Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Extracurricular Activities & Clubs 7
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finding My Voice
Last month, my school organised a Model United Nations event, where students act as politicians from different countries to discuss global problems. When I received my assigned country, I was quite disappointed. I was given a very small island nation, while my classmates got to represent powerful, wealthy countries. On the first day of the conference, I walked into the large hall and immediately felt terrified. The students representing the big nations were already speaking loudly and confidently, and I felt completely invisible.
When the formal debate finally began, things got even worse. The confident speakers immediately took control of the conversation. They argued passionately about their own ideas and didn’t seem interested in listening to anyone else. Every time I raised my hand to speak, I was ignored. I started to believe that my small country’s opinions simply didn’t matter. I felt so embarrassed that I seriously considered sitting quietly at the back of the room for the rest of the weekend.
However, during the lunch break, I noticed something interesting. Several other students representing small nations were also sitting by themselves, looking just as frustrated as I was. I decided to go over and introduce myself. As we chatted, we realised that our countries actually shared the same environmental problems and goals. One girl suggested that if we worked together, our combined votes would make us just as powerful as the biggest nations. We immediately agreed to form an alliance.
We spent the next two hours working as a team to write a joint resolution, which is a formal document explaining our ideas. When we returned to the hall, we presented our plan together. I even found the courage to stand up and give a short speech. The students from the large countries were completely shocked by our organisation. Because we had so many votes together, our resolution actually passed!
Walking out of the hall that afternoon, I felt incredibly proud. The event taught me a valuable lesson about leadership and communication. I discovered that you do not need to have the loudest voice or the biggest platform to be successful. If you are willing to communicate and work in a team, you can achieve amazing things.
1 How did the writer feel at the beginning of the event?
(A) Intimidated by the other students’ confidence.
(B) Upset that he couldn’t represent his own country.
(C) Proud to be chosen for a small island nation.
(D) Annoyed that the hall was so crowded and noisy.
2 During the formal debate, the writer…
(A) argued passionately with the confident speakers.
(B) thought about giving up and not participating.
(C) felt angry that his classmates were laughing at him.
(D) spoke confidently about his country’s problems.
3 What happened during the lunch break?
(A) The writer asked the big nations to listen to his ideas.
(B) The small countries realised they had common aims.
(C) The writer told the other students to vote for his plan.
(D) The students decided to complain to the teachers.
4 How did the big countries react to the new resolution?
(A) They refused to let the writer give a speech.
(B) They helped the small nations write the document.
(C) They were surprised by the small nations’ teamwork.
(D) They were annoyed that the resolution passed.
5 What would the writer write in his diary about the event?
(A) I’m so glad I got a small country. It was easy to win because the big nations just ignored us all weekend.
(B) The big countries ruined the event for me. Next year, I will make sure I get to represent a powerful nation.
(C) I was terrified at first, but teaming up with others showed me that working together is where true power lies!
(D) I gave a great speech, but I wish the other small countries had helped me write the resolution instead of sitting alone.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In the first paragraph, the writer states that the students representing big nations “were already speaking loudly and confidently” and he “immediately felt terrified,” which matches feeling intimidated by their confidence.
2 B – The second paragraph explains that because he was ignored, he “felt so embarrassed that I seriously considered sitting quietly at the back of the room for the rest of the weekend,” matching the idea of giving up and not participating.
3 B – In the third paragraph, the writer chats with other small nations and they realise “that our countries actually shared the same environmental problems and goals,” meaning they had common aims.
4 C – The fourth paragraph details that “The students from the large countries were completely shocked by our organisation,” which means they were surprised by their teamwork.
