Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Environmental Conservation & Climate Action
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Filming the City Foxes
I’ve always been fascinated by nature, even though I live in the middle of a busy city. A few months ago, I noticed a family of foxes living in the park behind my house. Most of my neighbours considered them to be annoying pests that made a mess of the rubbish bins. However, I wanted to show people that these animals are actually beautiful and intelligent. So, I decided to make a short documentary about them. Because I didn’t have any equipment, I persuaded my media studies teacher to let me borrow a high-quality video camera for the weekends.
Actually filming the foxes, however, was much harder than I had expected. To catch them on camera, I had to sit outside in the dark for several hours every Friday and Saturday night. It was freezing cold, and my legs often ached from sitting completely still. If I made even the smallest noise, the foxes would immediately run away to hide. There were many nights when I didn’t get a single good video clip, and I often went to bed feeling exhausted and disappointed.
Just as I was thinking about giving up, my luck changed. One night, I managed to record two young fox cubs playing playfully under a streetlamp while their mother watched closely. It was a magical moment. After collecting enough footage, I spent the next three weeks editing the video on my computer. I carefully selected the best scenes and added some gentle background music. The editing took almost as long as the filming, but watching the story come together was incredibly satisfying.
When my project was finished, my teacher arranged for the documentary to be shown in the school hall. I felt incredibly nervous as the lights went down. What if everyone just laughed? But to my surprise, the audience watched in complete silence. When the lights came back on, people clapped loudly. Several classmates came up to me and said they had never realised how caring and playful foxes could be.
It was an amazing experience. Not only did I learn how to be a patient filmmaker, but I also changed how my community views these misunderstood animals. I am already saving up for my own camera to film a project about city birds next year.
1 Why did the writer decide to make a documentary about foxes?
(A) He wanted to prove that they are attractive and clever creatures.
(B) He needed to complete a project for his media studies class.
(C) He wanted to find out why they were making a mess of the bins.
(D) His neighbours asked him to film the animals in the park.
2 What did the writer find most difficult about filming the foxes?
(A) The camera was too complicated to use in the dark.
(B) He couldn’t stay awake late at night because he was exhausted.
(C) He had to stay extremely quiet in uncomfortable conditions.
(D) The foxes were dangerous and aggressive towards him.
3 How did the writer feel about the editing process?
(A) He thought it was much quicker than recording the video.
(B) He found it highly rewarding to see the final film take shape.
(C) He was annoyed that he had to choose between so many good scenes.
(D) He needed someone to help him add the background music.
4 When the documentary was shown at school, the writer’s classmates
(A) laughed at the playful behaviour of the fox cubs.
(B) started a campaign to protect the local wildlife.
(C) asked him how he managed to film the foxes so closely.
(D) changed their negative opinions about the animals.
5 What would the writer write in his diary after showing his film?
(A) I am so glad that people liked my documentary, but sitting in the cold was so awful that I will never do it again.
(B) It took a lot of hard work and patience, but making a film that changed people’s minds was definitely worth the effort.
(C) The students really enjoyed the video, but my neighbours are still angry about the foxes making a mess in the park.
(D) I’m proud of the film, but I wish my media studies teacher had given me a better grade for the project.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The text states in the first paragraph, “I wanted to show people that these animals are actually beautiful and intelligent. So, I decided to make a short documentary about them.”
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains the challenges: “It was freezing cold, and my legs often ached from sitting completely still. If I made even the smallest noise, the foxes would immediately run away”.
3 B – The third paragraph mentions that “watching the story come together was incredibly satisfying,” which paraphrases finding it highly rewarding.
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, the text says classmates approached him and “said they had never realised how caring and playful foxes could be,” showing a shift from their initial view of them as pests.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and the overall narrative arc of the text: the writer went through difficult, tiring work but ultimately found success by changing his peers’ perspectives on the foxes, inspiring him to do it again.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Walking the Sustainable Catwalk
For as long as I can remember, I have loved fashion and designing outfits. However, my attitude towards clothes changed when I read a long article about how much water and energy the clothing industry uses. I was completely shocked to discover that millions of tons of perfectly good clothes end up in the rubbish every single year. I wanted to do something to raise awareness at my school, so I decided to organise a ‘trashion’ show. The rule was simple: all the outfits had to be made completely out of recycled materials or everyday rubbish.
