Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Mental Health, Sleep & Mindfulness
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Weight of a Good Night’s Sleep
For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with terrible sleeping habits. While my friends could easily sleep for eight hours, I spent most nights staring at my bedroom ceiling. My mind would race with anxious thoughts about schoolwork, and my legs always felt incredibly restless. By the time morning arrived, I was completely exhausted. This lack of sleep made it difficult to concentrate during lessons, and my teachers often asked if I was feeling unwell. I tried drinking warm milk and listening to relaxing music, but nothing seemed to help my brain switch off.
Everything changed last month when my Aunt Clara came to visit for the weekend. She immediately noticed the dark circles under my eyes and asked what was wrong. After I explained my frustrating night-time routine, she smiled and said she had the perfect solution. Two days later, a large, surprisingly heavy package arrived in the post. Inside was a thick, dark blue blanket. My aunt sent a message explaining that it was a ‘weighted blanket’ filled with tiny glass beads. I honestly felt quite doubtful. I couldn’t understand how adding extra weight to my bed would suddenly cure my sleeping problems.
However, I decided to give it a try that evening. When I climbed into bed and pulled the heavy material over myself, I was shocked by the sensation. Instead of feeling trapped, the gentle pressure across my shoulders and legs felt incredibly comforting. It was exactly like receiving a permanent, warm hug. Almost instantly, my nervous system seemed to calm down. The restless feeling in my legs vanished, and my racing thoughts finally slowed to a stop. Before I even realised what was happening, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
When my alarm rang the next morning, I woke up feeling properly rested for the first time in years. The difference in my mood and energy levels was absolutely amazing. Now, after using the weighted blanket every night for a month, I can easily pay attention in all my classes. Looking back, it seems ridiculous that I was so unsure about my aunt’s unusual gift. I am just so grateful to have finally found a simple, natural way to get the rest my body desperately needs.
1 Why was the writer finding school difficult?
(A) He was spending too much time listening to music.
(B) His teachers were giving him too much homework.
(C) He was too tired to focus properly on his lessons.
(D) His friends were keeping him awake late at night.
2 How did the writer feel when he received the package?
(A) Unconvinced that the gift would actually help him.
(B) Annoyed that his aunt had bought the wrong colour.
(C) Surprised that it contained tiny pieces of glass.
(D) Excited to finally test a popular internet trend.
3 What happened when the writer first used the blanket?
(A) He felt uncomfortable and trapped under the heavy material.
(B) The physical pressure immediately relaxed his body and mind.
(C) He stayed awake for a while enjoying the extra warmth.
(D) He had to remove some of the glass beads to get comfortable.
4 What does the writer think about the weighted blanket now?
(A) He plans to buy another one for his aunt to say thank you.
(B) He wishes he had chosen a more traditional way to fall asleep.
(C) He only uses it on nights before he has important exams.
(D) He feels silly for ever doubting that it would work.
5 What would the writer write in his diary today?
(A) The heavy blanket my aunt sent me is too uncomfortable to use every night, but at least I am finally getting some sleep.
(B) Aunt Clara’s unusual gift completely changed my life. I finally know what it feels like to wake up with plenty of energy!
(C) I am so exhausted today. Even though the weighted blanket feels like a warm hug, my legs are still too restless to sleep.
(D) I finally discovered that drinking warm milk before bed is the best way to calm my racing mind and get a good night’s rest.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – The text states in paragraph 1 that “This lack of sleep made it difficult to concentrate during lessons”, meaning he was too tired to focus.
2 A – In paragraph 2, the writer states “I honestly felt quite doubtful” and “couldn’t understand how adding extra weight… would suddenly cure my sleeping problems.”
3 B – Paragraph 3 explains that the pressure felt comforting, and “Almost instantly, my nervous system seemed to calm down. The restless feeling in my legs vanished, and my racing thoughts finally slowed.”
