Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Impact of Tech & Social Media
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Pressure to Reply Instantly
For as long as I can remember, my smartphone has been my best friend, but recently it started feeling like a full-time job. Like most teenagers, I belong to several group chats with my friends. We use messaging apps to share jokes, plan our weekends, and talk about our daily lives. At first, it was fun. However, I soon realised that my friends expected me to reply to their messages within minutes. If I didn’t answer immediately, they would keep texting to ask where I was. I felt completely exhausted by the constant pressure to be available all the time.
The situation reached its worst point last month during my exam period. I would sit down at my desk to study, but my phone would buzz every few seconds. I tried to ignore it, but I always felt anxious that I was missing something important. Because of this, it took me hours to finish a simple piece of homework, and my grades began to drop. I knew I had to do something before I failed my exams. So, I made a brave decision: I turned on the “Do Not Disturb” mode on my phone every evening between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
When I started doing this, my friends were not happy at all. On the first few evenings, when I finally checked my phone at 9 p.m., I found dozens of messages. Some friends complained that I was ignoring them, while others asked if I was angry. The next day at school, I had to explain that I just needed some quiet time to focus on my schoolwork. I told them that my digital boundaries had nothing to do with our friendship.
Fortunately, things slowly began to change. Although they were annoyed at first, my friends eventually understood my situation. They stopped expecting instant replies during my study hours and started waiting until I was online. Surprisingly, a few of my classmates even admitted that they felt the same pressure and decided to try the “Do Not Disturb” trick themselves. Now, I feel much more relaxed, my schoolwork has improved, and our friendships are just as strong as before. I’ve learned that it’s okay to disconnect sometimes.
1 How did the writer feel about the group chats recently?
(A) She was tired of having to answer messages immediately.
(B) She thought they were the best way to plan the weekend.
(C) She was worried that her friends were ignoring her.
(D) She wanted to leave the groups because the jokes were boring.
2 According to the second paragraph, what effect did the phone have on the writer?
(A) It made her fail all of her important exams.
(B) It prevented her from concentrating on her schoolwork.
(C) It forced her to stay awake all night doing homework.
(D) It made her afraid of missing out on fun weekend plans.
3 What happened when the writer first used the new phone setting?
(A) Her friends waited patiently until 9 p.m. to message her.
(B) Her friends helped her with her homework at school.
(C) Her friends decided to stop texting her completely.
(D) Her friends thought she was upset with them.
4 In the end, what did the writer’s friends do?
(A) They refused to talk to her anymore.
(B) They accepted her decision and respected her study time.
(C) They complained to their teachers about the homework.
(D) They bought new phones with better messaging apps.
5 What would the writer write in her blog today?
(A) I really regret turning off my phone because my friends don’t invite me to do things at the weekend anymore.
(B) It’s impossible to do well in school if you have a smartphone, so teenagers should throw their devices away.
(C) If you feel stressed by constant messages, taking a break from your phone is a great idea that can actually help.
(D) Group chats are a waste of time, and I am glad that I finally deleted all the messaging apps from my phone.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The text states in the first paragraph that she felt “completely exhausted by the constant pressure to be available all the time” and that friends “expected me to reply to their messages within minutes.”
2 B – The second paragraph explains that her phone would buzz constantly, making her anxious, which meant “it took me hours to finish a simple piece of homework, and my grades began to drop.” (A is incorrect because she took action before she failed).
3 D – In the third paragraph, the writer mentions that when she checked her phone, “Some friends complained that I was ignoring them, while others asked if I was angry.”
4 B – The fourth paragraph notes that “my friends eventually understood my situation. They stopped expecting instant replies during my study hours”.
