Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Digital Arts, Writing & Creative Media
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Power of Words
I have always enjoyed art classes at school because I love drawing and painting. However, last month, my teacher gave us a project that completely surprised me. We had to design a poster to advertise a local music festival, but there was a strict rule: we could only use letters and words. We weren’t allowed to include any photographs or drawings. When I heard this, I felt incredibly disappointed. I didn’t understand how I could make an exciting poster without using any pictures.
When I went home and turned on my computer, I felt very uninspired. I typed the name of the festival and the dates onto a blank page. It looked extremely boring. I spent an hour changing the words to different standard sizes, but it still just looked like a normal school essay. I was so frustrated that I almost emailed my teacher to ask if I could do a different project. I thought that a design without images would always be ugly.
Instead of giving up, I decided to stop treating the letters like normal text and start treating them like shapes. I chose a massive, thick font for the main title and made the letters so big that they went off the edge of the page. Then, I changed the colours from black to bright, bold pink and yellow. I even turned some of the words sideways and made them overlap each other. Suddenly, the page didn’t look boring anymore.
When I finally printed my poster the next day, I couldn’t believe what I had achieved. It looked like a highly striking, modern piece of graphic design. When I showed it to my class, my teacher was amazed by how creative it was. My classmates even asked me which computer programme I had used to make something so cool.
This challenging assignment changed my whole opinion about art. Before, I thought you always needed a great photograph or a beautiful drawing to catch people’s attention. Now, I realise that typography—the style and appearance of printed text—can be just as powerful. Playing with words has become my new favourite hobby, and if I study graphic design at college, I will definitely focus on typography.
1 How did the writer feel when the teacher explained the project?
(A) excited to learn how to use a new computer programme
(B) annoyed that she had to work with other students
(C) upset because she was prevented from using images
(D) worried that she didn’t know enough about the music festival
2 What did the writer think about her work after the first hour?
(A) It contained too many spelling mistakes.
(B) It was too difficult for people to read.
(C) It looked like a piece of ordinary homework.
(D) It was better than she had originally expected.
3 How did the writer change her poster?
(A) She used the words as if they were artistic shapes.
(B) She found a way to hide pictures behind the letters.
(C) She copied a design from a famous graphic designer.
(D) She decided to make all the letters much smaller.
4 What happened when the writer showed her poster to her classmates?
(A) They didn’t believe she had made it herself.
(B) They were impressed by how good it looked.
(C) They wanted to know what the words meant.
(D) They asked her to design festival posters for them.
5 What would the writer write in her diary about the project?
(A) I’m glad the project is over because creating a poster without any pictures was an incredibly boring experience.
(B) I have discovered that you don’t need photographs to make an exciting and attractive design.
(C) My teacher gave me a bad mark because I didn’t follow the strict rules of the assignment.
(D) If you want to study graphic design, you should spend more time practicing your drawing skills.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In paragraph 1, the writer states that they “weren’t allowed to include any photographs or drawings” and she “felt incredibly disappointed,” which matches being upset about being prevented from using images.
2 C – Paragraph 2 explains that after spending an hour changing the words, “it still just looked like a normal school essay,” which is paraphrased as looking like ordinary homework.
3 A – In paragraph 3, the writer says, “I decided to stop treating the letters like normal text and start treating them like shapes,” matching the idea of using words as artistic shapes.
4 B – Paragraph 4 mentions that the teacher was “amazed” and her classmates “asked me which computer programme I had used to make something so cool,” showing they were impressed by how good it looked.
5 B – This captures the global meaning and the lesson learned in the final paragraph. The writer’s opinion changed, and she realized that typography “can be just as powerful” as photographs or drawings to catch people’s attention.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Creating Perfect Silence
I have always enjoyed watching ASMR videos on YouTube to help me relax before bed. People in these videos make gentle, quiet noises that are incredibly satisfying to listen to. Last month, I finally decided to start my own channel. I used my birthday money to buy a high-quality microphone and chose some simple objects to record, like a piece of wood. I thought creating these videos would be the easiest thing in the world. I just needed to tap the wood gently and film it.
However, my first recording session did not go as planned. I sat in my bedroom, set up my new microphone, and tapped on the wood for ten minutes. It sounded perfectly quiet to my ears. But when I put on my headphones to listen to the recording, I was extremely disappointed. Instead of a relaxing tapping sound, there was a loud, annoying hum in the background. I soon realised it was the noise of the kitchen fridge downstairs! My microphone was so sensitive that it picked up everything. I felt very frustrated and almost returned the microphone to the shop.
Instead of giving up, I searched online for ways to fix bad audio. I discovered that professional studios use special materials to block out unwanted noise. Since I couldn’t afford a real studio, I decided to make my own. I collected all the heavy blankets and thick pillows I could find in my house and built a small fort around my desk. It looked completely ridiculous, like a child’s play area, but when I climbed inside, it was perfectly silent.
I set up my equipment inside the dark blanket fort and recorded the wooden tapping sounds again. This time, the audio was beautifully clear and crisp. There was no fridge hum at all. When I uploaded the video, several people left kind comments saying how much they loved it. Although making a simple video was much harder than I expected, it taught me a lot about audio engineering. Controlling sound requires a lot of patience, but the final result is definitely worth the effort. I am already planning my next video using hairbrushes!
1 How did the writer feel about making ASMR videos before starting?
(A) He expected it to be a very simple task.
(B) He was worried that his microphone wasn’t good enough.
(C) He thought he would need to buy lots of wooden objects.
(D) He believed it would take a long time to get followers.
