Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Environmental Conservation & Climate Action
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Saving for a Sunny Day
I spend most of my summer holidays helping my grandfather in his garden. He loves growing vegetables, but last spring, he decided to start a new project. He wanted to build a rainwater harvesting system. This meant connecting large plastic barrels to the roof of his house to collect rain. When he asked me to help him carry the heavy equipment, I was honestly quite annoyed. I thought the whole idea was a complete waste of time because we could just use the normal garden hose to water the plants.
The work was much harder than I had originally expected. We spent two whole weekends digging holes, moving rocks, and connecting long plastic pipes. My hands were covered in dirt, and my arms ached from lifting everything. While my friends were playing football in the park, I was busy measuring pipes and checking for leaks. I constantly complained to my grandfather, telling him that it rains so often in our country that we would never need to store so much extra water.
However, my opinion completely changed a few months later. When summer finally arrived, the weather became extremely hot, and it didn’t rain for several weeks. It was the worst drought we had seen in many years. Soon, the local government announced strict rules, and everyone was banned from using their garden hoses to save water. Walking down our street, I noticed that all our neighbours’ beautiful plants and flowers were turning brown and dying in the hot sun.
Our garden, however, looked completely different. Because my grandfather had collected hundreds of litres of rain during the spring, we had plenty of water for his vegetables. Every evening, we used the water from our barrels to keep the plants green and healthy. Our garden was the only one in the neighbourhood that survived the terrible drought. Neighbours even stopped to ask my grandfather how he managed to keep everything looking so fresh.
Seeing the results of our hard work made me feel incredibly proud. I realised that my grandfather wasn’t just being difficult; he was planning for the future. I learned a valuable lesson about foresight that summer. Sometimes, doing difficult and boring work now can save you from a disaster later. I am actually looking forward to helping him expand the system next year.
1 How did the writer feel about his grandfather’s new project at first?
(A) He believed it was completely unnecessary.
(B) He was excited to learn a new skill.
(C) He thought the barrels were too ugly for the garden.
(D) He was worried it would cost too much money.
2 Why did the writer complain to his grandfather while they were working?
(A) He felt the work was too difficult for an older person.
(B) He thought it was silly to store water in a rainy country.
(C) He was angry that his friends were refusing to help them.
(D) He broke a plastic pipe because his arms were aching.
3 What happened when the summer arrived?
(A) The government asked people to share their water with neighbours.
(B) People were not allowed to use their normal water supply for gardens.
(C) The writer had to spend all day protecting the vegetables from the sun.
(D) The local weather suddenly became unusually cold and wet.
4 What was the result of using the rainwater barrels?
(A) The grandfather decided to sell his fresh vegetables to the neighbours.
(B) The writer’s family had enough water to share with the whole street.
(C) Their garden was the only one that remained healthy during the dry weather.
(D) The neighbours complained that the big barrels were taking up too much space.
5 What would the writer write in his diary at the end of the summer?
(A) I still think collecting rainwater is a boring job, so I will ask my friends to help my grandfather next year.
(B) The drought ruined almost everything, but I am glad my grandfather found a way to buy extra water.
(C) If you want a beautiful garden, you should buy special plastic barrels instead of using a normal hose.
(D) I was annoyed at first, but this experience showed me how important it is to prepare for problems in the future.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The writer states in paragraph 1, “I thought the whole idea was a complete waste of time because we could just use the normal garden hose,” which matches believing it was completely unnecessary.
2 B – In paragraph 2, the writer says, “I constantly complained to my grandfather, telling him that it rains so often in our country that we would never need to store so much extra water.”
3 B – Paragraph 3 explains that during the drought, “everyone was banned from using their garden hoses to save water,” meaning they were not allowed to use their normal water supply for gardens.
4 C – Paragraph 4 states that “Our garden was the only one in the neighbourhood that survived the terrible drought,” which means it was the only one that remained healthy.
5 D – This option captures the global meaning and the lesson learned in the text. The writer was annoyed initially but realized that his grandfather was “planning for the future” and learned a “valuable lesson about foresight” (preparing for problems in the future).
