Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Extracurricular Activities & Clubs 3
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Winning the War on Plastic
When I started a campaign to ban single-use plastic at our school, I had huge expectations. As the new leader of the Environmental Club, I was confident that everyone would support the idea immediately. Every day, I saw the cafeteria bins overflowing with plastic bottles and food packaging, and I knew we had to do something about it. I imagined that simply pointing out the problem would be enough to change students’ habits.
Unfortunately, the reality was quite different. For the first few weeks, my friends and I put up informative posters in the hallways and made serious speeches during morning assemblies. However, most students just walked past our displays without even looking. When we asked people to sign our petition, they said they were too busy or just didn’t care. I felt incredibly frustrated and seriously considered giving up, thinking that nobody at my school cared about the planet.
Before quitting, our club had one last meeting. We realised that making people feel guilty wasn’t working. We needed to try something completely different to grab their attention. That’s when my friend Leo suggested making the campaign fun instead of serious. We decided to organise a “trash art” competition. We challenged every class to collect their plastic waste for a week and use it to build a creative sculpture.
To my absolute surprise, the idea was a massive success. Students loved the challenge. Suddenly, people were actively looking for empty bottles and plastic bags to add to their projects. By the end of the week, the school hall was filled with amazing plastic artwork, including a giant robot and a life-sized dolphin. The colourful exhibition caught everyone’s attention and finally got students talking about how much rubbish we actually produce.
The competition completely changed the atmosphere at school. After seeing the exhibition, the headteacher officially agreed to replace all plastic cups in the cafeteria with reusable ones. Looking back, I am so glad I didn’t quit. The experience taught me a highly valuable lesson. If you want to change people’s behaviour, complaining rarely works. However, giving them a fun and creative way to get involved can make all the difference.
1 What did the writer expect when she started the campaign?
(A) She expected the school to ban plastic by the following week.
(B) She thought everyone would agree with her right away.
(C) She believed she would need to spend hours making posters.
(D) She worried the cafeteria staff wouldn’t support her idea.
2 How did the writer feel during the first few weeks of the campaign?
(A) Annoyed because teachers didn’t let her speak in assemblies.
(B) Surprised by how many people wanted to sign her petition.
(C) Disappointed because students ignored her serious messages.
(D) Angry that other students were taking down her posters.
3 Why did the club decide to organise the “trash art” competition?
(A) To raise money to help the Environmental Club.
(B) To clean up the plastic rubbish from the local streets.
(C) To find out which class was the best at art.
(D) To make the campaign more enjoyable for students.
4 What was the final result of the competition?
(A) The headteacher banned all plastic from the school entirely.
(B) The school agreed to make a positive change in the cafeteria.
(C) The writer won a prize for building a plastic dolphin.
(D) The students stopped bringing food in plastic packaging completely.
5 What would the writer write in her diary about the experience?
(A) I learned that if you want to solve a problem, you have to find a fun and creative way to get people involved.
(B) It was a waste of time because nobody cared about the environment, no matter how many posters we put up.
(C) The trash art competition was fun, but I think making serious speeches is still the best way to change rules.
(D) I was right to think that starting an environmental campaign at school would be an easy and relaxing project.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states, “I was confident that everyone would support the idea immediately,” matching the expectation that people would agree right away.
2 C – The second paragraph explains that she felt “incredibly frustrated” because “most students just walked past our displays without even looking” and ignored their serious speeches.
3 D – In the third paragraph, the writer mentions that they realised being serious wasn’t working, so they decided to try “making the campaign fun instead of serious” to grab their attention.
4 B – The final paragraph states that “the headteacher officially agreed to replace all plastic cups in the cafeteria with reusable ones,” which represents a positive change (eliminating A and D which are too extreme).
