Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Mental Health, Sleep & Mindfulness
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Lesson in Losing
I will never forget the final basketball game of the school year. The sports hall was packed with loud fans, and the atmosphere was incredibly tense. The score was perfectly tied, and there were only five seconds left on the clock. My teammate quickly passed the ball to me. This was my big moment to win the game. I jumped up, aimed carefully, and threw the ball towards the basket. Unfortunately, it hit the edge of the metal ring and bounced away just as the final whistle blew. We had lost the most important match of the season, and I felt completely responsible for the defeat.
After we shook hands with the winning team, I went straight to the locker room to hide. I sat on a bench in the corner and started crying. I felt absolutely terrible about my performance. I believed that I had let my teammates and the whole school down. In my mind, missing that one crucial shot meant I was a worthless player who didn’t deserve to be on the court. I even started to tell myself that I should quit the sport completely because I clearly wasn’t good enough to play under pressure.
While I was sitting there feeling sorry for myself, Coach Miller walked into the quiet room. I was expecting him to be angry or disappointed with me, but he simply sat down next to me with a kind, encouraging smile. He told me that even the greatest professional players miss important shots sometimes. Then, he said something that completely changed my perspective on the situation. He explained that failure isn’t a disaster; it is just useful data. Every time we make a mistake, we get valuable information about exactly what we need to improve.
As I listened closely to Coach Miller, my tears finally stopped. I realised that feeling miserable wouldn’t change the final score, but practicing harder could definitely change my future games. Instead of handing in my team shirt and giving up, I looked at my coach and asked him how I could train better over the summer holidays. We agreed that my shooting technique needed some extra work. Suddenly, I didn’t feel like a failure anymore. I just felt like a motivated player who had a lot of useful data to work with.
1 What happened at the end of the basketball game?
(A) The writer scored the winning point for his team.
(B) The writer missed a shot that would have won the match.
(C) The writer passed the ball to a teammate who missed.
(D) The writer was injured before the final whistle blew.
2 How did the writer feel in the locker room?
(A) Annoyed that his teammates didn’t support him.
(B) Anxious about what the coach would say to him.
(C) Ashamed because he thought he was a terrible player.
(D) Relieved that the stressful basketball season was over.
3 What did Coach Miller teach the writer?
(A) That making mistakes helps you learn how to get better.
(B) That professional players never feel sad when they lose.
(C) That he should focus on passing the ball more often.
(D) That the other team was just luckier on that day.
4 At the end of the text, what did the writer decide to do?
(A) He decided to quit the basketball team immediately.
(B) He decided to ask for a plan to improve his skills.
(C) He decided to train alone without the coach’s help.
(D) He decided to play a different sport over the summer.
5 What would the writer say about his experience?
(A) “I wish I hadn’t played in the final game because losing has completely ruined my confidence in sports.”
(B) “Missing that shot was awful, but my coach helped me see that failure is just a chance to improve.”
(C) “Coach Miller was too soft on me; I think I needed him to be angry so I would practice harder.”
(D) “It doesn’t matter how much data you have, some people are just not meant to play basketball under pressure.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states he had the ball with five seconds left to win the game, but threw it and “it hit the edge of the metal ring and bounced away”. This means he missed a shot that would have won the match.
2 C – Paragraph two explains that he was crying and felt “like a worthless player who didn’t deserve to be on the court.” This matches feeling ashamed because he thought he was a terrible player.
3 A – In paragraph three, Coach Miller explains that failure is “just useful data” and that making a mistake gives us “valuable information about exactly what we need to improve.” This means mistakes help you learn how to get better.
