Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Sports Career Development, Competitions & Injuries 7
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A race to remember
by Toby Clark
My name is Toby and I’ve been racing BMX bikes since I was ten. Last weekend, I entered the regional championship. It was the most important event of my life so far. It had been raining heavily for two days, so the dirt track was completely covered in thick mud. Despite the terrible weather, I was incredibly excited. I had trained hard all year, and I really believed I had a good chance of winning a medal.
When the race finally began, the conditions were even worse than I had expected. As soon as the starting gate dropped, my tyres were sliding in the wet dirt. However, I managed to get a great start and quickly moved into second place. The boy in front of me, a fast rider named Leo, was pushing hard, but I was staying right behind him. As we approached the biggest jump on the track, I felt confident that I could overtake him on the next corner.
Suddenly, everything went wrong. As Leo landed the jump, his front wheel slipped in a deep puddle of mud. He lost control of his bike and crashed heavily onto the track, right in my path. I was travelling at top speed, and I only had a second to react. I knew that if I tried to continue straight, I might win the race, but I would definitely ride over him and cause a terrible accident.
Without hesitating, I pulled my handlebars sharply to the left. I managed to avoid hitting Leo, but my bike went off the edge of the track and crashed into some soft grass. By the time I picked up my bike and got back onto the track, several other riders had already passed me. I finished the race in sixth place. Leo was thankfully unhurt, but my dream of winning a medal was completely over.
Later that day, I felt a mix of disappointment and pride. Obviously, I was upset that I didn’t win after training for so long. However, when Leo came over to thank me for not hitting him, I knew I had made the correct choice. Winning a race is a fantastic feeling, but keeping another rider safe is much more important. I might have lost the championship, but I showed true sportsmanship, and I am ready to try again next year.
1 Why was Toby looking forward to the regional championship?
(A) He wanted to prove he could ride in heavy rain and mud.
(B) He felt confident that his hard work would bring him success.
(C) He had been entering the competition since he was ten.
(D) He wanted to race against the best riders in his area.
2 What does Toby say about the beginning of the race?
(A) He found it difficult to keep his bike steady in the mud.
(B) He was surprised by how fast the other riders were going.
(C) He overtook the leader just before the biggest jump.
(D) He had a bad start because of the wet weather conditions.
3 When Leo crashed, Toby realised that
(A) he was not travelling fast enough to win the race.
(B) Leo had tried to block him from passing on the corner.
(C) he had to make a dangerous jump over the other rider.
(D) staying on the track would badly injure the other rider.
4 What happened as a result of Toby’s decision?
(A) He fell onto the track and injured his leg.
(B) He lost his position and missed out on a prize.
(C) He stopped to help Leo fix his bicycle in the grass.
(D) He decided to stop racing and walked to the finish line.
5 What would Toby write in his diary that evening?
(A) The weather ruined everything today. If the track hadn’t been so muddy, Leo wouldn’t have crashed and I would have won.
(B) I should have kept riding straight. Leo is a good rider and he would have moved out of my way in time.
(C) I showed great sportsmanship today by stopping to help another rider who was hurt, even though it meant I lost the race.
(D) I’m annoyed that I lost my chance at a medal, but avoiding a bad accident was definitely the right thing to do.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, Toby explains his excitement by saying: “I had trained hard all year, and I really believed I had a good chance of winning a medal.” This perfectly matches feeling confident that his hard work would bring success.
2 A – In paragraph 2, Toby describes the start of the race by saying “my tyres were sliding in the wet dirt.” This paraphrases finding it difficult to keep his bike steady.
3 D – In paragraph 3, Toby notes that if he continued straight, “I would definitely ride over him and cause a terrible accident.” This directly means that staying on the track would injure the other rider.
4 B – In paragraph 4, Toby explains that his bike went off the track, “several other riders had already passed me,” and “my dream of winning a medal was completely over.” This matches losing his position and missing out on a prize.
5 D – This option successfully captures the global narrative arc: Toby’s mixed feelings of disappointment about losing the medal (“upset that I didn’t win”) combined with his pride in putting safety first (“keeping another rider safe is much more important” and “I knew I had made the correct choice”).
