Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Animal Rescue & Welfare
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Power of Shopping
For as long as I can remember, I have always cared about my hair. I used to buy a very famous brand of strawberry shampoo every month because it made my hair incredibly soft and smelled fantastic. I never really thought about how it was made. However, that completely changed one evening when I was watching a documentary online about the cosmetics industry. The video explained that many popular beauty companies test their products on animals to make sure they are safe for humans. To my absolute horror, I saw the logo of my favourite shampoo on the screen.
I felt incredibly guilty knowing that my weekly beauty routine was causing harm to innocent creatures. Even though I had just bought a brand new bottle of the strawberry shampoo, I immediately threw it into the bin. I promised myself I would only use cruelty-free products from then on. I spent the entire weekend researching natural, animal-friendly brands on the internet. Although I was worried that these alternative products would be too expensive for a teenager, I actually managed to find some reasonably priced soap and shampoo at a local pharmacy.
When I went to school on Monday, I excitedly told my friends about my discovery. I expected them to throw their old products away immediately, just like I had done. However, they were initially quite unenthusiastic. Some of them complained that finding cruelty-free brands was too much effort, while others worried that natural shampoos wouldn’t clean their hair properly. I felt slightly disappointed by their negative reaction, but I refused to give up. I decided to buy a few small, cheap bottles of my new natural shampoo and give them to my friends as gifts.
A few days later, my friends completely changed their minds. They admitted that the cruelty-free products were actually brilliant and left their hair feeling amazing. Soon, my entire friendship group had stopped buying from companies that test on animals. This experience taught me a very valuable lesson. I used to think that teenagers couldn’t do much to change the world. Now, I understand that our consumer choices hold massive power. If we all refuse to buy certain things, large companies will eventually have to change their bad habits.
1 Why did the writer stop using her favourite shampoo?
(A) She discovered it was too expensive to buy every month.
(B) She found out that the company harmed animals.
(C) She watched a documentary about healthy hair care.
(D) She got tired of the strong strawberry smell.
2 How did the writer feel about switching to cruelty-free products?
(A) Annoyed that she had to throw away a new bottle of shampoo.
(B) Surprised that the local pharmacy didn’t have any options.
(C) Concerned that animal-friendly brands would cost too much.
(D) Upset that the natural shampoo was only sold on the internet.
3 How did the writer’s friends react to her news at first?
(A) They were unwilling to change their own shopping habits.
(B) They immediately threw away all of their old cosmetics.
(C) They were angry that she bought them cheap gifts.
(D) They complained that her new shampoo didn’t work well.
4 What is the most important lesson the writer learned?
(A) Natural shampoos are much better for your hair.
(B) Teenagers should avoid buying famous cosmetics brands.
(C) Giving gifts to friends is the easiest way to change their minds.
(D) Customers can force companies to improve their behaviour.
5 What would the writer write in her diary about this experience?
(A) “I can’t believe my friends refused to try the natural shampoo. I guess I’ll have to stop talking to them about animal testing.”
(B) “Throwing away my favourite shampoo was tough, but showing my friends that our shopping choices matter was totally worth it.”
(C) “The cruelty-free shampoo I bought from the pharmacy was terrible. I think I’ll go back to my strawberry shampoo next week.”
(D) “I am so proud that I started an animal charity at school today. If we raise enough money, we can stop animal testing forever.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer explains that a documentary showed her that popular companies “test their products on animals” and she saw her favourite shampoo’s logo on the screen, prompting her to stop using it.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer states, “Although I was worried that these alternative products would be too expensive for a teenager,” which matches being concerned about the cost.
3 A – In the third paragraph, the writer’s friends were “initially quite unenthusiastic” and complained that finding cruelty-free brands “was too much effort,” meaning they were unwilling to change their habits.
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, the writer concludes that “our consumer choices hold massive power” and that if people refuse to buy certain things, companies “will eventually have to change their bad habits.”
