Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Study Methods, Tech & Distance Learning 7
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Technology Crisis
I have always been a responsible student, and I usually manage my schoolwork perfectly. Last month, our history teacher, Mr. Green, gave us a massive essay assignment about the ancient Egyptians. I had spent two whole weeks carefully researching the topic and typing my notes. With just two days left before the strict deadline, I felt completely relaxed because I only needed to write the final conclusion. However, as I sat down at my desk with a hot cup of tea, my reliable laptop screen suddenly went completely black.
At first, I thought the battery was simply flat. I plugged the computer into the wall and pressed the power button again and again, but absolutely nothing happened. When I finally realised that the machine was completely broken, I panicked. All my hard work, my detailed notes, and my half-finished essay were trapped inside. I must admit, I felt so stressed that I actually started to cry. I had never bothered to save my files on the internet, so I had no backup copies at all. If I didn’t hand the essay in on time, I would definitely fail the class.
After taking a deep breath, I knew I had to find a practical solution quickly. The next morning, I arrived at school an hour early and went straight to the library. Luckily, the librarian allowed me to use one of the public computers. Because I couldn’t remember all my online research perfectly, I had to start almost from the beginning. Instead of typing immediately, I decided to write my first draft by hand using a pen and paper. It felt strange and my hand soon ached, but it actually helped me organise my arguments much more clearly.
Over the next two days, I spent every free minute in the library typing up my handwritten notes. It was an incredibly stressful and exhausting experience, but I managed to print the final essay just ten minutes before Mr. Green’s lesson began. When I finally handed the paper to him, I felt a huge sense of relief. Although the broken laptop crisis was a terrifying nightmare, it taught me a highly valuable lesson. I now realise that I shouldn’t rely one hundred percent on my personal technology, and I definitely always make sure to save my important work online!
1 How did the writer feel before her laptop broke?
(A) She was anxious because the history deadline was in two days.
(B) She was confident because her essay assignment was almost finished.
(C) She was annoyed that the ancient Egyptian topic required so much research.
(D) She was tired from spending two whole weeks reading her notes.
2 What was the writer’s biggest problem when the computer stopped working?
(A) She couldn’t find the correct charger for her laptop battery.
(B) She didn’t have enough money to pay for a broken screen.
(C) She couldn’t access any of her unsaved schoolwork.
(D) She couldn’t send an important email to Mr. Green.
3 What did the writer discover while working in the library?
(A) Writing things down by hand improved her thinking process.
(B) The public computers were much faster than her own laptop.
(C) She remembered all her online historical research perfectly.
(D) The school librarian was able to fix her broken computer.
4 What does the writer say about the whole experience now?
(A) She wishes Mr. Green had given her a few extra days to finish.
(B) She regrets not asking her classmates to help her type the essay.
(C) She feels proud that she never uses personal technology anymore.
(D) She appreciates the important warning about protecting her work.
5 What would the writer write in her diary on the day she handed in the essay?
(A) My laptop broke, so I explained to Mr. Green why I couldn’t finish the essay. Luckily, he gave me a new deadline!
(B) I can’t believe I lost everything! Writing by hand was terrible, and I am never going to use the school library again.
(C) What a stressful few days! Re-doing the work without my laptop was incredibly hard, but I learned a great lesson about saving files.
(D) I bought a new battery for my computer today, so all my ancient Egyptian notes are finally safe. I’m so relieved!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states she “felt completely relaxed because I only needed to write the final conclusion,” showing confidence as the task was nearly done.
2 C – The second paragraph explains that all her hard work and half-finished essay “were trapped inside” and she had “no backup copies at all,” meaning her information was inaccessible.
3 A – The third paragraph describes how writing her first draft with a pen and paper “actually helped me organise my arguments much more clearly,” which matches improving her thinking process.
4 D – In the final paragraph, she mentions that the crisis “taught me a highly valuable lesson” and now she always makes sure to “save my important work online,” indicating she appreciates the warning.
