bases, looked me in the eye and promised they would never let me hit the floor. We spent the next hour just practising trust exercises, where I would close my eyes and fall backward into their arms from a small wooden box. Slowly, I started to believe that I was completely safe with them.
By the end of that week, I finally allowed them to throw me into the air. The feeling of flying was absolutely amazing, but the best part was the strong arms catching me safely on the way down. Now, performing in front of the whole school is my favourite thing to do. Being a flyer isn’t just about bravery or having good balance anymore. It has taught me the true meaning of teamwork and helped me form unbreakable friendships with the girls who catch me every single time.
1 How did Chloe feel when she was first chosen to be the flyer?
(A) She was annoyed because she preferred normal gymnastics.
(B) She felt pleased but didn’t know how frightening it would be.
(C) She was worried because she wasn’t very light.
(D) She was confident she could do it without any help.
2 What was Chloe’s main fear during her first practice?
(A) She thought she was much too high above the ground.
(B) She forgot the routines she had learned in gymnastics.
(C) She had to depend on other people to land safely.
(D) She was worried she would accidentally drop her teammates.
3 What did Chloe’s teammates do when she was too scared to fall?
(A) They told the coach to find a new flyer for the team.
(B) They caught her when she accidentally fell off a box.
(C) They promised to lift her even higher the next time.
(D) They helped her build confidence by doing special activities.
4 What does Chloe say about her experience as a flyer now?
(A) She thinks bravery is the most important skill to have.
(B) She values the close relationships she has made with her team.
(C) She prefers practising alone rather than performing for the school.
(D) She feels that being a flyer is much easier than gymnastics.
5 What would Chloe write in her diary at the end of the cheerleading season?
(A) Being a flyer is terrifying, and even though my teammates try to catch me, I think I will go back to gymnastics where it’s safer.
(B) I was chosen to be a flyer because I’m the best gymnast on the team, but it turns out I don’t need my teammates’ help at all.
(C) I was terrified of falling at first, but learning to trust my teammates has made flying an amazing experience and brought us so close.
(D) The bases on my team dropped me a few times during our trust exercises, but now we are great friends and I love performing.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, Chloe says, “I felt incredibly proud to be chosen for such an important role, but I didn’t realise how scary it would actually be.” This perfectly paraphrases option B.
2 C – In paragraph 2, Chloe explains that in gymnastics she was in control, but here she “had to fall backward and completely rely on the girls below me… to catch me.” This matches depending on other people to land safely.
3 D – In paragraph 3, Chloe’s teammates talked to her and they “spent the next hour just practising trust exercises” so she would feel safe. This matches helping her build confidence by doing special activities.
4 B – In paragraph 4, Chloe states that being a flyer has “helped me form unbreakable friendships with the girls who catch me every single time.” This paraphrases valuing the close relationships she has made with her team.
5 C – This option successfully captures the global narrative arc: her initial fear of falling, the vital role of trusting her teammates, the amazing feeling of flying, and the strong friendships they built as a result.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Discovering Golf
For a long time, I believed that golf was just a slow and boring activity for older people. Whenever I saw it on television, it looked like the players were simply walking around a field and occasionally hitting a tiny white ball. I preferred fast-paced team sports like basketball. However, last weekend, my granddad invited me to the local driving range with him. I only agreed to go because my friends were busy and I didn’t have anything else planned. I certainly didn’t expect to enjoy myself.
When we arrived, granddad handed me a golf club. It felt quite heavy, but I was confident I could hit the ball far. After all, I play a lot of tennis, so how difficult could it be? Granddad showed me how to hold the club properly and told me to take a practice swing. I lifted the club high and swung it down as hard as I possibly could. To my absolute surprise, I completely missed the ball. I tried again, but the result was exactly the same.
Seeing my frustration, my granddad smiled and explained that golf is not about raw physical power. He told me that successful golfers rely entirely on perfect technique and intense focus. I had to bend my knees slightly, keep my back straight, and never take my eyes off the ball until after I had hit it. I suddenly realised that the mental side of the game was incredibly difficult. If you let your mind wander for just a second, your body makes a mistake and the shot is ruined.
I spent the next hour carefully practising everything granddad had taught me. I tried to forget about using my strength and focused purely on my technique. Finally, I swung the club smoothly, and I heard a satisfying sound as it connected with the ball. The ball flew straight up into the air and landed perfectly in the distance. The feeling of hitting a good shot was absolutely fantastic. By the time we left, my arms were tired, but my opinion of the sport had completely changed. I now understand what a challenging game golf really is, and I have already asked granddad to take me again next week!
1 Why did the writer go to the driving range?
(A) He wanted to find a sport to replace basketball.
(B) He accepted his granddad’s invitation because he had free time.
(C) He thought it would be a fast-paced and exciting activity.
(D) He was curious to see why older people liked the sport so much.
2 What happened when the writer first tried to hit the ball?
(A) He found that the golf club was too heavy for him to lift.
(B) He managed to hit the ball quite far on his second attempt.
(C) He failed to make any contact with the ball despite his confidence.
(D) He was surprised by how similar the swing was to playing tennis.
3 The writer’s granddad told him that to be good at golf, players must
(A) use a lot of physical energy to hit the ball hard.
(B) concentrate deeply and use the correct body position.
(C) try to stop their minds from focusing too much on the ball.
(D) make sure their back and knees are completely straight.