4 B – Paragraph four states that instead of giving up, the writer “asked him how I could train better over the summer holidays”, which means he decided to ask for a plan to improve his skills.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and the writer’s attitude perfectly. He acknowledges the pain of the event but highlights the central lesson: failure is not a disaster, but rather “useful data” or a chance to improve.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Power of a Clean Room
For the past few months, I had been feeling unusually miserable and lacking in energy. My mood was perfectly reflected in the state of my bedroom, which had slowly become a complete disaster area. There were piles of unwashed clothes covering the floor, and empty snack packets were scattered across my desk. Every time I walked into my room, I felt a heavy cloud of sadness and stress descend upon me. Instead of dealing with the mess, I simply ignored it and spent hours lying in bed staring at my smartphone.
The turning point finally came last Saturday morning. As I tried to get out of bed, I tripped over a heavy pile of textbooks and hurt my knee. As I sat on the floor, surrounded by rubbish, I realised that I couldn’t live like this anymore. The chaos in my room was making my mental fog worse. I decided right then that I was going to dedicate the entire day to deep-cleaning my personal space, no matter how difficult or exhausting it might be.
I started by getting several large black bin bags and throwing away all the old wrappers and useless pieces of paper. After that, I spent a couple of hours sorting my clothes into dirty laundry and things that could be put away in the wardrobe. Once the floor was finally visible, I vacuumed the carpet and polished the furniture. It was incredibly tiring work, and halfway through, I wanted to give up. However, finding my favourite missing watch under my bed encouraged me to keep going.
By the late afternoon, my bedroom looked like a completely different place. It was sparkling clean, and it smelled fresh. As I sat on my perfectly made bed, I noticed something amazing. The heavy, unhappy feeling in my head had completely vanished. I felt calm, positive, and ready to focus on my schoolwork again. I learned a valuable lesson that day: our physical environment has a massive impact on our mental health. Now, I make sure to tidy my room for ten minutes every evening to keep that positive energy.
1 In the first paragraph, the writer explains that
(A) they spent a lot of time cleaning their room to improve their mood.
(B) their messy environment made their negative feelings even worse.
(C) they felt exhausted because they were studying hard in their bedroom.
(D) their parents told them to stop looking at their phone and tidy up.
2 What caused the writer to finally take action?
(A) They needed to find some important textbooks for school.
(B) They had an accident that made them realise things had to change.
(C) They decided they wanted to do some difficult physical exercise.
(D) They woke up feeling full of energy on a Saturday morning.
3 During the cleaning process, the writer
(A) found the task easy because they discovered some missing items.
(B) asked someone to help them carry the heavy black bin bags.
(C) almost stopped, but discovering a lost object motivated them.
(D) spent most of the time washing all of their dirty laundry.
4 What did the writer realise at the end of the text?
(A) Keeping a room tidy takes hours of hard work every day.
(B) It is much better to study in the bedroom than anywhere else.
(C) They need to buy some new furniture to keep things organized.
(D) A clean and organized space can make you feel much happier.
5 What would the writer write in their diary?
(A) Tripping over my books was painful, but it forced me to clean my room. I can’t believe how much better and clearer my mind feels now!
(B) I spent all day cleaning my bedroom, but honestly, I still feel quite depressed. I don’t think tidying up makes any difference to my mood.
(C) My room looks fantastic now, but it took so long to clean that I’m never doing it again. I’ll just hire someone to do it next time.
(D) I finally found my missing watch today while I was looking at my phone in bed. I should probably clean the rest of the room tomorrow.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in paragraph 1 that walking into the messy room made the writer feel “a heavy cloud of sadness and stress”, meaning the environment worsened their negative feelings.
2 B – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that they “tripped over a heavy pile of textbooks and hurt my knee” and then “realised that I couldn’t live like this anymore.”
3 C – Paragraph 3 mentions that the writer “wanted to give up” but “finding my favourite missing watch… encouraged me to keep going.”
4 D – In paragraph 4, the writer notes that the “unhappy feeling in my head had completely vanished” and concludes that “our physical environment has a massive impact on our mental health.”
5 A – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: it mentions the catalyst for change (tripping), the action taken (cleaning), and the positive psychological result (a clearer mind).
