Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Academic Projects & Field Trips 5
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Geography Mapping Project
When our geography teacher, Mrs. Gable, gave us our homework for the weekend, I couldn’t help but smile. Our task was to walk around our local neighbourhood and draw a detailed map of the area, including important places and green spaces. I have lived in the same town since I was born, so I felt completely confident. I actually thought the project would be a bit boring because I was sure I already knew every single street and building perfectly.
On Saturday morning, I took my notebook and some coloured pens outside. I started by walking down the main high street, quickly drawing the supermarket, the post office, and the local bus stops. It was all so familiar that I hardly even needed to look up from my paper. I drew the routes I normally took to school and the sports centre, feeling pleased with how fast I was completing the homework.
However, everything changed when I decided to take a shortcut down a narrow street behind the local bakery. I had walked past the bakery hundreds of times, but I had never paid attention to the little path behind it. Out of curiosity, I followed it and suddenly found myself standing in a beautiful, hidden park. There were huge old trees, a wooden bench, and a small pond. It was incredibly peaceful, and I couldn’t believe I had lived nearby for fifteen years without ever noticing it.
I sat on the wooden bench for a while, listening to the birds and drawing the park onto my map. I realised that I usually spent my time rushing from one place to another, constantly looking at my mobile phone instead of my surroundings. Discovering this quiet spot made me understand exactly what our geography teacher wanted us to learn. The project wasn’t just about showing where places were; it was about truly observing the world around us.
When I handed in my map on Monday, I felt extremely proud. I had added a special star next to my newly discovered park. From now on, I have promised myself to keep my head up and pay more attention when I am walking outside. Who knows what other secret places are waiting to be found in my own neighbourhood?
1 How did the writer feel when he first got the geography homework?
(A) He was worried it would take too much time to complete.
(B) He thought it would be a very easy task to do.
(C) He was excited to explore new places in his town.
(D) He was unhappy about having to work on the weekend.
2 What did the writer do at the beginning of his walk?
(A) He spent a long time looking carefully at the buildings.
(B) He got lost while trying to find the post office.
(C) He drew the locations he already knew very well.
(D) He struggled to remember the way to the sports centre.
3 What surprised the writer about the park he found?
(A) That he had never seen it before despite living so close by.
(B) That it was located inside the local bakery.
(C) That it had so many wild birds living in it.
(D) That it was crowded with people relaxing on the bench.
4 Sitting in the park, the writer realised that he usually
(A) spent too much time doing his geography homework.
(B) failed to look closely at his everyday environment.
(C) forgot to bring his mobile phone with him on walks.
(D) misunderstood his geography teacher’s instructions.
5 What would the writer write in his diary about the project?
(A) I’m glad I finished the map quickly, even though the neighbourhood is boring and there is nothing interesting to see here.
(B) Mrs. Gable gave us a really difficult map to draw, but luckily I found a quiet park where I could sit and finish it.
(C) I thought I knew this town perfectly, but this homework taught me that there is still a lot left to discover if I just look up.
(D) Finding the park was great, but I’m upset that I wasted so much time walking down streets I didn’t actually need to visit.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states the writer “felt completely confident” and thought the project would be “a bit boring because I was sure I already knew every single street”, which paraphrases thinking it would be very easy.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer drew familiar places like the supermarket and the route to school so easily that he “hardly even needed to look up from my paper”, matching option C.
3 A – The writer expresses shock in paragraph 3, stating, “I couldn’t believe I had lived nearby for fifteen years without ever noticing it.”
4 B – Paragraph 4 explains that the writer realized he was usually “rushing from one place to another, constantly looking at my mobile phone instead of my surroundings”, which means he failed to look closely at his environment.
