Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Urban Ecology & Rewilding
Reading 1
You are going to read a magazine article about an office worker who watches a wild bird from their window.
For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
The Falcon on the Skyscraper
It was another typical Tuesday afternoon on the forty-second floor of the corporate tower. My desk was positioned next to a floor-to-ceiling window, which offered a panoramic, albeit uninspiring, view of the city’s concrete landscape. Normally, staring out at the identical grey buildings did little to relieve the overwhelming monotony of data entry. The office environment was entirely sterile, characterized by the hum of air conditioning, the rhythmic clicking of keyboards, and the muted conversations of colleagues. If someone had told me this clinical setting would soon provide a front-row seat to a spectacular wildlife event, I would have suggested they were mistaken. I felt completely disconnected from the natural world, trapped in a bubble of glass and steel.
My attention was suddenly drawn away from my spreadsheet by a blur of movement. A peregrine falcon, a creature of breathtaking aerodynamic design, had just landed on the narrow concrete ledge outside my window. For a moment, I simply stared in disbelief. It seemed incredibly out of place, an untamed predator resting calmly against the backdrop of traffic jams and advertising billboards. Yet, as it ruffled its slate-grey feathers and observed the streets below with piercing yellow eyes, it looked as though it owned the city. I was entirely captivated by its fierce elegance, feeling a sudden surge of adrenaline that sharply contrasted with my previous lethargy.
I watched, scarcely daring to breathe, as the bird locked its gaze on a flock of pigeons circling a nearby rooftop. Without warning, the falcon launched itself into the air. It climbed steadily before folding its wings tightly against its body and plummeting downwards in a spectacular dive known as a stoop. Experts estimate that peregrines can reach speeds of over 300 km/h during this, making them the fastest animals on the planet. The sheer velocity of the descent was terrifying to witness. The oblivious pigeons were entirely unaware of the incoming threat until it was far too late to take evasive action.
The impact occurred mid-air, a brutal and efficient collision that resulted in an explosion of grey feathers. As the successful hunter carried its prey away to a higher ledge, I was left grappling with the event. Part of me was horrified by the ruthless violence of the act; after all, I was sitting in a climate-controlled room where the most significant daily struggle was unjamming the photocopier. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realised that I shouldn’t be shocked. This wasn’t a cruel murder but a fundamental ecological process playing out precisely as it had for thousands of years. The only difference was the stage on which it was performed.
Glancing around the open-plan office, I was amazed to see that absolutely nothing had changed. My colleagues were still glued to their monitors, sipping lukewarm coffee and wearing headsets, blissfully ignorant of the life-and-death struggle that had just concluded mere metres away from them. I desperately wanted to stand up and announce what had happened, to shake them out of their corporate trance. However, I decided to keep the experience to myself. Sharing it might have somehow diminished the profound personal impact the event had made on me, reducing a magnificent spectacle to just another piece of trivial office gossip.
That fleeting encounter fundamentally shifted my perspective on the city. I had always assumed that human expansion had completely pushed wildlife out, replacing lush forests with lifeless architecture. The falcon proved me wrong. It demonstrated that nature is incredibly resilient, viewing our towering skyscrapers simply as artificial cliffs. While the office remains a place of predictable routine, I no longer feel quite so trapped. Now, whenever I find myself sighing at a complicated spreadsheet, I glance out of the window, thrilled by the realization that the wild is always out there, hiding in plain sight.
1 How did the writer feel about their working environment before seeing the falcon?
(A) They found the repetitive nature of their daily tasks incredibly dull.
(B) They were frequently distracted by the conversations of their colleagues.
(C) They enjoyed looking out of the large window to relax their eyes.
(D) They felt fortunate to have a panoramic view of the city center.
2 What was the writer’s initial reaction to the falcon’s appearance on the ledge?
(A) They were afraid it might accidentally fly into the glass window.
(B) They thought it looked exactly like the predators seen on billboards.
(C) They were fascinated by how confident the bird looked in an urban setting.
