Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Extracurricular Activities & Clubs 6
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finding My Voice
When my school announced an after-school Spanish club, I signed up immediately. I had been studying the language for a year, but my grades were quite average. I thought joining the club would be a fantastic way to improve my vocabulary and learn more about the culture. I walked into the first meeting feeling incredibly positive and eager to participate.
However, my confidence disappeared almost as soon as the meeting began. The teacher started asking everyone questions, and I realised that the other students were extremely fluent. When it was my turn to speak, my face went red. I was terrified of making a mistake, but my biggest worry was my terrible accent. I sounded so unnatural compared to my classmates that I decided to just stay completely silent. For the next three weeks, I sat in the corner, too embarrassed to say a single word.
Everything changed during our fourth meeting when our teacher organised a game of charades. We were divided into small teams and had to act out different activities while the others guessed the correct Spanish words. It was my turn to guess, and my teammate was pretending to read a book while eating an apple. I knew exactly what the words were in Spanish, but I hesitated. The timer was ticking down loudly. Finally, forgetting my fears, I jumped up and shouted the answer.
I pronounced the words completely incorrectly, so I waited for everyone to start laughing at me. Instead, my teammates cheered loudly because we had won the point. Nobody cared about my silly accent at all. They only cared that they had understood my message. It was a brilliant moment. I suddenly understood that language is simply a tool for connecting with others, and having perfect pronunciation is not the most important thing.
Since that afternoon, I have become a completely different member of the club. I now answer questions enthusiastically and chat with my friends in Spanish. I still make plenty of mistakes, but I no longer feel embarrassed. If anyone is nervous about speaking a new language, I always tell them to just open their mouths and try!
1 Why did the writer want to join the Spanish club?
(A) She wanted to travel to a Spanish-speaking country.
(B) She wanted to increase her knowledge and get better marks.
(C) She was asked by her teacher to participate more in class.
(D) She needed to prepare for a difficult vocabulary exam.
2 Why did the writer stop participating during the first few meetings?
(A) She felt incredibly self-conscious about the way she sounded.
(B) She didn’t understand the questions the teacher was asking.
(C) The other students laughed at her when her face went red.
(D) She was annoyed because the other students were too fluent.
3 What happened during the game of charades?
(A) The writer found it difficult to act out reading a book.
(B) The writer couldn’t remember the right Spanish words.
(C) The writer waited until the time ran out before answering.
(D) The writer eventually spoke up despite feeling nervous.
4 What did the writer realise after giving her answer?
(A) Her teammates were disappointed that she made a mistake.
(B) Being able to express an idea is what really matters.
(C) She needed to spend more time practicing her pronunciation.
(D) Games are the only effective way to learn a foreign language.
5 What would the writer write in her diary that evening?
(A) I hated the charades game today. Everyone cheered because we won, but I am still too embarrassed to speak Spanish in front of them.
(B) Joining the language club was a mistake. My classmates are all so fluent, and my accent is so bad that I want to quit.
(C) Today I learned that speaking a language isn’t about sounding perfect! Making myself understood is much more important than having a flawless accent.
(D) The teacher asked me a question today and my face went completely red. I wish I hadn’t shouted the wrong answer in front of everyone.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer mentions that her grades were “quite average” and that joining the club would be “a fantastic way to improve my vocabulary and learn more about the culture”, which matches wanting to increase her knowledge and get better marks.
2 A – The second paragraph explains that she was “terrified of making a mistake” and that her “biggest worry was my terrible accent,” making her “too embarrassed to say a single word.” This shows she was self-conscious about how she sounded.
3 D – Paragraph three states that although the writer knew the words, she “hesitated” but ultimately “forgetting my fears, I jumped up and shouted the answer,” showing she spoke up despite her nerves.
4 B – In the fourth paragraph, the writer notes that “Nobody cared about my silly accent” and that they only cared “that they had understood my message,” leading her to realize that language is a tool for connecting with others.