5 C – This captures the global meaning of the text. The writer experienced stress from constant messaging, successfully created boundaries by taking a break from her phone (“Do Not Disturb”), and highly recommends this balance as it improved her schoolwork and reduced her stress.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Making the Connection
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been two different people. In the evenings, when I log into my favourite online multiplayer game, ‘Knights of Aethelgard’, I am a confident leader. I have a fantastic group of online friends from all over the world, and we spend hours chatting and completing difficult missions together. However, during the day at my secondary school, it’s a completely different story. I’ve always felt incredibly awkward and shy, finding it almost impossible to start a conversation with anyone in my class.
My online friends feel like my real friends. We understand each other, share jokes, and support one another. But at school, I usually spend my breaks sitting on a bench reading a book or just scrolling through my phone. Whenever I try to join in with my classmates’ discussions about sports or popular TV shows, I can never think of the right words to say. I always assumed that I just didn’t have anything in common with the teenagers in my town.
Everything changed last Tuesday during our lunch break. I was wearing a black hoodie with the ‘Knights of Aethelgard’ logo on the front. I was sitting in my usual spot when a boy from my maths class, Leo, suddenly walked over to me. He pointed at my hoodie and asked if I played the game. I nervously replied that I did, expecting him to make a joke about it. Instead, his eyes lit up and he told me that he played it every single evening.
To my surprise, we spent the next forty minutes talking excitedly about our favourite characters, strategies, and the hardest levels we had completed. It was the easiest conversation I had ever had with someone at school. Leo wasn’t just a gamer; he was funny, relaxed, and genuinely interested in what I had to say. Before the bell rang for our next lesson, we exchanged usernames and agreed to play a few matches together that evening.
That afternoon completely changed my view on making friends. Playing games with Leo online eventually led to us hanging out at the weekends in real life. He even introduced me to some of his other friends who also enjoy gaming. I finally understand that my online hobbies don’t have to be kept separate from the real world. In fact, they can be the perfect bridge to building amazing, real-life friendships.
1 How does the writer describe his life in the first paragraph?
(A) He prefers to spend his school days acting like a completely different person.
(B) He feels much more comfortable interacting with people on the internet than at school.
(C) He finds it difficult to lead his team in his favourite online multiplayer game.
(D) He is bored of talking to the same group of international friends every evening.
2 Why did the writer struggle to talk to his classmates during breaks?
(A) He was too busy reading books and playing games on his mobile phone.
(B) He thought they were unkind when they talked about popular TV shows.
(C) He believed that he and the other students didn’t share any of the same interests.
(D) He preferred to spend his free time studying for his afternoon classes.
3 When Leo first approached the writer, the writer expected Leo to
(A) ask for help with their maths homework.
(B) say something unkind about his clothing.
(C) invite him to play a game after school.
(D) tell him where to buy the black hoodie.
4 What surprised the writer about his conversation with Leo?
(A) Leo had completed more difficult levels in the game than the writer.
(B) Leo didn’t actually know very much about the video game.
(C) It was completely different from his usual experiences of talking at school.
(D) They only had forty minutes to talk before the bell rang for their next lesson.
5 What would the writer write in his diary now?
(A) I’m so glad I stopped playing online games. Spending time with real people is much better than looking at a screen all day.
(B) I used to think nobody at school would understand me, but sharing my gaming interests has helped me meet some great people.
(C) Leo is a great gamer, but I wish he wouldn’t introduce me to so many new people. I prefer it when it’s just the two of us.
(D) It’s frustrating that I still can’t talk to anyone at school except Leo, but at least I have my online friends to support me.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph contrasts his confidence online (“I am a confident leader”) with his real life (“felt incredibly awkward and shy, finding it almost impossible to start a conversation”), showing he is more comfortable on the internet.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that when classmates talked about sports or TV, he couldn’t join in because “I always assumed that I just didn’t have anything in common with the teenagers in my town.”
3 B – In paragraph 3, when Leo points at the hoodie, the writer replies nervously, “expecting him to make a joke about it,” which means he thought Leo would say something unkind.
4 C – Paragraph 4 details how surprisingly smooth the chat was: “It was the easiest conversation I had ever had with someone at school,” contrasting heavily with his usual awkwardness.