(D) They were annoyed that it interrupted their concentration on the spreadsheet.
3 What does the word ‘this’ refer to in paragraph 3?
(A) a flock of circling pigeons
(B) a sudden launch into the air
(C) a high-speed downward flight
(D) taking rapid evasive action
4 What conclusion did the writer reach after witnessing the falcon catch its prey?
(A) The brutal incident highlighted the unnecessary cruelty of nature.
(B) Sitting in a safe office makes people overly sensitive to violence.
(C) Pigeons should learn to adapt to the presence of predators in the city.
(D) The hunt was a normal biological event regardless of its location.
5 Why did the writer choose not to tell their colleagues about the falcon?
(A) They knew their colleagues were too busy looking at their monitors.
(B) They feared that talking about it would make the experience feel less special.
(C) They thought the others would complain about the interruption.
(D) They did not want to disturb the quiet atmosphere of the open-plan office.
6 What is the writer’s main message in the article?
(A) The natural world can adapt and thrive alongside human development.
(B) Office workers should take more time to observe local wildlife.
(C) The expansion of cities has destroyed too many natural habitats.
(D) Animals often struggle to survive in modern concrete jungles.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A: The text states that the writer suffered from “the overwhelming monotony of data entry.” Option A correctly paraphrases this. Option B is incorrect because conversations were “muted” and part of the sterile environment, not a distraction. Option C is false; the window “did little to relieve” the monotony. Option D contradicts the text, which describes the view as “uninspiring.”
2 C: The writer says they were “entirely captivated by its fierce elegance” and that the bird “looked as though it owned the city.” Option C is the best paraphrase. Option A is never stated in the text. Option B is a false match; the text mentions advertising billboards as a background, not that the bird looked like them. Option D is opposite to the text; the writer felt a “surge of adrenaline” that replaced their lethargy.
3 C: In the text, the sentence before “this” describes the bird “plummeting downwards in a spectacular dive known as a stoop.” Therefore, “this” refers to the high-speed dive. Options A, B, and D refer to other actions that occurred before or after the dive.
4 D: The writer concludes that they shouldn’t be shocked because “This wasn’t a cruel murder but a fundamental ecological process… The only difference was the stage on which it was performed.” This matches Option D. Option A contradicts the text (“This wasn’t a cruel murder”). Option B is a partial truth trap; they mention sitting in a safe office, but do not conclude that people generally become too sensitive. Option C is unstated.
5 B: The writer states that “Sharing it might have somehow diminished the profound personal impact the event had made on me, reducing a magnificent spectacle to just another piece of trivial office gossip.” This aligns with Option B. Option A is true in the scene, but it is not the reason they stayed quiet. Option C is unstated. Option D is incorrect; the writer actually “desperately wanted to stand up… to shake them out of their corporate trance.”
6 A: The final paragraph summarizes the writer’s takeaway: “nature is incredibly resilient, viewing our towering skyscrapers simply as artificial cliffs.” This perfectly matches Option A. Option B may be a nice idea, but it is not the main message. Options C and D are opposite to the writer’s realization; the writer used to think cities pushed wildlife out, but the falcon “proved me wrong.”
Reading 2
You are going to read a magazine article about a person who secretly plants flowers in neglected urban spaces.
For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
The Midnight Gardener
When most people are fast asleep, comfortably tucked up in their beds, I am usually pulling on a dark hoodie, grabbing a trowel, and slipping quietly out of my back door. My destination is rarely glamorous. In fact, it is typically a neglected, rubbish-strewn patch of wasteland sandwiched between two dilapidated apartment blocks in the inner city. I am a ‘guerrilla gardener’, part of a global movement of covert volunteers who illegally transform ugly urban spaces into vibrant pockets of greenery. Stepping into the shadows of an abandoned lot for the first time, armed only with a bag of compost and some bright seeds, always fills me with a surge of rebellious thrill. It’s undeniably exciting to take matters into your own hands when the local authorities have clearly failed to maintain the neighbourhood.
