Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Impact of Tech & Social Media 10
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Rediscovering the Album
My name is Jamie, and until recently, I had a strange problem with music. Like most teenagers, I use a music streaming app on my smartphone every day. It is amazing to think that I have over fifty million songs right in my pocket. However, I realised that having so much choice was actually ruining my listening experience. Whenever a song started, I would listen for about ten seconds before pressing the ‘skip’ button. I rarely finished a single track.
One evening, the situation got completely out of control. I was sitting at my desk trying to finish a history project while listening to my favourite playlist. Instead of focusing on my homework, I spent half an hour just skipping from one song to another. I kept thinking that the next track would be better. Eventually, I felt completely exhausted by the endless choices. I turned off the music because it was giving me a headache instead of helping me relax.
My dad noticed my frustration and decided to show me how he used to listen to music. He went into the garage and brought back an old CD player and a rock album from the 1990s. He told me to put my phone away and just press play. At first, I felt quite annoyed. The CD player didn’t have a screen, and it took too long to skip to the next track. I felt trapped by the technology.
However, because it was difficult to skip, I simply let the music play. After a while, I started to notice something interesting. The artist had put the songs in a specific order for a reason. A fast, energetic song was followed by a slower, sadder one. I even discovered some fantastic tracks that were not the famous hits, which I definitely would have skipped on my phone. By the end, I really appreciated the structure of the whole album.
Nowadays, my attitude towards music has completely changed. I haven’t deleted my streaming app, as it is still brilliant for discovering new artists. However, when I find a musician I really like, I make an effort to listen to their entire album from start to finish without touching the screen. Sometimes, having fewer choices actually makes things much more enjoyable.
1 Why did Jamie feel he had a problem with music?
(A) He didn’t have enough songs on his smartphone.
(B) He was bored of listening to the same tracks every day.
(C) He was constantly jumping between songs without finishing them.
(D) He couldn’t afford to pay for his streaming app anymore.
2 What happened when Jamie tried to listen to music while studying?
(A) He found that the music helped him finish his history project quickly.
(B) He became tired and stressed from constantly searching for the perfect song.
(C) He decided to delete his favourite playlist because it was highly distracting.
(D) He realised his headphones were giving him a bad headache.
3 How did Jamie initially feel about using the CD player?
(A) excited to learn how older technology worked
(B) worried that he might break his dad’s old equipment
(C) pleased that the machine had a very simple screen
(D) irritated because he couldn’t change songs quickly
4 What did Jamie realise after listening to the whole CD?
(A) The famous hits were the only good songs on the album.
(B) The musician had arranged the tracks in a thoughtful way.
(C) He preferred fast, energetic music over slower songs.
(D) CD players produce much better sound quality than phones.
5 What might Jamie write in a text message to a friend?
(A) I’m throwing away my phone and only buying CDs from now on. You should do the same!
(B) You should try listening to a full album without skipping. It really changes the way you hear the artist’s work!
(C) Streaming apps are a complete waste of money because they never recommend any good artists.
(D) My dad gave me his old CD player, but I couldn’t stand it so I gave it back to him immediately.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – The text states in paragraph 1 that Jamie would “listen for about ten seconds before pressing the ‘skip’ button” and “rarely finished a single track.”
2 B – In paragraph 2, Jamie mentions spending half an hour skipping songs, thinking the next track would be better, and feeling “completely exhausted by the endless choices.”
3 D – Paragraph 3 explains that Jamie felt “quite annoyed” at first because “it took too long to skip to the next track,” making him feel trapped.
4 B – In paragraph 4, Jamie notices that “The artist had put the songs in a specific order for a reason,” showing he appreciated the thoughtful arrangement of the album.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and Jamie’s final attitude. He learned to appreciate full albums without skipping and still sees the value in streaming, making this a realistic piece of advice he would share with a friend.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Password Disaster
For years, I had a terrible habit when it came to internet security. I used exactly the same password for every single website I visited. Whether it was my school email, my social media, or my favourite online games, the password was always the same. I knew it wasn’t the safest choice, but it was incredibly easy to remember. I thought that only famous people or big companies got hacked, so I didn’t worry about it at all.
However, my attitude completely changed last spring. I had created an account on a small, unpopular website to buy a cheap phone case. A few months later, I received an email saying that this minor website had been hacked and user information was stolen. At first, I didn’t think it was a big deal. I simply ignored the warning, thinking that the worst thing they could do was order another phone case using my account.
I was completely wrong. Two days later, I tried to log into my main email account, but my password didn’t work. Then, I checked my favourite gaming account, where I had spent years building up my characters, and I couldn’t access that either. Suddenly, I felt a cold panic. I realised that the hackers had taken my email address and my simple password from the small shopping site and used them to unlock my most important accounts.
The recovery process was one of the most stressful experiences of my life. I had to spend hours on the phone with customer service and answer dozens of security questions to prove who I was. It took a whole week to get my email back, and unfortunately, the hackers had already deleted all my progress on my gaming account. I felt foolish for making it so easy for them.
I refused to let that happen again. I immediately downloaded a reliable password manager app. Now, this clever software creates a different, highly complex password for every website I use and remembers them all for me. I only have to remember one master password. Going through that disaster was painful, but it finally taught me the importance of taking my digital security seriously.
1 Why did the writer use the same password for everything?
(A) He was told it was the safest option.
(B) He found it very easy to keep in his memory.
(C) He only had a few accounts online.