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: starting out feeling terrified and invisible, but ultimately discovering that forming an alliance (working together) leads to success and power.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Sweet Success
When I found out that our local animal shelter was struggling to buy enough food for their rescue dogs, I immediately wanted to help. I have always loved baking, so organising a school bake sale seemed like the perfect idea. I spent the entire weekend in my kitchen with two of my best friends, baking dozens of chocolate brownies, cupcakes, and biscuits. By Sunday evening, my kitchen was a complete mess, but I felt incredibly proud of what we had achieved. I went to sleep feeling confident that we would sell everything and raise plenty of money.
However, when Monday morning arrived, my excitement quickly turned into panic. We had carefully set up our tables in the school yard, which is usually the busiest place during the morning break. Unfortunately, just as the bell rang, dark clouds covered the sky and heavy rain began to fall. Not a single student wanted to step outside into the terrible weather. I stood under a large umbrella, watching the rain and feeling completely miserable. I was convinced that all our hard work had been a waste of time and that the animal shelter would get nothing.
I knew I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing, so I quickly tried to think of a solution. I ran inside to find the headteacher and asked if we could move our stall indoors. She kindly agreed and suggested we use the space just outside the main school cafeteria. My friends and I had to work incredibly fast, carrying heavy boxes of cakes and moving the heavy wooden tables inside before the food got ruined by the water. It was stressful, but we somehow managed to set everything up again just in time for the lunch break.
As it turned out, the new location was actually much better than our original spot. As students finished their sandwiches in the cafeteria, the delicious smell of our homemade cakes attracted huge crowds. We completely sold out of everything in less than twenty minutes! Counting the money later, I was amazed to see we had raised even more than my original target. The experience taught me a valuable lesson. When unexpected problems happen, you just have to stay calm, change your plans, and try a different approach.
1 Why did the writer decide to organise the bake sale?
(A) She wanted to practise her cooking skills with her friends.
(B) She hoped to earn enough money to buy her own rescue dog.
(C) She needed to complete a food project for her school class.
(D) She wanted to support a local charity that needed supplies.
2 How did the writer feel when the morning break started?
(A) Worried that her efforts would not benefit the animals.
(B) Annoyed that the students were eating inside the cafeteria.
(C) Disappointed because her friends didn’t come to help her.
(D) Surprised by how quickly the dark clouds disappeared.
3 What did the writer do to solve the problem with the rain?
(A) She asked her friends to bring more umbrellas for the students.
(B) She requested permission to change the location of the sale.
(C) She told the headteacher to announce the sale in the cafeteria.
(D) She packed the cakes in boxes and decided to sell them the next day.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) Selling cakes is the easiest way to make money for school.
(B) The cafeteria is the only good place to sell food at school.
(C) It is important to be flexible when things do not go as expected.
(D) You should always check the weather forecast before baking.
5 What would the writer text her friend after the bake sale?
(A) The rain completely ruined our sale today! We had to throw all the cakes away because nobody came outside to buy them.
(B) I was so stressed when it rained, but moving the stall inside was a great idea. We sold everything and raised so much money!
(C) It was exhausting baking all weekend, and I’m so annoyed that the headteacher made us move our tables into the cafeteria.
(D) The bake sale was okay, but I think next time we should just give money directly to the animal shelter instead of cooking.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 D – In paragraph 1, the writer states she found out the “local animal shelter was struggling to buy enough food” and she “immediately wanted to help,” which paraphrases to supporting a local charity that needed supplies.
2 A – In paragraph 2, the writer says she felt “completely miserable” and was “convinced that all our hard work had been a waste of time and that the animal shelter would get nothing,” matching the worry that her efforts wouldn’t benefit the charity.
3 B – In paragraph 3, the writer explains that she “ran inside to find the headteacher and asked if we could move our stall indoors,” meaning she asked for permission to change the location of the sale.
4 C – In paragraph 4, the writer reflects on the lesson learned: “When unexpected problems happen, you just have to stay calm, change your plans, and try a different approach,” which means being flexible when things don’t go as expected.
