Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Animal Rescue & Welfare
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Standing Up for Wild Animals
When I saw the colourful posters around my town announcing that a travelling circus was arriving, I didn’t feel excited. Instead, I was deeply shocked to read that their shows included performances by wild animals like tigers and elephants. I’ve always loved watching documentaries about wildlife, and I believe animals belong in their natural environments, not in small cages. I knew I couldn’t just sit at home and do nothing while this was happening in my own town.
I immediately called a few of my friends from school to discuss what we could do. We decided to organise a peaceful protest outside the circus tent on their opening night. We spent the whole weekend in my living room, painting large cardboard signs with messages like “Keep Wildlife Wild” and “Animals Are Not Entertainers.” We agreed that we wouldn’t shout or cause any trouble; we simply wanted to politely educate families who were planning to buy tickets.
When the opening night arrived, about fifteen of us stood near the main entrance holding our signs. At first, I felt quite nervous because a few people stared at us, but we smiled and handed out information leaflets. However, the circus management wasn’t pleased at all. The manager came outside and angrily told us to leave, but because we were standing on a public pavement and not doing anything illegal, he eventually had to go back inside.
As the evening went on, several families read our posters and actually decided not to go in, thanking us for the information. The next day, an article in the local newspaper reported that the circus had experienced surprisingly low ticket sales on their opening night. Reading that made me feel incredibly proud of our group. Even though the manager was upset, our peaceful action had successfully made people think twice.
This experience has taught me a valuable lesson about the power of speaking up. If we see something we think is wrong, we shouldn’t wait for adults to fix it. I’m now planning to start an animal rights club at my school, and I hope we can encourage our local council to permanently ban animal circuses from visiting our town in the future.
1 Why didn’t the writer feel excited about the circus?
(A) She had already seen their show before.
(B) She was upset that wild animals were being used.
(C) She preferred watching documentaries on television.
(D) She thought the posters in town looked ugly.
2 What was the group’s main goal when making their plans?
(A) To prevent the circus from setting up the tent.
(B) To shout at the people buying tickets.
(C) To calmly inform the public about the animals.
(D) To raise money for an animal charity.
3 How did the circus manager react to the teenagers?
(A) He called the police to arrest them.
(B) He asked them for some information leaflets.
(C) He was furious and ordered them to go away.
(D) He stood on the pavement and argued with them.
4 What showed that the teenagers’ protest was successful?
(A) The local newspaper wrote an article praising the teenagers.
(B) Fewer people bought tickets for the opening night.
(C) The circus manager apologised to the protesters.
(D) Several families joined the teenagers with posters.
5 What would the writer write in her diary?
(A) The protest went well, but I was so frightened by the manager that I don’t think I’ll ever organise something like this again.
(B) I’m disappointed that the circus still opened, but at least my friends and I had a fun weekend painting posters together.
(C) Standing up for what is right really works. We managed to affect the circus’s business, and now I want to do even more to help animals.
(D) The local newspaper finally interviewed me about my favourite wildlife documentaries, which made the whole circus protest worthwhile.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in paragraph 1 that the writer was “deeply shocked to read that their shows included performances by wild animals.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains they agreed not to shout, but rather to “politely educate families who were planning to buy tickets.”
3 C – In paragraph 3, the text says the manager “came outside and angrily told us to leave.”
4 B – Paragraph 4 notes that the newspaper reported the circus “had experienced surprisingly low ticket sales on their opening night,” proving the protest’s effect.
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning of the text. It reflects the writer’s pride in the success of the protest (lower ticket sales) and her future ambition to start a club and ban circuses.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Special Kind of Goodbye
When my parents told me we were going to sponsor a guide dog puppy, I was absolutely thrilled. We had made a financial donation to a charity that trains dogs to help blind and visually impaired people. As part of our sponsorship, we were allowed to visit our puppy, a golden retriever named Barnaby, at the local training centre. I couldn’t wait to meet him, expecting it to be just like having a part-time pet.
During our visits over the next few months, I completely fell in love with him. Barnaby was clumsy, playful, and incredibly affectionate. We spent hours playing with a tennis ball and teaching him basic commands. However, as he grew bigger and smarter, a heavy feeling settled in my stomach. I knew that he wasn’t really our dog. Once his intense training was complete, he would leave us forever to go and work. The thought of saying goodbye to him made me feel terribly sad, and a selfish part of me secretly wished he would fail his final tests so we could just take him home.
A year later, the day I had been dreading finally arrived. We were invited to the training centre for Barnaby’s graduation ceremony. I had tears in my eyes as I watched him walk proudly across the room in his official working harness. But then, the instructors introduced us to Mark, the man who was going to take Barnaby home. Mark was completely blind. When he held Barnaby’s handle for the first time, his face lit up with a huge smile of pure relief and happiness. He told us that Barnaby was going to give him his independence and freedom back.
Seeing that massive change in Mark’s confidence changed everything for me. My sadness completely disappeared. I suddenly realised that letting Barnaby go wasn’t a loss at all; it was a profound and necessary gift. Watching him walk out the door with his new owner taught me the true beauty of selfless giving. It was undoubtedly hard to say goodbye, but knowing that our playful puppy was going to be someone else’s eyes made it one of the proudest moments of my life.
1 Why did the writer’s family give money to the charity?
(A) To buy a new golden retriever for their own home.
(B) To support the education of a dog for a blind person.
(C) To learn how to become professional dog trainers themselves.
(D) To help the local animal shelter buy toys and tennis balls.
2 How did the writer feel as Barnaby continued his training?
(A) Annoyed because the dog was too clumsy to learn commands.
(B) Relieved because visiting the training centre was exhausting.
