Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Mental Health, Sleep & Mindfulness
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Scheduling My Stress
I have always been someone who thinks too much. A few months ago, I started worrying constantly about my future. I felt anxious about my upcoming exams, choosing the right university, and what kind of job I would eventually get. These thoughts didn’t just happen at night; they interrupted my daily life. Whether I was playing video games or hanging out with friends, a sudden worry would pop into my head and completely ruin my mood. I was exhausted from feeling stressed all day long.
Eventually, I decided to speak to my school counselor, Mr. Davis. I explained how my anxieties were stopping me from enjoying anything. He smiled and told me that feeling nervous about the future is completely normal. However, he suggested a surprising technique to help me take control of my thoughts: he told me to schedule a daily “worry time”. He advised me to choose a specific fifteen-minute slot, like 5:00 PM, and use that time to think about all my problems.
At first, the idea sounded absolutely ridiculous. How could I just schedule my emotions? But I agreed to try it. The next day, when a stressful thought about my science exam appeared during breakfast, I quickly wrote it down in a notebook. I told myself that I was not allowed to worry about it until 5:00 PM. To my surprise, my brain actually listened. Because I knew I had a dedicated time to deal with the problem later, I could focus on my morning classes.
When my alarm finally rang at 5:00 PM, I sat down and looked at my notebook. I spent exactly fifteen minutes thinking about the things on my list. Interestingly, some of the problems that seemed terrifying in the morning didn’t feel very important anymore. When the fifteen minutes were over, I closed the book and forced myself to do something fun instead of continuing to stress.
Now, this simple strategy has completely changed my life. I still have anxieties, but they no longer control my entire schedule. Confining my negative thoughts to a specific time slot means the rest of my day is free for studying, relaxing, and spending time with my family. I finally feel like I am in charge of my own mind.
1 Why was the writer feeling exhausted in the first paragraph?
(A) He was studying too hard for his upcoming exams.
(B) His friends were making him play too many video games.
(C) He was constantly thinking about stressful things.
(D) He didn’t know how to apply for the right university.
2 What did the school counselor advise the writer to do?
(A) Stop worrying about the future completely.
(B) Give himself a short period each day just to worry.
(C) Talk to his friends about his problems at 5:00 PM.
(D) Think of a different career to study for.
3 How did the writer handle a stressful thought during breakfast?
(A) He ignored it and refused to write it down.
(B) He immediately spent fifteen minutes worrying about it.
(C) He asked his science teacher for help with his exam.
(D) He recorded it to think about at a later time.
4 What did the writer discover during his ‘worry time’ at 5:00 PM?
(A) He needed more than fifteen minutes to solve his problems.
(B) Certain worries were less frightening than they had been earlier.
(C) He couldn’t read the notes he had written in his notebook.
(D) He forgot to do the fun activities he had planned.
5 What would the writer say about the ‘worry time’ strategy?
(A) “It sounds like a silly idea, and honestly, it didn’t do anything to reduce my daily stress.”
(B) “I never worry about anything anymore because my problems always disappear by 5:00 PM.”
(C) “Although I still get anxious, keeping my worries to a strict schedule lets me enjoy my day.”
(D) “I spend all day writing lists, which makes me feel even more exhausted than before.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – The first paragraph explains that the writer was worrying constantly about his future, exams, and jobs, which interrupted his daily life and ruined his mood, leaving him “exhausted from feeling stressed all day long.” This matches thinking about stressful things.
2 B – In the second paragraph, the counselor suggests a daily “worry time”, advising him to “choose a specific fifteen-minute slot… and use that time to think about all my problems”. This paraphrases giving himself a short period each day just to worry.
3 D – Paragraph three states that when a stressful thought appeared, he “quickly wrote it down in a notebook” and told himself he was “not allowed to worry about it until 5:00 PM”. This means he recorded it to think about later.
4 B – In the fourth paragraph, the writer notes that “some of the problems that seemed terrifying in the morning didn’t feel very important anymore”, which means certain worries were less frightening than earlier.
