Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Collections & Niche Hobbies
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Patient Baker
During the recent school holidays, I found myself watching hours of cooking videos on the internet. I was particularly amazed by people making beautiful, fresh sourdough bread from scratch. It looked so delicious that I decided to try it myself. The first step was creating a mixture of flour and water, which bakers call a ‘starter’. You have to feed it every day so it grows. I even gave my starter a name: Bob! I felt incredibly excited as I watched Bob get bigger and thicker over the first week.
When Bob was finally ready, I decided to bake my very first loaf of bread. I carefully mixed the starter with more flour and salt. The recipe said I should leave the dough to rest for several hours, but I was feeling impatient and hungry. I thought that putting it in the hot oven a bit early wouldn’t make a huge difference. Unfortunately, I was completely wrong. When I took the bread out, it wasn’t tall and soft. Instead, it was completely flat and as hard as a rock. I felt so disappointed that I almost threw it straight into the bin.
Despite my terrible first attempt, I refused to give up. I tried baking another loaf the next day, and then another, but the results were exactly the same. The bread was always heavy and impossible to eat. I started to feel quite frustrated. I knew my ingredients were correct, so I spent an afternoon reading some professional baking blogs to find out what I was doing wrong. Eventually, I discovered the truth. Sourdough needs a very long time to develop properly. By rushing the process, I hadn’t allowed the dough enough time to rise.
Armed with this new information, I went back into the kitchen for one last try. This time, I mixed the dough and left it alone for an entire day, checking on it only occasionally. It was difficult to wait, but the next morning, the dough had grown perfectly. When I finally baked it, the whole house smelled amazing, and the bread was tall, light, and crispy. Eating that first warm slice with butter was an incredible experience. Making sourdough has taught me a valuable lesson: you simply cannot rush the best things in life.
1 Why did the writer decide to make sourdough bread?
(A) He wanted to film his own cooking videos for the internet.
(B) He was inspired by some videos he had seen online.
(C) He needed a fun daily activity for the school holidays.
(D) He wanted to learn how to mix flour and water properly.
2 What happened when the writer baked his first loaf?
(A) He left the dough in the hot oven for too long.
(B) He forgot to add salt to the mixture of flour and water.
(C) He didn’t wait long enough before cooking it.
(D) He threw it in the bin because he wasn’t hungry anymore.
3 How did the writer solve his baking problem?
(A) He asked a professional baker to show him the correct method.
(B) He realised he needed to buy different ingredients.
(C) He watched more cooking videos to see what went wrong.
(D) He read some articles online to understand his mistake.
4 What did the writer learn from his successful baking experience?
(A) That sourdough bread always tastes better with butter.
(B) That waiting patiently produces the best results.
(C) That preparing the dough takes a whole day of hard work.
(D) That checking the oven regularly prevents the bread from burning.
5 What would the writer write in his diary today?
(A) I’m so annoyed. I spent a whole week feeding Bob, but my bread is still coming out flat and hard. I’m going to throw it all away!
(B) My patience finally paid off! Baking perfect sourdough took a lot longer than I expected, but the delicious result was definitely worth the wait.
(C) I baked a great loaf of bread today, but it was just too much effort. Next time I’m hungry, I’ll definitely just buy some from the supermarket.
(D) The online blogs were wrong, and I should have just followed my original plan. At least my starter Bob is growing quickly.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states that the writer was amazed by people making bread in “cooking videos on the internet” and “It looked so delicious that I decided to try it myself.”
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer admits he was feeling impatient and “thought that putting it in the hot oven a bit early wouldn’t make a huge difference,” resulting in a hard, flat loaf.
3 D – The third paragraph explains that the writer “spent an afternoon reading some professional baking blogs to find out what I was doing wrong,” which paraphrases to reading articles online.
4 B – The fourth paragraph concludes with the writer reflecting that “Making sourdough has taught me a valuable lesson: you simply cannot rush the best things in life.”