(C) Upset because she knew the dog would eventually have to leave.
(D) Angry that the charity wouldn’t let her take the dog home on weekends.
3 What did the writer secretly hope would happen?
(A) That Barnaby would not pass his training so her family could keep him.
(B) That Mark would decide he didn’t need a guide dog after all.
(C) That the charity would give them a different puppy to sponsor.
(D) That Barnaby would forget all the commands they had taught him.
4 What happened when Mark held Barnaby for the first time?
(A) The dog became frightened and tried to hide behind the writer.
(B) Mark felt nervous because he had never owned a dog before.
(C) Mark looked incredibly happy because he had regained his independence.
(D) The writer started crying and asked Mark to give the dog back.
5 What would the writer say about her experience of sponsoring a guide dog?
(A) “I wish we had never sponsored him, because saying goodbye was simply too painful for a teenager to handle.”
(B) “It taught me that giving up something you love in order to change someone else’s life is a truly beautiful thing.”
(C) “I realised that training a guide dog is much easier than people think, especially if you use a tennis ball.”
(D) “Blind people should pay for their own dogs because it is unfair to ask teenagers to give up their pets.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph, “We had made a financial donation to a charity that trains dogs to help blind and visually impaired people.”
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that “a heavy feeling settled in my stomach” and the thought of saying goodbye “made me feel terribly sad” because she knew he would leave to go to work.
3 A – The second paragraph mentions, “a selfish part of me secretly wished he would fail his final tests so we could just take him home.”
4 C – In the third paragraph, the text says that when Mark held Barnaby’s handle, “his face lit up with a huge smile of pure relief and happiness. He told us that Barnaby was going to give him his independence”.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and the lesson learned in the final paragraph: the writer realizes that letting the dog go was a “profound and necessary gift” and that the experience “taught me the true beauty of selfless giving.”
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Reaching the Top
I’ve always enjoyed being active, but last year I got really bored with the usual school sports. I tried running and tennis, but I just couldn’t find anything that kept my interest for long. Then, a huge new indoor rock climbing centre opened near my house. I’d watched documentaries about people climbing huge mountains and thought it looked terrifying but amazing. I wasn’t sure if I was brave enough, but I decided to go along to an open day just to see what it was like.
When I arrived, the walls looked much higher and steeper than I had expected. The staff gave me special climbing shoes, which were incredibly tight, and a safety harness to wear. I tied onto the rope and started climbing my first wall. At first, I tried to pull my whole body up using only my arms. After going up just three metres, my hands were burning and I was completely exhausted. I had to ask to come back down. I felt a bit embarrassed, especially when I saw younger kids climbing much higher without any problems at all.
Despite that bad start, I decided to book a beginner’s course. Our instructor, Mark, was brilliant. He explained that climbing is actually like climbing a ladder; you should push up using your leg muscles because they are much stronger than your arms. He also taught us how to trust the safety equipment. We had to do falling exercises, deliberately letting go of the wall so our partner could catch us on the rope. It was quite scary at first, but once I realised I wouldn’t hit the ground, my fear of heights completely disappeared.
Now, I go to the climbing centre three times a week. I’ve even made a great group of new friends there. We always encourage each other to try more difficult routes. Last month, I entered a friendly competition at the centre. Although I didn’t win any prizes, I managed to reach the top of a wall that I had failed on many times before, which felt like a massive victory. If I keep improving my technique, I’d love to try climbing outdoors on real rocks next summer!
1 Why did the writer visit the indoor climbing centre?
(A) He wanted to practice for a trip to the mountains.
(B) He was looking for a new and interesting activity.
(C) He wanted to try the same sport as his school friends.
(D) He was invited to attend an open day by the staff.
2 How did the writer feel during his first climb?
(A) annoyed that his climbing equipment was so uncomfortable
(B) worried about how high he had climbed up the wall
(C) angry because younger children were watching him fail
(D) surprised by how quickly he lost his physical strength
3 What did the writer learn on the beginner’s course?
(A) how to pull himself up the wall using his arms
(B) that he needed to buy his own safety equipment
(C) that he could rely on the equipment to keep him safe
(D) how to catch other climbers when they fall
4 In the fourth paragraph, the writer says that he
(A) achieved a personal goal during a recent competition.
(B) was upset about not winning any prizes.
(C) prefers climbing indoors rather than outdoors.
(D) plans to spend more time climbing with his friends.
5 What might the writer write in his diary?
(A) I finally won my first climbing competition today! It was hard work, but practicing three times a week was totally worth it.
(B) The beginner’s course was helpful, but I’m still terrified of falling. I don’t think I’ll ever be brave enough to climb on real rocks.
(C) I was so embarrassed during my first climb that I almost quit. If my instructor hadn’t pushed me, I would have gone back to playing tennis.
(D) I’m so glad I found a sport I love. I’m getting better every week, and I can’t wait to test my skills in nature soon!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The writer states that he got “bored with the usual school sports” and “couldn’t find anything that kept my interest for long” before deciding to go to the new climbing centre’s open day to “see what it was like.”
2 D – He mentions that after going up just three metres, his hands were burning and he was “completely exhausted.” This paraphrases being surprised by how quickly he lost his strength.
3 C – The text states that the instructor taught them “how to trust the safety equipment” and that once he realised the rope would catch him and he “wouldn’t hit the ground,” his fear disappeared.
4 A – During the competition, although he didn’t win, he “managed to reach the top of a wall that I had failed on many times before, which felt like a massive victory.” This represents achieving a personal goal.
5 D – This option accurately captures the global meaning and the writer’s attitude: he goes to the centre three times a week (showing he loves it), notes he is improving his technique, and mentions his goal to “try climbing outdoors on real rocks next summer.”