5 C – This option accurately synthesizes the global meaning of the text: the writer started out overconfident about his local knowledge but ultimately learned the value of observing his surroundings after discovering the hidden park.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Archaeological Dig
When my history teacher, Mr. Thompson, announced our next project would be an archaeological dig, I was thrilled. He had filled a massive sandbox behind the school with dirt and hidden replica artifacts inside. I’ve always loved adventure movies about treasure hunters, so I imagined the task would be a fast and exciting race. I grabbed a large plastic shovel, determined to be the first student to find something amazing.
As soon as the activity began, I started digging as quickly as I could. I completely ignored the instructions about being gentle with the earth. I was throwing dirt everywhere, confident that my speed would bring immediate success. However, a few minutes later, I heard a loud ‘snap’. I reached into the soil and pulled out two broken halves of a small clay pot. My heart sank. Because I had been rushing, I had destroyed the very thing I was trying to save. I felt incredibly embarrassed.
Mr. Thompson noticed I had stopped working and came over. Fortunately, he wasn’t angry. Instead, he used my mistake to teach a lesson about historical preservation. He explained that real archaeologists never use large shovels when they are close to an object. He took my shovel away and handed me a tiny brush and a small wooden tool. “Try again,” he said kindly, “but this time, go slowly.” I returned to my section of the sandbox, but my entire approach had changed.
For the next hour, I worked with extreme care. Brushing away the dirt millimeter by millimeter was exhausting. But when I finally uncovered the edge of a replica gold coin, the excitement I felt was totally different from my earlier rush. Taking my time and protecting the object made the discovery feel incredibly rewarding. When I successfully lifted the perfectly intact coin from the earth, I felt like a real scientist.
This project completely changed my view of history. I used to think archaeology was just an action-packed treasure hunt. Now I understand that it requires patience, respect, and careful work to protect the past. I’m even thinking about joining the local historical society next summer!
1 Why was the writer excited about the project at first?
(A) He thought it would be like the action films he enjoyed.
(B) He wanted to use a large plastic shovel to dig.
(C) He knew he was the best student in his history class.
(D) He had always wanted to build a massive sandbox.
2 What caused the writer to feel embarrassed?
(A) He threw dirt at some of his classmates by mistake.
(B) He broke a hidden item because he was digging too fast.
(C) He realized he had not listened to the teacher’s instructions.
(D) He was the last person in the class to find an object.
3 How did the teacher react to the writer’s mistake?
(A) He was angry that the writer had broken a valuable object.
(B) He told the writer to stop digging in the sandbox immediately.
(C) He gave the writer different equipment to continue the task.
(D) He asked the other students to help the writer find the pieces.
4 How did the writer feel about finding the replica coin?
(A) He was disappointed that it took an hour to find it.
(B) He wished he had found something much larger than a coin.
(C) He found the slow process made the experience much more satisfying.
(D) He felt exhausted and wanted to stop working on the project.
5 What would the writer write in his blog after the project?
(A) I’m glad I found a gold coin today, but I still think using a big shovel is the best way to find treasure quickly.
(B) I broke a clay pot today because I wasn’t careful, but it taught me that saving history takes time and patience.
(C) Our history project was terrible! The teacher was annoyed with me, and digging in the dirt was far too exhausting.
(D) If you ever go on an archaeological dig, make sure you ignore the brushes and just dig as fast as you can to win.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In paragraph 1, the writer states, “I’ve always loved adventure movies about treasure hunters, so I imagined the task would be a fast and exciting race.”
2 B – In paragraph 2, the writer hears a ‘snap’ and pulls out a broken pot, stating, “Because I had been rushing, I had destroyed the very thing I was trying to save. I felt incredibly embarrassed.”
3 C – In paragraph 3, the teacher isn’t angry but takes the shovel away and “handed me a tiny brush and a small wooden tool.”
4 C – In paragraph 4, the writer explains that “Taking my time and protecting the object made the discovery feel incredibly rewarding.”
