Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Career Changes & Unique Professions
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Hope Beneath the Waves
My name is Maya, and I recently started my career as a junior marine biologist. Ever since I was a young girl, I have been absolutely fascinated by the colourful coral reefs hidden beneath the ocean’s surface. So, when my university invited me to join a major research trip on a boat in the Pacific Ocean, I accepted the offer immediately. I was incredibly excited to finally do real scientific work in the field, although I also felt slightly nervous about living on a small ship for three entire months with people I hardly knew.
However, within the first few days, the reality of life at sea quickly destroyed my initial excitement. The weather was unusually rough, and the constant movement of the boat made me feel terribly ill. My sea sickness was so brutal that I could hardly get out of bed to eat, let alone look through a microscope to study plants. While the rest of the experienced team seemed completely fine with the huge waves, I felt absolutely miserable. I seriously started to wonder if I was physically strong enough for this kind of demanding career.
Despite the brutal conditions, I forced myself to keep going. By the fourth week, the sea finally calmed down, and we were able to dive into the warm water to collect samples. One afternoon, while I was examining a rocky area that had been heavily damaged by rising ocean temperatures, I noticed something highly unusual. It was a small patch of bright purple coral. Unlike the dead, white coral surrounding it, this particular species was perfectly healthy and growing fast. I carefully took a small piece back to the boat’s laboratory for further testing.
The test results were absolutely amazing. I had actually discovered a brand new species of coral that was naturally resistant to high temperatures. This tiny organism could potentially help scientists save dying reefs all over the world, bringing real hope for the future of our oceans. When my team leader warmly congratulated me, I felt an indescribable sense of pride. Suddenly, the terrible sea sickness and the exhausting weeks away from home simply did not matter anymore. I now know that protecting our oceans is exactly what I am meant to do, and every difficult moment is completely worth it.
1 Why was Maya slightly nervous about the trip?
(A) She was afraid of diving in the deep ocean.
(B) She had never studied coral reefs before.
(C) She was concerned about staying on the boat for a long time.
(D) She thought the scientific work would be too difficult.
2 How did Maya feel during her first few days at sea?
(A) Annoyed because the experienced team ignored her.
(B) Worried that she might not be suited for the job.
(C) Surprised that she didn’t get sick like the others.
(D) Angry about the lack of food on the boat.
3 What was special about the purple coral Maya found?
(A) It was the only white coral left in the area.
(B) It was causing damage to the rocky environment around it.
(C) It was completely healthy despite the warm water temperatures.
(D) It was much larger than she had expected it to be.
4 What does Maya say about her discovery?
(A) It proves that ocean temperatures are finally dropping.
(B) It could be used to protect other reefs globally.
(C) It means she no longer has to travel on research boats.
(D) It made her team leader jealous of her success.
5 What would Maya write in a blog post about her trip?
(A) I discovered a new coral, but the sea sickness was so terrible that I have decided to look for a job on land.
(B) The boat trip was a lot easier than I expected, and I am so glad I didn’t get sick while doing my research.
(C) Although the journey was physically exhausting, finding a heat-resistant coral made all the suffering incredibly rewarding.
(D) My team leader found a new species of coral, and it was a great experience to watch him test it in the laboratory.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In paragraph 1, Maya states she felt “slightly nervous about living on a small ship for three entire months,” which paraphrases as being concerned about staying on the boat for a long time.
2 B – In paragraph 2, Maya explains that her sea sickness made her feel miserable, causing her to “seriously started to wonder if I was physically strong enough for this kind of demanding career.” This maps to being worried she might not be suited for the job.
3 C – In paragraph 3, Maya notices the purple coral in an area “damaged by rising ocean temperatures” and notes that “Unlike the dead, white coral surrounding it, this particular species was perfectly healthy.”
4 B – In paragraph 4, Maya explains that the coral “could potentially help scientists save dying reefs all over the world,” which means it could be used to protect other reefs globally.
