Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Mishaps & Resilience 5
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Accidental Mountain
Last Saturday, my best friend Liam and I decided to go for a quick hike in the national park near my house. We wanted to enjoy the fresh air and get some exercise before lunch. Because we planned to be out for just two hours, we only packed a couple of apples and a small bottle of water each. I imagined a relaxing walk along the flat, easy paths near the visitor centre, completely unaware of what was actually going to happen.
However, about an hour into our walk, we made a huge mistake. We reached a place where the path divided into two. I quickly looked at the wooden signpost and confidently told Liam to take the left path. We chatted and laughed as we walked, expecting to see the car park at any moment. But after another hour passed, the path started getting narrower and there were no other people around. It suddenly became clear that we were going the wrong way.
Before long, the path started going up a steep mountain. By this point, our quick morning walk had turned into a massive fifteen-kilometre trek. My legs were aching terribly, and we had almost finished our water. The sun was getting hotter, and I felt extremely guilty for leading us in the wrong direction. We stopped to rest, and Liam suggested we should turn around. But looking at how far we had already climbed, I persuaded him that we should keep going to the top.
When we finally reached the end of the path, we found ourselves standing on the highest peak in the park. I couldn’t believe my eyes. We could see for miles in every direction, looking down at the green forests and sparkling blue lakes below. The cool wind felt amazing, and suddenly, my tired, aching legs didn’t matter anymore.
Even though we were completely exhausted by the time we finally got home, I couldn’t stop smiling. Getting lost and hiking all those extra kilometres was incredibly difficult, but it led us to a view that I wouldn’t have traded for anything. It taught me that sometimes, the best adventures are the ones you never actually plan to have.
1 What did the writer expect before the hike began?
(A) He thought they would need plenty of food and water.
(B) He expected it to be a short and effortless morning activity.
(C) He planned to reach the highest mountain in the park.
(D) He believed the visitor centre would be closed.
2 What happened when they reached the divided path?
(A) The writer gave his friend incorrect information.
(B) They asked another hiker for directions to the car park.
(C) Liam decided to take the more difficult route.
(D) They realised they had forgotten to read the signpost.
3 How did the writer feel as the hike continued?
(A) Annoyed that Liam wanted to turn around and go home.
(B) Worried because it was getting too dark to see the path.
(C) Bad about making them go the wrong way.
(D) Surprised by how much water they still had left to drink.
4 When they arrived at the peak, the writer
(A) wished he had brought a camera to take photos of the lakes.
(B) immediately forgot about his physical discomfort.
(C) felt a bit dizzy from the cool wind and the extreme height.
(D) was disappointed that the forests were so far away.
5 What would the writer say in a message to another friend?
(A) We should definitely plan our routes better next time because that hike was just a terrible, exhausting mistake.
(B) I made a huge error reading the sign, but the incredible sights at the top made the painful trek completely worth it!
(C) The view from the mountain was quite nice, but I really wish we had just stayed on the flat paths like we planned.
(D) If you go to the national park, make sure you take the left path because it’s the easiest and quickest way to the top.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states, “We planned to be out for just two hours… I imagined a relaxing walk along the flat, easy paths,” matching the expectation of a short and effortless activity.
2 A – The second paragraph explains that the writer “confidently told Liam to take the left path,” which turned out to be the wrong way, meaning he gave incorrect information.
3 C – The third paragraph states, “I felt extremely guilty for leading us in the wrong direction,” which means he felt bad about making them go the wrong way.
4 B – In the fourth paragraph, the writer describes the amazing view and says, “suddenly, my tired, aching legs didn’t matter anymore,” showing he forgot about his physical pain.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and narrative arc of the text: acknowledging the mistake and the physical difficulty of the accidental 15km trek, but concluding that the spectacular, unexpected view made the entire struggle worthwhile.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Memorable Kind of Holiday
When my family and I travelled to Thailand last month, the thing I was most looking forward to was the food. I had watched countless travel videos online about the famous street markets in Bangkok. My parents warned me to be careful about what I ate, but the colourful dishes smelled too delicious to ignore. On our third evening, I bought some spicy chicken from a small, busy stall. It tasted absolutely fantastic at the time, and I felt incredibly proud of myself for trying something so authentic.
Unfortunately, my pride didn’t last very long. The following morning, I woke up feeling absolutely terrible. My stomach was aching, and I felt so weak that I couldn’t even stand up. It was classic food poisoning. While my parents and my younger sister went out to visit the beautiful floating markets and ancient temples, I had to stay behind. I spent two whole days lying in my dark hotel room. I was incredibly frustrated because this was supposed to be the most exciting part of our holiday, and I was missing everything.
However, my miserable situation soon improved thanks to the amazing people working at our hotel. When the cleaning staff noticed that I was staying in my room all day, they immediately informed the manager. A few hours later, a receptionist knocked gently on my door. She brought me a tray with a bowl of plain, white rice and some hot peppermint tea. She smiled warmly and explained in basic English that this was the best thing for an upset stomach. Over the next two days, the staff continuously checked on me, bringing fresh water and extra blankets.
By the end of the week, I was finally feeling like myself again. Although I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see all the famous tourist sights, my attitude towards the trip had completely changed. The kindness of the hotel workers left a much deeper impression on me than any museum or temple ever could. They treated me like a member of their own family when I was feeling my worst. Because of their wonderful care, I returned home with entirely positive memories of the country and its beautiful people.
1 Why did the writer eat the street food?
(A) Her parents encouraged her to try something new.
(B) She was unable to resist the attractive smells.
(C) She needed to make a travel video about local dishes.
(D) She couldn’t find a traditional restaurant in the market.
2 How did the writer feel about staying in her hotel room?
(A) Relieved because she was too exhausted to go walking.
