Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Environmental Conservation & Climate Action
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Making My Café Greener
I have always been passionate about protecting the environment, so when I got a weekend job at a busy local café, I was thrilled. It was a fantastic place to work, with friendly staff and delicious cakes. However, after just a few weeks, I noticed something that really bothered me. Every single day, we handed out hundreds of plastic straws with our cold drinks. Most customers used them for only ten minutes before throwing them into the rubbish bin. I knew that these tiny pieces of plastic were terrible for our oceans, and I felt I had to do something about it.
One quiet afternoon, I decided to discuss the issue with my manager, David. I politely suggested that we should completely stop using plastic straws and offer paper ones instead. I had read online that paper alternatives were much better for the environment because they break down quickly naturally. Although David agreed that plastic pollution was a serious global problem, he immediately rejected my idea. He explained that running a small business was already very expensive, and paper straws cost almost three times as much as plastic ones. He said the café simply couldn’t afford the extra expense.
Despite David’s refusal, I wasn’t ready to give up on my plan. I believed that our regular customers would actually support the change if we explained the reasons to them. So, during my next few shifts, I asked people a simple question while they were paying for their orders. I wanted to know if they would be happy to pay just five pence extra for their iced coffees and lemonades so the café could afford eco-friendly straws. To my surprise, almost everyone said yes. Many customers even told me they preferred businesses that cared about the planet.
At the end of the week, I showed David the results of my little survey. When he saw that over ninety percent of our customers were perfectly willing to accept a tiny price increase for a good cause, he was amazed. The very next day, he ordered a huge box of colourful paper straws and removed all the plastic ones from the counter. I feel incredibly proud whenever I look at our new environmentally friendly drinks. It has shown me that you don’t need to be the boss to make a positive change in a workplace.
1 Why was the writer unhappy at the café?
(A) She was asked to work too many weekend shifts.
(B) She realised how much plastic waste the café produced.
(C) Customers were throwing rubbish on the floor instead of the bin.
(D) She had to clean up hundreds of drinks every single day.
2 Why did David say no to the writer’s suggestion?
(A) He didn’t believe plastic was actually bad for the environment.
(B) He thought customers would dislike the taste of paper straws.
(C) He felt the alternative straws would cost the business too much.
(D) He had already ordered a large supply of plastic straws.
3 What did the writer discover when she spoke to the customers?
(A) They were willing to spend slightly more for greener options.
(B) They preferred drinking their iced coffees without any straws.
(C) They thought five pence was far too much to pay for a drink.
(D) They didn’t understand why the café wanted to change the straws.
4 How does the writer feel about the experience now?
(A) Surprised that David eventually became the manager.
(B) Pleased that her actions led to a new company policy.
(C) Disappointed that the colourful paper straws break so easily.
(D) Annoyed that she had to do all the customer research by herself.
5 What would the writer write in her diary?
(A) I’m glad David finally listened to me, but I think it’s unfair that he made the customers pay for his new paper straws.
(B) Working at the café is much better now. I just wish our regular customers cared more about protecting the oceans.
(C) David refused my idea because of the cost, so I’m going to look for a new job at a greener café next week.
(D) I managed to get rid of plastic at my job! It proves that even ordinary employees can persuade managers to be eco-friendly.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in paragraph 1 that she noticed they “handed out hundreds of plastic straws” every day and that this waste “really bothered” her.
2 C – In paragraph 2, David rejected the idea because “paper straws cost almost three times as much” and the café “simply couldn’t afford the extra expense.”
3 A – Paragraph 3 explains that when she asked if they would pay five pence extra so the café could afford eco-friendly straws, “almost everyone said yes.”
4 B – Paragraph 4 shows she feels “incredibly proud” looking at the environmentally friendly drinks and reflects that she made a “positive change in a workplace” (new policy).
5 D – This option accurately captures the global meaning of the text: she successfully eliminated plastic straws and learned that you don’t need to be the boss to make a difference at work.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Lesson in Hope
Last month, my science teacher asked us to prepare a presentation about climate change. While I was researching, I discovered a topic called ocean acidification. I have always loved the sea, so I was fascinated to learn how pollution changes the water and damages coral reefs. I decided this would be the perfect subject for my project, and I was excited to share my knowledge with the rest of the class.
I spent hours preparing my presentation. I wanted everyone to understand how serious the problem was, so I included plenty of photographs of dying coral and empty oceans. I filled my slides with facts about how marine life is disappearing because of human actions. I thought that if I showed my classmates the terrible reality, they would immediately want to protect the environment.
However, when I stood at the front of the classroom and gave my presentation, things didn’t go as I had expected. As I spoke, the room became incredibly quiet. Instead of looking inspired, my classmates looked miserable. When I finally finished and asked if anyone had questions, nobody said a word. Sitting back down, my friend whispered that my talk was so depressing that it made everyone feel completely hopeless.
I felt terrible because that hadn’t been my intention at all. After the lesson, my science teacher asked me to stay behind. She told me that my research was excellent and my slides were very professional. But then she explained that if you only tell people about a disaster, they will feel too sad to do anything. She advised me that environmental talks must always include actionable and positive solutions.
The following day, I asked my teacher if I could speak to the class for just five more minutes. This time, I didn’t show any sad pictures. Instead, I shared a list of simple things we could all do to help the oceans, like using less plastic and saving energy at home. The difference was amazing. People smiled, took notes, and asked questions. I finally understood that if you want to change the world, you have to give people hope.
1 Why did the writer choose to talk about ocean acidification?
(A) She wanted to persuade her classmates to visit the sea.
(B) She has a personal interest in the marine environment.
(C) Her science teacher told her to research coral reefs.
