Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Mental Health, Sleep & Mindfulness
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Problem with Perfect
I have always been a good student, but I have a secret problem: I want everything I do to be absolutely perfect. Last month, my history teacher gave us an assignment to write a short essay about the Romans. History is my favourite subject, so I immediately decided that my piece of homework needed to be the best in the whole class. I spent several days in the library researching facts and planning the perfect structure, feeling incredibly excited about the project.
However, when I actually sat down at my computer to write, my usual trouble began. I finished my first draft quite quickly, but when I read it, I just wasn’t happy with it. I thought the vocabulary wasn’t impressive enough, so I started changing almost every sentence. I spent hours deleting entire paragraphs and rewriting them from the beginning. Instead of going to bed at a normal time, I stayed up late obsessing over tiny grammar details. Even though my parents told me the essay looked fantastic, I refused to stop working on it.
Because I was so focused on making the essay completely perfect, I lost track of time. The deadline was Friday morning, but by Thursday night, I was still rewriting the middle section. I finally finished it on Saturday afternoon, feeling completely exhausted and stressed. When I handed it to my teacher on Monday, I felt terrible. She smiled and accepted the essay, but she gently reminded me that the school had a strict rule about late homework.
When I got my paper back a week later, my heart sank. My teacher had written some lovely comments about my historical research, but my final grade was much lower than I expected. She had taken off twenty percent just because it was late! That moment taught me a very painful but valuable lesson. I realised that an assignment that is finished and good enough is infinitely better than one that is completely perfect but misses the deadline. Now, when I do my homework, I set a timer and force myself to stop when it rings.
1 Why did the writer spend several days in the library?
(A) He wanted his history essay to be better than everyone else’s.
(B) He didn’t know anything about the Romans before the project.
(C) He was asked to write the longest essay in the class.
(D) History was a subject he usually struggled to understand.
2 How did the writer react to his first draft?
(A) He immediately showed it to his parents to ask for their advice.
(B) He decided to delete it completely because it was too short.
(C) He wasted a lot of time making unnecessary changes to it.
(D) He realised he needed to do more research on the vocabulary.
3 What happened when the writer gave the essay to his teacher?
(A) She refused to accept his homework because it was Saturday.
(B) She was angry with him because he had lost track of time.
(C) She pointed out that there was a penalty for handing work in late.
(D) She told him that he looked completely exhausted and stressed.
4 What did the writer learn from his final grade?
(A) That doing lots of historical research is a waste of time.
(B) That his teacher didn’t like the vocabulary he had used.
(C) That setting a timer is the only way to write a good essay.
(D) That completing a task on time is more important than making it flawless.
5 What would the writer say in his blog today?
(A) I got a terrible grade on my essay because my teacher didn’t appreciate my research. Next time, I won’t work so hard.
(B) Spending hours rewriting my essay was a big mistake. I’ve finally realised that handing in good work on time is what really matters.
(C) I’m so stressed about my history essay. I’ve missed the deadline, but I’m sure it will be fine because it’s completely perfect.
(D) My parents were right to tell me to stop working. I’m going to ask them to write my next history assignment for me to save time.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The text states in the first paragraph that the writer decided his homework “needed to be the best in the whole class,” which motivated him to spend days researching in the library.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that he wasn’t happy with his draft and started “changing almost every sentence” and “obsessing over tiny grammar details,” meaning he wasted time on unnecessary changes.
3 C – The third paragraph describes the teacher accepting the essay but gently reminding him that “the school had a strict rule about late homework,” pointing out the consequence of being late.
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, the writer concludes that an assignment that is “finished and good enough is infinitely better than one that is completely perfect but misses the deadline.”
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and the writer’s attitude: acknowledging the mistake of obsessing over perfection and embracing the valuable lesson that finishing on time is more important.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Conquering the Crowd
I have never been a confident person, especially when it comes to standing up in front of a crowd. So, when my history teacher announced that we each had to give a ten-minute presentation to the entire class, my heart immediately sank. While my classmates were busy discussing which interesting topics they were going to choose, I was just staring at my desk in silence. The mere thought of having dozens of eyes looking directly at me made my hands shake and my mouth go completely dry.
For the next few days, I let my imagination run wild with terrible ideas. I pictured myself dropping my notes, forgetting all my carefully researched facts, and making a complete fool of myself. I was absolutely convinced that everyone would start laughing at me the moment I opened my mouth. I felt so stressed about the upcoming assignment that I even considered asking my parents to write a letter to my teacher, hoping to get permission to do an extra written essay instead of speaking.
However, my older sister, who is at university and frequently gives speeches, noticed how worried I was. She told me to stop avoiding the problem and gave me some brilliant advice. She suggested that I stand in my bedroom and practice my speech loudly in front of a full-length mirror. At first, I felt incredibly silly talking to my own reflection. But after running through the presentation several times, I started to notice my mistakes and quickly fixed them, which slowly built up my confidence.
My sister also shared a secret that completely changed my attitude. She reminded me that an audience is never hoping for a speaker to fail. In fact, most people sitting in a classroom are usually just relieved that it isn’t their turn to speak yet! When the day of my presentation finally arrived, I still felt a few butterflies in my stomach, but the terrifying fear had gone. I took a deep breath, smiled at my friends, and delivered my speech clearly. It wasn’t completely perfect, but transforming my terror into manageable nervous energy felt like a massive personal victory.
1 Why was the writer unhappy about the history assignment?
(A) He couldn’t think of an interesting topic to talk about.
(B) He was terrified of having to speak in front of other people.
(C) He was angry that the presentation had to be ten minutes long.
(D) He felt annoyed that his classmates were making so much noise.
2 What did the writer think about doing to avoid the presentation?
(A) Purposely leaving his research notes at home.
