Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Academic Projects & Field Trips 8
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Mock Election
When my school announced we were going to hold a mock election, I immediately decided to run for student president. I have always enjoyed public speaking, so I thought it would be an easy and fun experience. I imagined myself standing on a stage, giving powerful speeches, and having all my classmates cheer for me. At that point, I believed that being a good leader simply meant being a great speaker with confident body language.
For the first week of the campaign, I spent every evening writing what I thought were perfect speeches. I promised everyone longer breaks and better food in the school cafeteria. When I finally delivered my main speech in the school hall, the students clapped loudly. I stepped off the stage feeling like a winner already. However, my confidence quickly disappeared when a group of younger students came up to me afterwards to ask some questions.
A shy boy from the first year asked if I could create a quiet room for students who found the playground too noisy. I hadn’t thought about that at all. Instead of listening properly, I just told him not to worry and quickly changed the subject back to my cafeteria plan. Later that evening, I felt terrible. I realised that I had completely ignored his problem because I was too focused on my own ideas.
The next day, I completely changed my campaign strategy. I stopped giving big speeches and started sitting with small groups of students during lunch. I asked them what they actually cared about and just listened. I quickly discovered that paying attention to people’s concerns is much harder than just talking at them. Everyone had different worries, from too much homework to a lack of sports equipment. It took a lot of patience to understand how they felt.
In the end, I didn’t win the election, but I wasn’t disappointed. The experience completely changed my idea of what it means to be in charge. I used to think leadership was all about being the loudest person in the room. Now, I understand that true leadership requires empathy and the ability to listen to others. I am definitely going to use these skills in the future, even if I never run for president again.
1 Why did the writer decide to run for student president?
(A) He wanted to change the school rules.
(B) He thought his public speaking skills would make it easy.
(C) His teachers encouraged him to enter the mock election.
(D) He wanted to learn how to communicate better.
2 How did the writer feel immediately after giving his main speech?
(A) Worried that the younger students didn’t understand it.
(B) Annoyed that people asked him so many questions.
(C) Certain that he was going to win the election.
(D) Disappointed with the audience’s reaction to his ideas.
3 What did the writer do when the shy boy asked him a question?
(A) He promised to build a quiet room for him.
(B) He listened carefully to the boy’s concerns.
(C) He admitted that he didn’t have a good answer.
(D) He ignored the boy’s idea and talked about his own plans.
4 What did the writer realise after changing his campaign strategy?
(A) Listening to others is more difficult than making speeches.
(B) Younger students have more problems than older students.
(C) Most students cared about the cafeteria food the most.
(D) It is impossible to solve everyone’s problems.
5 What would the writer say about his experience in the mock election?
(A) I am so upset that I lost! I had the best speeches and promised the best things, but people just didn’t listen to me.
(B) Running for president was a waste of time. I learned that politicians only care about themselves, not the students.
(C) Even though I didn’t win, the election taught me that a good leader must be willing to hear other people’s problems.
(D) Next time I run for president, I will make sure my speeches are even longer so that everyone understands my plans.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer states, “I have always enjoyed public speaking, so I thought it would be an easy and fun experience.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, after delivering the speech and hearing the clapping, the writer says, “I stepped off the stage feeling like a winner already.”
3 D – In paragraph 3, the writer explains, “Instead of listening properly, I just told him not to worry and quickly changed the subject back to my cafeteria plan.”
4 A – In paragraph 4, the writer notes, “I quickly discovered that paying attention to people’s concerns is much harder than just talking at them.”
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and the writer’s final reflection in paragraph 5, where he states he wasn’t disappointed about losing because he learned that “true leadership requires empathy and the ability to listen to others.”
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A New View of the City
When my art teacher, Mr. Evans, told us our next project was to study local architecture, I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic. I have lived in the same city my entire life, and I usually just walk past the buildings without ever really looking at them. To me, they were just boring blocks of stone and glass that I passed on my way to school or the shops. I honestly thought that spending my weekend walking around the city centre looking at them would be a complete waste of time.
However, on Saturday morning, I downloaded a special walking tour app that Mr. Evans had recommended. I started my route at the old public library in the main square. As the app directed me to look up at the roof, I noticed some incredible stone animals staring down at me. I learned these were called gargoyles, a feature of Gothic architecture. For the first time, I realised that the library wasn’t just a dark, old building, but a fascinating piece of art full of hidden details.
As I continued my walk, I began to see the city in a completely different way. I learned how to spot the tall, elegant windows of Victorian houses and the clean, simple lines of modern office blocks. I actually enjoyed comparing the different historical styles that stood right next to each other on the exact same street. It felt like I was learning a new language. The app also explained why certain building materials were used in the past, and I found myself stopping every few minutes to take photos for my project.
By the end of the afternoon, my feet were aching, but I had a fantastic collection of pictures and notes. The project that I had dreaded turned out to be one of the most interesting school assignments I have ever done. Now, when I travel through my city, I don’t just stare at my mobile phone or the pavement. I constantly look up. Although the streets are exactly the same as they have always been, understanding their history has made my familiar hometown feel completely new and exciting.
1 How did the writer feel about the art project at first?
(A) She thought the topic wouldn’t be very interesting.
(B) She was excited to learn about her hometown.
(C) She was worried she wouldn’t have enough free time.
(D) She felt annoyed that she had to walk to school.
2 What did the writer discover at the public library?
(A) The app didn’t work very well near the building.
(B) There were wild animals living on the roof.
(C) It had interesting features she hadn’t noticed before.
(D) The Gothic architecture made it too dark inside.
