Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Visual Arts, Crafts & Making Things
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Clear as Glass
My name is Sophie, and I am always looking for new creative projects. Last weekend, I decided to try my hand at resin art. I had watched a few online videos and was amazed by how people created beautiful, colourful coasters that looked like real glass. I bought a starter kit containing liquid resin, hardener, and various bright dyes. I carefully mixed the chemicals together in a plastic cup, excited to create a stunning set of blue and gold coasters for my mother’s birthday.
However, the process wasn’t as simple as it looked on the screen. After pouring the thick liquid into the silicone moulds, I noticed a huge problem. Hundreds of tiny air bubbles were trapped inside the mixture. Instead of looking beautiful and transparent, the resin looked incredibly cloudy and messy. I waited for an hour, hoping the bubbles would disappear on their own, but they stayed exactly where they were. I felt extremely frustrated and worried that I had completely ruined my mother’s present.
I refused to give up, so I quickly searched the internet for a solution. I discovered that resin art isn’t just about creativity; it also involves a lot of chemistry. The bubbles are caused by a chemical reaction when mixing the liquids, and the best way to remove them is by applying heat. I rushed to the garage, borrowed my father’s heat gun, and carefully held it over the wet coasters. Almost instantly, the hot air caused the tiny trapped bubbles to rise to the surface and pop.
Within minutes, the cloudy mixture transformed completely. The resin settled into a crystal-clear, glass-like finish, perfectly showing off the swirling blue and gold colours. When the coasters finally dried the next day, they looked absolutely professional. My mother was delighted with her beautiful gift. That stressful but rewarding experience taught me that in art, just like in science, knowing how to solve unexpected problems is the key to creating a true masterpiece.
1 Why did Sophie decide to make the coasters?
(A) She needed to replace some broken glass coasters in her house.
(B) She wanted to make a beautiful, handmade gift for her mother.
(C) She was asked to create them for an online art tutorial.
(D) She wanted to practice using her father’s new tools.
2 What was the main problem with Sophie’s project at first?
(A) She accidentally dropped the silicone moulds on the floor.
(B) The blue and gold dyes didn’t mix together properly in the cup.
(C) The resin was filled with trapped air and looked very unclear.
(D) The liquid resin dried much too quickly before she could pour it.
3 How did Sophie fix the issue with the cloudy resin?
(A) She used a tool to warm the liquid, which popped the bubbles.
(B) She added more clear liquid to dissolve the trapped air completely.
(C) She stirred the mixture much faster to stop the chemical reaction.
(D) She waited another hour for the bubbles to disappear naturally.
4 How did Sophie feel about the final result?
(A) Disappointed that the coasters took a whole day to dry.
(B) Annoyed that she had to borrow tools from her father’s garage.
(C) Worried that her mother would notice the tiny bubbles inside the resin.
(D) Proud because overcoming the chemical issue led to a beautiful product.
5 What would Sophie write in a text message to a friend?
(A) Making resin art is impossible. My coasters turned out completely cloudy, so I had to buy my mum a different present.
(B) I ruined my coasters by applying too much heat, so I have decided to stick to normal painting from now on.
(C) I panicked when my resin went cloudy, but learning the chemistry behind using heat saved my beautiful coasters!
(D) Resin art is just mixing liquids. It was incredibly easy and I didn’t have to solve any problems at all!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, Sophie explains she carefully mixed the chemicals because she was “excited to create a stunning set of blue and gold coasters for my mother’s birthday.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, Sophie states that “Hundreds of tiny air bubbles were trapped inside the mixture” and that the resin “looked incredibly cloudy and messy.”
3 A – In paragraph 3, Sophie learns that the best way to remove bubbles is by applying heat. She then “borrowed my father’s heat gun, and carefully held it over the wet coasters,” which caused the bubbles to pop.
4 D – In paragraph 4, Sophie notes that the coasters looked “absolutely professional” and describes the process as a “rewarding experience” that taught her how solving unexpected problems helps create a masterpiece.