5 B – This option successfully captures the global narrative: acknowledging the long wait and the initial struggle, while celebrating the successful, delicious outcome and the overarching lesson of patience.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
From Trash to Treasure
I’ve always been crazy about fashion, especially sports shoes. However, rare sneakers are usually incredibly expensive, and I simply couldn’t afford to buy brand new pairs with my small amount of pocket money. Last year, while I was watching videos online, I discovered a community of people who restore old shoes. I realised that if I bought cheap, dirty sneakers from internet auctions, I could clean them up and perhaps make a small profit. I decided to give it a try and ordered my first pair.
When the box finally arrived, I was actually quite shocked. The sneakers were in a terrible condition. The leather was deeply scratched, the laces were completely black with dirt, and they smelled awful. I quickly realised that fixing them was going to be much harder than simply washing them in the sink. I had to buy special soft brushes and spend hours carefully scrubbing the material. After that, I learned how to use special leather paint to cover the ugly scratches, making sure the colours matched perfectly.
The most difficult challenge, however, was fixing the bottom of the shoes. The rubber soles, which were originally bright white, had turned an ugly dark yellow colour over the years. Normal soap had absolutely no effect on them. I had to read several articles to find the solution. I discovered I needed to paint the rubber with a strong chemical cream, wrap the shoes in clear plastic, and leave them outside in the bright sunshine. I had to be extremely careful because the chemicals were quite harsh and dangerous to touch.
After three days of hard work, the transformation was absolutely incredible. When I placed the restored sneakers next to a photograph of what they looked like when I bought them, I could hardly believe my eyes. They looked like they had just come straight from a fashionable shoe shop. I took some high-quality photos and put them back on the auction website. Within a few hours, a collector bought them for three times the price I had originally paid!
That single project started a fantastic new hobby. Not only do I make a healthy profit, but the feeling of saving something broken is deeply satisfying. I have learned that with patience and the right skills, you can bring almost anything back to life.
1 Why did the writer start restoring old sneakers?
(A) He wanted to wear the newest sports shoes to school.
(B) He hoped to make some money by repairing inexpensive old shoes.
(C) He needed to complete a fashion project for his design class.
(D) He wanted to copy the famous people he saw in online videos.
2 How did the writer feel when he received his first pair of sneakers?
(A) Disappointed because they were the wrong size.
(B) Annoyed that the internet seller had charged him too much.
(C) Surprised by how much work they were going to need.
(D) Worried that he wouldn’t be able to find the right paint colours.
3 What did the writer have to do to fix the yellow rubber soles?
(A) Scrub them for hours using normal soap and hot water.
(B) Buy brand new rubber bottoms from a fashionable shoe shop.
(C) Wrap them in plastic to protect them from strong chemicals.
(D) Apply a special substance and use natural sunlight.
4 What happened when the writer finished the restoration?
(A) He successfully sold them to someone for a lot more money.
(B) He decided to keep the sneakers for his own private collection.
(C) He used a photograph to prove to the buyer that the shoes were genuine.
(D) He was disappointed that nobody bid on them at the auction.
5 What would the writer write in a blog post about his hobby?
(A) “Restoring shoes is a great way to earn money, but using the harsh chemicals is simply too dangerous for beginners.”
(B) “Fixing up rare sneakers is a very rewarding way to make a profit and stop old things from being thrown away.”
(C) “It takes a lot of time and effort to clean old sneakers, so I prefer to just save my money and buy new ones.”
(D) “I love painting shoes, but it’s impossible to make the rubber bottoms look white again once they turn yellow.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph, “I realised that if I bought cheap, dirty sneakers from internet auctions, I could clean them up and perhaps make a small profit.” This directly paraphrases to hoping to make some money by repairing inexpensive old shoes.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains he was “shocked” because they were in “terrible condition” and he “realised that fixing them was going to be much harder than simply washing them”. This is a factually correct paraphrase for being surprised by how much work they were going to need.
3 D – Paragraph three explains that to fix the rubber soles, he needed to “paint the rubber with a strong chemical cream… and leave them outside in the bright sunshine.” This maps perfectly to applying a special substance and using natural sunlight.
4 A – The fourth paragraph states that the writer put them on an auction website and “a collector bought them for three times the price I had originally paid!” This matches successfully selling them for a lot more money.