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Making the Right Choice
I have always wanted to be part of the popular group at school. So, when my friends invited me to a big party, I was absolutely thrilled. However, there was a major problem: it was on a Thursday night, the evening before our most important maths exam of the year. I knew my parents would never allow me to go, so my friends suggested I sneak out of the house after everyone was asleep.
All afternoon, I felt incredibly anxious about the situation. The desire to fit in was incredibly strong. I really wanted to go to the party because I didn’t want my friends to think I was boring. I imagined they would laugh at me and stop inviting me to hang out with them if I refused. On the other hand, I had studied for weeks for this specific maths exam. I knew that if I went out, I would be completely exhausted the next day and probably get a terrible grade.
Finally, I made up my mind and decided to be brave. I sent a message to our group chat, explaining that I wasn’t going to come because passing the exam was just too important to me. Almost immediately, my phone started buzzing. A few of my friends were quite annoyed and sent some unkind messages, saying that I was taking school way too seriously. We had a brief argument online, and I must admit I felt quite upset and lonely for the rest of the evening.
However, when my alarm rang the next morning, my feelings had completely changed. I woke up feeling fresh, well-rested, and ready for the challenge. During the test, I could easily remember all the information I had revised. When I saw my friends later, they looked absolutely exhausted and complained about how impossible the exam was. Two of them even admitted they wished they had stayed at home to sleep.
Saying “no” to my friends was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done. It is never easy to risk upsetting people you care about just to do the right thing. But choosing what was best for my own future gave me a powerful sense of self-respect. Now I know that true friends will accept my decisions, even if they don’t always agree with them.
1 Why did the writer’s friends suggest he should sneak out of the house?
(A) Because his parents were going to be asleep before the party started.
(B) Because he was certain his parents would refuse to give him permission.
(C) Because he wanted to keep his studies a secret from his parents.
(D) Because the party was happening far away from his neighbourhood.
2 What was the writer’s main fear about staying at home?
(A) That he would forget everything he had studied for weeks.
(B) That he would be far too tired to pass his maths exam.
(C) That his parents would find out what his friends were doing.
(D) That his friends would reject him and find him uninteresting.
3 How did the writer’s friends react to his text message?
(A) They were irritated and criticized his attitude towards his studies.
(B) They tried to call his phone immediately to change his mind.
(C) They respected his decision because they also cared about the exam.
(D) They felt completely upset and lonely for the rest of the evening.
4 What happened the day after the party?
(A) The writer realised the maths exam was impossible to pass.
(B) The writer was exhausted but happy he had revised well.
(C) Some of the writer’s friends realised they had made a mistake going out.
(D) The writer’s friends were angry at him for getting a better grade.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that evening?
(A) I really regret missing the party last night. My friends are so angry with me, and I couldn’t even concentrate on my exam because I felt so lonely today.
(B) The maths exam was terribly difficult today, and I think I failed. Next time, I might as well just go to the party and have fun with everyone else!
(C) I finally managed to sneak out and have a great time! My parents didn’t notice a thing, and I somehow still managed to do well on my exam today.
(D) It felt awful to argue with my group, but waking up prepared for my exam proved I made the right choice. Standing up for myself makes me feel really proud.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states: “I knew my parents would never allow me to go, so my friends suggested I sneak out…”, meaning he was sure they would refuse permission.
2 D – In the second paragraph, the writer explains he wanted to go because “I didn’t want my friends to think I was boring. I imagined they would laugh at me and stop inviting me…”, showing a fear of rejection and seeming uninteresting.
3 A – The third paragraph describes his friends as being “quite annoyed” and sending “unkind messages, saying that I was taking school way too seriously” (irritated and criticized his attitude).
4 C – In the fourth paragraph, the writer notes that when he saw his friends, they were exhausted and “Two of them even admitted they wished they had stayed at home to sleep.”
5 D – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: the writer experienced initial distress over arguing with friends but ultimately gained a powerful sense of self-respect by making the right choice for his future.