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Zero-Waste Lunch Challenge
I have always cared about the environment, but I recently realised that my daily habits didn’t actually show it. Every day at school, I bought a sandwich wrapped in plastic and a bottle of juice. After reading a terrifying article about how much plastic ends up in the ocean, I felt I had to do something. So, I set myself a personal challenge: for a whole month, I would bring my own school lunches with completely zero plastic waste. I assumed it would just be a simple case of using a metal lunchbox instead of a plastic bag.
However, I quickly discovered that the reality was much more complicated. Supermarket bread often comes in plastic packaging, and my favourite crisps were completely out of the question. To succeed, I had to change my morning routine. Instead of waking up at 7:30 a.m., I had to get up an hour earlier to prepare my food from fresh ingredients. I started making my own sandwiches using bread from the local bakery, which they sold in paper bags, and I brought fresh fruit instead of packaged snacks.
At first, feeling so tired in the mornings made me want to quit. But after the first week, things began to get easier. Because I had to make everything myself, I actually started learning how to cook and bake. I learned how to make biscuits and pasta salads, which were much tastier than my old store-bought lunches. More importantly, the challenge taught me a huge amount of self-discipline. Even on cold days when I just wanted to stay in bed, I forced myself to get up and prepare my food because I was absolutely determined to reach my goal.
Now that the month is over, I look back on the experience with a lot of pride. Some of my classmates initially laughed at my metal containers, but now a few of them are actually asking me for my recipes! Although the official challenge has finished, I have decided to continue bringing zero-waste lunches. I might allow myself a small packaged treat occasionally, but I now know that living without plastic is entirely possible if you are willing to put in a little effort.
1 Why did the writer start the zero-waste challenge?
(A) She was asked by her school to stop using plastic bags.
(B) She wanted to save money on buying daily sandwiches.
(C) She learned about the negative effects of plastic on the sea.
(D) She thought it would be a simple way to learn how to cook.
2 What did the writer find out during the first week of the challenge?
(A) Buying food in paper bags was incredibly expensive.
(B) She needed to lose sleep to have time to make her meals.
(C) Her local supermarket stopped selling her favourite crisps.
(D) It was impossible to find fresh bread without plastic packaging.
3 How did the challenge affect the writer personally?
(A) It made her too exhausted to concentrate on her schoolwork.
(B) It encouraged her to develop new skills and willpower.
(C) It caused her to argue with classmates who laughed at her.
(D) It made her realise she preferred store-bought meals.
4 How does the writer feel about her school lunches now?
(A) She plans to return to her old habit of buying sandwiches.
(B) She intends to keep making plastic-free meals most of the time.
(C) She is annoyed that she can never eat packaged snacks again.
(D) She wishes she could convince all her classmates to join her.
5 What would the writer write in her diary?
(A) I successfully completed my plastic-free month! It was exhausting, so I’m glad I don’t have to wake up early to bake anymore.
(B) Giving up plastic packaging for a month was a brilliant decision. Not only did I help the planet, but I also became a much better cook!
(C) I’m very proud of my challenge, even though my classmates were quite mean about my lunchboxes. Next month, I’ll try to stop using plastic at home too.
(D) Cooking my own meals has been fun, but the local bakery uses too much plastic. I hope I can find a better place to buy my bread soon.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – The text states in Paragraph 1 that the writer started the challenge “After reading a terrifying article about how much plastic ends up in the ocean.”
2 B – In Paragraph 2, the writer explains that she “had to change my morning routine” and “get up an hour earlier to prepare my food,” which made her feel “so tired in the mornings” (losing sleep).
3 B – Paragraph 3 mentions that she started “learning how to cook and bake” (new skills) and that the challenge “taught me a huge amount of self-discipline” (willpower) because she forced herself to get up.
