Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Modern Lifestyle, Habits & Productivity 10
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Power of Small Pages
I used to love reading when I was younger, but as I started secondary school, my free time completely disappeared. Between sports practice, daily homework, and chatting with friends online, sitting down to read a whole chapter of a book felt impossible. I really missed the excitement of getting lost in a good story. I often bought exciting new novels, but they just sat on my bedroom shelf collecting dust because I never felt I had enough hours in the day to even start them. I knew I needed to change my habits if I wanted to enjoy reading again.
One weekend, I complained to my older cousin about my problem. She suggested that I was trying to do too much at once. Instead of aiming to read for an entire hour, she advised me to set a micro-goal: just read ten pages a day. At first, I laughed at the idea. Ten pages seemed far too small to make any real difference. I thought that reading such a short amount would mean I’d forget the plot before I ever reached the end of the book.
Despite my doubts, I decided to give her advice a try. I left a novel on my bedside table and promised myself I would read exactly ten pages every single night before turning off the light. To my surprise, it only took about fifteen minutes to complete the daily goal. Sometimes, the story was so interesting that I actually wanted to keep going, but I strictly forced myself to stop. This made me look forward to picking up the book again the following night. It didn’t feel like a heavy responsibility at all.
Fast forward a year, and the results of this tiny habit have been absolutely incredible. I recently counted the books on my shelf and realised I have finished twelve entire novels! By reading just a few pages consistently every single day, I achieved far more than I ever did when trying to find hours of free time. This simple method has taught me that you don’t need to take massive steps to achieve your goals. Now, I use this same technique of breaking big tasks into small pieces whenever I have a difficult school project to do.
1 Why did the writer stop reading books?
(A) They were spending all their pocket money on other hobbies.
(B) They found the new novels they bought were too boring.
(C) They felt they were too busy with their daily activities.
(D) They preferred chatting with their friends about schoolwork.
2 What did the writer think of their cousin’s advice initially?
(A) They thought it would be too difficult to read every single day.
(B) They believed reading such a small amount was pointless.
(C) They were angry that their cousin was laughing at their problem.
(D) They were worried about forgetting to read the ten pages.
3 What happened when the writer started their new reading habit?
(A) They found it took them more than fifteen minutes to read ten pages.
(B) They often read more than ten pages if the story was exciting.
(C) They felt like the daily reading was becoming a heavy responsibility.
(D) They stopped reading even when they wanted to continue the story.
4 How does the writer feel about their experience now?
(A) They believe that having hours of free time is the only way to succeed.
(B) They regret not reading more than twelve books over the past year.
(C) They have learned that doing small things regularly leads to big results.
(D) They find it much easier to write their own stories for school projects.
5 What would the writer text to a friend about their new habit?
(A) I finally finished a book today! It took me a whole year, but reading ten pages a day is definitely better than nothing.
(B) I used to think I had no time to read, but my cousin’s advice completely changed my mind. I’ve finished so many books this year!
(C) You should try reading ten pages a day instead of doing your homework. It really helps me relax before I go to sleep.
(D) I bought a lot of new novels recently, but they are just sitting on my shelf because I’m too busy with sports practice to read them.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – The first paragraph states that “Between sports practice, daily homework, and chatting with friends online, sitting down to read… felt impossible,” mapping to feeling too busy with daily activities.
2 B – In the second paragraph, the writer says, “At first, I laughed at the idea. Ten pages seemed far too small to make any real difference,” showing they thought the small amount was pointless.
3 D – The third paragraph explicitly states, “Sometimes, the story was so interesting that I actually wanted to keep going, but I strictly forced myself to stop,” which means they stopped reading even when they wanted to continue.
4 C – In the final paragraph, the writer concludes, “This simple method has taught me that you don’t need to take massive steps to achieve your goals,” matching the idea that small regular actions lead to big results.
5 B – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: moving from lacking time to read, applying the cousin’s helpful advice, and celebrating the successful result of reading many books over the year.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Beating Analysis Paralysis
My old laptop finally broke just before the school holidays, so I desperately needed to buy a new one. At first, I thought it would be a simple and fun task. I imagined I would just go online, look at a few popular models, and order the best one. I had saved up enough pocket money, so I was excited to finally upgrade to a faster and more modern computer.
However, things didn’t go as planned. Instead of buying something quickly, I spent three whole months reading hundreds of reviews and watching endless videos. Every time I found a laptop I liked, I would read one negative comment about its battery life or keyboard, and I would immediately change my mind. Because I couldn’t make a decision, I had to do all my school projects on my tiny smartphone screen. It was incredibly frustrating, but I was terrified of making the wrong choice.
The situation finally changed when I complained to my older sister. She laughed and told me I was suffering from ‘analysis paralysis’. She explained that because I was looking for the perfect laptop, I was actually making my life much harder. She suggested a brilliant idea: I should set a strict 48-hour time limit for my research, accept a ‘good enough’ option, and just buy it. She promised me that no computer is completely perfect.
I decided to follow her advice. I gave myself exactly two days to compare three laptops that were within my budget. I stopped worrying about having the highest specifications and focused on what I actually needed for my homework and watching films. When the 48 hours were over, I confidently ordered a laptop. It wasn’t the most expensive model on the market, but it had everything I required.
When it arrived, I was absolutely delighted. It works perfectly, and I finally have my free time back. I realised that searching for perfection was just a waste of time. Now, whenever I need to buy something new, I remember the 48-hour rule. Accepting ‘good enough’ has stopped my anxiety and allowed me to just move on with my life.
1 How did the writer feel when he first started looking for a laptop?
(A) He was anxious because he hadn’t saved enough money.
(B) He believed he would be able to choose one quite quickly.
(C) He was annoyed that he had to do it during the school holidays.