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and the writer’s attitude in the final paragraph. He admits that he “still has anxieties” (still gets anxious) but confining them to a specific time slot means the rest of his day is “free for studying, relaxing” (lets him enjoy his day).
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A New Court, A New Start
When my parents first told me we were moving to a completely different city because of my dad’s new job, I was absolutely furious. I had lived in the same neighbourhood for fifteen years, and the thought of leaving my lifelong friends behind broke my heart. While my parents were busy packing boxes and looking forward to our new adventure, I just felt miserable. I couldn’t understand why we had to change our perfectly happy lives.
During our first week in the new house, I refused to go outside. My bedroom became my safe hiding place. While the rest of my family explored the local area and visited the nearby shops, I spent hours lying on my bed, constantly messaging my old friends. Unpacking my bags felt like an impossible task, so I just lived out of suitcases. My parents tried to encourage me to look around the neighbourhood, but I stubbornly decided that I was going to hate this new city forever.
Eventually, my mother insisted that I get some fresh air. Feeling extremely annoyed, I put on my trainers and walked to the large public park at the end of our street. As I wandered around, I heard the familiar sound of a bouncing ball. I looked over and saw a group of teenagers playing a game of basketball. I have always loved the sport, but I felt far too shy to ask if I could join in. Suddenly, their ball rolled across the grass and stopped right by my feet. I picked it up, smiled, and threw it back. To my surprise, one of them waved and invited me to play on their team.
Joining that match was exactly what I needed. Running up and down the court made me forget about my sadness for a while, and it felt fantastic to finally get some exercise. Although it was a difficult game, I actually managed to score a few points. Afterwards, we sat on the grass and chatted. They were incredibly friendly and even asked what school I would be going to. Walking back home, I realised something important. I will always miss my old friends, but starting the
process of moving on is necessary. This new city might not be so terrible after all.
1 How did the writer feel when he first heard about the move?
(A) He was excited to go on a new adventure with his family.
(B) He was angry that he was forced to leave his old life behind.
(C) He was worried about packing all his boxes in time.
(D) He was sad because his dad was struggling with his job.
2 What did the writer do during his first week in the new house?
(A) He visited the local shops with his family.
(B) He spent a lot of time organizing his new bedroom.
(C) He stayed in his room communicating with people from his old town.
(D) He tried to learn more about his new neighbourhood.
3 When the writer saw the boys playing basketball, he
(A) confidently asked if he could play on their team.
(B) felt irritated by the loud noise of their ball.
(C) got the chance to join them after returning their ball.
(D) was worried because he wasn’t very good at the sport.
4 How did the writer’s attitude change after the game?
(A) He decided to stop keeping in touch with his old friends.
(B) He understood that he needed to start accepting his new situation.
(C) He realized that he was much better at basketball than the others.
(D) He felt disappointed because the boys didn’t go to his school.
5 What would the writer write in his diary?
(A) Moving here was a huge mistake. Even though I played a great game of basketball today, I am going to stay in my room until we move back.
(B) Leaving my old life was incredibly tough, but playing basketball with some local boys today gave me hope that I can actually be happy here.
(C) I finally unpacked all my boxes today! My parents were so pleased that they let me go to the local park to play sports with my new friends.
(D) The boys at the park were really friendly, but I decided not to play basketball with them because I missed my old team too much.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that the writer was “absolutely furious” about moving and leaving his lifelong friends behind, matching the feeling of being angry about leaving his old life.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that he spent hours lying on his bed “constantly messaging my old friends”, instead of exploring or unpacking.
3 C – The third paragraph describes how the writer was too shy to ask to play, but when the ball stopped by his feet, he “threw it back” and was then “invited me to play on their team”.
4 B – In the final paragraph, the writer reflects on his walk home, stating: “I will always miss my old friends, but starting the process of moving on is necessary.”