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and Sophie’s emotional journey. It highlights her initial panic over the cloudy resin, but concludes with her successful use of the heat gun (chemistry/heat) to save the project and create beautiful coasters.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Calligraffiti Journey
I have always been fascinated by the way words look. When I was younger, my grandfather taught me traditional calligraphy, which is the art of beautiful, elegant handwriting. But as a teenager living in a big city, I also fell in love with the bold, bright graffiti on the walls of my neighbourhood. For a long time, I thought these two types of art were completely separate. Then, I read an article about ‘calligraffiti’—an exciting mix of classical writing and urban street art. I immediately decided to buy some thick markers and try it for myself.
However, my first few attempts were extremely disappointing. I stood in front of a large piece of paper in my bedroom, trying to create large, dramatic letters. Because graffiti requires fast, confident sweeps of the hand, I rushed my movements. The thick ink from my markers just looked like a disorganised, messy cloud of black lines. It didn’t look like elegant writing or cool street art. I felt so frustrated that I actually considered throwing my expensive new pens straight into the rubbish bin.
I realised I needed to change my approach if I wanted to succeed. Instead of rushing, I started to pay attention to the rhythm of my hand. I practised combining the slow, careful curves of traditional calligraphy with the sharp, energetic shapes of urban graffiti. If I kept a steady beat, the letters started to flow naturally. It was a difficult process, and I filled dozens of notebooks with practice lines, but slowly, the messy marks transformed into something that actually made sense.
Eventually, I developed my own unique signature style. When I finally shared a picture of my best calligraffiti piece on social media, the reaction was incredible. Several local street artists messaged me to say how much they loved the mix of old and new styles. The whole experience has taught me that you shouldn’t be afraid to mix things that seem completely different. Next month, I am going to paint my first piece on a legal community wall, and I can’t wait to share my art with the whole city.
1 Why did the writer start doing calligraffiti?
(A) He wanted to impress his grandfather with his new handwriting.
(B) He discovered a style that combined his two favourite kinds of art.
(C) He needed to practice his traditional calligraphy for an art class.
(D) He wanted to paint bright pictures on the walls in his neighbourhood.
2 How did the writer feel about his early attempts?
(A) Annoyed because the markers he bought were too expensive.
(B) Surprised that his elegant writing looked so similar to street art.
(C) Disappointed because moving too quickly created an ugly result.
(D) Confident that he could easily draw large, dramatic letters.
3 How did the writer improve his technique?
(A) He threw away his old notebooks and bought new ones.
(B) He asked traditional calligraphers for advice on his hand movements.
(C) He stopped trying to include sharp, energetic graffiti shapes.
(D) He found a good balance between slow curves and sharp lines.
4 What does the writer say about his future plans?
(A) He hopes to teach local artists how to combine old and new styles.
(B) He is looking forward to creating an artwork in a public space.
(C) He wants to sell his unique pieces of art on social media.
(D) He plans to stop using social media to share his drawings.
5 What would the writer write in his diary today?
(A) I should have listened to my grandfather. Combining his elegant writing with messy street art was a terrible idea, and I’ve completely wasted my money on markers.
(B) It took a lot of practice to find the right rhythm, but blending classical writing with urban art has helped me create a style I’m truly proud of!
(C) Local artists loved my work, but I find calligraffiti too exhausting. I think I’ll just stick to writing in my notebooks from now on.
(D) The fast, energetic sweeps of graffiti are definitely easier than slow calligraphy. Tomorrow, I’m going to paint my bedroom wall completely black.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states that the writer loved both calligraphy and graffiti, and decided to try calligraffiti because it was an “exciting mix of classical writing and urban street art.”
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer mentions his attempts were “disappointing” because he “rushed” his movements (moved too quickly), which resulted in a “disorganised, messy cloud of black lines.”
3 D – The third paragraph describes his breakthrough where he “practised combining the slow, careful curves… with the sharp, energetic shapes,” meaning he found the right rhythm or balance.
