Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Sibling Relationships & Rivalries
Reading 1
You are going to read an extract from a short story about an older sister helping her brother with his college applications.
For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
The Application Process
The dining room table had completely disappeared beneath a mountain of glossy university prospectuses, financial aid forms, and meticulously highlighted schedules. For the past three months, Liam’s older sister, Maya, had taken it upon herself to be his unofficial admissions tutor. If she hadn’t been so relentlessly organised, Liam might have appreciated the help, but her constant hovering left him feeling utterly suffocated. She would stand over his shoulder while he typed, pointing out minor grammatical errors and questioning his choice of adjectives. ‘You must have written this in a rush,’ she would say, sighing heavily. It was as though his entire future rested solely on her shoulders rather than his own.
What Maya didn’t realise was that Liam’s lack of enthusiasm wasn’t due to laziness. Deep down, he harboured a completely different ambition. While Maya envisioned him studying law at a prestigious institution, Liam dreamt of taking a gap year to work at a turtle conservation project in Costa Rica. He had secretly researched the programme, read countless reviews, and even saved up money from his weekend job. However, the thought of confessing this to his sister was terrifying. He knew she would immediately dismiss the idea as a foolish distraction. Consequently, he had kept his plans hidden, nodding along passively as she discussed application deadlines and interview techniques.
The inevitable breaking point arrived on a rainy Tuesday evening. Maya marched into the kitchen and slammed a thick, colour-coded binder onto the counter. ‘Right, I’ve drawn up a strict timetable for your personal statement drafts,’ she announced briskly. ‘We are going to work on this every evening until it’s flawless.’ Liam stared at the binder, feeling a sudden, intense wave of resentment. This was the final straw. He couldn’t pretend anymore. Pushing his chair back, he stood up and looked her directly in the eye. ‘I’m not writing it, Maya. I’m not applying to university this year.’
For a moment, Maya was rendered entirely speechless. When she finally found her voice, her reaction was exactly what he had anticipated. She accused him of throwing his life away and wasting his academic potential. ‘Do you have any idea how competitive the world is?’ she demanded, her voice rising in pitch. Liam fired back, his own frustration boiling over. He accused her of being a control freak who was trying to live her own life through him. The harsh words hung in the air between them, leaving a heavy, uncomfortable silence in their wake. Liam immediately regretted his outburst, bracing himself for her to storm out of the room.
Instead, Maya sank into the nearest chair, her fierce expression dissolving into one of profound sadness. She looked down at her hands, taking a shaky breath. She explained that when it had been her turn to apply to university, their parents had been going through a messy divorce and she had been left entirely to her own devices. She had missed crucial deadlines, misunderstood entry requirements, and ultimately failed to get into her dream university. ‘I just didn’t want you to make the same mistakes I did,’ she whispered quietly. ‘I thought if I managed everything, you’d be safe.’
Hearing her confession, Liam’s anger evaporated in an instant. He suddenly understood that her overbearing behaviour hadn’t been about controlling him; it had stemmed from a place of deep, protective love. She had merely been trying to shield him from the disappointment she had experienced. Swallowing hard, Liam sat back down beside her. He gently explained his Costa Rica plan in detail, showing her his careful financial calculations. Seeing how thoroughly he had prepared, Maya’s posture relaxed. They eventually reached a compromise: Liam would apply to university now to secure a place, but he would request to defer his enrollment for a year. For the first time in months, they were finally working as a team.
1 How did Liam feel about Maya’s involvement in his university applications?
(A) Overwhelmed by her excessive control over the process.
(B) Grateful that she was helping him find financial aid.
(C) Annoyed that she was forcing him to type his essays quickly.
(D) Relieved that she was taking the responsibility off his shoulders.
2 Why had Liam kept his true ambitions a secret from his sister?
(A) He wanted to save enough money from his job before telling her.
(B) He was too lazy to research the Costa Rica project properly.
(C) He assumed she would react negatively to his alternative plan.
(D) He was waiting to pass his university interviews first.
3 What does the word ‘This‘ refer to in the third paragraph?
(A) The final draft of his personal statement.
(B) The demanding schedule Maya had created.
(C) The rainy Tuesday evening.
(D) The resentment Liam felt towards his sister.
4 What can be inferred about Liam from his reaction during the argument?
(A) He was secretly hoping she would leave the kitchen.
(B) He believed she genuinely wanted to ruin his academic potential.
(C) He was shocked by how loud his sister’s voice had become.
(D) He felt guilty about the harsh accusations he made.
5 What was the real reason behind Maya’s bossy behaviour?
(A) She wanted to spare Liam the rejection she had once suffered.
(B) She was angry that their parents had ignored Liam’s applications.
(C) She had always dreamt of attending the university Liam was applying to.
(D) She felt it was her duty to manage his life because of the divorce.
6 What is the main message conveyed in the story?
(A) Siblings should avoid interfering in each other’s personal decisions.
(B) Controlling behaviour is often a misguided expression of care.
(C) Taking a gap year is usually better than going straight to university.
(D) Financial preparation is the most important part of planning a trip.
Answer Key
1 A: The text explicitly states that “her constant hovering left him feeling utterly suffocated,” which perfectly paraphrases being overwhelmed by her excessive control. Distractor B is a false match; financial aid forms are mentioned as being on the table, but he isn’t grateful. Distractor C is a partial truth; she accused him of writing in a rush, but didn’t force him to do it quickly. Distractor D is the opposite; he felt the burden was heavy, not relieved.
2 C: The text says, “He knew she would immediately dismiss the idea as a foolish distraction. Consequently, he had kept his plans hidden.” This matches assuming she would react negatively. Distractor A is a partial truth; he did save money, but it wasn’t the reason he kept the secret. Distractor B is the opposite; he researched the project extensively. Distractor D is a false match; interviews are mentioned as a topic Maya discussed, not something Liam was waiting for.
3 B: In the preceding sentence, Maya presents a “thick, colour-coded binder” and announces a “strict timetable”. Liam’s thought that “This was the final straw” refers directly to her presenting this demanding schedule. Distractor A is a false match; she wanted to work on drafts, not a final version. Distractors C and D appear in the paragraph but do not fit the grammatical reference of the final breaking point.
4 D: The text states, “Liam immediately regretted his outburst, bracing himself for her to storm out of the room.” This strongly implies guilt over his harsh words. Distractor A is the opposite; he braced himself for it, meaning he prepared for something negative, he didn’t hope for it. Distractor B is a false match; Maya accused Liam of wasting his potential, not the other way around. Distractor C is an unstated detail; her voice rose, but his shock isn’t mentioned regarding her volume.
5 A: Maya explains her own failures during the application process and says, “I just didn’t want you to make the same mistakes I did,” confirming she wanted to protect him from her own past disappointment. Distractor B is a false match; the parents ignored Maya’s applications due to their divorce, not Liam’s. Distractor C is an over-inference; she missed her own dream university, but there is no proof it is the exact same one Liam is applying to. Distractor D is a partial truth; the divorce is mentioned, but it caused her failure, not her current sense of duty.
6 B: The emotional resolution of the story highlights that Liam realizes her “overbearing behaviour” stemmed “from a place of deep, protective love.” Distractor A is the opposite of the ending, where they work successfully as a team. Distractor C is too specific and represents Liam’s desire, not the global theme of the text. Distractor D is a minor detail from the text masquerading as the main idea.