Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – First Days & Workplace Adaptation 8

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four people describing the challenge of starting a new job completely remotely.

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 misinterpreting a colleague’s sense of humour during a virtual introduction?

2   felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of faces on their screen at the same time?

3   successfully bonded with a coworker over a shared non-work-related interest seen in the background?

4   regrets not reaching out for help sooner when faced with a technical problem?

5   appreciated a manager’s effort to replicate a traditional office ritual virtually?

6   points out that they had anticipated the lack of physical interaction to be less bothersome than it was?

7   experienced a moment of panic because they were accidentally silenced during a crucial introduction?

8   was forced to make assumptions about their teammates’ personalities based solely on their written messages?

9   mentions that a structured virtual team-building exercise actually helped break the ice?

10   was initially concerned that they wouldn’t be able to grasp the company culture from home?

Logging On and Reaching Out: The Realities of Remote Onboarding

A Daniel

Starting a new role from my dining table was a daunting prospect. I had genuinely fretted over how I would absorb the unwritten rules and general atmosphere of the firm without physically being there. Would I be able to integrate? When I logged on at 9 a.m. on my first day, I was instantly added to a department-wide video conference. Being confronted by a massive grid of forty staring faces on my monitor was incredibly intimidating, and I felt entirely out of my depth. Fortunately, my supervisor had organised a digital trivia game for us to play before the serious business began. I usually loathe forced fun, but it honestly helped to ease the tension and got people chatting naturally. The casual banter during the quiz proved that despite the physical distance, the team was incredibly warm and welcoming. I realised then that my anxieties had been somewhat misplaced.

B Maya

My onboarding primarily consisted of reading through endless group chat logs and email threads. Consequently, I found myself trying to figure out people’s characters just from their typing styles, which proved to be a highly inaccurate science. Later that morning, my audio drivers inexplicably crashed. If I had just messaged the IT department immediately instead of spending forty minutes trying to resolve the issue myself, I wouldn’t have missed the opening presentation. When I finally managed to join a one-on-one catch-up with my line manager, he made a deadpan comment about my punctuality. Lacking the visual context of his body language, I took him entirely seriously and spent the next ten minutes apologising profusely. It was only when he started laughing that I realised he must have been joking! It was a steep learning curve, highlighting just how easily tone can be lost when you aren’t sharing the same physical space.

C Toby

I was convinced that working from home would suit me perfectly, having always despised the exhausting morning commute into the city. Yet, the reality of sitting alone in my spare room hit me quite hard. When it was my turn to address the executive board on a major video call, I launched into an enthusiastic, detailed summary of my previous career. It was only after two minutes of awkward silence that someone politely pointed out my microphone was switched off. I was absolutely mortified and felt my cheeks burning. Fortunately, things improved drastically during a less formal call later that afternoon. While speaking with a colleague, I spotted a rare vintage film poster hanging on the wall behind him. I mentioned that I was a huge fan of the director, and we instantly struck up a rapport over our shared passion for classic cinema. It was a small detail, but it bridged the digital divide beautifully.

D Chloe

Being naturally introverted, I had confidently assumed that the lack of face-to-face interaction wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. I honestly believed I would thrive in the isolation, but by lunchtime, the silence in my apartment was deafening, and I felt remarkably detached from the rest of the workforce. I hadn’t realised how much I relied on those spontaneous chats by the photocopier. Then, entirely out of the blue, a local courier arrived at my door with a box of artisanal pastries and a bag of high-quality coffee beans. My department head had arranged for everyone to have a ‘digital coffee break’ at 3 p.m. We all logged on with our snacks, and it brilliantly mimicked the casual kitchen catch-ups you would typically experience in a physical building. It made me feel valued, and the informal setting allowed me to establish a genuine connection with my new peers.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four young adults reflecting on how a strict, unsmiling manager on the first day actually turned out to be incredibly supportive later on.

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

Which person/section

1   was defended against an angry external buyer by their supervisor?