4 B – In Paragraph 4, she states, “Although the official challenge has finished, I have decided to continue bringing zero-waste lunches,” though she might allow a small treat occasionally.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and the writer’s positive attitude, combining the environmental success of the challenge with the unexpected personal benefit of improving her cooking skills.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Forest Trail Cleanup
My friends and I have always loved spending our weekends exploring nature. Last month, we planned a long hike up to Pine Tree Peak, a famous viewing point in our local national park. We started early in the morning, feeling incredibly excited about the adventure. The weather was perfect, and we were looking forward to breathing in the fresh mountain air and enjoying the peaceful environment away from the busy city. I had even brought my new camera to take photos of the wildlife.
However, as we reached the halfway mark, our excitement quickly disappeared. The path was completely covered in rubbish. There were empty plastic bottles, crisp packets, and even old food containers thrown everywhere among the bushes. We stood there in absolute shock. At first, we thought about just walking past it. We had come to enjoy a relaxing hike, not to clean up other people’s mess. But as we looked at the beautiful ancient trees surrounded by disgusting trash, we realised we couldn’t just ignore the problem and leave it for someone else.
Since we had already eaten most of our packed lunches, our large backpacks were almost empty. We made a quick decision to use them to carry the rubbish out of the forest. We spent the next hour carefully picking up every piece of plastic we could find. The hike back down the mountain was incredibly difficult. The bags were surprisingly heavy, and the smell of old, warm food was absolutely horrible. My shoulders ached, and I felt completely exhausted, but we encouraged each other to keep walking and not give up.
When we finally reached the recycling bins at the bottom of the trail, we dropped our heavy bags with a massive sigh of relief. Despite the awful smell and the sore muscles, I felt an amazing sense of pride. That difficult walk down the mountain completely changed my perspective on the environment. I finally understood the real, practical meaning of the “Leave No Trace” rule. Now, I refuse to let anyone leave even a tiny piece of paper on the ground, and I actively encourage all my classmates to respect and protect our beautiful natural spaces.
1 Why did the writer go to Pine Tree Peak?
(A) To test out her new camera equipment.
(B) To spend a relaxing day enjoying nature with friends.
(C) To participate in a planned forest cleanup event.
(D) To escape the terrible weather in the city.
2 How did the writer feel when she first saw the rubbish?
(A) She was determined to find the people who left it there.
(B) She immediately wanted to start picking it all up.
(C) She was shocked and tempted to just continue the hike.
(D) She felt angry that the park rangers hadn’t cleaned it.
3 What made the journey down the mountain so challenging?
(A) The weather suddenly became much too hot for walking.
(B) They were carrying smelly and weighty bags of trash.
(C) They got lost while looking for more rubbish in the bushes.
(D) They didn’t have enough food left to eat for energy.
4 How did the experience affect the writer in the end?
(A) She decided she would never go hiking on that trail again.
(B) She felt proud but embarrassed by the awful smell of her bag.
(C) She realized the true importance of protecting the environment.
(D) She wished she had left the rubbish for someone else to find.
5 What would the writer say about her hiking trip?
(A) “I had a great time taking photos of wildlife, but I was disappointed that the hike was so short.”
(B) “It didn’t go exactly as planned, but dealing with that disgusting trash made me a fierce defender of nature.”
(C) “I regret using my new backpack for the rubbish because the smell completely ruined my relaxing weekend.”
(D) “We went to the forest to clean up the environment, and I’m glad we managed to pick up all the plastic.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that she and her friends “loved spending our weekends exploring nature” and were “looking forward to breathing in the fresh mountain air and enjoying the peaceful environment”.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that they stood in “absolute shock” and “At first, we thought about just walking past it.”
3 B – The third paragraph describes the hike down as difficult because “The bags were surprisingly heavy, and the smell of old, warm food was absolutely horrible.”
4 C – In the fourth paragraph, the writer says the walk “completely changed my perspective on the environment” and she finally understood the meaning of “Leave No Trace.”
5 B – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and narrative arc of the text: the hike didn’t go as expected, but the difficult task of removing the rubbish transformed her into a passionate advocate for protecting natural spaces.