Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Animal Rescue & Welfare
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Keeping the Shelter Warm
I’ve always loved dogs, so I often volunteer at the ‘Happy Paws’ animal shelter at weekends. Last month, as the weather started getting much colder, the manager told me some worrying news. The shelter’s old heating system had suddenly broken, and it was going to cost far too much to fix before winter arrived. Walking past the cages, I noticed that several short-haired dogs were already shivering. I knew I couldn’t just do nothing while they were freezing, so I decided I had to find a practical way to help them stay warm.
The next morning, I spoke to my headteacher and asked if I could organise a blanket collection at school. He agreed immediately, so my friends and I spent our lunch breaks designing colourful posters to put on the walls. We asked students to bring in any old blankets, thick towels, or warm sheets they no longer used at home. At first, I felt quite anxious because only two people brought things in on the first day. However, I didn’t give up, and by the end of the week, our collection boxes in the main hall were completely overflowing.
Our headteacher even made a special announcement during the school assembly to thank everyone and encourage more people to help. Soon, I was spending every single evening sorting through huge piles of material in my living room. Some incredibly kind students had even brought in brand-new dog beds from the pet shop! Although washing, drying, and folding everything was extremely tiring work, I didn’t mind at all. My parents were so impressed by the success of the project that my dad borrowed a large van from his workplace just to transport everything safely.
When we finally arrived at the shelter on Saturday and opened the back of the van, the staff were absolutely amazed by how much we had collected. We spent the whole afternoon putting the warm bedding into all the cages. Seeing the freezing dogs immediately curl up and go to sleep on the soft blankets brought me a massive sense of relief. It was definitely the most rewarding experience of my life. If the shelter needs anything else in the future, I will gladly
organise another school project, because I now know just how generous people can be.
1 Why did the writer decide to help the animal shelter?
(A) The manager asked him to buy a new heating system.
(B) He wanted to protect the dogs from the cold weather.
(C) He needed to complete a weekend project for his school.
(D) The shelter had asked for volunteers to fix the cages.
2 How did the writer feel at the beginning of the school collection?
(A) Surprised that so many people saw his colourful posters.
(B) Disappointed because the headteacher refused to help him.
(C) Worried because very few items were donated at first.
(D) Annoyed that his friends didn’t help him during lunch.
3 What does the writer say about preparing the donations?
(A) His parents did most of the washing and folding for him.
(B) He found the work exhausting but he was happy to do it.
(C) He had to borrow money from his dad to transport the items.
(D) The students were told to buy brand-new beds from the pet shop.
4 What was the result of the writer’s delivery to the shelter?
(A) He felt comforted watching the dogs use the new bedding.
(B) The staff asked him to organise another project immediately.
(C) He was surprised to discover that all the cages were empty.
(D) The dogs spent the whole afternoon playing with the blankets.
5 What would the writer write in his diary?
(A) I can’t believe how much my school collected for the dogs! Seeing them finally get warm made all the hard work completely worthwhile.
(B) The blanket collection was a huge success, but I am quite disappointed that I have to pay to fix the shelter’s heating system myself.
(C) I am so relieved the project is over. It took up all my lunch breaks, so I don’t think I will ever organise a charity drive again.
(D) It was a great day at the shelter, although my dad was angry that he had to rent an expensive van to deliver the old towels.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in Paragraph 1 that the dogs were “shivering” and “freezing,” so the writer decided to find a “practical way to help them stay warm” (protect the dogs from the cold).
2 C – In Paragraph 2, the writer explains that he “felt quite anxious because only two people brought things in on the first day” (worried because very few items were donated).
3 B – Paragraph 3 mentions that “Although washing, drying, and folding everything was extremely tiring work, I didn’t mind at all” (found the work exhausting but was happy to do it).
4 A – Paragraph 4 describes how seeing the dogs curl up on the blankets “brought me a massive sense of relief” (felt comforted watching the dogs use the bedding).
