Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Extracurricular Activities & Clubs 4
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Saving the School Dance
I have always enjoyed attending school events, so when our teachers asked for volunteers to organize the annual winter dance, I immediately put my hand up. I honestly believed that planning a party would be simple and relaxing. I imagined that my only responsibilities would be choosing a nice theme and buying some colourful decorations with my friends. I felt incredibly confident that we would organize the best evening of the year without any difficulties.
For several weeks, my team and I worked extremely hard. We sold tickets, ordered delicious snacks, and booked a popular local DJ to provide the entertainment. Everything was going exactly according to plan. However, on the afternoon of the dance, I received a terrible phone call. The DJ was very sick and couldn’t come. I felt a massive wave of panic. With only three hours left before the doors opened to the students, there was absolutely no time to find another professional musician.
I sat in the beautifully decorated school hall, staring at the empty stage. For a brief moment, I seriously wondered if we should just cancel the whole event and give everyone their money back. Then, one of my teammates suggested we use the school’s sound system instead. I remembered that I had hundreds of great dance songs saved on my smartphone. Although I was slightly worried that the other students might not enjoy my personal taste in music, I quickly created a long playlist and connected my phone to the large speakers.
When the students finally arrived, the music was playing loudly, and the atmosphere was absolutely fantastic. To my great surprise, nobody even asked about the missing DJ. Everyone danced all night, and several classmates actually told me it was the best school party they had ever attended. I felt incredibly relieved and proud of what we had achieved.
The stressful experience taught me a very important lesson. Sometimes, things will go completely wrong, but panicking never helps. If you stay calm and think creatively, you can usually solve the problem. I am definitely going to help organize the dance again next year, but I might just offer to be the DJ from the start!
1 Why did the writer volunteer to organize the winter dance?
(A) She was personally chosen by her teachers to lead the team.
(B) She thought the task would be quite easy and enjoyable.
(C) She wanted to choose the music and decorations herself.
(D) She wanted to get experience as an event planner.
2 How did the writer feel when she received the phone call?
(A) relieved that they wouldn’t have to pay the entertainer
(B) angry because the DJ had forgotten about the party
(C) disappointed because she hadn’t sold enough tickets
(D) anxious because it was too late to hire a replacement
3 What did the writer decide to do to save the event?
(A) cancel the dance and return the ticket money to the students
(B) ask her friends to bring their own speakers to the hall
(C) play a selection of songs directly from her mobile device
(D) invite a different local musician to perform on the stage
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) Professional DJs are not necessary for school dances.
(B) You should always have a backup plan for party decorations.
(C) It is important to keep a cool head when facing a crisis.
(D) Volunteering for school events is too stressful to do again.
5 What would the writer write in her diary that evening?
(A) I thought organizing the dance would be stressful, but it was actually very simple. The DJ was great, and everyone loved the music!
(B) The dance was a disaster because the DJ cancelled. I had to play my own music, and everyone complained about my taste.
(C) I am never volunteering for a school event again. Panicking about the missing DJ ruined the entire evening for me.
(D) The DJ cancelled at the last minute, which was terrifying! But I stayed calm, used my own playlist, and the party was a huge success.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states, “I honestly believed that planning a party would be simple and relaxing,” which matches the idea that she thought it would be easy and enjoyable.
2 D – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that she felt “a massive wave of panic” because with only three hours left, “there was absolutely no time to find another professional musician.”
3 C – Paragraph three notes that instead of canceling, the writer “created a long playlist and connected my phone to the large speakers,” meaning she played music from her mobile device.
4 C – In the final paragraph, the writer concludes that “panicking never helps” and “If you stay calm and think creatively, you can usually solve the problem,” meaning it is important to keep a cool head.