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: moving from extreme stress and lost work to working hard in the library to recover it, while ultimately learning a valuable lesson about backing up files.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finding the perfect study playlist
I have always found it difficult to study in complete silence. My mind wanders, and I start thinking about anything except my schoolwork. So, when I had to prepare for my final geography exams last month, I decided to create the ultimate study playlist. I included all my favourite pop and rock songs, thinking that the upbeat music would keep me awake and motivated. I sat down at my desk, put my headphones on, and opened my textbook, feeling very confident.
However, my fantastic plan quickly became a disaster. Instead of reading about climate change, I found myself tapping my pen on the desk and singing along to the lyrics. Whenever a particularly good song came on, I would actually stop reading completely and perform a mini-concert in my bedroom. After two hours, I looked at my notes and realised I hadn’t learned a single thing. The music I loved was actually my biggest distraction.
The next day, I mentioned my problem to my older brother. He told me that listening to music with words is a terrible idea when you are trying to read because your brain tries to process the lyrics and the textbook at the same time. He suggested I try listening to instrumental music instead, specifically movie soundtracks. I wasn’t convinced. I thought classical music would just make me fall asleep, but I decided to give it a try anyway.
I found a playlist of epic film scores and hit play. I was amazed by the immediate difference. The music had no words to distract me, but the dramatic instruments provided the perfect background noise. I actually felt like I was the hero of an exciting movie, which made studying geography seem much more interesting. I worked solidly for three hours without losing my concentration once.
Now, movie soundtracks are my secret weapon for passing exams. I still listen to my favourite pop songs when I’m relaxing or exercising, but my study time is strictly reserved for instrumental music. It has completely changed my routine, and I highly recommend it to anyone who struggles to focus in silence.
1 Why did the writer create a playlist for her geography revision?
(A) She thought upbeat music would help her stay awake and motivated.
(B) She needed to learn the words to her favourite pop songs.
(C) She wanted to practice for a concert she was performing in.
(D) She was told that studying in silence is bad for your memory.
2 What happened when the writer listened to her pop playlist?
(A) She felt too tired to finish reading about climate change.
(B) She paid more attention to the songs than to her schoolwork.
(C) She wrote a lot of useful notes for her geography exam.
(D) She decided that her favourite songs were actually quite boring.
3 What did the writer’s brother explain about studying with music?
(A) Classical music is the only genre that helps students learn.
(B) Listening to movie soundtracks will make you fall asleep quickly.
(C) Hearing words in songs makes it difficult to read at the same time.
(D) Listening to music with your siblings is a bad idea.
4 How did the movie soundtracks affect the writer?
(A) They made her feel like watching an action film instead of working.
(B) They provided helpful background noise that improved her focus.
(C) They were so dramatic that they gave her a terrible headache.
(D) They helped her remember the names of famous actors.
5 What would the writer text a friend about her discovery?
(A) I finally passed my geography exam, but I had to study in complete silence because any kind of music distracted me.
(B) You should try listening to film soundtracks when you revise! They don’t have lyrics, so they help you concentrate perfectly.
(C) I’ve decided to stop listening to pop music completely. Instrumental music is much better, even when I’m just relaxing.
(D) My brother told me to listen to classical music, but it was so boring that I fell asleep at my desk instead of working!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 (A) – In paragraph 1, the writer states she included pop and rock songs “thinking that the upbeat music would keep me awake and motivated.”
2 (B) – Paragraph 2 explains that instead of reading, she was “singing along to the lyrics” and “realised I hadn’t learned a single thing,” showing the songs distracted her completely from her schoolwork.
3 (C) – In paragraph 3, the brother explains that “listening to music with words is a terrible idea when you are trying to read because your brain tries to process the lyrics and the textbook at the same time.”
4 (B) – Paragraph 4 details how the music had “no words to distract me, but the dramatic instruments provided the perfect background noise,” leading her to work “solidly for three hours without losing my concentration once.”