5 B – This option accurately captures the global meaning and narrative arc of the text: the initial pain of leaving his old life, followed by the positive turning point of playing basketball and finding hope for his future in the new city.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Believing in My Success
When our science teacher handed back our final exam results last month, I was completely shocked. I had scored the highest marks in my entire year group. My parents were absolutely delighted, and my friends congratulated me, but I didn’t feel happy at all. Instead of feeling proud, I felt like a complete fraud. I convinced myself that I had just been extremely lucky with the questions, and that I didn’t actually deserve my excellent grade.
For the next few weeks, however, this terrible feeling just wouldn’t go away. I started to worry constantly about our next science project. I was terrified that when we did the next test, everyone would finally realise that I wasn’t actually smart. Whenever my classmates asked me for help with their homework, I made excuses and walked away. I was so anxious about making a mistake and looking silly that I couldn’t even sleep properly at night.
One afternoon, I stayed late in the classroom to organise my notes. My science teacher, Mr Clarke, noticed that I was looking exhausted and stressed. He kindly asked me what was wrong, and before I could stop myself, I told him everything. I explained that my top grade was just an accident and that I was terrified of failing the next exam. Mr Clarke didn’t laugh at me. Instead, he walked over to his computer and opened my student file.
He asked me to look carefully at my marks from the very beginning of the school year. On the screen, I could clearly see a long list of my quiz results, homework grades, and project scores. They hadn’t always been perfect, but they had slowly and consistently improved every single month. Mr Clarke explained that my final exam result wasn’t just a lucky moment. It was actually the direct result of all the hard work and extra hours I had put in throughout the year.
Looking at that hard data completely changed my attitude. Seeing the visual proof of my progress made me realise that my success was definitely earned, not accidental. I finally stopped worrying about being a fraud. Now, I feel confident enough to help my friends with their studies, and I am actually looking forward to our next science challenge!
1 How did the writer feel after receiving their science exam results?
(A) Proud that they were the smartest student in the year.
(B) Upset because their parents expected a better grade.
(C) Anxious because they believed their success was just luck.
(D) Surprised that the questions on the test were so easy.
2 What did the writer do because of their negative feelings?
(A) They stopped completing their science homework.
(B) They avoided helping other students with their work.
(C) They asked their friends to study with them at night.
(D) They told their classmates that the next test would be hard.
3 When the writer spoke to Mr Clarke, the teacher
(A) laughed at the writer’s silly mistakes.
(B) gave the writer an easier science project to do.
(C) showed the writer evidence of their past performance.
(D) promised the writer that the next exam would not be a surprise.
4 Looking at the computer screen helped the writer understand that
(A) they still needed to spend more extra hours studying.
(B) their previous quiz results were actually full of errors.
(C) they should stop worrying about helping their friends.
(D) their top mark was achieved through consistent effort.
5 What would the writer write in their diary today?
(A) I still can’t believe I got the highest mark by guessing all the answers. I just hope my luck continues for the next science project!
(B) I used to feel like a fraud, but seeing my progress over the year proved that my hard work really did pay off. I’m ready for the next test!
(C) Mr Clarke finally realised that I shouldn’t have got that top grade. He showed me all my terrible quiz results on his computer.
(D) Helping my friends with their homework is exhausting. I’m so stressed about science that I can’t even sleep properly anymore.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – The first paragraph states that the writer felt like a “complete fraud” and convinced themselves they “had just been extremely lucky with the questions,” so they felt anxious rather than happy or proud.
2 B – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that because of their fear of looking silly, “Whenever my classmates asked me for help with their homework, I made excuses and walked away.”
3 C – The third paragraph describes Mr Clarke opening the student file on his computer and asking the writer to “look carefully at my marks from the very beginning of the school year,” which is evidence of past performance.
4 D – The fourth and fifth paragraphs explain that seeing the data proved the final result “wasn’t just a lucky moment” but “the direct result of all the hard work” and that the success was “definitely earned” (consistent effort).
5 B – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: the writer initially felt like a fraud but overcame this “imposter syndrome” when their teacher showed them the hard data proving their consistent hard work.