5 A – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: transitioning from frustration over students ignoring her serious complaints to finding success and teaching a valuable lesson through a fun, creative approach.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Hidden Heart of the Band
When my music teacher announced that he was starting a new school band, I immediately put my name down. I had spent the entire summer practising my singing in front of the mirror, dreaming of being the star of the show. However, at the very first meeting, Mr. Harrison explained that twenty students wanted to sing, but nobody had offered to play any instruments. Because I had mentioned I knew a few basic chords on the guitar, he handed me a large, heavy bass guitar. I was incredibly disappointed, but I reluctantly agreed to give it a try.
During the first few weeks of rehearsals, I felt completely unimportant. While the singers stood at the front of the stage practising beautiful melodies, I stood quietly in the dark at the back. My job simply involved playing single, deep notes over and over again. It wasn’t exciting at all, and nobody seemed to notice whether I was playing well or making mistakes. I felt like the most useless member of the group, and I seriously considered leaving the band so I could find a different hobby.
Everything changed during a practice session a month later. Our drummer started playing a fast, complicated beat, and I accidentally played my bass notes slightly out of time. Instantly, the entire song sounded terrible, and the singers stopped singing. Mr. Harrison smiled and explained that the bass guitar is actually the heart of the band. It connects the drums to the melody. I suddenly realised that the bass controls the rhythm. If I played well, everyone else sounded great, but if I stopped, the music completely fell apart.
When the night of our first school concert finally arrived, my attitude was completely different. As the curtains opened, the singers stepped into the bright spotlights at the front, but I wasn’t jealous anymore. Standing in the shadows with my bass guitar, I felt incredibly powerful. I watched the audience tapping their feet to the rhythm I was playing. I had discovered that you don’t need to be the centre of attention to be the hidden leader of the band, and I couldn’t wait for our next performance.
1 Why did the writer start playing the bass guitar?
(A) She wanted to learn how to play a challenging new instrument.
(B) She was given the role because the band had too many singers.
(C) She realised she wasn’t quite good enough to be the lead singer.
(D) Her music teacher thought she was the best guitar player.
2 How did the writer feel during the initial rehearsals?
(A) Frustrated that the singers were making too many mistakes.
(B) Annoyed because the heavy instrument hurt her hands.
(C) Upset because her role in the band seemed boring and invisible.
(D) Nervous that the audience would notice her playing single notes.
3 What did the writer realise during the practice session?
(A) She needed to practise more to keep up with the drummer.
(B) The singers were depending on her to write better melodies.
(C) The band sounded much better when she played quietly.
(D) Her instrument was essential for keeping the song together.
4 During the school concert, the writer…
(A) felt glad that she was driving the music from the back of the stage.
(B) wished she was standing in the bright spotlights at the front.
(C) was surprised that the audience knew all the words to the songs.
(D) felt jealous of the amount of attention the singers were receiving.
5 What would the writer text her friend after the concert?
(A) The concert was okay, but I’m going to tell Mr. Harrison that I want to be a singer next time. Playing the bass is just too boring!
(B) I loved the concert today! Even though I wasn’t at the front of the stage, I finally realised how important my instrument is to the band.
(C) We played our first concert tonight. I made a huge mistake and ruined the song, but luckily the singers covered it up for me.
(D) It was so much fun performing tonight. The audience loved my bass solo, and I really felt like the star of the show.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the text states that “twenty students wanted to sing, but nobody had offered to play any instruments” so the teacher “handed me a large, heavy bass guitar.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that she “stood quietly in the dark at the back” playing “single, deep notes over and over” and “felt like the most useless member,” meaning she found it boring and felt invisible.
3 D – In paragraph 3, the writer accidentally plays out of time and the song sounds terrible, leading her to realise that “the bass controls the rhythm” and without it “the music completely fell apart,” meaning it is essential.
4 A – In paragraph 4, the writer states that “Standing in the shadows with my bass guitar, I felt incredibly powerful” watching the audience tap their feet to her rhythm.
