Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Impact of Tech & Social Media
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Capturing the Real Moment
I’ve always loved looking at beautiful pictures, so for my fifteenth birthday, my parents bought me my first digital camera. I started taking photos of absolutely everything: my friends, local wildlife, and even my pet dog. However, I didn’t know much about how the camera actually worked. If a picture was too dark or too bright, I didn’t worry at all. I just downloaded the images to my laptop and spent hours using expensive photo editing software to fix the lighting and make the colours look amazing. Editing felt like magic, and I honestly thought I was a brilliant photographer.
One weekend, I went on a trip to the mountains with my family. I took hundreds of photos of the incredible views, hoping to create a fantastic album. When we got home, I realised most of the pictures were quite dark because it had been a very cloudy day. I sat at my desk and started fixing them on my computer. I spent over three hours carefully adjusting the light and shadows on my absolute favourite shot. Suddenly, the screen froze. The software had crashed, and I hadn’t saved any of my hard work. It was all completely gone.
I was so frustrated that I almost threw my mouse across the room. I realised then that relying so much on my computer was a huge mistake. Instead of complaining, I decided to actually learn how to use my camera properly. I watched several online tutorials about professional photography. I learned about ‘exposure’ and how to change the settings on my camera to let more light in. It was quite complicated to understand at first, but I was determined to get it right. I wanted to be a real photographer, not just a computer expert.
The following Saturday, I went to the local park to practise my new skills. I didn’t just point the camera and shoot like I used to. I took my time, checked the natural light, and carefully adjusted the camera settings before taking each photo. When I looked at the screen on the back of the camera, the pictures were beautiful immediately. They looked completely natural and realistic. Now, I hardly ever use editing software. I’ve learned that the true skill of photography is capturing the perfect image through the lens, rather than fixing mistakes on a computer.
1 What does the writer say about his early days of taking photos?
(A) He was disappointed with the quality of his new camera.
(B) He preferred taking photos of nature rather than people.
(C) He depended on his computer to improve his pictures.
(D) He spent a lot of time learning how his camera worked.
2 What happened after the writer’s trip to the mountains?
(A) He lost all the original photos he had taken on the trip.
(B) He realised he had forgotten to save his computer editing.
(C) He decided to delete his favourite shot because it was too dark.
(D) He managed to fix the lighting on hundreds of pictures.
3 How did the writer react to the computer problem?
(A) He bought some new, easier software to edit his photos.
(B) He decided to find out how to take better photos originally.
(C) He complained to his family about the complicated camera settings.
(D) He asked a professional photographer to teach him about exposure.
4 When the writer went to the local park, he
(A) took photos much faster than he normally did.
(B) felt unhappy because his pictures didn’t look realistic.
(C) was pleased that his photos looked good without any software.
(D) realised that he still needed to use his computer occasionally.
5 What would the writer say about his photography journey?
(A) Buying expensive editing software is the best way to make your pictures look professional.
(B) Losing my work was annoying, but it forced me to learn the real art of taking a photograph.
(C) I wish I had never tried to change my camera settings because it is just too complicated for beginners.
(D) I still think editing is magical, but I only use it for photos that I take on cloudy days in the mountains.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In paragraph 1, the writer explains that if a picture was dark or bright, he “just downloaded the images to my laptop and spent hours using expensive photo editing software to fix the lighting.” This shows his dependence on a computer.
2 B – Paragraph 2 states that after spending three hours adjusting his favorite shot, the software crashed and “I hadn’t saved any of my hard work.”
3 B – In paragraph 3, the writer says, “Instead of complaining, I decided to actually learn how to use my camera properly” by watching online tutorials, which means learning to take better original photos.
4 C – Paragraph 4 describes how, after adjusting the settings himself, “the pictures were beautiful immediately… completely natural and realistic,” which pleased him and meant he no longer needed editing software.
5 B – This option captures the overall theme of the text: a frustrating technological failure (the software crash) led to a positive realization about the value of learning true, in-lens photography skills.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Lesson in Kindness
My name is Toby, and like most teenagers, I spend several hours a day on social media. I usually just watch funny videos, share memes with my friends, or follow my favourite musicians. Last month, a famous pop star uploaded a video of himself singing live, but his voice cracked quite badly during the performance. Almost immediately, the video went viral for all the wrong reasons.
When I looked at the comments section, thousands of people were making jokes about the singer’s mistake. It seemed like everyone on the internet was laughing at him. Because there were so many negative comments, I thought it would be harmless to join in. I typed a cruel joke from a fake account I sometimes used, hit the ‘send’ button, and completely forgot about it. I honestly believed that out of millions of messages, he would never actually read mine.
However, two days later, the pop star posted a new video. This time, he wasn’t singing. He was sitting in his living room, crying. He explained that he had been feeling unwell during the performance but had tried his best anyway. He read out some of the comments he had received, and he looked absolutely heartbroken. He said that people often forget celebrities are ordinary human beings with real feelings.
Watching that video made my stomach hurt. Suddenly, my comment didn’t feel like a harmless joke anymore. I was overwhelmed with guilt because I had added to his pain just to follow the crowd. I immediately searched for the video, scrolled through the thousands of replies, and finally found my message. I deleted it as fast as I could. Even though it was gone, I still felt terrible about what I had done.
That experience completely changed the way I behave online. I realised that hiding behind a screen and a fake name doesn’t make bad behaviour acceptable. Now, I have a strict rule for myself: if I wouldn’t say something directly to a person’s face, I won’t type it on the internet. Social media should be a place to connect, not a place to spread negativity.
1 Why did the pop star’s first video become so popular?
(A) He sang a very funny song for his fans.
(B) He made a noticeable mistake while performing.
