Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Entrepreneurship & Hustle
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Secret Ingredient
My name is Maya, and last summer I decided to start my own small homemade jam business. We have a large garden behind our house filled with strawberry plants, and every year we have more fruit than we can possibly eat. I have always loved helping my grandmother cook sweet treats in the kitchen, so turning our extra homegrown fruit into delicious jam to sell at the local market seemed like a fantastic idea. I was incredibly excited to start earning my own pocket money.
For the first few days, everything went perfectly. I spent hours outside picking the reddest, juiciest strawberries in the hot sun. Then, I stood by the stove carefully stirring the fruit and sugar together until it smelled absolutely amazing. After pouring the bright red jam into glass jars, I even spent the evening designing and printing cute, colourful labels for them. I looked at the rows of finished jars on the kitchen table and felt extremely proud and confident about my new business.
However, a few days later, just before the weekend market, disaster struck. I opened the cupboard to pack the jars into boxes and noticed something terrible. The jam inside had completely changed colour and was covered in horrible green mould. It had all gone bad! I quickly realised my huge mistake. In my excitement to finish the project, I had completely forgotten to boil the glass jars in hot water to sterilize them. I was devastated as I threw the entire batch into the bin.
Despite feeling incredibly disappointed, I refused to give up. I went back into the garden, picked more strawberries, and started the whole process again from the beginning. This time, I paid close attention to every single detail. I made absolutely sure that the jars were perfectly clean and safe before pouring the hot jam into them.
The following weekend, I successfully sold out of all my products at the market. That stressful experience taught me an extremely important lesson. If you want to work in the food industry, having a tasty recipe is simply not enough. Strict quality control and excellent hygiene are actually the most crucial parts of running a successful food business.
1 Why did Maya decide to start her jam business?
(A) She wanted to help her grandmother clean the kitchen.
(B) She needed to buy some new strawberry plants for the garden.
(C) She wanted to use up extra fruit and make some cash.
(D) She was asked to sell food at the local weekend market.
2 How did Maya feel after completing her first batch of jam?
(A) Worried that her labels were not colourful enough.
(B) Very pleased with what she had achieved.
(C) Exhausted from standing by the hot stove all day.
(D) Anxious about selling her products at the market.
3 What was the reason the jam was ruined?
(A) Maya left the jars in a warm cupboard for too long.
(B) Maya used strawberries that had gone bad in the sun.
(C) Maya forgot to put enough sugar in the mixture.
(D) Maya put the jam into jars that were not properly cleaned.
4 What did Maya learn about the food industry?
(A) Having an attractive label is the best way to sell out.
(B) Following strict safety rules is essential for success.
(C) Growing your own ingredients makes the food taste better.
(D) You should never throw away food even if it looks bad.
5 What would Maya write in a blog post about her summer?
(A) I made a huge mistake with my first batch of jam, so I decided to stop cooking and just sell fresh fruit instead.
(B) Selling jam at the market is easy money. All you need is a good family recipe and some colourful labels to be successful!
(C) Throwing away my hard work was upsetting, but learning the importance of food safety helped me build a great business.
(D) I was so angry when my grandmother forgot to clean the jars for me, but luckily my second batch tasted even better.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In paragraph 1, Maya explains that they had “more fruit than we can possibly eat” and she wanted to turn the extra fruit into jam because she was “incredibly excited to start earning my own pocket money.”
2 B – In paragraph 2, after finishing the jars and making the labels, Maya “felt extremely proud and confident about my new business,” which matches being very pleased with what she had achieved.
3 D – In paragraph 3, Maya realizes her huge mistake was that she “had completely forgotten to boil the glass jars in hot water to sterilize them,” meaning the jars were not properly cleaned.
4 B – In paragraph 5, Maya reflects on her experience, stating that “Strict quality control and excellent hygiene are actually the most crucial parts of running a successful food business.”
