Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Modern Lifestyle, Habits & Productivity 3
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Learning to be Bored
My name is Alex, and like most teenagers, my smartphone is my most important possession. I take it absolutely everywhere. Whenever I have a free moment, especially when I am standing and waiting for my morning bus to school, my hand automatically reaches into my pocket. I usually spend that ten-minute wait scrolling through social media, watching short videos, or playing quick games. However, a few weeks ago, I realised that I never actually look around or let my brain rest. I decided it was time to make a small but difficult change to my daily routine.
I gave myself a very simple challenge: the next day, while waiting for the bus, I would leave my phone inside my backpack. When I arrived at the bus stop the following morning, doing this was incredibly difficult. The bus was running a bit late, and the first five minutes felt like an hour. My hands felt completely empty, and the feeling of boredom was almost painful. I kept wondering if my friends had sent me any new messages, and I really wanted to break my own rule just to check the screen quickly.
But after a few minutes, something interesting happened. Because I had no electronic device to look at, I started looking up at the world around me. I noticed a huge cloud in the sky that looked exactly like a dog wearing a hat, which made me smile to myself. Then, I watched an old man patiently teaching a tiny puppy how to sit, and I saw two beautiful birds flying between the trees. These were ordinary everyday things, but they were actually quite entertaining. I realised that my street was full of interesting activity that I usually completely ignored.
By the time the bus finally arrived at the stop, I wasn’t feeling annoyed, stressed, or bored anymore. Instead, I felt surprisingly relaxed. I had rediscovered the simple joy of daydreaming, just letting my thoughts wander freely without any loud digital distractions. Now, I make sure to leave my phone in my bag at least once a day when I have to wait for something. Learning how to be bored has actually made my mind feel much healthier and far more creative. It is a habit I definitely plan to keep.
1 Why did Alex decide to change his daily routine?
(A) He was spending too much money on games.
(B) He wanted to give his mind a break from his screen.
(C) His phone was broken and needed repairing.
(D) He kept missing his bus to school in the morning.
2 How did Alex feel when he first arrived at the bus stop?
(A) Worried because his bus was running very late.
(B) Relieved that he didn’t have to reply to messages.
(C) Annoyed that he had forgotten his phone at home.
(D) Uncomfortable because he had nothing to do with his hands.
3 What did Alex find out when he started looking around?
(A) The everyday world was more amusing than he expected.
(B) There were many people waiting for the same bus.
(C) It was going to rain because of the dark clouds.
(D) He recognized an old man from his neighbourhood.
4 How does Alex feel about his experience now?
(A) He believes he needs to buy a different mobile phone.
(B) He wishes he had started leaving his phone in his bag sooner.
(C) He is pleased because it has improved his imagination.
(D) He thinks it is too difficult to do every single day.
5 What would Alex write in his diary about his challenge?
(A) I tried to leave my phone in my bag, but it was just too boring. I don’t think I can do it again tomorrow.
(B) Waiting for the bus without my phone was hard at first, but it helped me relax and notice the interesting world around me.
(C) The bus stop is a great place to meet new people. Today I talked to an old man with a puppy instead of using my phone.
(D) I realised that I am addicted to social media. I am going to delete all the games and videos from my smartphone tonight.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, Alex states, “I realised that I never actually look around or let my brain rest,” which matches his desire to give his mind a break.
2 D – Paragraph 2 explains that his “hands felt completely empty, and the feeling of boredom was almost painful.” This shows he was uncomfortable without anything in his hands.
3 A – In paragraph 3, Alex describes seeing clouds, an old man, a puppy, and birds, noting that these “ordinary everyday things… were actually quite entertaining.”
4 C – The final paragraph says that learning to be bored has made his mind “far more creative,” which means it has improved his imagination.
5 B – This option successfully captures the global meaning of the text. It summarizes Alex’s initial struggle (it was hard at first) and the positive outcome of his challenge (relaxing and noticing his surroundings).
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Visualising My Future
A few months ago, I was feeling completely lost about my future. All my friends seemed to know exactly which university they wanted to attend and what career they planned to follow. Whenever teachers asked me about my plans, I felt anxious because I had no answers at all. One weekend, while looking for advice online, I read an article about making a ‘vision board’. This is a poster where you stick images that represent your life goals. Although I thought it sounded a bit ridiculous, I was desperate for some direction, so I decided to give it a try.
The following afternoon, I collected a pile of old magazines from the living room and found a pair of scissors. I spent a couple of hours searching for pictures that matched my vague dreams. I cut out photos of a beautiful university campus, a healthy runner, and an aeroplane landing in a foreign country. To be honest, as I sat on my bedroom floor cutting out pieces of paper, I felt like a young child doing a basic school art project. It felt like a waste of time, and I almost threw everything into the bin.
However, I decided to finish what I had started. I arranged all the images carefully on a large piece of white cardboard and glued them down. Once the glue was dry, I stood back to look at the completed board. To my surprise, it actually looked fantastic. Seeing all my hopes and dreams organised in one clear place made them seem much more real and achievable. I proudly used some tape to hang the board on the wall directly opposite my desk.
Since that day, the vision board has had an unexpected effect on my daily life. Whenever I am doing my homework and feel tempted to stop and play video games, I look up at the wall. Seeing the pictures reminds me of exactly why I am studying so hard. It provides a constant, visual reminder of my long-term goals and stops me from being lazy. I used to think vision boards were just a silly craft activity, but creating one has completely changed how I approach my education.
1 Why did the writer decide to make a vision board?
(A) Their teachers gave them a school project about the future.
(B) They were worried because they didn’t know what they wanted to do.
(C) Their friends had already made their own posters for university.