(C) He shared some popular memes about himself.
(D) He asked his followers to share the video online.
2 Toby decided to write a mean comment because
(A) he was angry at the pop star’s bad performance.
(B) the singer had asked people for their honest opinions.
(C) he wanted his friends to see his cruel joke.
(D) he saw that many other people were doing the same thing.
3 What did the pop star reveal in his second video?
(A) He was planning to stop his music career soon.
(B) He had been sick when he recorded the first video.
(C) He wanted to meet the people who wrote the comments.
(D) He was angry because he had lost money from the performance.
4 How did Toby react after watching the second video?
(A) He felt extremely bad and removed his cruel message.
(B) He wrote a long apology message to the singer.
(C) He blamed the online crowd for his own bad behaviour.
(D) He deleted his social media account completely.
5 What might Toby write in his blog after this experience?
(A) Celebrities need to stop complaining about social media. If you are famous, you have to accept that people will make jokes about you.
(B) I’m never using social media again. It’s too difficult to know if a video is real or fake, and people are just too mean.
(C) It’s easy to be unkind online when nobody knows who you are, but we must remember that our words can really hurt people.
(D) I finally deleted my fake account today. I was spending too much time reading comments instead of studying for school!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in paragraph 1 that “his voice cracked quite badly during the performance” and the video went viral “for all the wrong reasons”, which paraphrases making a noticeable mistake.
2 D – In paragraph 2, Toby says, “Because there were so many negative comments, I thought it would be harmless to join in,” showing he did it because he was following the crowd.
3 B – Paragraph 3 explains that the pop star “had been feeling unwell during the performance,” which means he had been sick.
4 A – The text in paragraph 4 says Toby was “overwhelmed with guilt” (felt extremely bad) and that he found his message and “deleted it as fast as I could” (removed his cruel message).
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and the lesson Toby learned in the final paragraph. He realised that “hiding behind a screen and a fake name doesn’t make bad behaviour acceptable” and that celebrities are real people with feelings.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Living in the Moment
I have always enjoyed making short videos and sharing them online with my friends. So, when my parents planned a two-week family holiday to Italy last summer, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to vlog the entire trip. I wanted to document absolutely every single detail, from the delicious food we ate to the historical places we visited, so my followers could feel like they were travelling with us. I packed my camera, a special light, and a microphone, ready to record my perfect summer adventure.
However, my desire to capture everything soon became a serious problem. Instead of talking to my parents or truly exploring the new towns, I was constantly speaking to my camera lens. Whether we were ordering pizza at a local restaurant or swimming at the beach, I was always filming and explaining what I was doing. After a few days, my younger brother, Leo, became incredibly annoyed with my behaviour. He complained that I wasn’t really on holiday with them at all. He told me that I clearly cared more about entertaining my online audience than spending time with my own family.
His words upset me, but I didn’t realise he was completely right until we visited a beautiful ancient castle later that week. While my family sat together on the grass, sharing some ice cream and watching a spectacular sunset, I was getting stressed. I was walking around the walls trying to find the best lighting for my video, completely ignoring the amazing view. Suddenly, I heard my family laughing loudly at a joke. I looked over at them and suddenly felt very lonely, even though I was only a few metres away. I was missing out on making real memories.
The next morning, which was our final day, I made a brave decision. I left my camera safely locked inside my suitcase at the hotel. Walking out without it felt strange and a bit uncomfortable at first. But very quickly, I began to relax. I played games in the sea with Leo, tasted my lunch while it was still hot, and actually looked at the sights with my own eyes. I discovered that fully experiencing a beautiful moment is far more valuable than just documenting it for strangers online.
1 What was the writer’s main reason for taking her camera to Italy?
(A) She wanted to show her followers exactly what her holiday was like.
(B) She needed to make a video for a school project about history.
(C) She wanted her parents to remember the food they ate.
(D) She hoped to become a famous professional filmmaker.
2 How did the writer’s brother, Leo, feel about her behaviour?
(A) He was jealous that she had so many online followers.
(B) He was angry because she was ignoring her family.
(C) He was embarrassed when she spoke to strangers at the beach.
(D) He was disappointed that she didn’t want to film him.
3 What happened while the family was visiting the ancient castle?
(A) The writer got upset because the weather ruined her sunset video.
(B) The writer decided to stop making videos completely.
(C) The writer realised she was missing out on having fun with her family.
(D) The writer dropped her camera while trying to find the best light.
4 On the final day of the holiday, the writer…
(A) felt nervous about leaving her camera on the beach.
(B) enjoyed the day more because she wasn’t recording it.
(C) wished she had taken at least a few photos of her lunch.
(D) stayed in the hotel because she felt uncomfortable.
5 What would the writer write in her blog after returning home?
(A) Italy is a beautiful country, but it’s very difficult to find good places to film videos without being interrupted.
(B) My brother ruined my vlog because he complained so much, so I’m not taking him on my next trip.
(C) I learned that putting your phone away and enjoying the real world is much better than trying to record everything.
(D) If you want to make great travel videos, you need to buy a special light and microphone before you go.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In paragraph 1, the writer says she wanted to document every detail “so my followers could feel like they were travelling with us.”
2 B – In paragraph 2, the text states Leo was “incredibly annoyed” and complained that she “cared more about entertaining my online audience than spending time with my own family.”
3 C – In paragraph 3, while watching her family laugh together from a distance, the writer felt lonely and realised, “I was missing out on making real memories.”
4 B – In paragraph 4, after leaving her camera behind, she began to relax, actually looked at the sights, and discovered that “fully experiencing a beautiful moment is far more valuable”.
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and the overall lesson the writer learned by the end of the text: experiencing the holiday in real life is better than just documenting it.