5 (B) – This text accurately captures the global meaning and the writer’s change in habit. She discovered that instrumental film soundtracks provide the perfect background focus without the distraction of lyrics, completely transforming her study routine.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Peer Assessment Fear
My name is Sam, and I have always enjoyed writing stories for my English classes. I usually feel quite confident when I hand my homework directly to my teacher, Mr. Thompson. However, last Tuesday, he announced a new activity that immediately made me feel anxious. Instead of marking our essays himself, he asked us to swap our papers with a classmate. We had to read each other’s work and give feedback. Suddenly, I felt terrified. I was completely convinced that my partner would think my writing was terrible and that I would look stupid.
My nerves got worse when Mr. Thompson paired me with Maya. She is one of the smartest students in our year and always gets top marks in every subject. With shaking hands, I gave her my story about a journey to Mars. As she started reading, I sat there imagining her secretly laughing at my vocabulary. I was supposed to be looking for mistakes in her essay, but I was so stressed about what she thought of mine that I could hardly focus on the words on the page.
After about ten minutes, Maya smiled and handed my paper back to me. I immediately noticed a few corrections written in red pen, and my face turned hot. But then, Maya started talking. She told me that my main character was fascinating and that my ideas about space travel were absolutely brilliant. She explained that the red marks were just a few simple spelling and grammar mistakes, which I had probably made because I was writing too quickly. She wasn’t being mean at all.
A huge wave of relief washed over me. I finally understood that she wasn’t judging my intelligence. She was simply helping me make my story better before the teacher graded it. After that, we discussed her essay, and I was even able to suggest a better ending for her story, which she happily accepted. This experience completely changed my opinion. I now realise that peer feedback is an incredibly useful tool, rather than something to be scared of. In fact, I am actually looking forward to our next writing pair-work!
1 Why did Sam feel anxious in his English class?
(A) He had forgotten to finish his homework for Mr. Thompson.
(B) He had to share his writing with another student.
(C) He didn’t know how to write a story about space travel.
(D) He usually got terrible marks on his English essays.
2 How did Sam react while Maya was reading his story?
(A) He found it difficult to concentrate on reading her work.
(B) He laughed at the vocabulary she used in her essay.
(C) He felt relieved because she was a very smart student.
(D) He quickly corrected his own mistakes before she saw them.
3 What did Maya say about Sam’s essay?
(A) He needed to completely change his main character.
(B) He had made too many basic spelling errors to get a good grade.
(C) His story was generally excellent despite some small errors.
(D) His ideas were too complicated for her to understand.
4 What did Sam learn from the activity in the end?
(A) Working with a partner is the only way to pass English.
(B) Maya’s story was much better than his own.
(C) Teachers should always grade the essays themselves.
(D) Getting advice from classmates is a positive experience.
5 What would Sam write in his diary that evening?
(A) “I felt so stupid today when Maya laughed at my essay. I’m going to ask Mr. Thompson to let me work alone next time.”
(B) “I was so nervous about showing my story to Maya, but her feedback was actually really kind and helpful!”
(C) “Maya had so many spelling mistakes in her story. It proves that she isn’t as smart as everyone thinks she is.”
(D) “I really enjoyed reading my story to the whole class today, even though I was a bit stressed at the beginning.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that Sam felt anxious because “he asked us to swap our papers with a classmate,” which means he had to share his writing with another student.
2 A – In paragraph 2, Sam explains that he was “so stressed about what she thought of mine that I could hardly focus on the words on the page,” matching the idea that he found it difficult to concentrate on her work.
3 C – Paragraph 3 details that Maya thought his ideas were “absolutely brilliant” and that the red marks were “just a few simple spelling and grammar mistakes,” meaning the story was excellent despite small errors.
4 D – Paragraph 4 explains that Sam now realizes “peer feedback is an incredibly useful tool, rather than something to be scared of,” which paraphrases learning that getting advice from classmates is a positive experience.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and Sam’s emotional arc: moving from being terrified of being judged to realizing that the peer feedback was actually encouraging and useful to him.