5 D – This option successfully captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: acknowledging the terrifying crisis of the canceled DJ, the calm problem-solving using her own phone, and the ultimate success of the event.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Robotics Adventure
Since I was a little kid, I have always been fascinated by how machines work. So, when my secondary school announced a new robotics club, I immediately signed up. Our goal was to design and build a small robot that could follow a painted line around a complicated track as quickly as possible. My friends and I spent two months working on our creation, which we proudly named ‘Lightning’. We felt confident that our design was faster than anything the other schools could build. I was sure we were going to win the upcoming competition.
However, disaster struck during our final practice run, just one day before the big event. We placed Lightning on the starting line and pressed the green button. It moved perfectly for a few seconds, but then it made a terrible grinding noise and stopped. Smoke began to come out of the engine. We quickly realised that the motor was completely broken. Everyone on the team felt devastated. We stared at the useless plastic pieces, convinced that our chances of winning were totally ruined. Honestly, most of us just wanted to give up and go home.
Fortunately, our science teacher, Mr Davis, refused to let us quit. He reminded us that real engineers face unexpected failures all the time. Encouraged by his positive words, we agreed to stay late at school to try and fix the problem. We carefully opened the robot and examined the damaged motor. It took hours of hard work, testing different wires and replacing broken parts. We ordered some pizzas and worked closely together as a team until it was dark outside. Finally, we managed to install a new motor.
The next morning at the competition, my hands were shaking nervously as I placed Lightning on the track. When the referee’s whistle blew, our robot zoomed forward. To our absolute joy, it completed the entire course perfectly without stopping once. Although we only came third overall, it felt like a massive victory. This challenging experience taught me that things rarely go perfectly the first time. I realised that the most important thing is having the determination to keep trying when things go badly wrong.
1 Why did the writer feel confident about the upcoming competition?
(A) Because they believed their robot was quicker than the others.
(B) Because they had been fascinated by machines since childhood.
(C) Because their science teacher helped them design the track.
(D) Because they had already won a regional competition before.
2 How did the team react when the robot broke during the practice run?
(A) They decided to throw it away and build a completely new one.
(B) They were ready to abandon the project and stop trying.
(C) They were confused about why smoke was coming from the engine.
(D) They immediately started trying to fix the broken plastic pieces.
3 What did the team do to solve the problem?
(A) They asked their science teacher to repair the engine for them.
(B) They ordered new parts online and waited for them to arrive.
(C) They worked as a group into the evening to change the motor.
(D) They changed the design of the robot to make it much simpler.
4 What did the writer learn from the robotics competition?
(A) That winning first prize is the most important part of competing.
(B) That a fast robot is always better than a smart robot.
(C) That you shouldn’t feel nervous before a big school event.
(D) That being determined after a failure is more important than winning.
5 What would the writer text to a friend about the robotics club?
(A) We easily won the competition today! Our robot was so much faster than everyone else’s, just like we planned.
(B) The robot broke yesterday and we almost gave up. We stayed late to fix it, and even though we came third, I’m so proud of us!
(C) Our robot’s engine caught fire today, so we couldn’t compete. We are going to build a completely new one next term.
(D) Mr Davis built a great robot for us, but it broke on the track today. At least we got to eat pizza afterwards!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In paragraph 1, the writer states, “We felt confident that our design was faster than anything the other schools could build,” which paraphrases to believing their robot was quicker.
2 B – In paragraph 2, the text explains that the team felt their chances were ruined and “most of us just wanted to give up and go home,” meaning they were ready to abandon the project.
3 C – In paragraph 3, the writer describes how they agreed to “stay late at school” and “worked closely together as a team until it was dark” to “install a new motor.”
4 D – In paragraph 4, the writer reflects that coming third still felt like a victory, and the most important thing is “having the determination to keep trying when things go badly wrong.”