(D) She had already learned about it in a previous lesson.
2 What did the writer do to try and make her presentation effective?
(A) She used images showing the negative effects of pollution.
(B) She asked the class questions about human actions.
(C) She shared stories about her own experiences at sea.
(D) She tried to focus on the beauty of the ocean.
3 How did the writer feel immediately after her presentation?
(A) Upset because the class didn’t believe her scientific facts.
(B) Angry that her best friend interrupted her speech.
(C) Disappointed that she had made her audience feel so sad.
(D) Relieved that nobody asked her any difficult questions.
4 What did the writer’s teacher suggest?
(A) That she should do more research on the topic.
(B) That she needed to make her slides look more professional.
(C) That she should tell people how they can make a difference.
(D) That she should avoid talking about climate change entirely.
5 What would the writer say about her experience?
(A) I’m glad I scared my classmates, because now they will finally take climate change seriously.
(B) It is important to be honest about environmental problems, but you also need to show people how to help.
(C) Giving a presentation is terrifying, so I will never volunteer to speak in front of my class again.
(D) I wish I hadn’t changed my presentation, because my first one had much better scientific facts.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph, “I have always loved the sea, so I was fascinated to learn how pollution changes the water… I decided this would be the perfect subject”.
2 A – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that she “included plenty of photographs of dying coral and empty oceans” to show the terrible reality of the problem.
3 C – The third and fourth paragraphs describe how the class looked miserable and hopeless, which made the writer feel “terrible because that hadn’t been my intention at all.”
4 C – In the fourth paragraph, the teacher advises her that “environmental talks must always include actionable and positive solutions,” meaning she should tell people how to help.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and the lesson learned in the final paragraph: the writer realizes that while the facts are important, “if you want to change the world, you have to give people hope” through positive solutions.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Powering the Future
Since I joined our school’s environmental club two years ago, we have mostly focused on small activities like picking up rubbish and recycling paper. However, this year I became the club president, and I wanted us to achieve something much bigger. After a fascinating science lesson about renewable energy, I suggested that we should buy a solar panel to put on the school roof. I was completely certain that everyone would love the idea and support us immediately.
The headteacher agreed, but my excitement quickly disappeared when I researched the prices online. A single, good-quality solar panel was going to cost thousands of pounds. Raising such a massive amount of money suddenly seemed completely impossible for a group of teenagers. For a whole month, we tried traditional fundraising methods. We baked cakes for teachers and spent weekends washing our neighbours’ cars in the freezing cold. Unfortunately, we barely made a hundred pounds. Many club members felt disappointed and started talking about giving up on the project entirely.
Then, my friend Leo suggested something completely different: we could organise a special music event. He called it a ‘solar-powered concert’. A local technology company kindly agreed to lend us a large, portable solar battery to provide electricity for the stage lights and microphones. We invited the most popular student bands to perform and spent weeks advertising the event on social media. We sold tickets to parents, students, and people from the local town, hoping it would be enough to save our dream.
On the evening of the concert, the school hall was completely full. The bands played brilliantly, and the solar battery worked perfectly all night without failing once. When we finally counted the ticket money the next morning, we were absolutely amazed. Not only had we reached our financial goal, but we actually had some money left over! A few weeks later, professional builders finally installed the shiny new solar panel on our school roof.
Whenever I look up at the building now, I feel an incredible sense of pride. This whole experience has taught me a very important lesson about teamwork. Even if a green project seems too expensive or difficult at first, a small group of determined people can make it happen. Next year, we are planning to raise enough money to plant a community garden!
1 Why did the writer want to buy a solar panel?
(A) To win a special prize from the headteacher.
(B) To try a larger environmental project than before.
(C) To help her science teacher with an outdoor lesson.
(D) To practice recycling paper in a completely new way.
2 How did the club members feel after their first fundraising attempts?
(A) Upset because they earned very little money.
(B) Cold because the solar panel was already broken.
(C) Angry that their neighbours didn’t buy any cakes.
(D) Excited to try washing more cars in the future.
3 What was special about the concert they organised?
(A) A local technology business paid for all the tickets.
(B) It was held at a local technology company’s building.
(C) The sound and light equipment used energy from the sun.
(D) Only popular professional bands from the town could play.
4 What happened after the music event?
(A) The solar battery suddenly stopped working the next morning.
(B) They realised they needed to organise another music concert.
(C) The builders asked for more money to do the installation.
(D) They discovered they had collected more than enough cash.
5 What would the writer write in her diary about the solar panel project?
(A) “Washing cars and baking cakes was the best way to get the solar panel. I’m glad we didn’t have to do anything else.”
(B) “I thought buying a solar panel was impossible, but we proved that small groups can achieve huge eco-projects.”
(C) “The concert was fun, but I wish the solar battery had worked properly. At least the student bands played well.”
(D) “I deeply regret becoming the president of the club. Raising the money was just too stressful and not worth the effort.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer explains that the club usually did “small activities” but as the new president, she “wanted us to achieve something much bigger,” which led to the solar panel idea.
2 A – In the second paragraph, the writer states that after baking cakes and washing cars, they “barely made a hundred pounds” and that many members “felt disappointed” and wanted to give up.
3 C – In the third paragraph, the text describes how a local company lent them a “solar battery to provide electricity for the stage lights and microphones,” which means the equipment used energy from the sun.
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, the writer mentions that when they counted the money, they “were absolutely amazed” because they had “reached our financial goal” and “actually had some money left over.”
5 B – This option successfully synthesizes the global narrative: the writer started with a seemingly impossible financial goal, but through a successful and creative event, learned that a small group can accomplish significant environmental projects.