(D) He didn’t know how to create different passwords.
2 How did the writer react when the small website was hacked?
(A) He immediately changed all his passwords.
(B) He was worried someone would buy a phone case.
(C) He didn’t believe the email warning was real.
(D) He wasn’t particularly concerned about the situation.
3 The writer felt panicked because
(A) the hackers had stolen his bank details.
(B) his main accounts shared the compromised password.
(C) his friends were receiving fake emails from him.
(D) he couldn’t remember the password for his game.
4 What happened during the recovery process?
(A) He managed to get everything back exactly as it was.
(B) He found customer service to be very unhelpful.
(C) He permanently lost his achievements in a video game.
(D) He had to pay money to get his email account back.
5 What would the writer write in his blog today?
(A) Using the same password is fine as long as you don’t use small, unpopular shopping websites.
(B) I lost everything, and I still don’t understand how the hackers got into my gaming account.
(C) Password managers are too complicated, so I just write all my passwords down in a notebook now.
(D) Losing my accounts was a terrible experience, but it forced me to finally improve my online safety.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph: “I knew it wasn’t the safest choice, but it was incredibly easy to remember.”
2 D – The second paragraph explains that when he received the email, “At first, I didn’t think it was a big deal. I simply ignored the warning”.
3 B – In the third paragraph, the writer panics because he realizes the hackers took his password from the small site and “used them to unlock my most important accounts.”
4 C – The fourth paragraph details the recovery process, stating: “unfortunately, the hackers had already deleted all my progress on my gaming account.”
5 D – This option captures the global meaning and the lesson learned in the final paragraph: the disaster was stressful, but it taught him to use a password manager and take his digital security seriously.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Power of an Online Community
Last week, my classmate and best friend, Leo, experienced a terrible tragedy. While his family was out visiting relatives for the evening, a sudden electrical fire broke out in their home. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, but the house and almost everything inside it were completely destroyed. When our teacher told the class the shocking news the next morning, I felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. I wanted to support my friend, but as a teenager with very little pocket money, I had no idea how I could possibly make a real difference.
That afternoon, I realised that simply feeling sorry for Leo wasn’t going to help him. I remembered reading an article about ‘crowdfunding’, where large numbers of people give small amounts of money online to support a specific cause. I decided to set up a webpage explaining the terrible situation and asking for donations to help Leo’s family buy basic necessities. When I published the page, my hands were shaking. I honestly worried that nobody would pay attention and that my attempt to help would be a completely embarrassing failure.
However, I immediately shared the link on all my social media accounts and asked my classmates to do the same. What happened next was absolutely incredible. Within a few hours, the message had been shared hundreds of times. Not only were students and teachers donating, but complete strangers from our local community were also sending money and leaving kind comments. I sat at my laptop late into the night, constantly refreshing the webpage and watching the total amount increase with amazement.
By the end of the second day, the campaign had raised enough money to pay for a temporary apartment and new winter clothes for Leo’s entire family. When I visited them to transfer the funds, his parents were in tears. They couldn’t believe that so many people cared about their situation. Seeing the huge smile of relief on Leo’s face was one of the proudest moments of my life.
This experience completely changed my opinion about the internet. I used to think that social media was only good for posting selfies and playing games. Now, I understand that when technology is used correctly, it has the extraordinary power to unite communities and provide massive charity in record time.
1 Why did the writer initially feel helpless about Leo’s situation?
(A) He didn’t have much money of his own to give.
(B) He was out visiting relatives when the fire happened.
(C) He didn’t know his classmate Leo very well.
(D) The teacher told the class not to discuss the fire.
2 How did the writer feel just after creating the webpage?
(A) Proud that he had successfully raised a lot of money.
(B) Confident that his local community would support the cause.
(C) Anxious that people might ignore his online campaign.
(D) Embarrassed by the amount of pocket money he had asked for.
3 What surprised the writer most about the social media campaign?
(A) That his teachers refused to share the link.
(B) That people he didn’t even know were making donations.
(C) That he had to stay up late to fix his computer.
(D) That the local community left so many negative comments.
4 What did the money from the campaign provide for Leo’s family?
(A) A brand-new house built in the same neighbourhood.
(B) Enough funds to pay for the electrical repairs.
(C) Short-term accommodation and essential clothing.
(D) A family holiday to help them forget the tragedy.
5 What would the writer write in his blog today?
(A) Social media is mostly used for silly selfies, so I am going to delete my accounts now that the campaign is over.
(B) Setting up the webpage was a huge mistake. Next time, I will just give Leo my pocket money to avoid the stress.
(C) I am so amazed by what we achieved in just 48 hours. The internet is an incredibly powerful tool for helping others!
(D) Leo’s parents were very upset about the online page, but at least we raised enough money to buy them a new house.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The text states in the first paragraph that “as a teenager with very little pocket money, I had no idea how I could possibly make a real difference”, which maps to not having much of his own money to give.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that when he published the page his hands were shaking and he “honestly worried that nobody would pay attention,” showing his anxiety about being ignored.
3 B – The third paragraph describes the writer’s amazement that not only students and teachers, but “complete strangers from our local community were also sending money”.
4 C – In the fourth paragraph, the writer notes that the campaign raised enough money to “pay for a temporary apartment and new winter clothes”, matching short-term accommodation and essential clothing.
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: reflecting on the rapid success of the campaign and acknowledging the positive, charitable power of internet technology.