Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Practical Life Skills 17

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four young adults talking about the phenomenon of ‘imposter syndrome’ when they were accepted into a top-tier educational program.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people/sections (A-D). The people/sections may be chosen more than once.

Which person/section

1   admits to keeping their academic struggles a secret?

2   pushed themselves to the point of extreme tiredness to justify their position?

3   was convinced that the university had made an administrative error?

4   felt out of place due to their family’s socioeconomic background?

5   praises a university employee for helping them shift their perspective?

6   suffered a sudden drop in self-belief despite a track record of success?

7   was amazed to discover that their classmates felt equally inadequate?

8   recognised the necessity of separating their self-esteem from their exam results?

9   came to understand that needing to study hard does not mean a lack of intelligence?

10   found the process of maintaining a confident exterior to be highly draining?

The Imposter Syndrome: Do I Really Belong Here?

A Leo

Getting the acceptance letter from such a prestigious law school felt surreal. In fact, for the first few weeks, I lived in constant fear that the admissions office would call to say there had been a terrible mix-up. Most of my peers seemed to come from affluent, highly educated families, whereas I was the first in my working-class family to even attend university. I felt completely out of my depth, like a fraud waiting to be unmasked. Whenever I found a reading assignment challenging, my immediate thought was that I clearly wasn’t smart enough to be there. I took it for granted that everyone else was breezing through the syllabus. However, I eventually realised that grappling with complex texts is simply part of the learning process. Just because I had to put in serious hours at the library didn’t mean I lacked the intellectual capacity. Coming to terms with the fact that having to work hard isn’t a sign of weakness was a massive turning point for me.

B Maya

When I joined the elite architecture programme, I was determined to project an image of absolute competence. I nodded knowingly during seminars, even when the theories completely baffled me. I was terrified that if I asked a basic question, everyone would realise I didn’t truly belong. Consequently, I bottled up all my anxieties and pretended everything was fine. Putting on that brave face every single day was mentally exhausting; it took a huge toll on my wellbeing. The turning point came during a group project when, out of sheer frustration, I confessed to a classmate that I had no idea what I was doing. To my absolute astonishment, she breathed a sigh of relief and admitted she was equally lost! We soon discovered that nearly half the studio felt like they were winging it. Finding out that this fear was a collective experience instantly lifted the weight off my shoulders. It was incredibly liberating to drop the act and finally be honest.

C Ethan

I earned a scholarship to a top-tier medical school, which was a huge privilege, but it came with an overwhelming sense of guilt. I felt I had to constantly prove I was worthy of the investment. To justify my spot, I pushed myself relentlessly, practically moving into the campus library and sacrificing all my weekends. I was burning the candle at both ends, terrified that a single low grade would expose me as an imposter. Unsurprisingly, this led to severe physical burnout by the end of my first term. Luckily, my academic supervisor noticed how utterly drained I looked and called me into his office. He gently pointed out that I had already earned my place by passing the entrance exams, and that I didn’t need to destroy my health to validate my existence there. His words really resonated with me. Thanks to his intervention, I stopped treating every assignment as a test of my right to be there, and started actually enjoying my degree.

D Chloe

Throughout high school, I was always the top student, so I started my engineering degree brimming with self-assurance. However, within a month, that confidence had completely evaporated. Suddenly, I was surrounded by brilliant minds who seemed to grasp advanced calculus much faster than I did. I had always tied my personal identity entirely to being ‘the smart one’, so getting a mediocre mark on my first mid-term exam triggered a massive crisis of confidence. I convinced myself I was a failure who had somehow slipped through the net. It took a lot of introspection to bounce back. I had to consciously untangle my personal value from my academic performance. I realised that getting a B didn’t make me a fraud; it just meant the material was tough. Once I stopped viewing my grades as a direct reflection of my worth, the imposter syndrome began to fade. I learned to appreciate the intellectual challenge rather than fearing it would expose me as inadequate.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four teenagers sharing their strategies for staying motivated and avoiding burnout during a grueling two-year study program.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people/sections (A-D). The people/sections may be chosen more than once.