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Life in the Fast Lane
I’ve been ice skating since I was eight years old, usually just doing circles around our small local rink on the weekends. I always thought I was quite fast until my physical education teacher, Mr. Thompson, took a group of us to a professional speed skating track. He thought it would be a great way to push our limits. I agreed to go because I was looking for a new challenge, although I honestly didn’t think it would be that different from normal skating. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
When we arrived, the first thing we had to do was change our equipment. Speed skates look completely different from regular ones. The boots are much lower, and the metal blades are incredibly long and completely flat. Stepping onto the ice was a massive shock. Because the blades are so long, I found it almost impossible to keep my balance at first. I kept falling forward, and my ankles felt very weak. For a moment, I wondered if I had made a terrible mistake coming here.
Fortunately, a professional coach named Elena was there to help us. She explained that you can’t just stand up straight and run on the ice. Instead, she showed us the classic speed skating position. We had to bend our knees deeply, keep our backs almost parallel to the ice, and swing our arms in a specific rhythm. She also told us to push our skates out to the side rather than backwards to maximize our speed. Remaining in that low crouch was physically exhausting, and my legs started aching almost immediately.
Despite the pain, I was determined to get it right. After an hour of practising the strange rhythmic movements, something finally clicked. I lowered my body, pushed hard to the side, and suddenly I was flying across the ice faster than I had ever moved in my life. The wind rushed past my ears, and the feeling was absolutely incredible. By the time we had to leave, I was completely out of breath, but I had a huge smile on my face. I’ve already asked my parents if I can join the speed skating club next winter.
1 Why did the writer go to the professional speed skating track?
(A) He wanted to show his teacher how fast he could skate.
(B) He was interested in testing himself with a new activity.
(C) He had grown bored of visiting his small local ice rink.
(D) He believed it would be exactly the same as normal skating.
2 How did the writer feel when he first got on the ice?
(A) shocked by how weak his regular skates suddenly felt
(B) annoyed that he had to wear boots that were too low for him
(C) disappointed that the metal blades were completely flat
(D) concerned about his lack of stability on the unusual skates
3 What did Elena teach the teenagers about speed skating technique?
(A) They needed to stay close to the ice and move in a specific way.
(B) They should push their skates backwards as fast as possible.
(C) They must stand up straight to run successfully on the track.
(D) They had to use their arms to rest their aching leg muscles.
4 How did the writer feel at the end of the session?
(A) relieved that he could finally stop doing the rhythmic movements
(B) exhausted but thrilled by the high speeds he achieved
(C) determined to avoid experiencing so much physical pain again
(D) disappointed that it took an hour to learn the correct technique
5 What would the writer write in his diary that evening?
(A) Speed skating is basically the same as regular skating. I didn’t need to change my technique at all to move quickly around the track.
(B) I was the fastest in my group today, mostly because my regular ice skating skills helped me balance perfectly on the long blades.
(C) The coach’s technique was so physically exhausting that I decided it wasn’t for me. I think I’ll stick to my local rink from now on.
(D) I never knew that staying balanced on long blades could be so tiring! Once I mastered the low position, feeling that amazing speed made it all worth it.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states that the writer agreed to go “because I was looking for a new challenge”, which paraphrases to testing himself with a new activity.
2 D – In the second paragraph, the writer notes that because the blades were so long, he “found it almost impossible to keep my balance at first” and “kept falling forward,” meaning he was concerned about his lack of stability.
3 A – The third paragraph describes Elena explaining they must “bend our knees deeply” and “keep our backs almost parallel to the ice” (stay close to the ice) while pushing “out to the side” (move in a specific way).
4 B – In the final paragraph, the writer explains that he was “completely out of breath” (exhausted) but had a “huge smile on my face” because the feeling of “flying across the ice faster than I had ever moved” was “absolutely incredible” (thrilled by the high speeds).