2   was permitted to alter their standard schedule to manage a personal emergency?

3   confesses to almost leaving the company as a result of ruthless critiques?

4   successfully secured monetary resources thanks to their manager’s endorsement?

5   started their employment already dreading their boss because of negative chatter among colleagues?

6   mistakenly believed their manager’s rigid emphasis on timekeeping meant they lacked empathy?

7   received complimentary, after-hours mentoring from their boss?

8   anticipated devastating professional consequences after making a major mistake?

9   notes that their manager’s highly rigorous approach was the key to getting a novel idea greenlit?

10   realised their superior had been deliberately pushing them to prepare for a higher-level position?

Beyond the Scowl: First Impressions Can Be Deceiving

A Liam

When I first joined the logistics firm, my manager, Mr. Harris, came across as a thoroughly intimidating figure. On day one, he didn’t so much as crack a smile, choosing instead to lecture us extensively on the absolute necessity of strict punctuality. I immediately assumed his obsession with schedules meant he was a cold, unfeeling dictator. However, my perspective shifted entirely a few weeks later when I completely messed up a major delivery dispatch. I was convinced it was the end of my career; if he hadn’t stepped in to mediate, I would undoubtedly have been dismissed for such a severe operational blunder. Instead of shouting, Mr. Harris calmly called the furious client and took full responsibility himself, effectively shielding me from the customer’s rage. Afterwards, he simply sat down with me to figure out what had gone wrong. It turned out that his rigorous rules were designed to keep the team from feeling overwhelmed. Beneath that stern exterior, he genuinely had his employees’ best interests at heart.

B Chloe

Long before I even set foot in the marketing department, I had heard terrifying rumours about the director, Sarah. The office gossip painted her as an uncompromising perfectionist, and her icy demeanour during my induction certainly didn’t do anything to dispel that myth. She must have known what people thought of her, yet she never tried to soften her image. For the first few months, I was terrified of putting a foot wrong. But everything changed when my mother fell seriously ill. I was struggling to cope, and my performance inevitably began to slip. I dreaded having a meeting with Sarah about my sudden lack of productivity. To my absolute astonishment, the moment my private crisis was explained to her, her frosty facade melted. She didn’t hesitate to offer me a temporary adjustment to my working hours, allowing me to work from home. I had completely misjudged her based on hearsay. She proved that being an authoritative leader doesn’t mean you lack compassion.

C Noah

During my initial week at the architectural practice, my supervisor, David, barely spoke to me unless it was to brutally tear apart my preliminary sketches. His evaluations were so harshly critical that my confidence plummeted, and I seriously considered handing in my resignation. I felt like I couldn’t do anything right. However, I eventually came to terms with the fact that his uncompromising standards weren’t a personal attack. Once I started incorporating his feedback, a dramatic improvement in my drafting skills was quickly noticed by the rest of the team. It wasn’t until a few months later that I understood his true intentions. David stayed behind late most evenings, providing me with invaluable one-to-one coaching well beyond his contracted hours. He confessed he had seen potential in my early work and was deliberately testing my limits because he was preparing me to step up into a senior designer role. His tough-love approach was exactly what I needed to thrive.

D Maya

Starting at a tech startup, I expected a relaxed atmosphere, but our project manager, Helen, was the exact opposite. On my first morning, she handed me a terrifyingly detailed spreadsheet of targets and maintained a completely straight face. I quickly learned she was a stickler for detail, which made me extremely hesitant to present a rather unconventional software idea I had been developing. I braced myself for immediate rejection, expecting her to dismiss it as too risky. Far from tearing it down, Helen meticulously reviewed the concept and helped me refine the data. More importantly, she stood beside me and fiercely advocated for the project during a daunting presentation to the executive board. If it hadn’t been for her unyielding reputation, the executives might never have approved the budget. Her thoroughness was exactly what convinced the higher-ups to grant us the financial backing needed to launch the software. She taught me that a serious disposition can be a massive asset.

Exercises:   123456