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and the emotional arc of the text: facing a devastating failure, putting in the hard work to fix it, and ultimately feeling proud of their resilience despite not winning first place.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Recipe for Success
When my school’s Cooking Club announced the annual charity bake sale, I wanted my contribution to be the star of the event. Instead of choosing a basic recipe, I decided to bake a highly complex, six-layer caramel and raspberry cake. I had seen a famous chef make it on television, and I was completely confident I could do exactly the same. I imagined all the students and teachers admiring my incredible creation and praising my professional baking skills.
However, the reality of baking a complicated pastry was much harder than it looked on television. On the morning of the sale, I spent three stressful hours measuring and mixing dozens of ingredients. When I finally put the cake into the oven, I felt so exhausted that I sat down on the sofa and accidentally fell asleep. I woke up half an hour later to the terrible smell of smoke. I rushed into the kitchen and pulled out a rock-hard, completely black cake. I felt utterly miserable and wanted to drop out of the bake sale entirely.
Just as I was about to throw the ruined cake in the bin and give up, my older sister walked into the kitchen. She told me to stop panicking and pointed at the clock. I still had forty-five minutes before the sale started. We quickly grabbed some basic ingredients—flour, butter, sugar, and chocolate chips—and mixed together a standard cookie dough. We didn’t try to do anything fancy, just a classic recipe. Within fifteen minutes, the cookies were in the oven and the kitchen smelled amazing again.
At the bake sale, I placed my plain chocolate chip cookies on the table, feeling a bit embarrassed next to the other students’ beautiful cupcakes and decorated pies. But to my absolute surprise, my warm, chewy cookies were the very first things to sell out! People absolutely loved them. That stressful morning taught me a highly valuable lesson. You don’t always need to be overly ambitious to achieve a great result. Sometimes, doing something simple and doing it perfectly is the best recipe for success.
1 What did the writer expect to achieve at the bake sale?
(A) She expected to make the most money for the school charity.
(B) She thought the famous television chef would try her cake.
(C) She wanted to impress everyone with her advanced cooking skills.
(D) She believed baking a multi-layer cake would be quick and easy.
2 How did the writer feel when she took the cake out of the oven?
(A) Frustrated that the recipe she found was incorrect.
(B) Miserable and ready to abandon the school event.
(C) Annoyed with her sister for distracting her.
(D) Surprised that the cake smelled of caramel and smoke.
3 What did the writer do after ruining the cake?
(A) She asked her sister to go to the shop to buy some cookies.
(B) She used basic ingredients to quickly make a simpler treat.
(C) She tried to cut the burnt edges off the caramel cake.
(D) She decided to sell the ruined cake at a cheaper price.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) Chocolate chip cookies are the most profitable item to sell.
(B) It is important to ask for help when a recipe is too difficult.
(C) You must never leave the kitchen while the oven is turned on.
(D) Simple things executed well are better than ambitious failures.
5 What would the writer say in a message to a friend about the day?
(A) My complex cake was a complete disaster, but the simple cookies I made at the last minute sold out! Sometimes basic is best.
(B) I am so embarrassed. My cake burned and the chocolate cookies I made were so plain that nobody wanted to buy them.
(C) I managed to bake the six-layer cake perfectly, but everyone actually preferred the cheap cookies my sister brought instead.
(D) Baking for the school sale was far too stressful. I really wish I had just bought something from the bakery to save time.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In the first paragraph, the writer states, “I imagined all the students and teachers admiring my incredible creation and praising my professional baking skills.”
2 B – The second paragraph explains that after pulling out the black cake, she “felt utterly miserable and wanted to drop out of the bake sale entirely.”
3 B – In the third paragraph, the writer notes that she and her sister “quickly grabbed some basic ingredients” and “didn’t try to do anything fancy, just a classic recipe” to make cookie dough.
4 D – The final paragraph reflects on the lesson learned: “You don’t always need to be overly ambitious to achieve a great result. Sometimes, doing something simple and doing it perfectly is the best recipe for success.”
5 A – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: moving from the disappointment of a ruined, overly complicated cake to the unexpected success and valuable lesson of making simple, delicious cookies.