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and Maya’s emotional arc in the text: she acknowledges the difficult physical conditions (exhausting journey/sea sickness) but concludes that her amazing discovery made the difficult moments completely worth it.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Surviving the Spin
Ever since I was a young boy staring at the night sky, my biggest dream has been to become an astronaut. After years of studying science and flying planes, I was finally accepted into the space agency’s training programme. I knew it would be difficult, but I was confident in my physical fitness. However, I soon realised that reading about astronaut training in books is completely different from actually experiencing it, especially when it came to the centrifuge machine.
The centrifuge is a small metal room at the end of a long arm that spins you around extremely fast. It is designed to copy the heavy feeling of gravity—or G-force—that astronauts experience when a rocket leaves Earth. When I first climbed inside and sat in the seat, I wasn’t too worried. But as the machine started to spin faster and faster, my body suddenly felt like it weighed hundreds of kilograms. I couldn’t even lift my arms or turn my head.
Then, the sickness hit me. My stomach felt awful, and the immense nausea was worse than anything I had ever felt on an aeroplane. As the spinning continued, my breathing became difficult, and my vision started to go dark. In that terrible moment, I seriously thought about pressing the emergency stop button. If I pressed it, the machine would slow down and the pain would end, but it would also mean failing the programme and losing my chance to go to space.
Just as my hand reached for the button, I closed my eyes and forced my mind to focus on something else. I imagined the view of Earth from space, a beautiful blue and green ball floating in the dark. I remembered being eight years old, promising myself that one day I would look out of a spaceship window. That childhood memory gave me the mental strength to pull my hand away from the button and endure the final sixty seconds of the test.
When the machine finally stopped and the doors opened, my legs were shaking, but I had a huge smile on my face. The instructor helped me out and told me I had passed with flying colours. I know there are many more difficult tests ahead of me, but I am now completely sure that I have what it takes to survive them.
1 What does the writer say about his space training in the first paragraph?
(A) He found it much harder to get accepted than he expected.
(B) He was worried about his level of physical fitness.
(C) He discovered that the reality of it was unlike reading about it.
(D) He regretted spending so much time flying aeroplanes.
2 What happened when the machine started spinning fast?
(A) The writer found it impossible to move normally.
(B) The machine copied the feeling of landing on Earth.
(C) The writer realised the metal room was too small.
(D) The writer felt sick immediately after sitting down.
3 During the test, the writer considered pressing the emergency button because
(A) he was told to do it by his instructor.
(B) he couldn’t see the dark sky anymore.
(C) he wanted to fail the programme and go home.
(D) he was suffering from extreme physical sickness.
4 What helped the writer survive the end of the test?
(A) Looking out of a window at the planet Earth.
(B) Concentrating on a promise he made as a child.
(C) Knowing that the test only lasted for sixty seconds.
(D) Remembering a beautiful picture he saw in a book.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that night?
(A) I pressed the emergency button today because I felt so sick. I guess I will have to try again tomorrow to pass the test.
(B) I’m proud I didn’t give up today. The physical pain was terrible, but my dream of going to space is much stronger.
(C) The centrifuge wasn’t as bad as I expected. I just closed my eyes and it was over very quickly without any problems.
(D) I survived the spinning machine, but I’ve decided that going to space isn’t worth feeling this ill. I’m going back to flying planes.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – The text states, “I soon realised that reading about astronaut training in books is completely different from actually experiencing it,” which matches option C.
2 A – In paragraph 2, the writer says, “I couldn’t even lift my arms or turn my head,” which is paraphrased as finding it impossible to move normally.
3 D – Paragraph 3 describes the writer’s “awful” stomach, “immense nausea,” and difficult breathing, which drove him to consider pressing the stop button to end the physical pain/sickness.