5 B – This option successfully captures the global meaning and the specific lesson in the final paragraph: “Not only do I make a healthy profit, but the feeling of saving something broken is deeply satisfying.”
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Building My First Kite
Ever since I was little, I have loved watching colourful kites at the beach. Last month, I decided I wanted a new kite for the summer. However, instead of buying one from a toy shop, I thought it would be a much better idea to design and build my own from scratch. I believed it would be a fun project, and I loved the idea of creating something completely unique that nobody else had.
The building process was actually quite straightforward. I watched a few online tutorials to understand the basic shape. Then, I gathered some light wooden sticks, a bright red plastic bag, and strong string. I carefully tied the sticks together to make a diamond shape and attached the plastic to the frame. When I held the finished kite in my hands, I felt incredibly proud of my handiwork and couldn’t wait to test it.
The following Saturday was very windy, which was absolutely perfect for flying. I went to the local park, feeling confident and excited. I held the string tightly and threw the kite into the air. However, my excitement quickly turned into disappointment. Instead of floating up towards the clouds, my beautiful red kite immediately spun in circles and nose-dived straight into the grass. I tried several more times, but the exact same thing happened.
I sat down on the grass, feeling frustrated, but I refused to give up. I looked at my design and realised that the top was heavier than the bottom, meaning it was completely unbalanced. I remembered from my science classes that objects only fly well if their weight is shared properly. To fix this, I made a long tail using a spare piece of string and some folded paper ribbons. I attached it to the bottom, hoping the extra weight would keep the kite straight.
When I launched the kite again, the difference was amazing. The new tail balanced everything perfectly, and the kite flew incredibly high into the sky. Watching my own creation dance in the wind was a fantastic feeling. Building it myself taught me a valuable lesson about aerodynamics, and the reward of fixing the problem made the experience much better than just spending money in a shop.
1 Why did the writer want to make his own kite?
(A) To save money for his summer holidays.
(B) To have an item that was different from everyone else’s.
(C) To complete a science project for his school.
(D) Because the plastic kites in the toy shop were broken.
2 How did the writer feel after finishing the kite?
(A) Surprised that the instructions were so difficult to follow.
(B) Worried that the plastic bag would tear in the strong wind.
(C) Very pleased with the object he had managed to create.
(D) Annoyed that it took so long to tie the wooden sticks together.
3 What happened when the writer first tried to fly the kite?
(A) The string broke immediately because of the strong wind.
(B) It went up to the clouds before suddenly falling down.
(C) The strong wind blew it into a nearby tree.
(D) It hit the ground almost as soon as he let go of it.
4 Why did the writer add a tail to the kite?
(A) To make the kite look more attractive in the sky.
(B) To see if he could make the kite fly faster.
(C) To solve an issue with how the kite’s weight was distributed.
(D) To replace a piece of the wooden frame that had broken.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that evening?
(A) Building a kite was a total disaster. I spent hours working on it, and it just crashed into the ground. Next time, I’ll just go to the toy shop!
(B) I’m so happy my kite flew perfectly the very first time! It shows that if you use the right materials, you don’t need to worry about physics or weight.
(C) I was really upset when my kite wouldn’t fly today. I still can’t figure out why it kept spinning, but I’m going to ask my science teacher for help on Monday.
(D) Seeing my kite finally stay up in the air was so rewarding. Overcoming the initial flying problems taught me that making things myself is totally worth the effort.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that the writer loved the idea of “creating something completely unique that nobody else had,” which paraphrases having an item different from everyone else’s.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer says, “I felt incredibly proud of my handiwork,” which means he was very pleased with what he had created.
3 D – The third paragraph describes how the kite “immediately spun in circles and nose-dived straight into the grass,” meaning it hit the ground almost as soon as he launched it.
4 C – The fourth paragraph explains that the kite was “completely unbalanced” because the top was heavier than the bottom, so he added the tail hoping the “extra weight would keep the kite straight.”
5 D – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the passage: acknowledging the initial failure (crashing), fixing the problem, and concluding that the successful flight made building it from scratch highly rewarding.