3 During her walk, the writer enjoyed
(A) learning how to speak a new foreign language.
(B) seeing how old and new buildings looked side by side.
(C) touching the different materials used to build houses.
(D) taking a break every few minutes to rest her feet.
4 How has the project changed the writer’s habits?
(A) She now takes a different route to school.
(B) She pays more attention to her surroundings.
(C) She prefers to walk instead of taking public transport.
(D) She now wants to travel to new and exciting cities.
5 What would the writer write in her diary at the end of the weekend?
(A) I can’t believe how much my city has changed recently. They are building so many modern office blocks that the old architecture is disappearing!
(B) I finally finished that art assignment. It was just as boring as I expected, but at least I got some exercise walking around the square.
(C) Who knew my own city could be so fascinating? Learning about the buildings made me appreciate the streets I walk down every single day.
(D) The walking tour app was really difficult to use, but I managed to get enough photos of the Victorian houses to pass Mr. Evans’ class.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In the first paragraph, the writer says she “wasn’t particularly enthusiastic” and thought looking at the buildings would be a “complete waste of time,” which means she didn’t find the topic interesting.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer says she noticed “incredible stone animals” and realised the library was a piece of art “full of hidden details” that she hadn’t seen before.
3 B – The third paragraph states, “I actually enjoyed comparing the different historical styles that stood right next to each other on the exact same street.”
4 B – In the final paragraph, the writer explains that she doesn’t just stare at her phone or the pavement anymore, but instead “I constantly look up,” indicating she pays more attention to her environment.
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and the writer’s attitude shift: she started out thinking her city was boring, but the project made her familiar hometown feel “completely new and exciting” and helped her appreciate the architecture.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Coding my first study app
When my computer science teacher announced our final project of the year, I was thrilled. We had to design and code a useful educational app for our classmates. While most of my friends immediately started planning simple quizzes or timers, I wanted to do something that would really impress everyone. I decided to create a complex 3D historical adventure game where players would explore ancient cities and solve puzzles to learn facts. I was sure it would be the best project in the school’s history, and I couldn’t wait to get started.
During the first two weeks, I spent hours every evening drawing characters and designing beautiful backgrounds. However, when I finally started writing the actual code, I quickly realised I had a huge problem. Making the characters move smoothly and designing the game levels required advanced coding skills that I simply hadn’t learned yet. I tried to find solutions online, but the videos were too confusing. With only one week left until the deadline, my game was still just a collection of nice pictures that didn’t do anything. I started to panic.
I knew I had to make a difficult decision. I abandoned my 3D adventure game and thought about what students actually needed for their exams. I decided to build a simple, clean flashcard app instead. It wouldn’t have any amazing graphics or sound effects, but it would allow users to type in a question on one side of a virtual card and the answer on the other. I focused entirely on making the code work perfectly so that the app would be fast and easy to use without crashing.
On presentation day, I felt a bit embarrassed when I saw some of the colourful projects my classmates had made. However, when the teacher tested my flashcard app, he was incredibly impressed. He pointed out that although it looked basic, it worked perfectly and was exactly the kind of tool students could use every day to prepare for tests. I got an excellent grade for the project. The experience taught me a valuable lesson about software design: having a simple program that actually works is much better than having a brilliant idea that you can’t finish.
1 What was the writer’s initial attitude towards the computer science project?
(A) He wanted to work together with his friends to create a quiz.
(B) He hoped to build something that would amaze other people.
(C) He was worried because he didn’t know much about history.
(D) He thought the teacher’s instructions were too difficult to follow.
2 Why did the writer start to panic in the second week?
(A) He had spent too much time watching confusing online videos.
(B) He lost all the character drawings he had worked so hard on.
(C) He realised he didn’t have the knowledge to make his game work.
(D) His teacher told him that his 3D game idea was too complicated.
3 When designing his new flashcard app, the writer’s main goal was to
(A) include exciting sound effects to make it fun.
(B) copy a tool that his classmates were already using.
(C) create an app that looked beautiful and colourful.
(D) make sure the program ran smoothly without breaking.
4 How did the teacher react to the final project?
(A) He was disappointed by the lack of interesting graphics.
(B) He thought it was too basic to receive a top grade.
(C) He praised it for being a practical and reliable tool.
(D) He suggested ways to make the app look more attractive.
5 What would the writer say in a blog post about his project?
(A) I really wanted to make an adventure game, but I should have asked my friends to write the code. At least I still passed the class.
(B) My project taught me a lot. I realised that building a reliable, simple app is far better than having a complicated idea you can’t complete.
(C) I’m quite disappointed that my teacher didn’t like my 3D game. I spent weeks drawing, and the flashcard app was too boring to make.
(D) It was embarrassing presenting my work today. Even though the app worked, my teacher thought my friends’ projects were much more useful.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer states, “I wanted to do something that would really impress everyone,” which matches the idea of wanting to amaze other people.
2 C – Paragraph 2 explains that the writer “quickly realised I had a huge problem” because making the game “required advanced coding skills that I simply hadn’t learned yet,” showing his lack of knowledge.
3 D – In paragraph 3, the writer says, “I focused entirely on making the code work perfectly so that the app would be fast and easy to use without crashing,” meaning he wanted it to run smoothly.
4 C – Paragraph 4 shows the teacher was “incredibly impressed” and noted the app “worked perfectly and was exactly the kind of tool students could use every day,” meaning it was praised for being practical and reliable.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and the lesson learned in the final paragraph: “having a simple program that actually works is much better than having a brilliant idea that you can’t finish.”