4 D – In paragraph 4, the writer reflects: “Looking back, it seems ridiculous that I was so unsure about my aunt’s unusual gift.” This matches feeling silly for doubting it.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: moving from extreme exhaustion to receiving a strange but highly effective gift that dramatically improved his energy and daily life.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Creative Cure for Anger
I have always had a quick temper, but recently, things were getting worse. The heavy pressure of school exams and occasional arguments with my parents made me feel incredibly angry all the time. I desperately needed to let my feelings out. I tried punching a pillow in my bedroom, but it didn’t help me relax at all. In fact, it just made me feel silly. I knew I had to find a better way to deal with my teenage stress before I completely lost control of my emotions.
My aunt, who is an artist, noticed I was struggling. She suggested I join a beginners’ pottery class at the local community centre. At first, I laughed at her idea. I thought making cups and plates was an activity for quiet, calm people, not someone full of energy and frustration like me. However, she offered to pay for the first lesson, so I reluctantly agreed to go, expecting to be completely bored.
When I arrived at the studio, the teacher gave me a huge, heavy piece of grey clay. He told me to throw it down hard onto the wooden table to get the air bubbles out. I was surprised by how much physical strength it actually required. Hitting and pushing the heavy, wet mud felt fantastic. It was exactly what my body needed to release all that terrible tension. Suddenly, I wasn’t feeling angry anymore; I was just completely focused on managing the heavy material.
Next, we moved to the pottery wheels. As the wheel spun around, I had to use my hands to shape the wet clay. It was quite difficult to keep it steady, and my hands got completely covered in dirt. But as I gently pressed my fingers into the spinning mud, the ugly shape slowly transformed into a beautiful, sturdy bowl. It was an amazing feeling to turn my negative emotions into something so useful and pretty.
I have been going to pottery classes every Saturday since then. I still get stressed about schoolwork sometimes, but I no longer feel that boiling anger inside me. If I have a bad day, I just imagine sitting at the pottery wheel. I never expected that playing with mud would be the perfect cure for my anxiety. I’m really proud of the colorful bowls I’ve made for my family.
1 Why was the writer looking for a new activity?
(A) Because she needed to study for her school exams in a quiet place.
(B) Because she wanted to improve her relationship with her parents.
(C) Because punching a pillow didn’t help her deal with her anger.
(D) Because she wanted to stop feeling silly in her bedroom.
2 How did the writer feel about her aunt’s suggestion?
(A) She thought the activity wouldn’t match her energetic personality.
(B) She was excited to learn how to make cups and plates.
(C) She was worried because the classes were too expensive for her.
(D) She felt annoyed that her aunt was paying attention to her problems.
3 What did the writer discover about working with clay?
(A) It was much lighter and easier to hold than she expected.
(B) Hitting the material was a great way to release her stress.
(C) Getting the air bubbles out made her feel even more frustrated.
(D) It required more artistic talent than physical strength.
4 What did the writer enjoy most about using the pottery wheel?
(A) Keeping the clay steady without any help from the teacher.
(B) Learning how to spin the wheel faster than the other students.
(C) Getting her hands completely covered in wet dirt.
(D) Changing negative feelings into an attractive and practical object.
5 What would the writer write in her diary?
(A) I really hate how messy pottery is. My hands are always covered in dirt, and I wish I had never agreed to my aunt’s silly idea.
(B) The pottery class is quite boring, just as I expected. Making cups is for quiet people, so I think I will go back to punching my pillow.
(C) I’m so happy I found a way to handle my anger! Using physical energy to create beautiful bowls is definitely the best stress relief for me.
(D) If I don’t pass my school exams, I can always become a professional artist. My family loves the colorful bowls I made for them.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In paragraph 1, the writer explains she had a quick temper and tried “punching a pillow… but it didn’t help me relax at all”, which motivated her to “find a better way to deal with my teenage stress”.
2 A – Paragraph 2 states that the writer laughed at the idea because she thought pottery was for “quiet, calm people, not someone full of energy and frustration like me.”
3 B – In paragraph 3, the writer mentions that “Hitting and pushing the heavy, wet mud felt fantastic” and it was exactly what she needed to “release all that terrible tension.”
4 D – Paragraph 4 describes how the clay transformed into a beautiful, sturdy bowl and notes, “It was an amazing feeling to turn my negative emotions into something so useful and pretty.”