Which person/section

1   stresses the importance of keeping their study environment and relaxation area strictly separate?

2   sets up a personal reward system to push through difficult revision sessions?

3   discovered that dividing assignments into bite-sized pieces reduced their anxiety?

4   states that picturing their ultimate ambition helps them persevere on difficult days?

5   had to give up a secondary commitment because it was causing too much stress?

6   realised that judging themselves against their classmates was having a negative impact?

7   initially held the mistaken belief that non-stop studying was the key to high grades?

8   managed to conquer a tendency to delay starting their academic work?

9   refuses to sacrifice a specific creative activity, despite their heavy workload?

10   acknowledges that their peers play a crucial role in keeping them on track?

Going the Distance: Surviving a Two-Year Academic Marathon

A Mark

When I embarked on this rigorous two-year syllabus, I completely underestimated the stamina required. At first, I tried to juggle my studies, a part-time job, and captaining the football team. Inevitably, the pressure took its toll, and I experienced a severe bout of burnout during my second term. I eventually had to come to terms with the fact that I couldn’t do it all; had I not stepped down from my part-time role, my grades would have inevitably collapsed. It was a tough decision, but absolutely necessary. Furthermore, I realised I was making a massive mistake by revising in my bedroom. Blurring the lines between rest and work made it impossible to switch off. Now, I have a strict rule: I only ever tackle my assignments at the local library. Once I walk through my front door at home, my textbooks stay firmly at the bottom of my bag. Enforcing this physical boundary has been an absolute game-changer for my mental health.

B Sarah

Maintaining momentum over such a prolonged period is incredibly daunting. Early on, I fell into the toxic trap of constantly measuring my progress against the top students in my class. Whenever they scored higher, I felt utterly demoralised, which severely hindered my motivation. I soon figured out that everyone peaks at different times, and focusing solely on my own improvement was the only way to stay sane. To keep myself going, I rely heavily on a network of close friends. We check in every evening to report our progress, and knowing I have to answer to them stops me from slacking off. Besides that, I’ve incorporated a strategy of self-bribery. If I manage to get through a particularly tedious chapter of biology, I treat myself to an episode of my favourite series or a fancy coffee. Providing myself with these little incentives turns an overwhelming chore into a series of achievable targets.

C David

When I first started this programme, I operated under the illusion that any time spent away from my desk was wasted time. I would chain myself to my laptop for hours on end, terrified of falling behind. Unsurprisingly, my concentration plummeted and my essays suffered. It dawned on me that relentless cramming is actually counterproductive; if someone had explained the importance of mental rest earlier, I would have avoided a lot of misery. Now, I rigidly protect my downtime. Playing the guitar for forty-five minutes every evening is an absolute non-negotiable for me, regardless of how many deadlines are looming. It clears my head completely. When it comes to the actual academic work, I used to feel paralysed by the sheer volume of material. My foolproof coping mechanism is to slice massive projects into tiny, manageable fragments. Instead of telling myself I need to write a whole history dissertation, I just focus on drafting the introduction. Tackling it piece by piece keeps the panic at bay.

D Emma

It’s no secret that a two-year academic marathon tests your endurance to the absolute limit. During the first few months, I was my own worst enemy. I had a dreadful habit of leaving my revision until the eleventh hour, which resulted in several panic-induced, sleepless nights. Recognising that this cycle was unsustainable, I forced myself to establish a strict daily routine, effectively nipping my procrastination in the bud. Even on days when my motivation hits rock bottom, I have a reliable psychological trick to fall back on. I spend a few moments vividly imagining the day I receive my acceptance letter from my dream university. Visualising that ultimate goal acts as a powerful catalyst, reminding me exactly why I am putting myself through this gruelling ordeal. Moreover, I’ve learned never to compromise on my sleep. While some classmates boast about pulling all-nighters, I know that getting eight solid hours of rest is crucial if I want to perform at my peak.

Exercises:   123456