4 B – Paragraph 4 explains that the writer “remembered being eight years old, promising myself” and that this “childhood memory gave me the mental strength” to finish the test.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: acknowledging the severe physical difficulty of the test but highlighting that his lifelong dream gave him the endurance to succeed.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
More Than Just Cleaning
When I started my business as a professional organiser, I thought my job would simply involve folding clothes and buying pretty boxes for people’s cupboards. However, my perspective completely changed last month when I was hired by an elderly man named Arthur. His house was filled with old newspapers, broken furniture, and empty jars. As soon as I opened the front door, the smell and the huge mountains of rubbish almost made me turn around and leave. The mess was incredibly overwhelming, and I honestly didn’t know where to begin.
During the first few days, my strategy was just to throw as much away as possible. But every time I picked up an item, Arthur would stop me. He had a story for every single broken clock or torn book, explaining why he needed to keep it. I quickly became frustrated because we were making zero progress. I realised that to him, this wasn’t just rubbish; these objects represented his memories and his feeling of safety. I knew that simply forcing him to empty his house wouldn’t work.
Instead of bringing in more rubbish bags, I decided to change my approach and sat down to talk with Arthur. I started asking him how certain items made him feel. If something brought him real joy, we kept it. If it didn’t, I gently encouraged him to thank the object and let it go. It took a lot of patience, but slowly, he began to understand that letting go of things didn’t mean losing his past. He actually started throwing away bags of old magazines himself.
After four weeks of hard work, the transformation was unbelievable. Arthur’s house was finally clean, safe, and comfortable to live in again. Seeing him smile as he walked through his tidy living room was a magical moment for me. I used to think my profession was only about creating tidy spaces, but this experience taught me something much more important. Being an organiser is actually about supporting people’s mental health and helping them move forward in life.
1 How did the writer feel when they first arrived at Arthur’s house?
(A) Excited to use their new storage boxes.
(B) Shocked by how bad the situation was.
(C) Annoyed that Arthur hadn’t started cleaning yet.
(D) Confident they could finish the job quickly.
2 Why was the writer unable to make progress at first?
(A) Arthur refused to let any of his belongings be thrown away.
(B) There were too many old newspapers to fit into the bags.
(C) Arthur couldn’t remember where he had put his favourite things.
(D) The writer spent too much time reading Arthur’s books.
3 What successful method did the writer use to help Arthur?
(A) They secretly threw away the things Arthur didn’t notice.
(B) They discussed the emotional value of the objects with him.
(C) They told him to put all his happy memories into boxes.
(D) They asked his family to help him make decisions.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) Cleaning houses is much easier than they originally thought.
(B) Their job involves much more than just organising physical objects.
(C) Elderly people always need help keeping their homes tidy.
(D) It is impossible to change how someone feels about their rubbish.
5 What would the writer say about their job now?
(A) I’m exhausted from cleaning dirty houses, so I’m going to stop working with people who collect too much stuff.
(B) Buying pretty boxes is the most important part of my job, and I love making cupboards look beautiful.
(C) Working with Arthur was a turning point for me. I now realise that clearing a house is really about healing the mind.
(D) If you want to be a professional organiser, you must learn to throw away a client’s things as quickly as possible.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – Paragraph 1 states that “the smell and the huge mountains of rubbish almost made me turn around and leave,” matching the feeling of being shocked by the severity of the mess.
2 A – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that “every time I picked up an item, Arthur would stop me” because he had a reason to keep everything, which maps to him refusing to let things be thrown away.
3 B – Paragraph 3 details how the writer sat down to talk with Arthur, “asking him how certain items made him feel,” which perfectly matches discussing the emotional value of the objects.
4 B – Paragraph 4 shows the writer’s realisation that their profession isn’t just about creating tidy spaces, but “actually about supporting people’s mental health,” meaning the job is about more than just physical objects.
5 C – This option captures the global narrative arc: starting with a naive view of the job, facing a difficult hoarding situation, using psychology to solve it, and ultimately realising the deep connection between organising and mental well-being.