Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Youth Entrepreneurship & Startups 9

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four young people describing the satisfaction of achieving financial independence from their parents before finishing high school.

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

Which person/section

1   feels proud to have relieved their family of a future educational expense?

2   initially faced skepticism from their family regarding their money-making venture?

3   used their earnings to step up during a difficult time for their family?

4   appreciates the freedom to fund a costly personal interest without feeling guilty?

5   was promoted to a position of higher responsibility sooner than expected?

6   mentions that their financial autonomy has positively changed how their parents treat them?

7   had to learn how to balance their academic workload with their income-generating activities?

8   turned a personal academic strength into a profitable service?

9   highlights the satisfaction of purchasing a major asset with their own money?

10   realised that their side project had the potential to become a full-time profession?

Earning Our Own Way: High Schoolers Achieving Financial Independence

A Liam

I’ve always been obsessed with photography, but upgrading my camera gear is incredibly expensive. I used to hate asking my parents to fund my hobby, especially since they didn’t really understand it. To cover the costs, I taught myself basic web design and started picking up freelance gigs online. At first, my parents were highly dubious, assuming I was just wasting time on my laptop. However, once the payments started coming in, they soon changed their tune. Being able to buy a top-of-the-range lens without feeling like a burden is a fantastic feeling. I still live at home, but I buy all my own clothes, pay for my phone contract, and fund my photography trips. I wouldn’t say I want to do this forever, but the sense of liberty it gives me right now is unbeatable. It’s incredibly liberating to make my own financial decisions without having to justify every penny I spend.

B Sofia

Getting a weekend job at a local café was initially just a way to get out of the house. I hadn’t anticipated how much I’d enjoy earning my own keep. It was tough at first; I really struggled to keep my head above water trying to juggle my shifts with my homework assignments. My parents were actually worried my grades would suffer, but I eventually figured out a solid routine. Because of my dedication, the manager made me a shift supervisor after just eight months, which is virtually unheard of for someone my age! The real turning point, though, was the day I bought my own second-hand car. Handing over cash that I had worked so hard to save was an incredibly proud moment. It’s an asset that truly represents my independence. Now, I don’t rely on my parents for lifts or pocket money, and it feels amazing to be self-sufficient.

C Toby

What started as a mild interest in vintage fashion quickly snowballed into a lucrative online reselling business. I spend my weekends hunting down rare sneakers at charity shops and reselling them for a profit. At first, my parents just thought it was a passing phase, but they soon realised I was making serious money. The best part is that I’ve managed to save up enough to cover my entire first year of university tuition. Knowing I won’t have to rely on the bank of Mum and Dad for my higher education is a massive relief for all of us. An unexpected bonus is the shift in my family dynamic; my parents now speak to me as an equal rather than a child. They respect my financial sense. In fact, things are going so well that I’m seriously considering turning this enterprise into a permanent career once I graduate.

D Maya

I’ve always had a natural aptitude for mathematics, but it wasn’t until my dad was unexpectedly laid off from his job that I thought about monetising it. Money was suddenly very tight at home, and I hated seeing my parents so stressed about paying the household bills. I decided to put up flyers at the local library offering tutoring sessions for younger students preparing for their exams. To my surprise, my schedule filled up within weeks. I was able to contribute to the weekly grocery shop and pay for my own extracurricular activities. My dad has since bounced back and found a new job, but I’ve kept the tutoring going. I’m putting most of my earnings away for a rainy day now. Using my best subject to support my family during a crisis gave me a profound sense of maturity and independence that I don’t think I would have gained otherwise.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four teenage developers talking about the collaborative process and intense arguments involved in coding a successful mobile game together.

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

Which person/section

1   mentions relying on an outsider to resolve a technical glitch?

2   explains how scaling back their original vision improved the final product?

3   admits they had to put their ego aside and accept critical evaluations of their work?

4   took on the responsibility of resolving conflicts between teammates?

5   expresses disbelief at the positive public reaction given the chaotic development process?

6   acknowledges a misstep in trying to release the application too quickly?

7   states that implementing a structured approach to discussions saved their partnership?

8   recalls a major disagreement over the target demographic for the application?

9   reveals they seriously considered walking away from the team?

10   mentions sacrificing the visual quality of their work to ensure better software performance?

Coding the Dream: The Teenagers Behind the Hit Game

A Alex

Looking back, I still find it astonishing that our game became such a massive hit, considering how disorganised we were behind closed doors. At one point, our group chats were just endless streams of insults because everyone wanted their own ideas prioritised. It got so bad that I threatened to leave, though I never genuinely meant it. Eventually, we established a strict protocol for our weekly video calls, giving everyone five uninterrupted minutes to pitch their thoughts. That structure was an absolute lifesaver and undoubtedly kept the project afloat. As the lead programmer, I took my role very seriously, but even I hit a brick wall eventually. We had a recurring crash issue that I simply couldn’t figure out. I had to swallow my pride and reach out to a university professor online, who kindly spotted the error in my code. Without his unexpected intervention, we might never have launched.

B Ben

As the lead artist, my primary goal was to make the game look breathtaking. I spent weeks designing incredibly detailed character models and lush backgrounds. However, Alex flat-out told me that my high-resolution graphics were causing the game to lag terribly on older devices. I was absolutely furious and initially refused to change anything. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but I eventually realised I had to take their harsh critiques on board if we wanted the game to succeed. Consequently, I compressed the files and simplified the animations, compromising my artistic vision so the application would run flawlessly. We also had minor squabbles about whether the game was meant for casual gamers or hardcore fans, but we left that decision to Charlie. Ultimately, learning not to take things personally was a huge stepping stone for me, and it drastically improved our working relationship.

C Charlie

Creating the levels and gameplay mechanics was a monumental task. When we first brainstormed, I had mapped out this incredibly intricate storyline with dozens of branching paths. I was convinced it would be a masterpiece. However, the others argued it was way too ambitious for a mobile platform. Stripping back the complex mechanics and sticking to a straightforward puzzle format was painful, but it resulted in a far more addictive and accessible product. The most explosive argument we had was actually about our intended users. I wanted to cater to teenagers, while David insisted on aiming at younger children to maximise downloads. The tension over this was so unbearable that I drafted a resignation message and hovered over the ‘send’ button. If David hadn’t suddenly backed down and agreed to my approach, I would have walked away for good. We rushed the final level slightly to meet our deadline, but the end result was still fantastic.

D David

Someone had to be the glue holding this team together, and that responsibility naturally fell to me. Whenever Alex and Charlie were at each other’s throats over gameplay mechanics, I was the one trying to calm things down and find a middle ground. It was exhausting having to play the diplomat, especially when I was also trying to compose the soundtrack and handle the marketing. Looking back, we made a few rookie mistakes. Because we were so desperate to get the game onto the app store before the Christmas holidays, we skipped our final round of beta testing. I constantly kick myself for that decision, as players immediately found several annoying bugs that we had to patch retrospectively. It would have been far wiser to delay the launch by a fortnight and present a fully polished version. Nevertheless, navigating those stressful months taught me more about teamwork than any textbook ever could.

Exercises:   123456