5 A – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional tone of the text: the success of the school’s generous donations and the writer’s feeling of relief and reward upon seeing the dogs get warm.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Standing Up for My Beliefs
I’ve always loved biology, especially learning about how different animals live. However, last month, our teacher, Mr. Harris, announced that we were going to dissect a real frog to understand its anatomy. As soon as I heard this, my stomach turned. I strongly believe that it is ethically wrong to harm animals for a school experiment. I knew I couldn’t participate, but I was also incredibly nervous about being the only student to refuse.
The next day, I stayed after class to speak to Mr. Harris. I politely explained my feelings and told him I couldn’t do the dissection. He was quite surprised and warned me that it was a major part of our grade. When my classmates found out, things got worse. Some of them laughed at me, calling me overly sensitive. A few even made cruel jokes during lunch. Feeling so different from everyone else was lonely and exhausting.
Instead of giving up and just following the crowd, I decided to find a solution. I spent the weekend searching the internet for alternatives. I discovered a fantastic computer program that offered a complete 3D digital frog dissection. It looked just as educational as the real thing. On Monday morning, I presented the software to Mr. Harris. I promised I would complete all the same assignments if he let me use the digital version instead.
To my relief, Mr. Harris agreed to let me try it. While the rest of the class worked with real frogs, I sat at a computer in the corner. The 3D program was brilliant and allowed me to explore the frog’s organs perfectly. Some of the students who had laughed at me actually came over to watch the screen, admitting that the software looked pretty cool.
Looking back, I am so glad I didn’t ignore my own feelings just to fit in. The experience taught me that standing up for what you believe in is never easy, but it is definitely worth it. I not only learned a lot of biology, but I also learned how to defend my own values and negotiate a fair compromise.
1 Why was the writer nervous about the biology class announcement?
(A) She was afraid of failing her biology exam.
(B) She felt anxious about being the only one not to take part.
(C) She didn’t understand the science behind the experiment.
(D) She disliked the teacher who was organising the lesson.
2 How did the writer’s classmates react to her decision?
(A) They admired her for making a difficult choice.
(B) They complained to the teacher about her behaviour.
(C) They teased her and made her feel isolated.
(D) They decided to stop doing the experiment too.
3 What did the writer do over the weekend?
(A) She asked her parents to speak to Mr. Harris.
(B) She studied harder for the upcoming biology test.
(C) She looked for an alternative way to complete the project.
(D) She practised using a computer program she already knew.
4 When the writer used the digital program in class, her classmates…
(A) complained that she was given special treatment.
(B) were interested in seeing how the software worked.
(C) laughed at her for sitting alone in the corner.
(D) asked the teacher if they could use computers instead.
5 What would the writer say about her experience?
(A) “It was a mistake to argue with my teacher, as it just made my classmates dislike me.”
(B) “The digital program was harder to use than I thought, but it was better than doing the real dissection.”
(C) “I am glad I finally agreed to do the real experiment so I could feel like part of the team.”
(D) “Although it was a lonely experience at first, I am proud that I stayed true to my principles.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph, “I knew I couldn’t participate, but I was also incredibly nervous about being the only student to refuse.”
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that classmates laughed at her, called her “overly sensitive,” and made cruel jokes, making her feel “lonely and exhausting” (isolated).
3 C – The third paragraph mentions that she “spent the weekend searching the internet for alternatives” and discovered a 3D digital program.
4 B – In the fourth paragraph, the text says that some of the students who had laughed at her “actually came over to watch the screen, admitting that the software looked pretty cool.”
5 D – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and the lesson learned in the final paragraph: the writer is glad she didn’t ignore her feelings to fit in and believes that standing up for what you believe in is “definitely worth it.”
