Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Academic Projects & Field Trips 10
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My volunteering weekend at the animal hospital
Last month, my school offered a weekend volunteering trip at a local wildlife conservation centre. I signed up immediately. In my head, I had a very clear picture of what the experience would be like. I imagined myself holding adorable baby rabbits and feeding injured birds. I even brought my camera, hoping to take lots of cute photos to share online. I thought it would be a very relaxing weekend.
However, as soon as we arrived, the head vet, Dr. Harris, gave us a serious talk. She explained that the centre was not a zoo and that our job was not to play with the patients. She told us we weren’t allowed to touch or talk to the animals at all. If the animals became too friendly with humans, they wouldn’t survive when they were returned to the wild. I must admit, I felt incredibly disappointed and wondered why I had even come.
Instead of petting animals, my group was sent straight to the hospital’s kitchen. Our task was to prepare the daily meals for the hundreds of animals recovering there. For four hours straight, I stood at a metal table chopping carrots, apples, and cabbage. It was hard, repetitive work, and the kitchen was incredibly hot. By the time we finished, my arms were aching, and my clothes smelled strongly of vegetables. It wasn’t the glamorous job I had hoped for.
But my feelings changed later that afternoon. Dr. Harris let us watch from a distance as she fed the food we had prepared to a recovering fox. Seeing the fox eat the carrots I had chopped made me realise something important. Wildlife conservation isn’t about cuddling cute animals. It is actually about doing the difficult, exhausting jobs that keep these wonderful creatures alive.
On the way home, I felt completely exhausted but also very proud. I now understand the incredible dedication of the people who work at the centre every day. I might not have any cute photos to post, but I know I did something truly useful. I am already planning to volunteer there again next summer!
1 Why did the writer want to go on the volunteering trip?
(A) She wanted to learn how to photograph animals in the wild.
(B) She expected to have an enjoyable time interacting with cute animals.
(C) She was hoping to get a paid job at the conservation centre.
(D) She needed to complete a difficult school project.
2 How did the writer feel after the head vet’s talk?
(A) annoyed that the animals were kept in a zoo
(B) worried that the animals wouldn’t survive in the wild
(C) unhappy because her expectations were not met
(D) confused about how to treat the injured patients
3 What did the writer think of her kitchen task?
(A) She found it tiring and unglamorous.
(B) She was surprised by how quickly the four hours passed.
(C) She felt sick because the smell of the vegetables was awful.
(D) She thought it was too complicated to prepare the meals.
4 What has the writer learned from her experience?
(A) She wants to become a professional vet in the future.
(B) She thinks the centre should allow volunteers to feed the animals.
(C) She realises that looking after wildlife requires a lot of hard work.
(D) She believes more people should share photos of animals online.
5 What would the writer text a friend after the trip?
(A) I had a great time cuddling rabbits today! It was the most relaxing weekend ever, and I have so many photos to show you.
(B) The centre was awful. They just made us chop vegetables all day, so I’m definitely not going back there again next year.
(C) I didn’t get to touch any animals, which was a shame, but I learned that real conservation is about hard work. I’m really proud of what we did!
(D) Dr. Harris was so strict that she wouldn’t even let us watch the animals eat. I wish I hadn’t signed up for this trip.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer states she “imagined myself holding adorable baby rabbits and feeding injured birds” and thought it would be a “very relaxing weekend,” matching the idea of an enjoyable time with cute animals.
2 C – Paragraph 2 shows the writer felt “incredibly disappointed and wondered why I had even come” because she was told she could not play with or touch the animals, which was what she originally expected.
3 A – In paragraph 3, the writer describes the task as “hard, repetitive work” that left her arms aching, and notes that “it wasn’t the glamorous job I had hoped for.”
4 C – Paragraph 4 explains the writer’s realization that wildlife conservation “isn’t about cuddling cute animals” but is actually about “doing the difficult, exhausting jobs that keep these wonderful creatures alive.”
5 C – This text perfectly summarizes the writer’s narrative arc: starting with the disappointment of not touching animals, shifting to the realization of what conservation really involves, and ending with a sense of pride in her hard work.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Debate Tournament Away Trip
Last month, my school debate team traveled to a different city for the national championship. I was incredibly nervous because it was my first away tournament. However, I also felt ready. I had spent the last three weeks researching our topic and writing down exactly what I was going to say. I had five pages of detailed notes, and I planned to read them carefully during my speech to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes.
The bus journey took about three hours. Although I read through my folder several times during the ride to memorize the facts, I eventually felt tired and put the folder on the empty seat next to me before falling asleep. When we finally arrived at the host school, everyone hurried to get off. It wasn’t until I walked into the main hall that I realized my hands were empty. My folder was still on the bus, which had already left to park on the other side of the city!
Absolute panic hit me. I told my teacher what had happened, and she tried her best to calm me down. My teammate, Sam, kindly offered to share his notes with me, but his handwriting was messy and his arguments were different from mine. I knew his papers wouldn’t help me. I sat in the hall feeling terrified, absolutely certain that I was going to ruin the competition for our team because I wouldn’t remember any of my points.
When it was my turn to stand up and speak, my heart was beating so fast. I took a deep breath and looked directly at the audience, which was something I rarely did. Because I didn’t have any paper to look down at, I had to use my own words instead of reading complicated sentences. Surprisingly, the information just flowed out of me. I sounded much more natural and confident than I ever did during our practice sessions.
We didn’t win the overall tournament, but the judges gave me incredibly high marks for my speaking style. They said I made great eye contact and connected well with the audience. Although losing my notes felt like a disaster at the time, it was actually the best thing that could have happened. It taught me that trusting my own knowledge is much more effective than relying on a piece of paper.