(D) They wanted to write a helpful article about it for the internet.
2 How did the writer feel while cutting out the pictures?
(A) annoyed because the magazines didn’t have any good photos
(B) excited to be working on such a fun and creative school project
(C) foolish because the activity seemed more suitable for a little kid
(D) confused about which pictures would look best on the cardboard
3 What was the writer’s reaction to the finished board?
(A) They were amazed by how good the final poster looked.
(B) They thought their goals looked far too difficult to achieve.
(C) They were disappointed that the glue took so long to dry.
(D) They decided to keep it hidden away in their bedroom.
4 What does the writer say about the vision board now?
(A) It makes them want to spend less time in their bedroom.
(B) It forces them to change their long-term plans regularly.
(C) It makes them feel guilty when they play video games.
(D) It encourages them to concentrate on their schoolwork.
5 What would the writer write in their diary?
(A) I can’t believe I wasted my time cutting up magazines. I’m going to take the poster down tomorrow because it looks so silly on my wall.
(B) I finally know exactly what university I am going to! All my friends are so jealous of the beautiful poster I made for my bedroom.
(C) I thought making a board was a childish idea, but looking at my goals every day really helps me stay focused on my studies.
(D) If you want to get good grades, you should buy an expensive poster. It is much better than cutting out pictures from old magazines.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states that the writer felt “anxious because I had no answers” about their future plans, which matches being worried because they didn’t know what they wanted to do.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that sitting on the floor cutting paper made them feel “like a young child doing a basic school art project,” mapping to feeling foolish because it seemed suitable for a little kid.
3 A – The third paragraph describes the writer standing back and being surprised because “it actually looked fantastic,” which paraphrases being amazed by how good the poster looked.
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, the writer notes that seeing the pictures “reminds me of exactly why I am studying so hard” and stops them from being lazy, which means it encourages them to concentrate on schoolwork.
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: acknowledging their initial doubt about the “silly craft activity” while celebrating the unexpected positive result of staying focused on their long-term educational goals.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The “One In, One Out” Rule
For a long time, my bedroom was a complete disaster, especially my desk. It was completely covered in colourful pens, half-empty notebooks, and various electronic gadgets that I hardly ever used. Every time I needed to do my homework, I had to spend at least ten minutes just clearing a space to put my laptop down. I often felt stressed and annoyed because I could never find what I was looking for. However, I just couldn’t stop collecting cute stationery and tech accessories.
The turning point came when I bought yet another expensive set of drawing markers and realised there was literally nowhere to put them. I knew I had to change my habits. While reading a lifestyle blog online, I discovered a simple idea called the ‘One In, One Out’ rule. The concept was easy to understand: for every new item I brought into my bedroom, an older item had to be donated to charity or thrown in the bin.
I decided to try it immediately, but following this strict rule was much harder than I had expected. The first test happened a few days later. I was shopping with my friends and saw a beautiful new phone case that I really wanted to buy. However, I suddenly remembered my new rule. If I bought it, I would have to get rid of something else from my desk. After thinking about it, I realised I didn’t want to throw anything away, so I didn’t buy the case.
That experience taught me a valuable lesson about impulsive shopping. The rule forced me to think carefully about whether I truly needed something before buying it. Slowly, I started going through my things, throwing away broken pens and donating unused notebooks to a local school. It took a couple of weekends to organise everything, but it made me realise how much stuff I had bought without ever really needing it.
It has been a few months now, and the transformation in my room is amazing. My desk is finally tidy, and I actually have a clean, clear space to study and do my homework. Because I am no longer buying things without thinking, I am saving quite a lot of pocket money too. My room finally feels like a peaceful place to relax in, and I am much happier living with fewer, but better, possessions.
1 Why was the writer feeling stressed at the beginning of the text?
(A) She had to spend her money on an expensive laptop.
(B) She couldn’t easily find her things in her untidy room.
(C) She lost her favourite colourful pens on her desk.
(D) She received too much homework from her teachers.
2 How did the writer learn about the ‘One In, One Out’ rule?
(A) She read about it on an internet website.
(B) She was told about it by a charity worker.
(C) She saw an interesting video about it online.
(D) She read a book about changing her lifestyle.
3 What happened when the writer saw a phone case she liked?
(A) She bought it and threw away an old case.
(B) She asked her friends to buy it for her.
(C) She decided not to buy it because of her rule.
(D) She realised she didn’t have enough money for it.
4 What did the writer realise while sorting through her existing possessions?
(A) She needed to buy more things for her local school.
(B) She had purchased many items unnecessarily.
(C) She had broken a lot of her expensive gadgets.
(D) She should spend more weekends organising her room.
5 What would the writer write in her diary about her new lifestyle?
(A) I still love buying new gadgets, but now I keep them hidden in my cupboards so my desk stays tidy.
(B) Keeping my room tidy is hard work, and I often wish I could just buy whatever I want again.
(C) Although I miss my old notebooks, the ‘One In, One Out’ rule is the only way I can finish my homework.
(D) Thinking before I shop has not only given me a tidy space, but it has also helped me save my money.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that her desk was covered in items and she “often felt stressed and annoyed because I could never find what I was looking for”.
2 A – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that she discovered the idea “While reading a lifestyle blog online”, which is paraphrased as an internet website.
3 C – In paragraph 3, she remembers her new rule, realises she doesn’t want to throw anything away, and says, “so I didn’t buy the case.”
4 B – Paragraph 4 mentions that going through her things made her realise “how much stuff I had bought without ever really needing it.”
5 D – This option best captures the global meaning and the writer’s attitude in the final paragraph, where she highlights having a tidy desk, stopping impulsive buying, and saving pocket money.