However, the reality of working under the cover of darkness presents a unique set of challenges. Digging through compacted soil that has been ignored for decades is exhausting work, especially when you are trying to be as silent as possible. Every snap of a twig or distant wail of a police siren sends my heart hammering against my ribs. I constantly find myself looking over my shoulder, terrified that a patrol car might pull up and catch me trespassing. If I were caught, trying to explain to an officer that I was only breaking the law to plant sunflowers would probably not go down very well. Despite the adrenaline rush, the physical and mental strain of operating in absolute secrecy takes a heavy toll.
Once the seedlings are safely in the ground, a new, far more persistent problem arises: an overwhelming sense of anxiety. Unlike a traditional garden safely enclosed behind a tall fence, these roadside plots are completely exposed to the harsh elements of city life. Throughout the following week, my mind runs wild with disastrous scenarios. I imagine careless pedestrians trampling my fragile plants, or local vandals ripping them out just for the fun of it. I even worry that the city council might spot the unauthorised vegetation and immediately dispatch a crew to spray it with weedkiller. Leaving my vulnerable creations out in the open feels like abandoning a pet; the lack of control over what happens next is almost unbearable.
For the first few days after a planting mission, I deliberately avoid walking past the site. I convince myself that it is better to delay the potential heartbreak of seeing my hard work destroyed. But eventually, curiosity always gets the better of me. Last Tuesday, I nervously approached the corner of Elm Street, bracing myself for the sight of crushed petals and scattered soil. I peered around the brick wall, squinting in the afternoon sunlight. To my immense surprise, not only were the bright yellow marigolds still standing proudly, but the surrounding area had actually been cleared of the empty cans and crisp packets that had plagued it previously. Someone in the neighbourhood must have appreciated the new additions and decided to tidy up the space.
What happened next, however, completely shifted my perspective on why I do this. As I stood on the pavement marvelling at the survival of my plants, an elderly woman emerged from the neighbouring building carrying a battered plastic watering can. Without hesitation, she walked over to the makeshift flowerbed and gently poured water over the thirsty roots, humming softly to herself. A young man walking his dog stopped to chat with her, pointing at the blossoms with a broad smile. Witnessing this quiet act of care replaced all my previous anxiety with a profound, heartwarming joy. I realised then that guerrilla gardening isn’t just an act of nocturnal rebellion; it is a way of giving a neglected community something beautiful to care for together.
1 How does the writer feel when initiating a new gardening project?
(A) He feels frustrated that he has to do the work of the local authorities.
(B) He experiences a sense of excitement from doing something independent and unofficial.
(C) He is nervous about encountering other covert volunteers in the dark.
(D) He enjoys the opportunity to escape from his small apartment at night.
2 In the second paragraph, the writer emphasises that planting at night is
(A) a highly stressful activity because of the fear of being discovered.
(B) dangerous because of the criminals that wander the city streets.
(C) impossible to do without making a significant amount of noise.
(D) amusing because the police do not care about people planting sunflowers.
3 What does the word ‘it‘ refer to in paragraph 3?
(A) the city council
(B) a traditional garden
(C) the weedkiller
(D) the unauthorised vegetation
4 Why does the writer initially avoid visiting the site after planting?
(A) He wants to give the seeds enough time to grow in the afternoon sunlight.
(B) He is afraid of being recognized by the people who live on Elm Street.
(C) He wants to put off the disappointment of potentially finding the plants ruined.
(D) He assumes the city council is waiting there to issue him a fine for littering.
5 What effect did the scene involving the elderly woman have on the writer?
(A) It encouraged him to step out onto the pavement and introduce himself.
(B) It made him realise that his secret activities had successfully united the locals.
(C) It confirmed his suspicion that older people are better at gardening.
(D) It made him anxious that the woman was going to accidentally drown the plants.