5 B – This option successfully captures the global narrative and emotional arc of the text: moving from the stress of the sudden rain to the successful adaptation of moving indoors and ultimately raising more money than expected.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Look at the Stars
When my science teacher announced the first stargazing event for our new school Astronomy Club, I signed up immediately. The plan was to stay on the school field until 10 p.m. to use a powerful telescope. I had seen plenty of beautiful space photographs on the internet, but I had never looked through a real telescope before. I was incredibly excited, expecting to see colourful galaxies and bright planets covering the night sky.
However, as the evening went on, my excitement completely disappeared. By eight o’clock, thick grey clouds had rolled in, covering the entire sky. The temperature dropped, and the wind became uncomfortably cold. A few students gave up and called their parents to take them home. I stayed, but I spent the next hour shivering on the dark field, feeling extremely annoyed. I kept looking at my watch, wishing I was back in my warm bedroom watching television instead of wasting my Friday evening waiting for invisible stars.
At a quarter to ten, our teacher finally sighed and told us to start packing away the equipment. Just as I was picking up my bag, the wind suddenly grew stronger and blew a large hole in the clouds. A single, bright spot of light appeared in the dark sky. The teacher quickly moved the telescope, pointed it at the light, and told me to look through the glass lens.
I closed one eye and looked into the darkness. I expected to see just a slightly bigger white dot, but what I saw actually made me stop breathing for a second. It was Saturn. I could clearly see the shape of the planet and the perfect, delicate rings spinning around it. It didn’t look like a flat picture in a textbook; it was a real, massive world floating in deep black space.
By the time I finally walked home, my bad mood had completely vanished. Seeing Saturn with my own eyes was a totally magical experience. It made me realise how incredibly huge the universe really is, and how small our own planet is in comparison. Waiting in the freezing cold was definitely worth it, and I can’t wait for the next clear night.
1 How did the writer feel before the event started?
(A) He expected to see amazing things through the telescope.
(B) He was worried about staying at school until late at night.
(C) He thought the telescope would be too difficult to use.
(D) He was disappointed that the photographs were only on the internet.
2 Why did the writer feel annoyed during the evening?
(A) Because his parents refused to come and take him home.
(B) Because the weather conditions made it impossible to see anything.
(C) Because the science teacher forgot to bring the telescope.
(D) Because the other students were making too much noise in the dark.
3 When the writer looked through the telescope, he
(A) was disappointed that the planet looked like a small white dot.
(B) struggled to see anything because the clouds returned quickly.
(C) was amazed to see the clear shape of a planet and its rings.
(D) realised that textbook pictures are better than the real thing.
4 How did the experience affect the writer?
(A) It made him want to buy his own telescope immediately.
(B) It changed his perspective on the size of the universe.
(C) It taught him that science is the most important subject at school.
(D) It made him decide to become a professional astronomer.
5 What would the writer text to a friend after the event?
(A) The astronomy club was a disaster. We froze outside for hours and the clouds ruined everything. Don’t bother joining!
(B) I stayed at school until 10 p.m. hoping to see Saturn, but we only saw a few boring white dots in the sky.
(C) I was so angry about waiting in the cold, but seeing a real planet with its rings completely blew my mind!
(D) The teacher showed us some amazing space photos from the internet, which was much better than going outside in the cold.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In paragraph 1, the writer states he was “incredibly excited, expecting to see colourful galaxies and bright planets covering the night sky.”
2 B – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that “thick grey clouds had rolled in, covering the entire sky” and he felt annoyed because he was “wasting my Friday evening waiting for invisible stars.”
3 C – In paragraph 4, the writer explains that he “could clearly see the shape of the planet and the perfect, delicate rings spinning around it,” which amazed him so much he stopped breathing for a second.
4 B – In paragraph 5, the writer reflects on the event, stating, “It made me realise how incredibly huge the universe really is, and how small our own planet is in comparison.”
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: starting with annoyance at waiting in the freezing, cloudy weather, but ending in absolute awe after finally seeing Saturn’s rings.