Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Collections & Niche Hobbies
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Mastering the Cube
Ever since I was a child, I have always had a Rubik’s cube lying around my bedroom, but I usually gave up after getting just one colour right. A few months ago, I was browsing the internet and discovered a video of a speedcubing competition. Teenagers my age were solving the puzzle in less than ten seconds! I was completely amazed. Although I knew I wouldn’t be that fast, I decided to set myself a personal challenge: I wanted to solve the cube in under a minute.
At first, my progress was painfully slow. I soon realised that solving a Rubik’s cube isn’t just about moving the sides randomly; it requires you to learn specific series of moves, which are called algorithms. There were so many of them to memorise, and my brain felt completely exhausted. I often mixed up the instructions, turning a side to the left when I should have turned it to the right. After a couple of weeks, my fingers were aching, and the whole process felt incredibly confusing. I seriously thought about putting the cube back in my cupboard forever.
However, I decided to keep trying and practised for an hour every single evening. Slowly, something magical began to happen. I didn’t have to look at my instruction notes anymore, and I stopped thinking about every single move. Instead, my hands just knew exactly what to do. My science teacher explained that this is called muscle memory. My fingers were moving automatically, twisting and turning the colours into place without my brain needing to process the information first. It was a very strange but brilliant feeling.
Finally, the day came to test myself properly. I sat at my desk, started my stopwatch, and looked at the scrambled cube. My hands flew across the plastic squares, and before I knew it, every side was perfectly matched. I hit the timer: 45 seconds! I jumped out of my chair with a huge sense of mental triumph. I hadn’t just solved a puzzle; I had trained my brain and hands to work together perfectly. Now, I am trying to reach 30 seconds, and I might even enter a local competition next year!
1 Why did the writer decide to start speedcubing?
(A) He wanted to beat a world record of ten seconds.
(B) He felt inspired after watching a competition online.
(C) He wanted to finally finish the cube he had as a child.
(D) He was invited to a local event by other teenagers.
2 How did the writer feel while trying to learn the algorithms?
(A) Confident that he would soon understand the instructions.
(B) Annoyed that his instruction notes had mistakes in them.
(C) Frustrated because the movements were so difficult to remember.
(D) Surprised that his fingers were fast enough to do the moves.
3 What does the writer say about “muscle memory”?
(A) It allowed him to solve the cube without thinking about the steps.
(B) It was a special technique that his science teacher had invented.
(C) It helped his brain to process the instructions much faster.
(D) It required him to look at his notes while moving his hands.
4 When the writer solved the cube in 45 seconds, he
(A) realised the puzzle was much easier than he originally thought.
(B) felt proud of how his mind and body had worked together.
(C) decided to stop playing with Rubik’s cubes and try a new hobby.
(D) was disappointed because he didn’t reach his target time.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that night?
(A) I can’t believe I finally solved it, but my hands hurt so much that I’m giving up speedcubing tomorrow.
(B) Learning the algorithms was a complete waste of time, as I ended up just twisting the sides randomly to win.
(C) The journey was exhausting and confusing at times, but the feeling of achieving my goal was totally worth it.
(D) I’m thrilled with my time of 45 seconds, especially since I managed to beat the teenagers I saw in the online video!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that he discovered a video of a competition, was amazed, and “decided to set myself a personal challenge,” which means he was inspired by watching it online.
2 C – The second paragraph describes how his “brain felt completely exhausted” and the “process felt incredibly confusing” because there were so many moves to memorise, reflecting frustration with remembering the movements.
3 A – The third paragraph explains that because of muscle memory, his fingers moved automatically “without my brain needing to process the information first,” meaning he didn’t have to think about the steps.
4 B – In the fourth paragraph, the writer expresses a “huge sense of mental triumph” and is happy because he had “trained my brain and hands to work together perfectly.”
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the passage: acknowledging the initial difficulty and exhaustion of learning the algorithms, but concluding with the huge sense of triumph and achievement when he finally reached his goal.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Tiny World of My Own
My name is Robin, and I have always been fascinated by tiny things. Last month, I decided to try a new craft project: making a miniature diorama inside an empty matchbox. I wanted to create a tiny, hyper-realistic living room complete with bookshelves, a rug, and a comfortable chair. I had seen pictures of them online and thought it would be a relaxing and simple way to spend my weekend. I gathered some cardboard, glue, and paper, ready to build my tiny masterpiece.
However, I soon discovered that working on such a small scale is incredibly difficult. Creating the miniature furniture was much harder than I expected. When I tried to fold tiny pieces of paper to make miniature books, my thick fingers kept crushing them. After an hour of staring closely at the tiny details, my eyes began to ache terribly, and I felt a severe headache starting. I was extremely frustrated and wondered why I had chosen a hobby that was so physically uncomfortable.
Despite the eye strain and frustration, I refused to give up on my little room. I decided to change my approach and borrowed a magnifying glass and some fine tweezers from my parents. This made a huge difference. By working slowly and taking frequent breaks to rest my eyes, I managed to carefully glue the tiny books onto the shelves and place the cardboard chair on the handmade rug.
When I finally finished the project, the result was absolutely magical. Inside the ordinary matchbox was a perfect, hyper-realistic room. Looking at my completed diorama, all my previous frustration disappeared. In a real world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming, building this tiny, perfect room gave me a deeply comforting sense of control. I realised that creating a small world exactly the way I wanted it was a wonderful way to relax and manage my stress.
1 Why did Robin decide to make the diorama?
(A) He wanted to sell tiny furniture on the internet.
(B) He needed to complete a school art project.
(C) He thought it would be a calming and easy weekend activity.
(D) He was given an empty matchbox for his birthday.
2 What problem did Robin experience while making the diorama?
(A) He ran out of cardboard and glue.