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: moving from intense embarrassment over an imperfect accent to the empowering realization that successful communication and connection are the true goals of learning a language.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finding My Voice on the Radio
I have always been the quietest person in my year group, preferring to listen rather than speak. Therefore, it was a huge surprise when my English teacher suggested I try out for the new school radio station. He told me that my voice was very clear and calm when I read aloud in his lessons. Although I honestly didn’t think I would be accepted, I decided to take a chance. To my absolute amazement, the media club offered me a weekly ten-minute slot. I felt quite proud, but I was also extremely nervous about broadcasting to the whole school.
When the day of my very first show finally arrived, I sat alone in the tiny broadcasting studio. I had spent hours at home preparing a careful list of popular music tracks and local school news. I wanted everything to be absolutely perfect. However, the moment the red “ON AIR” sign lit up on the wall, a terrible wave of panic hit me. My hands shook slightly, and my mind went completely blank. I just stared at the heavy metal microphone, completely unable to remember any of the interesting things I had planned to say to the listeners.
After what felt like hours of awkward silence, I looked down at my school backpack on the floor. A science-fiction novel that I had just finished reading was sticking out of the top pocket. Without really thinking about it, I picked the book up and simply started talking about the story. I described the fascinating characters and explained why the plot was so exciting. Because I loved the book so much, I felt completely natural. I became so involved in my own review that I completely forgot about the hundreds of teenagers who were listening to my voice.
When my ten minutes were finally over, I took off my headphones and breathed a huge sigh of relief. But later that afternoon, several students stopped me in the hallway to ask where they could buy the book. They told me they actually really enjoyed my honest review! That positive reaction completely changed my attitude towards broadcasting. I realised that as long as I talk about subjects I am genuinely passionate about, there is absolutely no reason to be afraid. Now, I can’t wait to go back into the studio next week.
1 Why did the writer get involved with the school radio?
(A) They wanted to force themselves to overcome their shyness.
(B) Their teacher encouraged them to use their clear speaking voice.
(C) They had always secretly wanted to be part of the media club.
(D) Their English teacher needed help reading stories out loud.
2 What caused the writer to panic in the studio?
(A) Realising they had forgotten to bring their prepared notes.
(B) Feeling unhappy with the popular music tracks they had chosen.
(C) Seeing the sign that indicated the radio program had started.
(D) Discovering that the heavy metal microphone was broken.
3 How did the writer manage to speak on the radio?
(A) They discussed a topic that they naturally cared about.
(B) They read a chapter from a science-fiction novel out loud.
(C) They remembered the school news they had planned to say.
(D) They asked the listeners to guess the ending of a story.
4 How did the writer feel after the broadcast was over?
(A) Disappointed because nobody listened to their honest review.
(B) Surprised that the media club wanted them to return next week.
(C) Worried that they wouldn’t have anything to talk about next time.
(D) Encouraged by the positive feedback from other students.
5 What would the writer text to a friend about their experience?
(A) I tried out for the radio today, but I was so quiet that the teacher told me to leave the studio. I’m never doing it again!
(B) My radio show was so easy today! I read all the school news perfectly, and next week I’m going to review a science-fiction novel.
(C) I panicked during my first radio show and forgot my plans! But I talked about a book instead, and the listeners actually loved it.
(D) The media club gave me a ten-minute slot today. I hated every minute of it because talking about books is incredibly embarrassing.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer states that their English teacher “suggested I try out” because “my voice was very clear and calm when I read aloud.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, the text explains that the writer panicked “the moment the red ‘ON AIR’ sign lit up on the wall,” which indicated the broadcast was live.
3 A – In paragraph 3, the writer picks up a book they love and starts talking about it. Because they loved the book, they “felt completely natural” and got “involved in my own review.”
4 D – In paragraph 4, the writer explains that students stopped them in the hallway to say “they actually really enjoyed my honest review,” and this “positive reaction completely changed my attitude” (encouraged them).