(D) He expected it to be an extremely difficult and boring task.
2 What was the result of the writer reading so many reviews?
(A) He decided to keep repairing his old, broken computer.
(B) He had to struggle to do his homework on a much smaller device.
(C) He concluded that all the popular laptops were badly made.
(D) He spent his free time making his own video reviews.
3 What did the writer’s sister advise him to do?
(A) Ask her to choose the best computer for him.
(B) Continue researching until he found the perfect machine.
(C) Give himself a limited amount of time to make a choice.
(D) Buy the cheapest laptop he could find online.
4 When the writer finally bought his laptop, he
(A) chose one based on his everyday needs rather than perfection.
(B) realised it was missing some features he really needed for school.
(C) bought a model that was much faster than he actually expected.
(D) regretted not spending a few more days looking at other options.
5 What would the writer write in his diary?
(A) I wish I had spent more time reading reviews because my new laptop isn’t very good.
(B) It is impossible to find a good laptop these days, so you shouldn’t bother doing any research at all.
(C) Searching for the perfect item can cause unnecessary stress, so it is better to settle for something that does the job.
(D) My sister gave me terrible advice, but luckily I still managed to find a computer that I like.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer says, “I thought it would be a simple and fun task. I imagined I would just go online… and order the best one,” meaning he expected the process to be quick and easy.
2 B – In the second paragraph, the text states that because he couldn’t make a decision, he “had to do all my school projects on my tiny smartphone screen,” which was incredibly frustrating.
3 C – In the third paragraph, his sister suggests setting “a strict 48-hour time limit for my research,” which paraphrases as giving himself a limited amount of time to decide.
4 A – In the fourth paragraph, the writer states he “stopped worrying about having the highest specifications and focused on what I actually needed for my homework and watching films.”
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and the overall lesson the writer learned in the final paragraph: letting go of the need for perfection stops anxiety and allows you to move on.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Celebrating the little things
For as long as I can remember, I have been a highly ambitious student. My goal was always to be the absolute best at everything I did. Whether it was a school sports competition or a difficult science exam, I only ever celebrated if I won first prize or achieved a perfect score. I thought this was the best way to push myself to succeed. However, because these massive achievements didn’t happen every day, I spent most of my time feeling quite miserable and disappointed with myself.
The situation reached a breaking point during the winter term. I had spent weeks studying for a series of advanced history tests. When I got my results, I had passed all of them easily, but I wasn’t the top student in the class. I was so angry with myself that I almost threw my notes in the bin. My older brother noticed my bad mood and gave me some valuable advice. He told me that life is completely exhausting if you only ever allow yourself to be happy at the finish line. He suggested I start rewarding my effort, not just the final result.
That Friday, I decided to test his advice. I hadn’t won any medals or received any perfect grades that week, but I had survived five days of difficult lessons and early mornings. Instead of walking straight home to study, I stopped at the local café and bought myself a huge chocolate ice cream. Usually, I would only buy a treat like that after a major victory. Sitting on a park bench and enjoying the sweet snack, I suddenly felt incredibly relaxed.
Since that afternoon, my entire attitude has shifted. I now make sure to celebrate the small wins in my daily routine. If I manage to hand in a complicated essay on time, or even just successfully finish a difficult chapter of a textbook, I reward myself with something simple. I might play a video game for half an hour or chat with a friend. Surprisingly, being kinder to myself hasn’t made me lazy. In fact, finding joy in the daily grind has actually improved my grades, as I no longer feel stressed all the time.
1 Why was the writer unhappy at the beginning of the text?
(A) He was failing all of his difficult science exams.
(B) He only let himself feel good about major successes.
(C) He was jealous of other students winning first prize.
(D) He felt he wasn’t pushing himself hard enough.
2 How did the writer react to his history test results?
(A) He felt frustrated because someone else got a better mark.
(B) He was delighted because he passed them all easily.
(C) He blamed his older brother for distracting him from studying.
(D) He threw his study notes into the bin in anger.
3 What did the writer do on Friday afternoon?
(A) He celebrated getting a perfect grade with a snack.
(B) He went to the park to study for his upcoming lessons.
(C) He bought himself a reward just for getting through the week.
(D) He met his brother at a café to talk about his victories.
4 What is the result of the writer’s new mindset?
(A) He spends less time doing homework and more time gaming.
(B) He has decided to stop writing complicated school essays.
(C) He feels more relaxed and is performing better at school.
(D) He only rewards himself when he gets a good grade.
5 What would the writer write in his diary about his experience?
(A) “I bought an ice cream today to celebrate my science award. It feels great to finally be the top student in my class again!”
(B) “My brother was wrong. Rewarding myself for small things is making me lazy, and my grades are starting to drop.”
(C) “I didn’t win anything today, but I finished my homework on time. Allowing myself to feel proud of these little moments makes school much easier.”
(D) “The winter term was so exhausting that I’ve decided to stop trying to be the best. I don’t care about my exam results anymore.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The writer states in paragraph 1 that he “only ever celebrated if I won first prize or achieved a perfect score,” which resulted in him “feeling quite miserable and disappointed”.
2 A – In paragraph 2, the writer notes that he passed the tests but “wasn’t the top student in the class”, making him “so angry with myself”.
3 C – Paragraph 3 explains that although he hadn’t won any medals or perfect grades, he had “survived five days of difficult lessons” and bought a chocolate ice cream to reward his effort.
4 C – In paragraph 4, the writer explains that finding joy in the daily routine “has actually improved my grades, as I no longer feel stressed all the time.”
5 C – This diary entry captures the global meaning and the writer’s attitude shift: he no longer waits for huge victories to celebrate, and this kinder mindset has made his daily life and schoolwork less stressful.