5 B – This captures the global meaning of the text. The writer started out feeling isolated at school but realized that his online interests were the “perfect bridge” to making real-life friends.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Escaping the Popularity Contest
For a long time, I loved sharing my life on social media. Whenever I went somewhere interesting or wore a nice outfit, I immediately took a picture to post online. But honestly, I wasn’t doing it just to share memories with friends. I was doing it for the “likes”. As soon as I posted something, I would check my phone every five minutes to see how many people had reacted. If the numbers were high, I felt confident and happy for the rest of the day.
Things changed last month after I went to a beautiful beach with my family. I took a fantastic photo of the sunset and posted it, expecting dozens of likes straight away. However, after a whole hour, only three people had reacted. I felt completely embarrassed. I imagined everyone looking at it and thinking I was unpopular, so I quickly deleted the photo. I spent the rest of the evening feeling miserable instead of enjoying the trip.
The next morning, I woke up feeling angry with myself. It made me feel sick to realise that my confidence depended entirely on a computer algorithm. I had let a tiny number on a screen decide whether my photo—and my real-life experience—was good or not. I knew that if I continued like this, I would never truly enjoy my hobbies or my social life. I needed to make a change before social media completely ruined my happiness.
Later that day, I searched online and found a simple solution. The app had a special setting that allowed users to hide the “like count” on their posts. Without hesitating, I turned this feature on. At first, it felt quite strange not to see the numbers under my pictures. I almost turned the setting back off, but I forced myself to leave it.
Now, several weeks later, I feel like a completely different person. I am finally free to post whatever I want just for fun. Whether it’s a blurry photo of my dog or a picture of a book I’m reading, I share it because I like it. I have remembered that taking photos should be about keeping memories, not competing in a popularity contest.
1 What was the writer’s main reason for posting pictures online?
(A) To keep memories of nice outfits and interesting places.
(B) To get positive reactions and feel good about herself.
(C) To communicate with her closest friends every five minutes.
(D) To show off her skills as a professional photographer.
2 Why did the writer delete her photo of the sunset?
(A) She decided the photo wasn’t very good quality.
(B) She wanted to post a different picture of her family instead.
(C) She was worried about what other people would think of her.
(D) She received some negative comments from her classmates.
3 How did the writer feel the morning after the beach trip?
(A) Upset that her self-confidence relied on social media numbers.
(B) Angry that a computer algorithm had deleted her photo.
(C) Sad that her family hadn’t enjoyed the beautiful sunset.
(D) Disappointed that she couldn’t use her phone on holiday.
4 What does the writer say about changing her app settings?
(A) It took her a long time to find the right information online.
(B) She found it slightly uncomfortable when she first did it.
(C) She was surprised that her friends couldn’t see her pictures.
(D) She needed help from her friends to understand how it worked.
5 What would the writer write in her blog today?
(A) I’ve deleted all my social media apps because they are a complete waste of time and make people miserable.
(B) I’m trying to take more professional photos of my dog and my books to get more followers online.
(C) It is so much better to share moments online just because you want to, without worrying about the numbers.
(D) If you want to be popular on social media, you need to make sure you post photos at the right time of day.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that she wasn’t doing it just to share memories, but for the likes: “If the numbers were high, I felt confident and happy for the rest of the day.”
2 C – In the second paragraph, she explains that after getting only three likes, she felt embarrassed and “imagined everyone looking at it and thinking I was unpopular,” which caused her to delete the photo.
3 A – The third paragraph describes her realizing that “my confidence depended entirely on a computer algorithm,” which made her feel sick and angry with herself.
4 B – The fourth paragraph mentions that after hiding the like count, “At first, it felt quite strange not to see the numbers… I almost turned the setting back off,” indicating she felt uncomfortable initially.
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and the writer’s final attitude. She has learned to post for fun and keep memories without treating social media like a competition for likes.