2 Why was the writer disappointed with his first recording?
(A) He accidentally broke his new headphones.
(B) The microphone captured unwanted background sounds.
(C) The tapping on the wood was too loud and annoying.
(D) He could hear his family talking in the kitchen.
3 How did the writer solve his audio problem?
(A) He bought special materials from a professional studio.
(B) He moved his desk into a child’s playroom.
(C) He turned off all the noisy appliances in his house.
(D) He used everyday items to create a quiet space.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) Hairbrushes make the best sounds for ASMR videos.
(B) Creating good audio takes a lot of careful control.
(C) Building a blanket fort is usually a waste of time.
(D) It is impossible to make good videos without a real studio.
5 What would the writer say in his video blog?
(A) I tried to make an ASMR video, but my house is just too noisy. I’m going to return my microphone and find a different hobby.
(B) If you want to make ASMR videos, you must rent a professional studio. Blankets and pillows just don’t work for blocking out heavy noise.
(C) Who knew that recording quiet sounds could be so complicated? Building a blanket fort saved my audio, and I’m really proud of my first video!
(D) The best part about recording ASMR is that it takes no effort at all. You just buy a microphone and start tapping on things immediately.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In paragraph 1, the writer states, “I thought creating these videos would be the easiest thing in the world. I just needed to tap the wood gently and film it.”
2 B – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that instead of just the tapping, “there was a loud, annoying hum in the background” because the sensitive microphone picked up the kitchen fridge.
3 D – Paragraph 3 details how the writer “collected all the heavy blankets and thick pillows… and built a small fort around my desk,” meaning he used everyday household items to make a silent space.
4 B – In paragraph 4, the writer reflects on the process, concluding that “Controlling sound requires a lot of patience” and that he learned a lot about audio engineering.
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: realizing the task was harder than expected, using a DIY blanket fort to successfully block out noise, and feeling proud of the final outcome.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Organising My Digital Life
I have always been an incredibly disorganized person. My bedroom is usually a mess, and last year, I constantly forgot to do my homework or attend football practice. I knew I needed to change, so when I read an article about ‘bullet journaling’, I decided to try it. Because I love technology, I chose to do it digitally on my tablet instead of using a traditional paper notebook. I believed this would magically solve all my problems.
I downloaded a popular planning app and spent my whole weekend setting it up. However, instead of actually planning my week, I became obsessed with making it look perfect. I spent hours choosing the prettiest digital stickers, downloading colourful fonts, and drawing beautiful borders on every page. I thought that if my planner looked amazing, I would definitely want to use it. But when Monday arrived, I was too busy admiring the artwork to write down my school assignments. I was just as disorganized as before!
After a month of missed deadlines and forgotten appointments, I felt completely frustrated. My digital journal was a beautiful piece of art, but it was absolutely useless for organising my life. I realised that the decorations were actually a huge distraction. I decided to search online for advice and discovered a community of people who practice ‘minimalist’ bullet journaling. Their pages had no stickers or bright colours at all. They just used simple black text, bullet points, and straight lines.
I immediately deleted all the colourful pages in my app and started again with a completely blank, white screen. I created a very basic daily list using only black text. Every morning, I spent just five minutes writing down my tasks for the day. To my surprise, this simple method worked perfectly. Without the distraction of choosing colours and stickers, I could finally focus on what I actually needed to do. My chaotic mind suddenly felt clear and calm.
Looking back, I now understand that a planner is simply a tool, not an art project. Digital bullet journaling has completely changed my life, but only because I learned how to use it properly. I am much more relaxed now that I am in control of my schedule, and I haven’t forgotten a homework assignment in months!
1 Why did the writer decide to start a digital bullet journal?
(A) He wanted to improve his skills with new technology.
(B) He hoped it would help him stop forgetting things.
(C) His football coach told him to be more organized.
(D) He needed a new place to draw and create art.
2 What happened when the writer first got the planning app?
(A) He wasted too much time making the pages look attractive.
(B) He wrote down so many tasks that he felt stressed.
(C) He couldn’t understand how to use the digital stickers.
(D) He planned his whole week perfectly but forgot to check it.
3 How did the writer solve his problem with the journal?
(A) He bought a traditional paper notebook instead.
(B) He asked his friends to help him organize his time.
(C) He found a simpler way of journaling on the internet.
(D) He decided to use a completely different app on his tablet.
4 How did the writer feel after changing his journaling style?
(A) Disappointed that his pages looked so boring.
(B) Worried that he wasn’t spending enough time on it.
(C) Surprised that it was so difficult to use black text.
(D) Pleased that he could finally concentrate on his tasks.
5 What would the writer say about his experience with digital bullet journaling?
(A) “It is much better to use a paper notebook because digital apps have too many distractions.”
(B) “I realized that decorating my planner was a waste of time, and a basic system is what I really needed.”
(C) “Although it took a long time to learn how to draw digitally, my planner looks amazing now.”
(D) “I still forget things sometimes, but at least I have a beautiful digital art book to look at.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that he constantly forgot his homework and practice, so he knew he needed to change and believed the journal would “magically solve all my problems.”
2 A – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that instead of planning, he “became obsessed with making it look perfect” and “spent hours choosing the prettiest digital stickers.”
3 C – The third paragraph mentions that he “decided to search online for advice” and discovered a community practicing “minimalist” journaling with no stickers or bright colors.
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, he notes that without the distractions, “I could finally focus on what I actually needed to do” and his mind “suddenly felt clear and calm.”
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and the lesson learned in the final paragraph: the planner is a tool, not an art project, and stripping away the decorations allowed him to finally organize his life successfully.