Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Social Dynamics & Personal Growth 1
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Single Conversation
My parents’ decision to relocate meant I had to change schools in the middle of the academic year. While my old friends were preparing for the spring term together, I was packing boxes and worrying. I have always been fairly confident, but walking into Elmwood High on a cold February morning made my stomach turn. Everyone seemed to know exactly where they were going, while I was completely lost in the crowded corridors.
The hardest part of those early days was lunchtime. At my previous school, I had a large group of mates, and our cafeteria table was always loud and cheerful. At Elmwood, however, it was a different story. I bought my sandwich and sat at an empty table near the window. The room was full of noise and laughter, but nobody looked in my direction. The friendship groups seemed impossible to break into, making me feel incredibly lonely.
By the end of the first week, I knew I had to do something to change my situation. On Friday, I noticed a boy sitting at the table next to mine. He was sketching a detailed superhero in a notebook. Since I am passionate about drawing comic book characters, his artwork immediately caught my attention. Even though my heart was beating fast, I took a deep breath, walked over, and told him his drawing was fantastic.
For a second, he looked shocked, and I thought I had made a mistake. But then, a massive smile appeared on his face. He introduced himself as Leo and thanked me. We spent the rest of the break discussing our favourite illustrators and sharing drawing tips. It turned out we had exactly the same taste in books and movies. The conversation flowed so naturally that I completely forgot about my previous anxiety.
From that moment on, my experience at Elmwood High completely transformed. Leo introduced me to his friends, and they warmly welcomed me into their circle. Looking back, I am so glad I found the courage to speak up. I learned that although starting over is terrifying, taking a tiny risk can be the key to forming brilliant new friendships.
1 How did the writer feel about arriving at the new school?
(A) Confident because she knew where her classes were.
(B) Annoyed that her parents decided to move for work.
(C) Anxious because she didn’t know her way around.
(D) Excited to meet up with her old friends for the spring term.
2 What does the writer say about lunchtime at Elmwood?
(A) The cafeteria was much quieter than her previous school.
(B) She felt isolated because the other students ignored her.
(C) She preferred sitting alone by the window to eat her sandwich.
(D) The other students were unfriendly when she tried to join them.
3 The writer decided to speak to the boy because
(A) he asked her for some advice on how to draw a superhero.
(B) they shared a similar interest in art and comic books.
(C) she saw that he was also feeling lonely and needed a friend.
(D) her heart was beating fast and she wanted to sit at his table.
4 What was Leo’s reaction when the writer spoke to him?
(A) He was annoyed because she interrupted his drawing.
(B) He was worried he had made a terrible mistake.
(C) He was confused because they had different tastes in movies.
(D) He was initially surprised but then seemed very pleased.
5 What would the writer write in her diary today?
(A) Elmwood High is terrible. I really wish my parents hadn’t moved because I miss my old friends and the cafeteria is too noisy.
(B) Leo is a great artist, but I’m disappointed that his friends didn’t want to include me in their lunchtime group.
(C) Moving mid-year was tough, but taking a chance and talking to someone about a shared hobby really paid off in the end!
(D) I’m glad I showed Leo my drawings today. It gave me the confidence to finally explore the school corridors on my own.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In the first paragraph, the writer mentions her “stomach turn[ing]” and feeling “completely lost in the crowded corridors,” indicating anxiety about not knowing her way around.
2 B – The second paragraph explains that “nobody looked in my direction” and the groups seemed impossible to break into, making her feel “incredibly lonely” and isolated.
3 B – The third paragraph states that the boy was sketching a superhero and that the writer is “passionate about drawing comic book characters,” which immediately caught her attention.
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, the writer says Leo “looked shocked” for a second, but then “a massive smile appeared on his face,” showing he was surprised then pleased.
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: moving from the difficulty of changing schools mid-year to the positive outcome of taking a risk to make a new friend over a shared interest.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finding my courage
I have always been a quiet person. At school, my main rule was to keep my head down, do my work, and avoid any kind of trouble. I wasn’t the tallest or the strongest boy in my year, so staying invisible seemed like the best way to survive. However, everything changed last Tuesday during the afternoon break. I was walking across the playground when I noticed a group of older boys cornering a younger student near the sports hall.
As I got closer, I could hear them laughing and making mean comments about the boy’s trainers. The younger student looked absolutely terrified and was staring at the ground. My heart immediately started beating very fast, and my hands were shaking. Every part of my brain was telling me to turn around and walk away before they noticed me. But then I remembered how I had felt when I was completely alone in my first year. I knew I couldn’t just leave him there.
Taking a deep breath, I walked straight up to the group. I didn’t shout or try to start a fight because I knew I would lose. Instead, I just looked at the younger boy, smiled, and said, “Hey, Mr. Thompson is looking for you. He needs your help in the science lab right now.” I spoke as calmly as I possibly could. The older boys looked at me in surprise. Because I wasn’t being aggressive, they didn’t know how to react. After a few seconds of awkward silence, the leader of the group just rolled his eyes, and they all walked away.
The younger boy quietly thanked me as we walked back towards the main school building together. I was still shaking slightly, but I also felt incredibly proud of myself. Before that day, I had always thought that brave people were simply never afraid. Now, I understand that real courage isn’t about having no fear. True courage means feeling absolutely terrified, but deciding to do the right thing anyway. I’m glad I didn’t stay invisible that day.
1 What was the writer’s usual attitude at school?
(A) He liked to cause trouble in the playground.
(B) He tried to remain unnoticed to avoid problems.
(C) He wanted to be the strongest boy in his year.
(D) He spent a lot of time helping younger students.
2 How did the writer feel when he saw the bullying?
(A) He was confident that he could win a fight against the older boys.
(B) He felt angry because they were making fun of his own trainers.