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: discovering that the physical nature of pottery successfully cured her anger and allowed her to create beautiful things.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My “No Complaining” Day
I recently realised that I had developed a terrible habit of complaining about absolutely everything. Whether it was about the freezing cold weather, the huge amount of homework my teachers gave me, or the strict rules my parents made, I always had something negative to say. It was annoying my friends and making me feel miserable. So, after reading an interesting article online about the benefits of positive thinking, I decided to set myself a personal challenge. I promised myself that for one whole day, exactly twenty-four hours, I would not complain about a single thing.
I woke up the next morning feeling very confident, but the challenge was much harder than I expected. When I walked to school, it started pouring with rain. Usually, I would immediately start moaning about my wet clothes and ruined shoes. Later in the morning, my maths teacher announced a surprise test. Several times, I opened my mouth to complain loudly to my classmates, but I had to quickly bite my tongue and stay completely silent. It was incredibly difficult to keep all those negative thoughts inside my head without sharing them.
The biggest test happened when I got home in the afternoon. My mum asked me to clean the kitchen and take out the heavy rubbish bags. Normally, I would argue with her and say that I was far too tired after a long day at school. However, because of my strict promise, I couldn’t whine. Instead of wasting twenty minutes complaining about the chores, I simply picked up a sponge and started washing the dishes. Because I was quiet, my brain actually focused on finishing the job quickly. I realised that my silence was forcing me to take action, rather than just being annoyed.
By the time I went to bed, I had successfully finished my ‘no complaining’ day. I felt surprisingly exhausted from the physical effort of controlling my words, but I was also extremely proud of myself. I still get frustrated by bad weather and difficult homework sometimes, but I no longer waste my energy complaining about things I cannot change. This short, silent challenge taught me that looking for solutions actually makes my daily life much easier and significantly happier.
1 Why did the writer decide to do the twenty-four hour challenge?
(A) Her friends told her she was a miserable person.
(B) She wanted to stop her parents from making strict rules.
(C) She was inspired by some information she found on the internet.
(D) Her teachers gave her a project on positive thinking.
2 What happened during the writer’s morning at school?
(A) She had a loud argument with her maths teacher.
(B) She complained to her classmates about the bad weather.
(C) She realised she had forgotten to do her homework.
(D) She found it hard to keep her negative thoughts to herself.
3 How did the challenge affect the writer’s behaviour at home?
(A) She asked her mother to help her clean the kitchen.
(B) She dealt with a problem immediately instead of arguing about it.
(C) She spent twenty minutes thinking about how to do her chores.
(D) She told her mother that she was too tired to take the rubbish out.
4 How does the writer feel about her experience now?
(A) She believes she will never get annoyed by bad weather again.
(B) She regrets doing the challenge because it made her feel exhausted.
(C) She thinks everyone should do a ‘no complaining’ day once a week.
(D) She is pleased that she learned how to handle her problems better.
5 What would the writer say about her ‘no complaining’ day?
(A) “It was easy to stay silent, but I didn’t learn anything useful from the experience.”
(B) “I wish I hadn’t done it, because keeping my thoughts inside made me feel miserable.”
(C) “I recommend this challenge because staying quiet actually helped me focus on taking action.”
(D) “My friends were angry that I didn’t talk to them, so I definitely won’t do it again.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – The first paragraph states that she decided to set herself a challenge “after reading an interesting article online about the benefits of positive thinking.” This matches being inspired by information found on the internet.
2 D – Paragraph two explains that she had to “quickly bite my tongue and stay completely silent” and notes that “It was incredibly difficult to keep all those negative thoughts inside my head.” This means she found it hard to keep her negative thoughts to herself.
3 B – In the third paragraph, the writer explains that instead of wasting time complaining or arguing about her chores, she “simply picked up a sponge and started washing the dishes” and her silence forced her to “take action”. This paraphrases dealing with a problem immediately instead of arguing.
4 D – Paragraph four states that she was “extremely proud of myself” and learned that “looking for solutions actually makes my daily life much easier and significantly happier.” This shows she is pleased to have learned how to handle her problems better.
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and the writer’s final attitude. The text emphasizes that the challenge forced her to stop wasting energy on complaints and instead focus her brain on “finishing the job quickly” (taking action), which ultimately made her life easier and happier.