Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Extracurricular Activities & Clubs 2
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Creating My First Video Game
I have always been a huge fan of playing video games, spending most of my weekends exploring virtual worlds. So, when my school announced a new after-school coding club, I signed up immediately. I was completely confident that making my own video game would be quick and easy. I imagined designing an incredible 3D adventure with amazing graphics and complex levels. I proudly told my friends that I would have a game ready for them to play by the end of the month.
However, during the first few weeks, I realised how wrong I had been. Coding wasn’t just about drawing cool characters; it was like learning a completely foreign language. When I tried to write the instructions for my game, nothing went according to plan. My screen was constantly filled with error messages, known as ‘bugs’. If I pressed the button to make my character jump, it would suddenly disappear, or the whole computer program would just freeze. I felt incredibly frustrated and seriously considered giving up the club altogether.
Things only began to improve when our teacher paired me up with a classmate named Maya. She had a bit more experience and suggested that my original idea was simply too ambitious. Instead of a huge 3D world, we decided to focus on building a basic 2D game where a little square jumps over obstacles. We spent hours carefully reading through hundreds of lines of code together. Whenever we found a mistake and fixed it, we celebrated. Having someone to share the difficulties with made the process much less stressful.
Finally, after two months of hard work, our simple game was finished. It certainly wasn’t the amazing adventure I had originally planned, but pressing play and watching our little square successfully jump over blocks felt fantastic. I realised that I actually enjoyed the difficult process of searching for errors and solving problems. Coding requires a lot of patience, but the sense of achievement at the end is completely worth it. If the club runs again next term, I will definitely be the first person to sign up!
1 Why did the writer join the coding club?
(A) He wanted to prove to his friends that he was a great gamer.
(B) He believed creating a video game would be a simple task.
(C) He needed help to beat a difficult 3D adventure game.
(D) He wanted to spend more of his weekends exploring virtual worlds.
2 What surprised the writer about coding at first?
(A) It involved drawing more characters than he expected.
(B) The computers at the school were too slow for his game.
(C) Making the game work correctly was extremely difficult.
(D) He had to learn a foreign language to read the instructions.
3 How did Maya help the writer?
(A) She wrote all the complicated computer code for him.
(B) She convinced him to create a less ambitious game.
(C) She showed him how to build a huge 3D world.
(D) She explained how to avoid feeling stressed at school.
4 How does the writer feel about his finished game?
(A) disappointed that it looks so basic compared to his original idea
(B) relieved that he no longer has to solve any difficult problems
(C) anxious to share his amazing 3D adventure with his friends
(D) delighted because fixing the errors gave him a great feeling of success
5 What would the writer write in his diary at the end of the term?
(A) I finally finished my 3D game today! It took a lot of hard work, but Maya and I managed to create a beautiful virtual world.
(B) I wanted to make a game for my friends, but the computers kept freezing. I’m going to stop attending the club next term.
(C) Coding was much harder than I thought, but working with a partner to fix our game made me realise how fun problem-solving can be.
(D) Maya was a great partner, but we spent too much time reading text instead of designing characters. I prefer just playing games.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states, “I was completely confident that making my own video game would be quick and easy,” which maps to believing it would be a simple task.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that “nothing went according to plan,” his game was full of bugs, and things would disappear or freeze, making him feel incredibly frustrated by how difficult it was. Distractor D uses “foreign language,” but the text says it was like learning one, not that he actually had to learn one.
3 B – Paragraph three explains that Maya “suggested that my original idea was simply too ambitious” and they decided instead to “focus on building a basic 2D game”.
4 D – In the final paragraph, the writer notes that despite the game being simple, “watching our little square successfully jump over blocks felt fantastic” and he “enjoyed the difficult process of searching for errors,” giving him a “sense of achievement.”