5 B – This option successfully synthesizes the global narrative: the writer struggled with giving up a product she loved, but successfully influenced her friends and learned a powerful lesson about consumer choices.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Making a Safe Path
I’ve always loved watching the wildlife in my garden. A few months ago, I was reading an article online about hedgehogs, which are small, spiky animals that live in the UK. I was shocked to learn that their numbers are dropping rapidly. The main reason is that modern gardens are separated by solid wooden fences. Because hedgehogs need to walk several kilometers every night to find enough food, these fences trap them and put them in danger. I knew I had to do something to help them survive.
I discovered a brilliant idea called a ‘Hedgehog Highway’. This simply involves cutting a small hole, about the size of a CD, at the bottom of a garden fence. If several houses do this, it creates a safe corridor for the animals to travel through. However, to make it work, I needed to persuade the people living on my street to join in. I am naturally quite a shy person, so the thought of knocking on strangers’ doors made me feel incredibly anxious. I almost gave up before I even started.
Despite my nerves, I printed some information leaflets and walked up to the house next door. My hands were shaking when I rang the doorbell. An elderly man named Mr. Jenkins answered. I took a deep breath and explained my plan to him. To my surprise, he thought it was a fantastic idea and immediately agreed to get his tools out. His positive reaction gave me a massive amount of confidence. Over the next two weeks, I successfully spoke to fifteen different neighbors, and almost all of them agreed to help.
Once the holes were cut, the waiting began. I set up a small night-vision camera in my garden to see if our plan had worked. For the first few nights, the screen was completely empty. Then, on the fourth morning, I checked the recording and gasped. A healthy little hedgehog had squeezed perfectly through the new hole in the fence and was busy eating the food I had left out.
I felt an enormous sense of achievement. By stepping out of my comfort zone and talking to my neighbors, I had helped to create a safe environment for nature. I’ve learned that if you want to make a positive change in the world, you have to be brave and ask for help.
1 Why did the writer want to help the hedgehogs?
(A) He wanted to keep one as a pet in his garden.
(B) He read that fences were preventing them from finding food safely.
(C) He had to complete a school project about local wildlife.
(D) He noticed that there were too many of them on his street.
2 How did the writer feel about creating the Hedgehog Highway at first?
(A) worried about asking people he didn’t know for help
(B) annoyed that he had to cut the holes in the fences himself
(C) confident that everyone would agree with his brilliant idea
(D) confused about how big the holes in the fences needed to be
3 What happened when the writer spoke to Mr. Jenkins?
(A) Mr. Jenkins said he was too old to use his tools.
(B) Mr. Jenkins offered to help him print the leaflets.
(C) The writer was surprised by how supportive the man was.
(D) The writer became too nervous to explain his plan properly.
4 What did the writer do after the fences were changed?
(A) He stayed awake all night watching the garden.
(B) He put a piece of equipment outside to record the animals.
(C) He captured a healthy hedgehog to keep it safe.
(D) He was disappointed because the hole was too small.
5 What would the writer say in his blog about the project?
(A) I’m glad the hedgehogs are safe, but I wish my neighbors had been more friendly when I knocked on their doors.
(B) Creating the highway was difficult, and I don’t think I’ll ever be confident enough to speak to strangers again.
(C) If you want to protect local wildlife, the best thing to do is remove all the wooden fences from your neighborhood completely.
(D) I was scared to start this project, but overcoming my shyness helped me make a real difference for the animals.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer explains that because hedgehogs need to walk to find food, “these fences trap them and put them in danger,” which matches preventing them from finding food safely.
2 A – Paragraph 2 states, “I am naturally quite a shy person, so the thought of knocking on strangers’ doors made me feel incredibly anxious.” This matches being worried about asking people he didn’t know for help.
3 C – In paragraph 3, the writer says, “To my surprise, he thought it was a fantastic idea and immediately agreed to get his tools out.” This shows he was surprised by the supportive reaction.
4 B – Paragraph 4 explains that he “set up a small night-vision camera in my garden to see if our plan had worked,” meaning he put equipment outside to record the animals.
5 D – This captures the global meaning and the lesson learned in the final paragraph. The writer stepped out of his comfort zone (overcame shyness/fear) and “helped to create a safe environment for nature” (made a real difference).