I confidently thought creating my own outfit would be a fun and easy weekend project. I decided to make a glamorous evening dress entirely out of old newspapers. Unfortunately, working with paper was incredibly frustrating and much harder than sewing normal fabric. Every time I tried to fold or stitch the pages together, the delicate material would suddenly tear. I had to start over three times and ended up using several rolls of sticky tape just to keep the skirt in one piece. I felt so annoyed that I almost threw the whole thing straight into the recycling bin.
Despite the difficult preparation, the night of the fashion show was absolutely fantastic. I stood nervously backstage, hoping my delicate paper dress wouldn’t fall apart before I even reached the stage. Looking around, I was amazed by my classmates’ creativity. People had designed incredible jackets from empty crisp packets and colourful skirts out of broken umbrellas. When it was finally my turn to walk down the catwalk, my newspaper dress stayed together perfectly, and the large audience clapped and cheered loudly.
The event was a massive success and started a big conversation at our school. By turning everyday rubbish into beautiful art, we proved that we don’t need to constantly buy newly manufactured clothes to look good. The show highlighted the terrible waste created by the modern fashion industry, and many students promised to change their shopping habits. Personally, I have decided to start buying most of my clothes from second-hand shops, and I can’t wait to organise an even bigger sustainable show next year!
1 Why did the writer decide to organize the fashion show?
(A) To win a prize for designing clothes at her school.
(B) To teach her classmates how to make clothes from rubbish.
(C) To make students think about the environmental impact of clothes.
(D) To clean up the millions of tons of rubbish at her school.
2 What was the writer’s experience of making her newspaper dress?
(A) She found it much easier than working with normal fabric.
(B) She was frustrated because the paper kept breaking.
(C) She was annoyed that she didn’t have enough sticky tape.
(D) She decided to throw it away and use a different material.
3 How did the writer feel while she was backstage?
(A) Anxious that her outfit might break before she showed it.
(B) Amazed that her friends’ costumes were better than hers.
(C) Upset because the large audience was being too loud.
(D) Confident that her dress would survive the catwalk perfectly.
4 What was the main result of the fashion show?
(A) The school decided to stop buying newly manufactured uniforms.
(B) Students realised they could dress well without harming the planet.
(C) The writer was asked to open a second-hand shop at school.
(D) Everyone agreed to wear clothes made of rubbish every day.
5 What would the writer write in her diary after the show?
(A) “My newspaper dress was a disaster, but seeing the broken umbrella skirts gave me some great ideas for normal fashion.”
(B) “Organising the show was exhausting, and since the paper tore so easily, I’ll definitely just buy a cheap dress next year.”
(C) “The event successfully showed everyone how wasteful fashion can be. I’m proud of what we achieved and ready to plan the next one!”
(D) “I loved wearing rubbish for a day, but I’m quite disappointed that my classmates didn’t want to change their shopping habits.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In the first paragraph, the writer states she wanted to “raise awareness at my school” after being shocked by how the clothing industry wastes water, energy, and millions of tons of clothes.
2 B – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that working with paper was “incredibly frustrating” because every time she tried to fold or stitch it, “the delicate material would suddenly tear.”
3 A – In the third paragraph, the writer says she “stood nervously backstage, hoping my delicate paper dress wouldn’t fall apart before I even reached the stage,” showing her anxiety about the dress breaking.
4 B – In the fourth paragraph, the writer mentions that by turning rubbish into art, they “proved that we don’t need to constantly buy newly manufactured clothes to look good,” inspiring students to change their shopping habits.
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and the writer’s final attitude: she feels the event succeeded in highlighting fashion waste, is proud of the beautiful outcome, and looks forward to organizing another sustainable show.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Winning Minds and Meals
I’ve always cared deeply about the environment and protecting the planet. Recently, I watched a fascinating documentary in my science class about how producing meat creates a huge amount of harmful carbon emissions. I decided I wanted to take action, so I started a campaign at my secondary school called ‘Meatless Mondays’. My plan was quite simple: I wanted our school cafeteria to serve only vegetarian meals one day a week. I honestly thought everyone would think it was a brilliant idea.