6 What is the writer’s main purpose in this article?
(A) to complain about the amount of rubbish left in abandoned city lots
(B) to warn other people about the legal risks of planting on public property
(C) to explain how to prepare compacted soil for growing flowers
(D) to describe how a secretive, rebellious hobby became a source of community pride
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B: The writer states that stepping into the abandoned lot “always fills me with a surge of rebellious thrill” and that it is “exciting to take matters into your own hands.” This perfectly matches option B. Distractor A is a partial truth; he notes the authorities failed, but his primary feeling is “thrill”, not frustration.
2 A: The writer notes that “Every snap of a twig… sends my heart hammering” and he is “terrified that a patrol car might pull up and catch me trespassing,” proving the process is highly stressful. Distractor D is the opposite of the text, as he notes that trying to explain his actions to a police officer “would probably not go down very well.”
3 D: The sentence reads: “…the city council might spot the unauthorised vegetation and immediately dispatch a crew to spray it with weedkiller.” The pronoun “it” refers directly to the “unauthorised vegetation” that the council would want to eliminate.
4 C: The writer states, “I convince myself that it is better to delay the potential heartbreak of seeing my hard work destroyed.” This confirms he avoids the site to avoid disappointment. Distractor A is a false match using words from the text (“afternoon sunlight”, “seeds”) but assigns the wrong reason for his absence.
5 B: The writer reflects that witnessing the locals caring for the plants replaced his anxiety with joy, and he realised his actions gave “a neglected community something beautiful to care for together.” Distractor A is an opposite/unstated action; he simply watched them and did not introduce himself.
6 D: The entire text outlines the emotional journey of the writer, starting from the “rebellious thrill” of breaking the law at night, moving through anxiety, and concluding with “heartwarming joy” upon seeing the community embrace his work. Distractor A is too specific and misses the emotional core of the text. Distractor B is a partial truth mentioned in paragraph 2, but it is not the main purpose of the whole article.
Reading 3
You are going to read a magazine article about a city river that has been restored to a natural state.
For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
The River Reclaimed
For as long as I could remember, the River Calme was little more than a stagnant, concrete-lined ditch carving its way through our city. It was a purely functional piece of urban engineering, designed to move rainwater away as efficiently as possible, devoid of any soul or life. I, like many other residents, had grown comfortable with this sterility. I appreciated the neat, grey concrete embankments that ensured the water remained predictable, tidy, and safe. Whenever I walked along the designated path, I felt a sense of order; it was a testament to human control over the messy, unpredictable natural world.
When the council announced plans to ‘renaturalise’ the river by breaking the concrete channels, I was initially sceptical. My neighbours were equally vocal, worried that the river would turn into a swampy, unmanaged eyesore. We were used to the straight lines of the old riverbed, and the thought of mud, overgrown reeds, and unpredictable water levels felt like a step backward in urban planning. I firmly believed that nature belonged in designated parks, not in the heart of our carefully maintained city centre.
However, as the excavators moved in and began tearing up the heavy, cracked slabs, I found myself inexplicably drawn to the site every day. The sensory confusion was immense. The smell of damp, turned-over earth replaced the sterile, metallic scent of the urban environment. It was an assault on my expectations. I stood by the orange safety fencing, watching as deep, winding curves were dug into the earth to allow the water to meander. It felt chaotic, almost violent, to see such upheaval. I found myself longing for the grey, predictable safety of the concrete that had been dismantled, unable to reconcile this muddy construction site with the tidy city I loved.
But the transformation took hold faster than I anticipated. Once the water began to flow through its new, snaking path, the landscape shifted dramatically. I recall the first afternoon I spent sitting by the bank after the project was complete. I was bracing myself for disappointment, but as I sat still, the environment seemed to wake up. The air was filled with a chorus of sounds that had been absent for decades: the rhythmic chirping of dragonflies and the deep, resonant croak of frogs. It was as if the river had been holding its breath for years and was finally exhaling.