5 C – This option successfully captures the global meaning and the writer’s emotional arc: acknowledging the initial panic and ruined plans, but highlighting the spontaneous book review and the positive reaction from the audience.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
From Concrete to Soil
When my school announced that we had to choose an after-school physical activity, I immediately panicked. I have always lived in the centre of a busy city and I absolutely hate traditional sports. Running around a muddy football pitch or trying to catch a basketball is my worst nightmare. When I saw ‘Gardening Club’ on the list of options, I quickly signed up. I imagined it would be an easy excuse to avoid sweating, where I could just sit peacefully on a bench and look at some pretty flowers.
However, the reality of the club was a nasty shock. On our very first afternoon, the teacher handed me a small shovel and told me to prepare the soil for planting. I had to dig deep into the wet earth. My hands were instantly covered in thick, brown mud, and I even saw a few fat worms moving around. Coming from the city, I felt completely disgusted. I had never been so dirty in my life, and I immediately regretted my decision to join. I seriously thought about asking the headteacher if I could switch to the indoor chess club instead.
Despite my complaints, I was forced to stay. A few weeks later, the teacher gave each of us a small tomato plant to look after. Every Tuesday, I had to water it, pull out the weeds, and make sure it had enough sunlight. Slowly, I stopped worrying about the gross dirt under my fingernails and started paying closer attention to the plant. Watching the tiny yellow flowers turn into hard, green little balls was actually quite fascinating. I found myself looking forward to checking on my plant’s progress.
Finally, near the end of the term, my plant produced a large, bright red tomato. When I carefully picked it off the branch and held it in my hand, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride. I had grown this food myself using just a tiny plant and a patch of mud! Taking a bite of it later that evening, it was easily the most delicious thing I had ever tasted. The experience taught me that getting your hands dirty isn’t so bad after all, especially when it leads to such a surprising and rewarding accomplishment.
1 Why did the writer decide to join the gardening club?
(A) She wanted to learn how to grow her own vegetables.
(B) She thought it would be a simple way to avoid playing sports.
(C) She wanted to spend more time outdoors in the fresh air.
(D) She was hoping to make friends with the other city students.
2 How did the writer feel during the first club meeting?
(A) Disappointed because the teacher didn’t give her any seeds.
(B) Worried that she wouldn’t be strong enough to use the shovel.
(C) Disgusted by the mud and the insects in the wet earth.
(D) Annoyed that she had to sit on a bench for the whole afternoon.
3 What caused the writer to change her attitude toward the club?
(A) The headteacher forced her to stay and do the work.
(B) She found that taking care of a growing plant was highly interesting.
(C) She realised that the dirt easily washed off her hands.
(D) The teacher promised to give her a prize for the best tomato.
4 How did the writer feel when she harvested her first tomato?
(A) Relieved that the club had finally finished for the term.
(B) Surprised that a city plant could grow so quickly.
(C) Disappointed that she only managed to grow one vegetable.
(D) Incredibly proud of what she had managed to produce.
5 What would the writer write in her diary about the club?
(A) I finally escaped football, but gardening is just as exhausting and I hate it. Next term, I am definitely moving to the chess club.
(B) The tomatoes were very tasty, but I still refuse to touch the mud or the worms without wearing thick winter gloves.
(C) I thought joining the club would be an easy way to avoid sports, but getting my hands dirty to grow my own food actually felt amazing!
(D) Gardening is a great way to make money in the city, so I am going to buy some shovels and plant a whole farm next year.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states she hates traditional sports and signed up for the club because she “imagined it would be an easy excuse to avoid sweating.”
2 C – The second paragraph describes how she dug into the wet earth, got her hands covered in mud, saw worms, and “felt completely disgusted.”
3 B – In the third paragraph, she explains that as she watered the plant and pulled weeds, “Watching the tiny yellow flowers turn into hard, green little balls was actually quite fascinating.”
4 D – The fourth paragraph details that when she picked the bright red tomato, she “felt an overwhelming sense of pride. I had grown this food myself.”
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: transitioning from using the club as an excuse to avoid sports and being disgusted by the dirt, to feeling a genuine, surprising sense of accomplishment after growing her own food.