(B) The detailed work caused his eyes to hurt.
(C) He couldn’t find any pictures of tiny rooms online.
(D) His parents took away his magnifying glass.
3 How did Robin solve his problem?
(A) He asked his parents to fold the tiny books for him.
(B) He bought a larger matchbox to make the work easier.
(C) He stopped making furniture and only made a rug.
(D) He used special tools and rested his eyes regularly.
4 How did Robin feel when he looked at his finished diorama?
(A) Disappointed that the room didn’t look completely realistic.
(B) Relieved because he could finally throw the matchbox away.
(C) Comforted by having power over his own perfect little environment.
(D) Worried that the chaotic real world would destroy his work.
5 What would Robin write in a text message to a friend?
(A) Making miniatures is so painful for my eyes that I have decided to start making life-sized furniture instead.
(B) It was frustrating at first, but finishing my tiny matchbox room gave me a wonderful feeling of peace and control.
(C) I built a tiny room this weekend, but my fingers crushed all the books so it looks like a terrible mess.
(D) The magnifying glass didn’t help at all. I think building dioramas is just too difficult to be a fun hobby.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In paragraph 1, Robin states that he wanted to create a tiny living room because he “thought it would be a relaxing and simple way to spend my weekend,” mapping to a calming and easy activity.
2 B – In paragraph 2, Robin explains that after staring closely at the tiny details, “my eyes began to ache terribly, and I felt a severe headache starting,” which means the detailed work caused his eyes to hurt.
3 D – In paragraph 3, Robin changes his approach: he “borrowed a magnifying glass and some fine tweezers” (special tools) and worked slowly, “taking frequent breaks to rest my eyes.”
4 C – In paragraph 4, Robin reflects that in a chaotic real world, building the perfect room gave him “a deeply comforting sense of control” and allowed him to create “a small world exactly the way I wanted it.”
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and Robin’s emotional arc perfectly. He acknowledges the initial difficulty (frustration/eye strain) but concludes that completing the hyper-realistic room gave him a comforting sense of control and peace.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Board Game Challenge
I have always been a huge fan of video games, but last year, I decided I needed a screen-free hobby. While searching online, I discovered the world of rare European board games. Unlike the simple games I played as a child, these looked incredibly detailed and beautifully designed. I was immediately fascinated by the historical themes and complex strategies. Although they were quite expensive, I saved up my pocket money and ordered my very first game from a seller in Germany. I couldn’t wait to invite my friends over to play.
When the heavy box finally arrived, I eagerly opened it. The pieces were gorgeous, but my excitement quickly disappeared when I saw the rulebook. It was over forty pages long and filled with complicated instructions. Because the game was from Europe, the English translation was also slightly confusing. I spent my entire weekend reading the pages again and again, trying to understand how the scoring system worked. I began to wonder if I had made a terrible mistake buying something so difficult.
A few days later, I invited three of my best friends over for our first game night. I thought I knew the rules, but explaining them to other people was a complete nightmare. After thirty minutes of listening to me read from the book, my friends were bored and confused. We started playing anyway, but people kept making mistakes. Soon, we were all arguing about what was allowed. One friend even suggested we give up and turn on the television instead.
However, I asked them to be patient and play one more round. Suddenly, everything clicked. Everyone understood the strategy, and the room went quiet as we all concentrated on our next moves. The game became incredibly tense and exciting. By the end of the evening, we were laughing and talking about the amazing strategies we had used. It was the best night we had shared in months. It taught me that while video games are fun, sitting around a table with real people creates a much stronger connection. I am already planning my next game purchase!
1 Why did the writer buy his first European board game?
(A) He wanted to find an activity that didn’t involve screens.
(B) He wanted to play the simple games from his childhood.
(C) His friends suggested it would be a fun weekend activity.
(D) He found a cheap seller located in Germany.
2 How did the writer feel after opening the box?
(A) Excited because the English translation was very clear.
(B) Annoyed that the game pieces were missing from the box.
(C) Worried because the instructions were extremely long and difficult.
(D) Proud that he had read the forty-page book in one weekend.
3 What happened during the first game night with his friends?
(A) His friends decided to turn on the television immediately.
(B) The group had disagreements because the rules were hard to follow.
(C) The writer realised he had forgotten to read the rulebook.
(D) His friends explained the scoring system to the writer.
4 What does the writer believe at the end of the text?
(A) European board games are too stressful to play often.
(B) Playing board games together is better for socialising than video games.
(C) He should create his own video game based on the board game.
(D) His friends prefer video games over complex strategy games.
5 What would the writer write in his diary today?
(A) I spent all my money on a German board game, but my friends hated it. I will definitely sell it online tomorrow.
(B) Learning the rules was a struggle and caused some arguments, but our game night proved that tabletop games are a great way to bond.
(C) My friends and I argued all night about a new board game. I’ve decided that playing video games alone is much more fun.
(D) The rulebook was forty pages long, but I explained it perfectly. We didn’t make a single mistake during our first game!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The first paragraph states that the writer “needed a screen-free hobby,” which matches the idea of finding an activity that doesn’t involve screens.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer says his “excitement quickly disappeared” when he saw the rulebook was “over forty pages long and filled with complicated instructions,” leading him to wonder if he had made a terrible mistake.
3 B – The third paragraph describes the friends getting bored and confused, making mistakes, and then “arguing about what was allowed,” which means they had disagreements over hard-to-follow rules.
4 B – In the final paragraph, the writer concludes that “sitting around a table with real people creates a much stronger connection” compared to video games, meaning it is better for socializing.
5 B – This option perfectly captures the global narrative arc: it acknowledges the difficult learning process and initial arguments, while highlighting the ultimate success of the night and the realization that board games build strong social connections.