1 How did the writer feel about the competition before leaving?
(A) Anxious but confident that he had done enough preparation.
(B) Worried because he hadn’t finished writing his speech yet.
(C) Annoyed that he had to travel to a different city to compete.
(D) Relaxed because he had already memorized his detailed notes.
2 When the writer reached the host school, he discovered that
(A) he had accidentally dropped his folder on the floor.
(B) his teammate had taken his notes by mistake.
(C) he had left his important papers on the bus.
(D) the bus driver had parked in the wrong place.
3 Why did the writer refuse his teammate’s offer of help?
(A) His teacher told him that sharing notes was against the rules.
(B) He felt too angry about his own mistake to accept the offer.
(C) He thought his teammate’s notes wouldn’t be useful to him.
(D) He preferred to just sit in the hall and try to calm down.
4 During his speech, the writer found that
(A) he could still remember the complicated sentences from his notes.
(B) speaking without notes made him communicate much better.
(C) looking at the audience made him forget his main points.
(D) his heart was beating too fast for him to speak clearly.
5 What would the writer say about his experience at the tournament?
(A) “It was a complete disaster from start to finish. I’ll never go to another city for a debate competition again.”
(B) “I’m upset that we didn’t win the tournament, especially since I worked so hard on my five pages of notes.”
(C) “I was terrified when I lost my notes, but it forced me to speak naturally and made me a better debater.”
(D) “The judges gave me high marks, but I know I would have done even better if my teacher had found my folder.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The text states the writer was “incredibly nervous” but also “felt ready” because he “had spent the last three weeks researching”, which means he was anxious but confident in his preparation.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that he realized his hands were empty and his “folder was still on the bus,” meaning he left his important papers behind.
3 C – Paragraph 3 states that his teammate’s “handwriting was messy and his arguments were different,” leading the writer to conclude, “I knew his papers wouldn’t help me.”
4 B – Paragraph 4 explains that because he had to use his own words instead of reading, the “information just flowed” and he sounded “much more natural and confident,” meaning speaking without notes improved his communication.
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and the writer’s emotional arc: moving from absolute panic over losing his notes to discovering that performing without them actually improved his speaking style and confidence.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Making History Come Alive
When my history teacher announced that our final project could be either an essay or a short documentary, I immediately chose the video. I had always enjoyed watching historical films, so I thought it would be a fun and easy way to get a good grade. I decided to interview local military veterans about their experiences. I imagined myself as a famous director and felt incredibly confident about the whole idea.
The filming process actually went quite smoothly. I spent a weekend visiting a local community center and talking to three older gentlemen who had served in the army many years ago. They were very friendly and shared fascinating stories about their time overseas. I simply set up my camera, asked a few questions, and let them talk. I remember thinking that making a movie was the easiest school project I had ever done.
However, my opinion completely changed when it was time to edit the footage. I had recorded over four hours of video, and I needed to cut it down to just ten minutes. I spent days sitting in front of my computer, trying to connect different clips and add background music. It was incredibly stressful. The software kept crashing, and I had to start over twice. There were moments when I felt so exhausted that I wished I had just written the essay instead.
Finally, the day of the presentation arrived. I had invited the three veterans to our classroom to watch the final film with the rest of the students. As the documentary played, I watched the veterans’ faces carefully. When the video ended, there was a brief silence, and then I saw that the men had tears in their eyes. They thanked me for telling their stories so beautifully.
Seeing their emotional reaction made all the stressful nights of editing disappear. I felt a profound sense of achievement that I had never experienced before. I realised that I hadn’t just completed a school project; I had created something that actually mattered to people. Although making a documentary was much harder than I expected, it was definitely the most rewarding experience of my life.
1 Why did the writer choose to make a documentary?
(A) He wanted to become a professional movie director.
(B) He thought it would be a simple and enjoyable task.
(C) He already knew a lot of local military veterans.
(D) He intensely disliked writing essays for history class.
2 What does the writer say about the filming process?
(A) It was difficult to get the veterans to talk at first.
(B) It took much longer than he had originally planned.
(C) It felt like a very straightforward and simple task.
(D) It involved asking the men a large number of questions.
3 What was the writer’s main problem during the editing stage?
(A) He didn’t have enough recorded footage to use.
(B) He couldn’t find the right background music for the film.
(C) He had to spend exactly four hours watching the videos.
(D) He experienced frustrating issues with his computer program.
4 How did the writer feel after showing the film?
(A) Relieved that the veterans didn’t notice his editing mistakes.
(B) Proud because his work had a meaningful impact on the veterans.
(C) Disappointed because the classroom was completely silent at the end.
(D) Exhausted from organizing the presentation for the students.
5 What would the writer say about his history project?
(A) It was a great experience, but next time I’ll definitely choose to write an essay because it takes much less time.
(B) Filming the veterans was the hardest part, but I’m glad I did it because everyone loved the final video.
(C) The editing was incredibly stressful, but seeing how much the film meant to the veterans made all the hard work worth it.
(D) I was surprised by how easy it is to make a movie, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a good grade.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer states his motivation clearly: “I thought it would be a fun and easy way to get a good grade.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that he just set up his camera and let them talk, noting, “I remember thinking that making a movie was the easiest school project I had ever done.”
3 D – In paragraph 3, the writer describes his editing struggles, specifically mentioning, “The software kept crashing, and I had to start over twice.”
4 B – In paragraph 5, the writer reflects on the veterans’ reaction (from paragraph 4) and says, “I felt a profound sense of achievement… I had created something that actually mattered to people.”
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and the writer’s emotional journey. It summarizes the immense difficulty of the editing process and the ultimate feeling of reward upon seeing the veterans’ emotional response.