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and Maya’s emotional arc. She acknowledges the disappointment of throwing away her ruined first batch, but highlights that learning about strict quality control and food safety ultimately led to her successful market sales.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The True Value of Time
I’ve always been obsessed with keeping things clean, so when summer arrived, I decided to start a car detailing business in my neighbourhood. Car detailing isn’t just a quick wash with a bucket of soapy water; it means cleaning a car completely, both inside and out, until it looks brand new. Because I was a teenager just starting out, I wanted to attract as many people as possible. I looked at what professional garages charged and decided to ask for less than half of their price. Unsurprisingly, my phone started ringing immediately with bookings.
At first, I was thrilled to be so busy. However, the reality of the job quickly hit me. I soon discovered that making a dirty family car look perfect takes a huge amount of effort. I was spending at least three hours on a single vehicle, vacuuming every corner of the seats and polishing the windows. By the end of my first week, my arms ached, and I was completely exhausted. When I sat down to count my earnings, I realised that if I divided my money by the hours I had worked, I was earning very little.
I knew I couldn’t continue working so hard for such a tiny reward. My parents suggested that I needed to increase my prices, but I was terrified of doing this. I worried that my neighbours would think I was being greedy and that everyone would cancel their bookings. I spent a few days worrying about it before finally updating my advertisement online. I doubled my prices, explaining that the new cost reflected the time and high-quality products I used.
To my absolute surprise, the reaction was completely positive. None of my regular customers complained, and nobody cancelled their appointments. In fact, one neighbour told me that she was happy to pay more because my work was much better than the local car wash. She said she appreciated my attention to detail. That experience taught me a very important lesson about running a successful business. I learned that if you provide a fantastic service, people will be happy to pay a fair price for it. Now, I feel proud to value my own time and hard work.
1 Why did the writer set low prices when he started his business?
(A) He wanted to get as many customers as possible.
(B) He didn’t know how to wash cars like a professional.
(C) He wanted to copy the prices of other teenagers in the area.
(D) He was only doing a quick wash with soapy water.
2 How did the writer feel at the end of his first week?
(A) Surprised by how dirty the family cars were.
(B) Proud that he could completely clean a car in three hours.
(C) Upset that he hadn’t received enough bookings.
(D) Tired and disappointed by his actual hourly earnings.
3 Why was the writer hesitant to raise his prices?
(A) He didn’t want to spend more money on high-quality products.
(B) His parents warned him that it was a bad idea.
(C) He was afraid that people would stop using his service.
(D) He didn’t know how to change his online advertisement.
4 What did the writer learn from his customers’ reactions?
(A) They preferred taking their cars to the local car wash.
(B) They were willing to pay well for excellent results.
(C) They thought his new prices were quite greedy.
(D) They wanted him to spend even more time on their cars.
5 What would the writer write in his diary today?
(A) I really enjoy cleaning cars, but I’ve decided to stop. People just won’t pay the prices I need to make a living.
(B) My parents gave me some terrible advice about raising my prices. Now all my neighbours are complaining about the cost.
(C) I can’t believe how easy it is to detail a car. I can finish one in less than an hour and make a huge profit!
(D) Doubling my prices was a big risk, but it paid off! I finally understand that my time and effort are worth decent money.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The first paragraph states that the writer set his prices at less than half of professional garages because he “wanted to attract as many people as possible.”
2 D – In the second paragraph, the writer mentions that he was “completely exhausted” (tired) and realised that “if I divided my money by the hours I had worked, I was earning very little” (disappointed by his earnings).
3 C – The third paragraph explains that he was terrified of increasing his prices because he “worried that my neighbours would think I was being greedy and that everyone would cancel their bookings.”
4 B – Paragraph four details that a neighbour was “happy to pay more because my work was much better”, showing that customers were willing to pay a fair price for a fantastic service.