5 D – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text. It acknowledges his initial difficulty with the long blades, the exhausting nature of the crouched technique, and his ultimate joy at experiencing the thrill of genuine speed.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
More Than Just a Game of Catch
I’ve always loved sports that involve throwing, like baseball and cricket. So, when I saw an advertisement for a new competitive teenage dodgeball league at our local sports centre, I signed up immediately. I was already quite tall and had a very strong throwing arm. Because of this, I confidently assumed I would easily become the star player of the team. I honestly thought that dodgeball was simply about throwing the ball as hard as possible at the other players.
However, my first few training sessions were a huge shock. I spent all my energy throwing fast balls, but I rarely hit anyone. Worse still, because I was only focusing on attacking, I wasn’t paying attention to defending myself, and I kept getting hit. My coach, David, pulled me aside and explained that I was playing the game completely wrong. He told me that while a fast throw is useful, the most important skill in competitive dodgeball is actually catching. If you catch an opponent’s throw, not only are they out, but one of your eliminated teammates is allowed to return to the court.
Learning to catch rather than just throw or run away was incredibly difficult. When a ball is flying towards you at high speed, your natural reaction is to jump out of the way. Standing completely still and waiting to catch it felt terrifying at first. For several weeks, I practiced keeping my eyes on the opponents and using a ball in my hands to block incoming shots. Although my hands often stung from the impact, I slowly learned how to trap the ball safely against my chest.
My new skills were finally tested in the league’s final match. In the last minute, I was the only player left on my team, facing the strongest thrower on the opposite side. Instead of trying to hit him, I stayed calm and waited. When he threw the ball with all his energy, I stepped forward and caught it perfectly. The referee blew the whistle, and my teammates rushed onto the court to celebrate. We had won! I finally understood that in dodgeball, having a clever strategy and helping your team is much more important than just physical strength.
1 Why did the writer join the dodgeball league?
(A) He wanted to improve his baseball and cricket skills.
(B) He believed his physical abilities would make him very successful.
(C) He was invited by the star player of the local sports centre.
(D) He wanted to learn how to throw a ball properly.
2 What did the writer discover during his first training sessions?
(A) Defending yourself is less important than throwing fast.
(B) Catching the ball is the only way to score points.
(C) His coach wanted him to be more aggressive on the court.
(D) Bringing a teammate back into the game requires making a catch.
3 What did the writer find most challenging about his new training?
(A) Dealing with the extreme pain in his chest after catching.
(B) Resisting the natural urge to move away from the ball.
(C) Keeping his eyes open while throwing at the opponents.
(D) Learning to run quickly while holding a ball in his hands.
4 How did the writer win the final match?
(A) By throwing the ball harder than his opponent.
(B) By dodging the opponent’s final shot at the last second.
(C) By waiting patiently for the chance to make a catch.
(D) By distracting the opponent so his teammate could return.
5 What would the writer text to a friend about his dodgeball season?
(A) “I won the final match today! I realised that if you want to win, you just have to throw the ball faster than anyone else.”
(B) “Our team won the championship! It took a while to learn, but I now know that smart tactics matter more than just being strong.”
(C) “I really enjoyed the league, but catching the ball is too painful for my hands. I think I will stick to playing baseball next year.”
(D) “The coach was wrong about how to play, but I managed to win the final game anyway by dodging out of the way!”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer states “I was already quite tall and had a very strong throwing arm. Because of this, I confidently assumed I would easily become the star player,” which means he believed his physical abilities would lead to success.
2 D – In paragraph 2, the coach explains that “If you catch an opponent’s throw… one of your eliminated teammates is allowed to return to the court.”
3 B – In paragraph 3, the writer explains that “your natural reaction is to jump out of the way” and that “Standing completely still and waiting to catch it felt terrifying at first,” which refers to resisting the urge to move away.
4 C – In paragraph 4, the writer describes his winning strategy: “Instead of trying to hit him, I stayed calm and waited. When he threw the ball… I stepped forward and caught it perfectly.”
5 B – This option captures the global narrative and lesson of the text: moving from a focus on throwing hard to learning how to catch and support the team, ultimately realizing that clever strategy is more important than physical strength.