(B) Pretending to be too sick to go to school.
(C) Requesting to complete a different type of homework.
(D) Asking his classmates to promise not to laugh at him.
3 How did practicing in front of the mirror help the writer?
(A) It proved to him that his sister was a fantastic speaker.
(B) It helped him memorize the speech perfectly on the first try.
(C) It allowed him to identify and correct his errors.
(D) It made him feel silly, which stopped him from worrying.
4 What new realisation helped the writer on the day of his speech?
(A) He understood that his classmates did not actually want him to do badly.
(B) He discovered that his friends weren’t going to listen to his speech anyway.
(C) He noticed that his presentation was completely perfect and without mistakes.
(D) He realised that he had no nervous feelings in his stomach at all.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that evening?
(A) The presentation was exactly the disaster I imagined. I dropped my notes and everyone laughed at me. I’ll never speak in public again!
(B) Practicing in front of the mirror was a waste of time, but luckily my classmates were too busy worrying about their own speeches to notice my mistakes.
(C) I still absolutely hate public speaking, and I’ll definitely force my parents to write a letter to my teacher next time so I don’t have to do it!
(D) I was so terrified about today, but preparing properly and changing how I view the audience helped me turn my fear into a positive energy!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states that the writer has never been confident “standing up in front of a crowd” and the thought of having “dozens of eyes looking directly at me” made his hands shake and mouth go dry.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer mentions he considered asking his parents to write a letter to get permission to “do an extra written essay instead of speaking.”
3 C – The third paragraph describes how, after practicing several times, the writer “started to notice my mistakes and quickly fixed them.”
4 A – The fourth paragraph details his sister’s advice that “an audience is never hoping for a speaker to fail” and that people are just relieved it isn’t their turn, helping him realise they didn’t want him to do badly.
5 D – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: the writer started out terrified, used good preparation (the mirror), changed his perspective (the audience doesn’t want him to fail), and ultimately achieved a personal victory.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Coloring Inside the Lines
Last year, I was going through a particularly difficult time. I was preparing for my final school exams, and my parents were constantly reminding me how important it was to get good grades. The pressure from my family and my teachers was making me feel completely overwhelmed. I couldn’t sleep properly, and my mind was always full of chaotic thoughts. I knew I needed to find a way to relax, so while I was shopping at the local supermarket, I bought a cheap adult coloring book on impulse.
When I got home, I threw the book on my desk and looked at it. I immediately felt a bit silly. In my mind, coloring was an activity designed for young children, not for a teenager who was about to finish high school. I almost put it in the recycling bin. However, I found a box of old colored pencils at the back of my drawer and decided I had nothing to lose. I opened the book to a page with a complex geometric pattern and started to color.
At first, I didn’t feel any different. But after a few minutes, I noticed something interesting. Because the spaces in the pattern were so incredibly small, I had to concentrate very hard to keep the colors strictly inside the lines. Without realizing it, my breathing slowed down. Because I was focusing entirely on choosing the right shades of blue and green, my brain didn’t have any room left to worry about my upcoming maths exam or my parents’ expectations. It was providing a wonderful, meditative escape from my daily problems.
I have been coloring every evening for the past three months, and it has completely transformed how I handle stress. Whenever I feel anxious, I just sit down with my book for fifteen minutes. It immediately calms my mind and helps me organize my thoughts before I start doing my homework. I never expected that such a simple, cheap, and childish activity could bring me so much mental peace. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a break from their busy life.
1 Why did the writer buy the coloring book?
(A) To improve their grades in art class.
(B) To find a way to deal with their heavy stress.
(C) To please their parents who wanted them to relax.
(D) To help them fall asleep more quickly at night.
2 How did the writer feel when they first looked at the book at home?
(A) Excited to finally use their old colored pencils.
(B) Annoyed that the geometric patterns were so complex.
(C) Foolish because they thought it wasn’t suitable for their age.
(D) Disappointed because the book looked extremely cheap.
3 What made the coloring activity so helpful for the writer?
(A) It allowed them to practice for a difficult maths test.
(B) It required careful attention, which stopped them from worrying.
(C) It helped them discover a natural talent for art.
(D) It taught them how to breathe properly while studying.
4 What does the writer say about their new habit?
(A) They now spend several hours doing it every evening.
(B) It helps them clear their mind before dealing with schoolwork.
(C) They prefer doing it after they have finished all their homework.
(D) It is an expensive hobby, but it is completely worth it.
5 What would the writer write in their diary?
(A) I really wish my parents wouldn’t put so much pressure on me. I tried coloring today, but it just made me feel like a little kid again.
(B) I failed my maths exam because I spent too much time coloring. I need to stop wasting time on childish hobbies.
(C) It’s amazing how spending a few minutes coloring inside the lines can make all my school worries disappear. I feel much more in control now!
(D) I found a great new hobby! I’m going to buy lots of expensive adult coloring books and share them with my stressed friends.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer states they felt “completely overwhelmed” by pressure and “knew I needed to find a way to relax,” which matches finding a way to deal with their heavy stress.
2 C – Paragraph 2 mentions that the writer “felt a bit silly” because they thought “coloring was an activity designed for young children, not for a teenager,” which maps to feeling foolish because it wasn’t suitable for their age.
3 B – In paragraph 3, the writer explains that because they had to “concentrate very hard to keep the colors strictly inside the lines,” their brain “didn’t have any room left to worry.”
4 B – Paragraph 4 states that the coloring habit “calms my mind and helps me organize my thoughts before I start doing my homework,” which means it helps clear their mind before dealing with schoolwork.
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: being stressed by school, using coloring as a brief meditative escape to make worries disappear, and feeling calm and in control as a result.