4 B – The fourth paragraph details that next month he is “going to paint my first piece on a legal community wall, and I can’t wait,” indicating he is excited to make art in a public space.
5 B – This option successfully captures the global narrative: it acknowledges the initial difficulty of finding the right rhythm and the ultimate success of blending the two distinct styles to create something he is proud of.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Messy Masterpiece
I have always been passionate about drawing, but for years, my only tools were standard coloured pencils. I loved how neat and controlled they were. However, when my school announced an art exhibition for the end of the term, I decided it was time to try a completely new technique. While looking around a local craft shop, a box of brightly coloured chalk pastels caught my eye. I had never used them before, but I bought them immediately, feeling excited to create a picture of a sunset over the sea.
When I started drawing that weekend, my excitement quickly disappeared. I was used to creating very crisp, sharp lines with my pencils, so I tried to do exactly the same with the pastels. Unfortunately, it was a total disaster. The chalk produced a huge amount of coloured dust that spread across the paper. Every time my hand accidentally rested on the page, the colours smudged and mixed together, completely ruining the clear outlines of my mountains and sun. I felt incredibly annoyed and nearly threw the artwork in the bin.
Just as I was about to give up, I remembered something I had read online about pastel techniques. Instead of trying to keep the colours separate, I decided to use my fingers to gently rub the dusty chalk right into the paper. To my amazement, the hard marks disappeared and the colours blended beautifully. The bright orange, pink, and purple shades mixed to create an incredibly soft, dreamy texture in the sky. It was a stunning effect that I could never have achieved using my old pencils.
I proudly submitted my finished sunset to the school exhibition. Although the judges gave the first prize to a painting of a tiger, lots of students told me they loved my picture. Working with chalk pastels taught me a very valuable lesson about art. I realised that sometimes, letting go of control and allowing things to be a bit messy can produce the most beautiful results. I certainly won’t be throwing my pencils away, but I can’t wait to buy more pastel colours and start my next messy masterpiece!
1 Why did the writer buy the chalk pastels?
(A) She needed them for her regular art classes.
(B) She wanted to use a different method for an exhibition.
(C) Her teacher recommended them for drawing sunsets.
(D) She had lost her favourite box of coloured pencils.
2 How did the writer feel when she began using the pastels?
(A) Surprised by how easily they drew sharp lines.
(B) Worried about the amount of dust in her bedroom.
(C) Frustrated because she couldn’t keep her drawing neat.
(D) Disappointed that the colours weren’t bright enough.
3 What happened when the writer rubbed the pastels with her fingers?
(A) She realised she had ruined the paper.
(B) She created an effect she couldn’t get with pencils.
(C) She was finally able to draw clear shapes.
(D) She decided to look for more advice online.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) Art competitions are too difficult to win.
(B) Coloured pencils are still the best tools for art.
(C) Other students prefer neat and tidy artwork.
(D) Artwork doesn’t always have to be perfectly controlled.
5 What would the writer write in her diary that night?
(A) The exhibition was a disaster. Since I didn’t win first prize, I don’t think I’ll ever use pastels again.
(B) Chalk pastels are far too messy for me. I spent the whole weekend trying to clean the dust off my artwork.
(C) Even though I was annoyed at first, learning to mix the colours with my hands helped me create a picture I truly love.
(D) I’m so glad I watched that video about using pencils! It helped me draw the sharpest mountains I have ever done.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states that the writer wanted to “try a completely new technique” for an upcoming “school art exhibition,” which matches wanting to use a different method.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer mentions being used to crisp lines, but the pastels “smudged” and ruined the outlines, leaving her feeling “incredibly annoyed.”
3 B – The third paragraph describes how blending the pastels created a “soft, dreamy texture” and a “stunning effect that I could never have achieved using my old pencils.”
4 D – The fourth paragraph explains the writer’s realisation that “letting go of control and allowing things to be a bit messy can produce the most beautiful results.”
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the passage: acknowledging the initial annoyance with the smudging dust, but concluding that blending the colors by hand produced a highly rewarding result.