What truly struck me was the complexity of these new, ‘messy’ banks. Where the concrete had once been, willow roots now snagged the water, creating tiny, turbulent eddies where small fish gathered. I watched as a kingfisher, a bird I had only ever seen in books, darted over the reeds. My previous attachment to the rigid concrete banks suddenly felt incredibly shallow. The river was no longer just a conduit for runoff; it was a functioning, living ecosystem that demanded my respect rather than my management.
Looking out over the river today, I recognise that my desire for tidiness was a denial of how nature is meant to function. The mud might be thick and the reeds might sprawl, but the river has finally regained its voice. Walking along the path now, I don’t see the untidiness I once feared; instead, I see the intricate mechanics of a thriving habitat. It is a profound, albeit slow, reclamation, and I am humbled to have witnessed the river finding its own way back to life.
1 What does the writer imply about her attitude towards the River Calme before the restoration?
(A) She found the river to be dangerously neglected and crumbling.
(B) She felt that the concrete channel was a necessary part of city life.
(C) She was concerned that the river would overflow during heavy rain.
(D) She believed the city should have invested more in maintaining the concrete.
2 What was the main concern of the residents regarding the project?
(A) That the restoration would cost too much of the city’s budget.
(B) That the new river would attract pests and dangerous insects.
(C) That the natural state of the river would look neglected and messy.
(D) That their favourite walking paths would be permanently closed off.
3 What does ‘this’ refer to in paragraph 3?
(A) the sound of the excavators at work
(B) the removal of the concrete slabs
(C) the longing for the safety of the past
(D) the experience of watching the river change
4 What is the writer’s attitude towards the changes in the fourth paragraph?
(A) She is surprised by how quickly the river’s character has returned.
(B) She feels the river is still struggling to adapt to its new path.
(C) She is disappointed that the restoration has not been completed yet.
(D) She is convinced that the river will eventually become a swamp again.
5 How does the writer feel about the river now compared to the past?
(A) She misses the clarity of the water when it was contained by concrete.
(B) She believes the river is now a more complex and meaningful environment.
(C) She finds the wildlife a distraction from the river’s original purpose.
(D) She regrets that the river has become too small to hold much fish.
6 What is the main message of the final paragraph?
(A) Urban design should always prioritise the needs of local wildlife.
(B) The writer regrets having opposed the restoration for so long.
(C) Embracing a more natural environment has changed the writer’s perspective.
(D) The success of the project is entirely due to the river’s ability to heal itself.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B: The writer states she “appreciated the grey concrete embankments” because they were “predictable, tidy, and safe” and represented “human control.” Option A is a false match; the original state was functional and sterile, not crumbling. Option C is unstated. Option D contradicts the writer’s appreciation of the order.
2 C: The text mentions residents were “worried that the river would turn into a swampy, unmanaged eyesore,” which means they feared it would look untidy. Option B is a partial truth / distractor (they feared a swamp, but didn’t mention pests/insects). Option A and D are not mentioned in the text.
3 B: ‘This’ refers to the action of the excavators tearing up the slabs. Option A is a detail, but not the upheaval she is describing. Option C and D are feelings, not the “upheaval” or “construction” described as “violent” and “chaotic.”
4 A: The writer says, “the transformation took hold faster than I anticipated” and describes the river as if it were “finally exhaling,” showing surprise at the speed of the natural return. Option B is false; she describes it as “thriving.” Option C is false; the project was complete. Option D is an over-inference.
5 B: The writer contrasts her “shallow” attachment to concrete with the “intricate mechanics of a thriving habitat,” indicating she now sees the river as deeper and more meaningful. Option A is false; the concrete was grey and sterile. Option C is the opposite; she now appreciates the life in it. Option D is unstated.
6 C: The writer concludes that her old desire for “tidiness was a denial of how nature is meant to function” and that the restoration caused a “profound” shift in her view. Option A is an over-inference (too broad). Option B is a false match; she describes her initial skepticism, but she doesn’t express explicit regret. Option D is a false match; while the river is self-healing, the writer focuses on the change in her own viewpoint.