However, I soon discovered how completely wrong I was. When the headteacher officially announced the new cafeteria rule during our morning assembly, a large group of students started protesting loudly. They complained that a meal simply wasn’t a real dinner without meat, and some even threatened to bring their own packed lunches instead of eating the school food. People were so angry that I felt incredibly upset. I actually thought about going to the headteacher’s office to cancel the whole project.
Instead of giving up, I realised that arguing with the students wouldn’t work. I needed to prove to them that vegetarian food could be just as tasty as meat. I went to the school kitchen and spoke to the head cook, Mrs. Higgins. Fortunately, she was very supportive and agreed to let me help her design a new menu. We spent the whole weekend testing several different recipes until we created the perfect vegetarian burger, using black beans, mushrooms, spices, and fresh vegetables.
When the first official ‘Meatless Monday’ finally arrived, I felt extremely nervous. I stood near the cafeteria door and watched carefully as the students sat down to try the new burgers. To my absolute surprise, the loud complaints stopped almost immediately. Even the older boys who had protested the loudest actually went back to the kitchen to ask for second portions! They told Mrs. Higgins that they couldn’t believe something without beef or chicken could taste so delicious.
Now, Meatless Mondays are actually the most popular days in our school cafeteria, and nobody complains anymore. This stressful but rewarding experience has taught me a very valuable lesson about changing people’s opinions. You can’t just order people to change their daily habits because it’s good for the environment; you have to give them a fantastic alternative. I am so proud that our school is making a positive difference for the planet.
1 Why did the writer decide to start ‘Meatless Mondays’?
(A) She was asked to do an environmental project by her science teacher.
(B) She wanted to reduce the amount of damage being done to the planet.
(C) She thought vegetarian food would be much cheaper for the school to buy.
(D) She wanted to learn how to cook healthy meals for her classmates.
2 How did the writer feel after the headteacher’s announcement?
(A) surprised because the students were so happy about her idea
(B) angry that students were bringing packed lunches to school
(C) worried that the cafeteria would lose a lot of money
(D) upset enough to consider stopping the campaign completely
3 What did the writer do to solve the problem?
(A) She had an argument with the students who were complaining.
(B) She asked the headteacher to punish the protesting boys.
(C) She worked with a cook to prepare a delicious new meal.
(D) She spent the weekend buying fresh vegetables from a farm.
4 What happened during the first ‘Meatless Monday’?
(A) Some boys decided to go to the kitchen to complain to the cook.
(B) The students who had been the angriest wanted to eat more of the food.
(C) The writer was too nervous to stay and watch the students eat.
(D) Most students refused to eat the burgers because they contained no beef.
5 What would the writer write in her diary about her experience?
(A) I’m glad the campaign was successful, but I think we should serve meat again next week to keep everyone happy.
(B) It was very difficult at first, but I learned that the best way to change people’s habits is by offering them something great.
(C) I realized that people are very selfish and will never change what they eat, even if it helps the planet.
(D) Cooking vegetarian burgers was fun, but I wish I hadn’t argued with so many of my classmates at the beginning.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that the writer wanted to “take action” after learning that producing meat creates harmful carbon emissions, matching the idea that she wanted to reduce environmental damage.
2 D – In paragraph 2, the writer says she felt “incredibly upset” and “actually thought about going to the headteacher’s office to cancel the whole project,” which matches considering stopping the campaign completely.
3 C – Paragraph 3 explains that the writer “went to the school kitchen and spoke to the head cook” and together they “created the perfect vegetarian burger.”
4 B – The fourth paragraph states that “Even the older boys who had protested the loudest actually went back to the kitchen to ask for second portions!” This means the angriest students wanted to eat more.
5 B – This captures the global meaning and the lesson learned in the final paragraph. The writer explains that you can’t just order people to change; “you have to give them a fantastic alternative.”