5 C – This option successfully captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: moving from the unexpected difficulty of coding and bugs to the collaborative success with his teammate, and finally discovering the joy of problem-solving.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finding My Voice
I have always loved singing. Whenever I am alone in my bedroom, I play my favourite songs and sing along loudly. Because of this passion, joining the school choir seemed like a wonderful idea. However, I am quite a shy person, so I made sure to always stand right at the back during our weekly practice. I loved being part of a large group where my voice could easily blend in with dozens of others. As long as nobody was listening specifically to me, I felt completely comfortable and happy.
A few weeks before our big winter concert, our music teacher, Mr Harrison, made a surprising announcement. He told the class that he had chosen me to sing a short solo in the middle of our most important song. When I heard my name, my heart sank. I was absolutely terrified of performing alone in front of hundreds of people. I desperately wanted to tell him that he had made a terrible mistake, but I just couldn’t find the courage to speak. For the next two weeks, I practised my part quietly at home, but my stomach hurt every time I thought about facing the audience.
The evening of the concert finally arrived, and the school hall was completely packed with parents, friends, and teachers. Standing on the stage with the rest of the choir under the bright lights, my hands were shaking. As the moment for my solo got closer, my mind went completely blank. When the music paused for my special part, I took a deep breath and simply closed my eyes. I imagined I was safely back in my bedroom, singing only to myself. Without the scary faces of the crowd staring directly at me, I suddenly found my voice and sang the notes beautifully.
As I finished singing the last note, I slowly opened my eyes. For a brief second, there was complete silence, and then the entire hall broke into loud, enthusiastic applause. A huge wave of relief washed over me. Not only had I remembered all the words, but I had actually enjoyed the magical experience. My stage fright hasn’t completely disappeared, but I now know that it cannot control me anymore. Today, I am already looking forward to the upcoming summer concert, and I might even be brave enough to volunteer for another solo.
1 Why did the writer prefer standing at the back of the choir?
(A) Because they felt relaxed when their voice mixed with the group.
(B) Because they wanted to listen to the other students singing.
(C) Because they did not want the music teacher to see them.
(D) Because their voice was too loud for the front row.
2 How did the writer react when Mr Harrison gave them a solo?
(A) They were angry that the teacher had made a terrible mistake.
(B) They felt incredibly scared about singing without the group.
(C) They bravely told him they didn’t want to do it.
(D) They immediately started practising their part with the class.
3 What helped the writer during their performance on stage?
(A) Looking at the friendly faces of their parents and teachers.
(B) Taking a deep breath and focusing on the bright lights.
(C) Shutting their eyes and pretending they were somewhere else.
(D) Remembering the lyrics they had practised in their bedroom.
4 How does the writer feel about performing now?
(A) They are completely cured of their stage fright.
(B) They think singing a solo is easier than singing in a choir.
(C) They are willing to consider singing by themselves again.
(D) They want to stop doing concerts to enjoy singing at home.
5 What would the writer write in their diary about the concert?
(A) Mr Harrison forced me to sing a solo today. I forgot my words and couldn’t wait to go home to my bedroom.
(B) I was so nervous about my solo tonight, but closing my eyes helped me sing perfectly. I am actually proud of myself!
(C) Standing at the back of the choir was great as usual. I’m so glad I found the courage to say no to the solo.
(D) The crowd was amazing tonight! I loved looking at everyone’s faces while I sang my special part in the big song.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In paragraph 1, the writer explains they loved being in a large group where their voice could “blend in with dozens of others” and felt “completely comfortable and happy” as long as nobody was listening specifically to them.
2 B – In paragraph 2, the writer says their heart sank and they were “absolutely terrified of performing alone in front of hundreds of people.”
3 C – In paragraph 3, the writer explains that they “simply closed my eyes” and “imagined I was safely back in my bedroom,” which helped them find their voice.
4 C – In paragraph 4, the writer states they are looking forward to the next concert and “might even be brave enough to volunteer for another solo.”