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and the overall lesson of the text. It summarizes the mistake made early on (breaking the pot) and the realization that archaeology requires patience and careful work.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Different Kind of Book Report
When our English teacher, Mr. Davies, announced our final project on the novel we had been reading, everyone expected another long essay. I have never been great at organizing my thoughts on paper, so I was thrilled when he offered us a second option: creating a short video summarizing the book. I immediately chose the video, imagining it would be a quick and simple way to get a good grade. After all, I record short video clips on my mobile phone all the time.
However, I soon realized that making a proper educational video was completely different. Filming myself talking about the characters was the easy part. The real nightmare began when I downloaded a video editing program to my computer. The screen was full of confusing tools and buttons. I spent three hours just trying to connect two short clips together smoothly. When I tried to add background music, the sound was so loud you couldn’t hear my voice. I felt completely stressed and seriously regretted not writing the essay instead.
Determined not to fail, I spent the whole weekend watching online tutorials to understand how the software worked. Slowly, things started to make sense. I learned how to cut out mistakes, add text to the screen, and balance the audio. Once I got past the technical problems, I actually started having fun. I added funny sound effects and even drew some simple animations to explain the complicated parts of the story. By the time I finished, it looked like a real documentary.
A week after we handed in our projects, Mr. Davies stood at the front of the classroom with a big smile. He told us that one video was so impressive he had decided to show it to the whole school during the Friday assembly. I couldn’t believe it when he called my name! Seeing hundreds of students watching my work and laughing at my animations was terrifying at first, but it quickly became the best moment of the year.
This project completely changed how I feel about school assignments. Not only did I understand the novel better, but I also discovered a hidden talent. I’m feeling much more confident now, and I’m even thinking about starting a student filmmaking club next term.
1 Why did the writer choose to make a video instead of an essay?
(A) He wanted to use his new mobile phone for a school project.
(B) He believed it would require less time and effort to complete.
(C) He had already learned how to make educational documentaries.
(D) He wanted to show his classmates his video editing skills.
2 What was the writer’s main problem in the second paragraph?
(A) He didn’t know what to say about the characters in the novel.
(B) He couldn’t find any good background music to download.
(C) He broke his computer while trying to install a new program.
(D) He found the video editing software too complicated to use.
3 How did the writer’s attitude change in the third paragraph?
(A) He became bored after watching too many online tutorials.
(B) He felt annoyed because drawing the animations took too long.
(C) He began to enjoy the creative process after learning how to edit.
(D) He wished he had chosen a simpler story to explain in his video.
4 How did the writer feel when his video was shown to the school?
(A) He was embarrassed because the students were laughing at him.
(B) He was angry that his teacher didn’t ask for his permission first.
(C) He was nervous initially, but then really enjoyed the experience.
(D) He was disappointed because the school assembly was too short.
5 What would the writer write in a blog post about this experience?
(A) Making a video was much easier than writing an essay. I didn’t have to spend any time learning new skills, and the whole school loved my work!
(B) Although the technology was frustrating at first, creating this video was incredibly rewarding. It even gave me the courage to share my work with others!
(C) I was so stressed by the editing software that I gave up and wrote the essay instead. At least I still got a good grade from Mr. Davies!
(D) If you have to do a school project, always choose the video option. It only takes a few minutes on your phone, and you don’t even need a computer.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states the writer imagined it would be a “quick and simple way to get a good grade,” which paraphrases to believing it would require less time and effort.
2 D – The text explains that the “real nightmare began” when he downloaded the editing program, noting that the screen was “full of confusing tools and buttons,” meaning it was complicated to use.
3 C – The text mentions that “Once I got past the technical problems, I actually started having fun,” showing a shift from stress to enjoyment after learning the software.
4 C – The text says that seeing hundreds of students watching was “terrifying at first, but it quickly became the best moment of the year,” matching the transition from nervous to enjoying the experience.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning: the writer acknowledges the initial technical struggles (frustrating technology) but highlights the positive outcome and newfound confidence (courage to share work) described in the final paragraphs.