5 D – This option accurately captures the global narrative: the writer took a scary risk by raising his prices, it was successful, and he learned the valuable lesson of valuing his own time and hard work.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Personal Shopping Lesson
I’ve always loved going to the shops, so when I wanted to earn some extra pocket money last year, I decided to turn my hobby into a small business. I started a personal shopping service for busy professionals who didn’t have the time to buy gifts for their friends and family. I advertised my service online, confidently thinking it would be incredibly easy. After all, what could be simpler than spending other people’s money? I just imagined myself wandering around modern shopping centres, easily picking out beautiful items while earning a good fee.
For the first few weeks, I only had small orders, like buying birthday chocolates or children’s toys. Then, I finally got my first major client. A busy local businessman contacted me because he needed an anniversary present for his wife. He gave me a huge budget and simply told me to buy something “special”. I didn’t ask any further questions. I was just so excited to be trusted with so much cash. I went straight to an expensive department store and bought a stunning silver designer watch, feeling certain that she would love it.
However, when I delivered the gift to the businessman’s office, things went terribly wrong. As soon as he looked at the watch, he shook his head in disappointment. He explained that his wife absolutely hated wearing jewellery and never wore watches. In fact, she preferred spending her weekends hiking in the mountains and climbing rocks. I felt incredibly embarrassed and guilty for not finding out more about her personality. The anniversary was the very next day, so I knew I had to act fast to fix my terrible mistake.
I immediately ran back to the shopping centre, praying the store would let me exchange the watch. Luckily, they agreed. This time, I visited a specialist outdoor clothing shop and bought a top-quality, lightweight hiking jacket. When the businessman gave it to his wife the next morning, she was absolutely delighted. That stressful experience taught me a vital lesson. I realised that being a good personal shopper isn’t about spending a lot of money on shiny things. It is actually about asking the right questions to truly understand what the customer
1 Why did the writer think her new business would be easy?
(A) She had already worked in modern shopping centres.
(B) She believed spending other people’s money would be a simple task.
(C) She had a lot of busy professionals as her close friends.
(D) She knew exactly what kind of gifts families usually buy.
2 What mistake did the writer make with her first major client?
(A) She spent much more money than the businessman had given her.
(B) She went to the wrong department store to search for the gift.
(C) She failed to ask him for more details about his wife’s interests.
(D) She bought a shiny watch instead of the children’s toys he asked for.
3 Why was the businessman disappointed with the watch?
(A) It was not the right style of jewellery for a professional office.
(B) It was far too expensive for a simple anniversary present.
(C) It arrived too late for his wedding anniversary the next day.
(D) It did not suit his wife’s active lifestyle and personal tastes.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) Expensive gifts are never a good idea for romantic anniversaries.
(B) Understanding the receiver’s personality is the key to good shopping.
(C) It is highly important to buy clothes from specialist outdoor shops.
(D) She should never exchange items that she has already paid for.
5 What would the writer write in her diary about her business?
(A) I almost ruined a client’s anniversary, but it taught me that taking the time to understand someone’s hobbies is better than just spending lots of cash.
(B) I’ve decided to close my shopping business because busy professionals are just too difficult to please, no matter how much time I spend looking.
(C) Buying expensive designer watches is still the best way to impress a wealthy client. I just need to make sure I deliver them on time next time!
(D) Running a shopping service is exactly as easy as I thought it would be. You just walk around modern shopping centres and pick out beautiful things!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – Paragraph 1 states that she thought it would be incredibly easy because she thought, “what could be simpler than spending other people’s money?”
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that the client told her to buy something special and she “didn’t ask any further questions”, which led to her buying a highly inappropriate gift.
3 D – Paragraph 3 details that his wife “hated wearing jewellery” and “preferred spending her weekends hiking”, meaning the watch didn’t suit her active hobbies and tastes.
4 B – Paragraph 4 shows her realisation that being a good shopper is “about asking the right questions to truly understand what the customer needs” rather than just spending money.
5 A – This option accurately captures the global narrative arc: she made a near-disastrous mistake by making assumptions, but ultimately learned a valuable lesson about prioritizing a person’s interests over the price tag of a gift.