5 B – This option successfully captures the global meaning and the writer’s emotional arc: acknowledging their intense nervousness, explaining their successful coping strategy (closing their eyes), and expressing pride in overcoming their fear.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Different Kind of Battlefield
When my school announced a new after-school chess club, I had absolutely no interest in joining. To my mind, chess was a slow, incredibly boring game that only old men played in quiet public parks. I much preferred active sports like football or basketball, where you actually moved around and worked up a sweat. I was completely certain that sitting in a silent room staring at small wooden figures would be the worst possible way to spend my free afternoons.
However, my best friend Sam was a huge fan of the game, and he eventually convinced me to sit down and play a practice match with him. I fully expected to fall asleep, but then Sam started explaining the rules to me. He showed me how every single piece had a specific role and how you had to think three steps ahead of your opponent. I quickly realised that chess wasn’t just a simple board game; it was a highly complex mental battlefield. Suddenly, my boredom disappeared and I was completely hooked.
After practicing every day for a month, I felt confident enough to enter our school’s winter chess tournament. The atmosphere in the main hall was completely different from a noisy sports match. It was totally silent, but the nervous tension in the room was huge. I had to concentrate harder than I ever had in my life to avoid making silly mistakes. To my absolute surprise, I played really well, winning match after match until I actually reached the final.
The final game lasted for over an hour, and my brain was completely exhausted. In the end, my opponent made a brilliant move, and I lost the match. Normally, losing a sports competition makes me feel angry and terrible, but this time was entirely different. I stood up, shook his hand, and felt incredibly energised. I hadn’t won the gold trophy, but I had discovered a deep love for the intense mental challenge of the game. I am already studying new strategies for next year’s tournament!
1 What was the writer’s original opinion of chess?
(A) He thought it was far too complicated to learn.
(B) He believed it was an uninteresting game for older people.
(C) He was annoyed that it required buying expensive wooden pieces.
(D) He expected the chess club to be too noisy and crowded.
2 How did the writer feel when his friend taught him how to play?
(A) Frustrated because the practice matches took too long.
(B) Confused by the different roles of the wooden pieces.
(C) Surprised to discover that the game required deep strategy.
(D) Upset because Sam was constantly beating him at the game.
3 What happened during the winter tournament?
(A) The writer found it difficult to concentrate because of the noise.
(B) The writer won the competition easily without making mistakes.
(C) The writer successfully made it to the last game of the event.
(D) The writer was too nervous to play in front of the other students.
4 How did the writer react to losing the final game?
(A) He felt embarrassed that the match ended so quickly.
(B) He decided to go back to playing active sports like football.
(C) He was angry at himself for making a silly mistake at the end.
(D) He appreciated the mental effort and really enjoyed the experience.
5 What would the writer post on his social media about the tournament?
(A) I used to think chess was boring, but learning the strategy and facing that intense mental challenge completely changed my mind!
(B) I reached the final today, but honestly, sitting in silence for hours is just as dull as I always thought it would be.
(C) I am so disappointed that I lost the final match. I should have never listened to Sam and stuck to playing football instead.
(D) Chess is a great game, but my opponent got lucky with his final move. I will definitely win the gold trophy next time!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states, “To my mind, chess was a slow, incredibly boring game that only old men played in quiet public parks.”
2 C – The second paragraph explains that after Sam showed him how to think three steps ahead, he “quickly realised that chess wasn’t just a simple board game; it was a highly complex mental battlefield.”
3 C – In the third paragraph, the writer notes that to his surprise, he played really well, “winning match after match until I actually reached the final.”
4 D – The fourth paragraph details that although he lost, “Normally, losing… makes me feel angry… but this time was entirely different. I stood up, shook his hand, and felt incredibly energised. I hadn’t won the gold trophy, but I had discovered a deep love for the intense mental challenge.”
5 A – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: transitioning from a negative prejudice against chess to discovering a passion for the strategic and mental challenge it provides.