4 How did the writer feel at the end of the afternoon?
(A) annoyed that his arms felt so exhausted after just one hour
(B) pleased that he had finally managed to hit the ball perfectly
(C) confident that he wouldn’t need his granddad’s help next time
(D) surprised that he was still struggling with his technique
5 What would the writer write in his blog that evening?
(A) I always thought golf was boring, but today I learned that it takes incredible mental focus to hit that little ball! I can’t wait to play again.
(B) I tried golf today with my granddad. It’s definitely an old person’s game, and I think I’ll stick to playing tennis and basketball from now on.
(C) Golf is a lot easier than I expected. If you hit the ball as hard as you can, it flies beautifully into the air.
(D) The driving range was fun today, but I was so disappointed that I couldn’t hit the ball even once. Maybe I just need a lighter club.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states that the writer “only agreed to go because my friends were busy and I didn’t have anything else planned,” meaning he had free time.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer notes that he was “confident” but then “completely missed the ball” and the result of the second attempt “was exactly the same.”
3 B – The third paragraph describes granddad explaining that golfers “rely entirely on perfect technique and intense focus” and gives examples of correct body position (bend knees, keep back straight).
4 B – In the final paragraph, the writer states that the ball “landed perfectly in the distance” and that the “feeling of hitting a good shot was absolutely fantastic,” showing his pleasure.
5 A – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text. It acknowledges his changed opinion about the sport, the realization of its mental difficulty, and his enthusiasm to continue playing.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Discovering the Thrill of Lacrosse
I have always loved team sports, but by the time I turned fifteen, I was looking for a completely new challenge. I had played tennis and football for years, but I wanted to try something faster and more unusual. My older cousin, who plays for a university team, suggested I try lacrosse. It is a fast-paced game played with a small rubber ball and a stick with a net on the end. I found a local club for beginners and signed up, feeling quite excited to learn something different.
However, my excitement quickly disappeared during the first training session. When the coach handed me my lacrosse stick, it felt strange and awkward to hold. He explained that we needed to catch, carry, and throw the ball using the small net. It looked simple when he demonstrated it, but my first few attempts were a disaster. Every time someone threw the ball to me, it immediately bounced right out of my net and onto the grass. It was incredibly frustrating, especially because a few other beginners were already managing to pass the ball successfully. I actually considered walking off the pitch and going home.
Despite my terrible start, I promised myself I wouldn’t quit. For the next three weeks, I spent every Saturday afternoon practicing in my garden. I repeatedly threw the ball against a high brick wall and tried to catch it as it returned. My cousin also gave me some helpful advice. He explained that I needed to gently twist my wrists while running to keep the ball safely inside the net. This movement is called ‘cradling’. It took hours of practice, but my muscles finally got used to the strange action, and I stopped dropping the ball so often.
My hard work finally produced results in our first friendly match against another local club. I was extremely nervous when the game began, but my teammates were very supportive. In the second half, a player passed the ball to me. I caught it perfectly, ran quickly past two defenders, and threw the ball into the back of the net. I had scored my first goal! My teammates ran over to celebrate, and the feeling of success was absolutely amazing. I now know that pushing through the difficult moments is definitely worth the effort.
1 Why did the writer decide to join the lacrosse club?
(A) He wanted to play for the same team as his cousin.
(B) He was bored of football and wanted to quit playing it.
(C) He wanted to experience a fast and unusual sport.
(D) He hoped to become a professional lacrosse player.
2 How did the writer feel during his first training session?
(A) Upset that the coach gave him a broken stick.
(B) Annoyed because he couldn’t keep the ball in the net.
(C) Angry that the other beginners laughed at him.
(D) Confident because the coach’s demonstration looked simple.
3 What helped the writer improve his technique?
(A) Practicing against a wall at the local club every Saturday.
(B) Learning a specific twisting movement from his cousin.
(C) Running around his garden without holding the ball.
(D) Playing friendly matches with his cousin on weekends.
4 What happened during the writer’s first match?
(A) He felt completely relaxed because his team was winning.
(B) He passed the ball to a teammate who then scored a goal.
(C) He dropped the ball while running past the defenders.
(D) He scored a goal after successfully catching a pass.
5 What would the writer text to a friend after the match?
(A) “Lacrosse is much easier than tennis! I managed to score a goal today without even needing to practice.”
(B) “I’m so glad I didn’t quit when things were difficult. Scoring a goal today made all that frustrating practice worthwhile!”
(C) “I scored a goal today, but I still hate how awkward the stick feels. I think I’ll go back to playing football next week.”
(D) “The other beginners are much better than me, so I didn’t score today, but I’m going to keep practicing in my garden.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In paragraph 1, the writer states, “I wanted to try something faster and more unusual,” which explains his initial motivation for choosing lacrosse over his previous sports.
2 B – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that it was “incredibly frustrating” because every time the ball was thrown to him, “it immediately bounced right out of my net and onto the grass.”
3 B – In paragraph 3, the writer mentions that his cousin gave him advice, explaining that he “needed to gently twist my wrists while running to keep the ball safely inside the net,” a movement called ‘cradling’.
4 D – In paragraph 4, the writer describes his success during the game: “a player passed the ball to me. I caught it perfectly… and threw the ball into the back of the net,” which means he scored a goal.
5 B – This option accurately captures the global narrative and emotional arc of the text: wanting to quit out of frustration initially, putting in hard work and practice, and feeling an “absolutely amazing” sense of success that made the difficult moments worth it.