(B) Jealous because her sister bought many things at the market.
(C) Annoyed because it ruined the best part of her trip.
(D) Glad that the room she stayed in was dark and quiet.
3 What did the hotel staff do when they realised the writer was ill?
(A) They called a local doctor to examine her stomach.
(B) They bought her some medicine from a nearby pharmacy.
(C) They provided simple food and drinks to help her recover.
(D) They offered to take her out sightseeing with her family.
4 What does the writer think about her holiday now?
(A) She believes the locals were the best part of the experience.
(B) She regrets spending so much money on the trip.
(C) She wishes she had visited the museums before getting sick.
(D) She feels anxious about travelling to foreign countries again.
5 What would the writer write in her diary on her flight home?
(A) I can’t believe I wasted my whole holiday in a hotel room because I didn’t listen to my parents. I’ll never eat street food again!
(B) Being sick on holiday was awful, but the amazing care I received from the hotel staff made me realise how wonderful this country truly is.
(C) The hotel was great, but I’m still angry that my family went sightseeing without me while I was suffering with food poisoning.
(D) Thailand has some beautiful temples and markets, but the street food is incredibly dangerous for tourists to eat.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer mentions that despite her parents’ warnings, “the colourful dishes smelled too delicious to ignore.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer states she was “incredibly frustrated because this was supposed to be the most exciting part of our holiday,” meaning she was annoyed it ruined her trip.
3 C – In paragraph 3, the text describes the staff bringing “a tray with a bowl of plain, white rice and some hot peppermint tea” to help her upset stomach.
4 A – In paragraph 4, the writer reflects that “the kindness of the hotel workers left a much deeper impression on me than any museum or temple ever could.”
5 B – This option successfully captures the global narrative and emotional arc of the text: moving from the frustration of being sick to a deep appreciation for the country based on the kindness of the local people.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Missing Camera
When I was sixteen, my family travelled to Yosemite National Park for our summer holiday. It was the year 1998, long before anyone had smartphones with built-in cameras. If you wanted to take photos, you had to carry a real, heavy camera and rolls of film. I loved photography, so I had spent weeks planning all the amazing pictures I was going to take of the giant mountains and huge waterfalls. I was completely ready to document every single moment of our trip.
After a long drive, we finally parked our car near the famous Yosemite Valley. I opened my backpack to get my camera ready, but my hand felt nothing but an empty space. A wave of absolute panic hit me. I quickly realised that I had left my precious camera on the bed in our hotel room, which was now two hours away. I was completely devastated and actually started crying. I thought the entire trip was completely ruined because I wouldn’t have any photos to show my friends.
My parents were sympathetic but told me we couldn’t drive back. Reluctantly, I followed them onto the hiking trail. For the first hour, I complained about every beautiful thing we saw, wishing I could capture it on film. However, as we climbed higher into the forest, something changed. Because I wasn’t busy looking through a tiny glass lens or worrying about the perfect light, I started to actually notice my surroundings. I smelled the fresh pine trees and listened to the peaceful sound of the river.
When we reached the top of the trail, the view of the valley was breathtaking. I sat down on a rock and just stared at the huge cliffs. Without a camera to distract me, I felt a deep connection to the nature around me. I memorised the colours and the shapes in my mind, rather than on a piece of photographic paper. The experience felt much more real and emotional than just taking a quick picture and walking away.
Looking back, leaving my camera at the hotel was actually the best mistake I ever made. It taught me that sometimes we are so focused on recording our experiences that we forget to actually live them. Although I don’t have any physical photos from that beautiful day, the clear memories in my head are much more valuable.
1 How did the writer prepare for her holiday to Yosemite?
(A) She bought a brand new heavy camera for the trip.
(B) She spent time thinking about the photographs she would take.
(C) She packed extra rolls of film into her heavy backpack.
(D) She borrowed a smartphone from a friend to take pictures.
2 How did the writer react when she checked her backpack?
(A) She asked her parents to drive back to the hotel immediately.
(B) She felt angry that someone had stolen her camera from the car.
(C) She was extremely upset and believed the holiday was a disaster.
(D) She was relieved that her bag was much lighter to carry.
3 What happened during the walk in the forest?
(A) The writer found a better place to take photographs of the trees.
(B) The writer started to pay much more attention to the environment.
(C) The writer stopped complaining so she could listen to the birds.
(D) The writer realised the sunlight wasn’t good enough for pictures anyway.
4 How did the writer feel when she was sitting at the top of the trail?
(A) She wished she had a piece of paper to draw the shapes of the cliffs.
(B) She felt sad that the emotional experience wasn’t real.
(C) She was distracted by the bright colours of the rocks in the valley.
(D) She felt deeply connected to the scene by just looking at it.
5 What would the writer write in her diary about that day?
(A) I can’t believe I forgot my camera! Without any photos to show my friends, the whole trip to the park was a complete waste of time.
(B) The hike was too long and the forest was boring, but the view at the top was quite nice even without my heavy camera.
(C) I was really upset at first, but not having a camera actually helped me enjoy the beautiful nature much more deeply.
(D) I learned that memories in your head are useless compared to real photographs. Next time, I will double-check my backpack.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that “I had spent weeks planning all the amazing pictures I was going to take of the giant mountains.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains she was “completely devastated and actually started crying,” thinking “the entire trip was completely ruined.”
3 B – In paragraph 3, the writer notes that because she wasn’t looking through a lens, she “started to actually notice my surroundings,” like smelling the trees and listening to the river.
4 D – In paragraph 4, the writer states that while sitting on the rock and staring at the cliffs, “Without a camera to distract me, I felt a deep connection to the nature around me.”
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: starting out devastated about forgetting the camera, but concluding that the mistake allowed her to experience and remember the moment more vividly.