(C) He was scared but felt sympathy for the younger student.
(D) He was disappointed that the younger boy didn’t defend himself.
3 What method did the writer use to help the boy?
(A) He shouted loudly to attract a teacher’s attention.
(B) He acted aggressively to frighten the leader of the group.
(C) He created a clever excuse to get the boy away from the bullies.
(D) He asked Mr. Thompson to come outside to the sports hall.
4 What has the writer learned about courage?
(A) It is important to be strong if you want to be brave.
(B) Brave people never feel frightened in dangerous situations.
(C) Being brave means taking action even when you are very scared.
(D) It is much easier to be brave when you have friends with you.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that evening?
(A) I was so angry with myself today. I saw some boys being horrible to a younger student, but I was too frightened to do anything to help him.
(B) Today I realised that you don’t have to be fearless to be brave. I stood up to some bullies, and I’m really proud of how I handled it calmly.
(C) I got into a terrible fight with some older boys today. I was scared, but I managed to scare them away by shouting and being aggressive.
(D) It was a strange day. A younger boy helped me escape from some bullies, which taught me that you shouldn’t judge people by their size.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 (B) – In paragraph 1, the writer states his rule was to “keep my head down, do my work, and avoid any kind of trouble” and that “staying invisible seemed like the best way to survive.”
2 (C) – Paragraph 2 mentions that his “heart immediately started beating very fast” (scared) but he remembered how he felt in his first year and “knew I couldn’t just leave him there” (sympathy).
3 (C) – In paragraph 3, instead of fighting or shouting, the writer made up a story saying, “Mr. Thompson is looking for you. He needs your help in the science lab right now,” which was a clever excuse to remove the boy from the situation.
4 (C) – Paragraph 4 details his realization: “True courage means feeling absolutely terrified, but deciding to do the right thing anyway,” which matches taking action even when very scared.
5 (B) – This diary entry perfectly captures the global meaning and the writer’s emotional shift. It highlights his realization about courage (acting despite fear) and his feeling of pride in handling the situation without violence or panic.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Speaking Up
When our science teacher, Mr. Harris, told us we had to do a group project on renewable energy, I was quite excited. I’ve always enjoyed working with others, as it usually makes the work more fun. I was put into a group with Chloe, a girl in my class who always gets top grades. At first, I thought this was lucky because I knew she was a hard worker. However, my feelings quickly changed when I realised she wanted to control absolutely everything we did.
During our first few meetings, things didn’t go well. Chloe immediately gave everyone a list of tasks without asking what we actually wanted to do. Whenever I tried to suggest an idea, like including a short video in our presentation, she interrupted me and said her plan was better. She completely ignored everyone else’s opinions. I felt so frustrated that I almost decided to stay quiet and let her do all the work. If I did nothing, we would still get a good mark, but I knew that wasn’t the point of a team project.
By the end of the first week, I knew I had to do something. We were sitting in the school library, and Chloe was telling me to rewrite my section because it didn’t match her style. Instead of getting angry, I took a deep breath and spoke to her calmly but firmly. I explained that we all needed to share our ideas and that she couldn’t make every decision alone. I told her that if she didn’t let us contribute, we wouldn’t be working as a real team.
To my surprise, Chloe didn’t argue. She actually looked a bit embarrassed and admitted she just wanted the project to be perfect. After that conversation, everything improved. We finally agreed to include my video idea, and another classmate added some fantastic charts. When presentation day arrived, our project was much more creative and interesting than Chloe’s original plan.
We ended up getting the highest grade in the class. Looking back, I am really glad I found the courage to speak up. I learned that it is possible to be assertive without being rude. If I ever have to deal with a bossy team member again, I’ll know exactly how to handle the situation from the start.
1 How did Leo feel when he first found out he was in Chloe’s group?
(A) He was worried because she always tried to control things.
(B) He was pleased because he knew she was a good student.
(C) He was annoyed that the teacher chose his partners.
(D) He was excited to share his ideas with her.
2 What was the main problem during the initial meetings?
(A) Chloe expected everyone else to do the hard work.
(B) Chloe made decisions without considering others’ opinions.
(C) Leo stopped communicating with the group completely.
(D) The group couldn’t agree on which topic to present.
3 When Leo finally spoke to Chloe in the library, he
(A) got angry about having to rewrite his section.
(B) told her he was leaving the group.
(C) made it clear that everyone should have a voice.
(D) asked the teacher to help them solve the problem.
4 How did the project change after their conversation?
(A) It was completed much faster than they expected.
(B) It improved because it included a variety of ideas.
(C) Chloe decided to let Leo make all the decisions.
(D) The teacher noticed they were finally working well together.
5 What might Leo write in his diary after the project finished?
(A) I’m glad the project is over. I hope I never have to work with Chloe again, because she didn’t learn anything.
(B) It was a difficult start, but telling Chloe how I felt respectfully made a huge difference to our team.
(C) I should have let Chloe do all the work from the beginning. It would have saved me a lot of stress.
(D) I feel bad that I shouted at Chloe in the library, even though it made our presentation better in the end.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in paragraph 1 that Leo “thought this was lucky because I knew she was a hard worker” (who “gets top grades”), which paraphrases to being pleased because she is a good student.
2 B – Paragraph 2 explains that Chloe “interrupted me and said her plan was better” and “completely ignored everyone else’s opinions.”
3 C – In paragraph 3, Leo “explained that we all needed to share our ideas and that she couldn’t make every decision alone,” indicating everyone should have a voice.
4 B – Paragraph 4 details how they included Leo’s video idea and another classmate’s charts, making the project “much more creative and interesting,” which means it improved by including a variety of ideas.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and the writer’s final attitude. It summarizes the difficult beginning, his respectful assertiveness (“spoke to her calmly but firmly”), and the positive result for the team.