5 B – This option successfully captures the global narrative and emotional arc of the text: moving from feeling disappointed and invisible to taking pride in being the essential, hidden leader of the band’s rhythm.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Best Camera
When I joined my school’s new photography club last term, I was really excited. I have always loved taking pictures of my friends and the places we visit. However, during our very first meeting, my excitement quickly disappeared. I looked around the room and noticed that almost everyone else was holding large, expensive cameras with huge lenses. I was the only person who had brought a basic smartphone. I immediately felt like I didn’t belong in the group.
A few weeks later, our teacher announced that the club was going to hold a public exhibition. The theme was ‘Everyday Magic’, and we each had to submit one photograph. Hearing this made me feel extremely nervous. I honestly considered quitting the club. I thought there was absolutely no chance my simple phone could compete with the professional equipment the other students were using. I was sure my picture would look terrible next to theirs.
Despite my doubts, I decided to look for a good subject. One afternoon, I was walking home from school during a heavy rainstorm. I stopped to look at a large puddle on the pavement. Reflected in the water was a bright neon shop sign and a person walking by with a bright yellow umbrella. It looked incredible. Because I only had my small phone, I was able to get it very close to the ground to capture the perfect angle. I took the shot and hoped for the best.
On the evening of the exhibition, the school hall was full of people. I walked around looking at the other students’ work. Their photos of flying birds and fast sports were incredibly sharp and clear, which made me feel anxious again. But then, the guest judge stood up to announce the winner. To my absolute shock, he called my name! He explained that while the other photos were technically perfect, mine was the most creative and original.
Winning first prize completely changed how I think about photography. The judge taught me that the most important tool a photographer has is their own imagination, not their camera. I realised that having a good eye for a great picture is far more valuable than carrying around an expensive piece of equipment.
1 How did the writer feel at the first photography club meeting?
(A) Proud of the pictures she had taken of her friends.
(B) Uncomfortable because she didn’t have the same equipment as others.
(C) Excited to learn how to use large, expensive cameras.
(D) Annoyed that the teacher didn’t provide cameras for everyone.
2 When the exhibition was announced, the writer
(A) knew immediately what she wanted to photograph.
(B) felt confident her phone would take the best picture.
(C) thought about leaving the club because she felt inferior.
(D) complained to the teacher about the theme of the competition.
3 How did having a smartphone help the writer take her photo?
(A) It allowed her to edit the colours of the umbrella easily.
(B) It was small enough to place very low to the ground.
(C) It protected her from getting wet during the heavy rainstorm.
(D) It helped her see the neon lights in the dark street.
4 Why did the guest judge choose the writer’s photo as the winner?
(A) Because it was the sharpest and clearest picture there.
(B) Because she managed to photograph a difficult subject like birds.
(C) Because it showed the most imagination and new ideas.
(D) Because he wanted to encourage students with basic cameras.
5 What would the writer text to a friend after the exhibition?
(A) I won! I guess my phone takes okay photos, but I’m still going to buy a big camera so I can take sharp pictures of sports.
(B) The exhibition was a disaster. The judge said my photo wasn’t technically perfect, so I’m quitting the club tomorrow.
(C) I almost didn’t enter the exhibition because of the rain, but luckily I found a bright yellow umbrella to use in my picture.
(D) I can’t believe I won first prize! It just goes to show that your creativity is much more important than how much your camera costs.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states that after seeing everyone else’s large, expensive cameras, “I immediately felt like I didn’t belong in the group.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that hearing about the exhibition made her nervous and she “honestly considered quitting the club” because she thought she couldn’t compete.
3 B – In paragraph 3, the writer notes that “Because I only had my small phone, I was able to get it very close to the ground to capture the perfect angle.”
4 C – In paragraph 4, the guest judge explains that while other photos were technically perfect, the writer’s photo “was the most creative and original” (showing imagination and new ideas).
5 D – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: moving from feeling inferior about only having a smartphone to realising that a good eye and creativity are more important than expensive gear.