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Summer at the Bird Rescue Center
I have always loved animals, so when the summer holidays began, I immediately decided to look for a volunteering job. While most of my classmates chose to help out at the local dog shelter, I wanted to do a kind of work that was a bit more unusual. I found a small wild bird rescue center just outside my town that needed extra hands. Because I had often seen beautiful, colourful birds in my garden, I imagined the work would be quite relaxing and that I would be surrounded by incredibly cute creatures all day long.
However, my first week at the center was a huge shock. The baby birds that were brought in didn’t look like the ones in my garden at all. In fact, without their feathers, they were actually quite ugly! Furthermore, taking care of them was certainly not relaxing. The feeding schedule was extremely strict. I had to wake up at six o’clock every morning because the hungry babies needed special liquid food every two hours. I felt completely exhausted and often wondered if I had made the wrong choice for my summer break.
Everything changed when a local farmer brought in an injured barn owl. It had a damaged wing and looked very frightened. The manager asked me to take special care of it. Over the next few weeks, I spent hours sitting quietly near the owl, offering it food and making sure its cage was clean. Slowly, its wing healed, and it started to trust me. Watching this magnificent bird get its strength back was an amazing experience, and I soon forgot all about my tiredness.
Finally, the day came when the vet said the owl was ready to return to the wild. We took it to a quiet field near the forest at sunset. When I opened the large transport box, the owl hesitated for a second before flying silently up into the evening sky. It was a breathtaking sight. Although I felt a little sad to say goodbye to my new friend, seeing it fly free was the best reward for all my hard work. I now know that next summer, I will definitely go back to the center to help again.
1 Why did the writer choose to volunteer at the bird rescue center?
(A) He wanted to work with dogs but the shelter was full.
(B) He wanted to do a job that was different from his friends.
(C) He needed to relax after a stressful year at school.
(D) He hoped to photograph the colourful birds there.
2 What surprised the writer during his first week?
(A) The baby birds were much noisier than he had expected.
(B) The manager gave him too many different jobs to do.
(C) He had to prepare a very complicated type of food.
(D) The animals were unattractive and the routine was tiring.
3 How did the writer feel about taking care of the barn owl?
(A) He was annoyed because it made his daily routine even harder.
(B) He was frightened because the bird didn’t trust him at first.
(C) He found it so rewarding that he no longer minded the hard work.
(D) He was worried that the owl’s wing would never heal properly.
4 What does the writer say about releasing the owl?
(A) He wished he could have kept the bird as a pet.
(B) He felt a mixture of sadness and happiness.
(C) He was disappointed that the owl flew away so quickly.
(D) He was too tired to enjoy the beautiful sunset.
5 What would the writer write in his diary at the end of the summer?
(A) Working at the rescue center was much easier than I thought. I can’t wait to see all those cute, colourful baby birds again next year!
(B) Volunteering was exhausting and the baby birds weren’t pretty, but helping a wild animal return to nature made it all completely worth it.
(C) I finally released the injured owl today. It was a great moment, but the work is too strict, so I’ll volunteer at the dog shelter next time.
(D) Taking care of the barn owl was fun, but I felt so lonely because none of my classmates wanted to work at the bird center with me.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in paragraph 1 that while his classmates chose the dog shelter, he “wanted to do a kind of work that was a bit more unusual” (different from his friends).
2 D – Paragraph 2 explains that the baby birds were “actually quite ugly” (unattractive) and that the strict feeding schedule left him “completely exhausted” (tiring routine).
3 C – In paragraph 3, the writer mentions that watching the bird get its strength back was an “amazing experience” and that he “soon forgot all about my tiredness” (no longer minded the hard work).
4 B – Paragraph 4 describes the moment as having mixed emotions: the writer “felt a little sad to say goodbye” but also says that seeing it fly free “was the best reward” (happiness).
5 B – This option perfectly captures the global meaning of the text, summarizing the initial shock of the difficult and unattractive reality of the work, balanced by the beautiful and rewarding conclusion of releasing the owl.