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Baking for the Rhinos
For as long as I can remember, I have been absolutely fascinated by rhinoceroses. While my friends were watching videos of cute cats or dogs online, I was reading books and watching documentaries about these magnificent animals. However, living in the UK meant I was thousands of miles away from where wild rhinos actually live. When I learned about the terrible illegal hunting, or poaching, that threatens their survival in Africa, I felt completely helpless. I wanted to protect them, but I thought a teenager in another country couldn’t possibly make a difference.
One evening, while I was helping my mum make some desserts in the kitchen, I suddenly had a brilliant idea. I decided to combine my love for baking with my passion for wildlife. I bought a special biscuit cutter online and spent the entire weekend baking hundreds of rhino-shaped cookies. I planned to sell them at my school and use the profits to support an international wildlife charity. I was slightly nervous that nobody would buy them, but I had to try something.
The following Monday, I set up a small table in the school cafeteria. To attract attention, I decorated the table with posters explaining the dangers that rhinos face. To my absolute amazement, the cookies were incredibly popular. Students and teachers loved the unusual shapes, and many people gave me extra coins when they read my information boards. By the end of the week, I had baked and sold over three hundred cookies. The whole experience was exhausting, but we had raised an impressive amount of money.
Instead of just giving the cash directly to a charity, I searched online and found a wildlife park in Africa that allows people to sponsor a specific baby rhino. I sent them the money we had collected to help pay for the animal’s food and medical care.
A month later, I received my first email from the park containing photos and updates about ‘my’ growing rhino. Looking at the pictures of the healthy animal playing in the mud, the geographical distance suddenly disappeared. I finally realised that no matter where you live, small, creative actions can truly have a global impact.
1 Why did the writer initially feel unable to help the rhinos?
(A) He lived too far away from the animals’ natural habitat.
(B) He was forced to watch documentaries instead of travelling.
(C) He couldn’t convince his friends to care about wild animals.
(D) He didn’t have enough money to stop the illegal hunters.
2 What made the writer feel worried before his school project?
(A) He thought his mum would be angry about the messy kitchen.
(B) He was concerned that people might not want to purchase his biscuits.
(C) He couldn’t find the correct biscuit cutter on the internet.
(D) He didn’t know which international charity he should support.
3 How did the people at school react to the writer’s sale?
(A) They bought the cookies but completely ignored the posters.
(B) They complained that the animal-shaped cookies were too expensive.
(C) They frequently donated extra money after reading the information.
(D) They were too exhausted to eat all of the unusual desserts.
4 Receiving the email updates from the wildlife park made the writer feel
(A) disappointed that the baby rhino was still too small.
(B) anxious about paying for the animal’s future medical care.
(C) sad that he couldn’t play in the mud with the rhino himself.
(D) closely connected to the animal despite the different countries.
5 What would the writer write in his diary about his fundraising experience?
(A) “Baking was incredibly tiring. Next time, I’ll just ask my teachers to send their money to the wildlife park directly.”
(B) “I used to think my location stopped me from helping animals, but my baking project proved I can reach across the world.”
(C) “The rhino cookies were very popular at school, but I’m quite annoyed that the wildlife park hasn’t sent me any photos yet.”
(D) “I am planning to move to Africa next year so I can finally stop illegal hunting and look after my sponsored rhino.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In the first paragraph, the writer explains that living in the UK meant he was “thousands of miles away” and because of this distance, he felt “completely helpless” to make a difference.
2 B – In the second paragraph, the writer states, “I was slightly nervous that nobody would buy them,” which matches being concerned that people might not purchase his biscuits.
3 C – In the third paragraph, the writer mentions that “many people gave me extra coins when they read my information boards,” showing that they donated more after learning about the cause.
4 D – In the fifth paragraph, the writer says that upon seeing the photos, “the geographical distance suddenly disappeared,” meaning he felt a close connection to the animal despite being far away.
5 B – This option successfully synthesizes the global narrative: the writer started feeling helpless due to living in the UK, but through his successful and creative cookie project, he learned that small actions can have a true global impact.