Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Social Connections & Reconnecting 1

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four adults sharing the mixed emotions of reuniting with their high school best friends through social media after a decade apart.

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

Which person

1   mentions feeling initially reluctant to reach out to their former friend?

2   is surprised by the profession their friend is now engaged in?

3   reflects on the difficulty of maintaining a long-term bond given their current lifestyle differences?

4   expresses deep regret over letting the connection fade away years ago?

5   noticed how little their friend’s appearance had altered despite the passage of time?

6   felt that their connection remained as powerful as it had been years ago almost instantly?

7   was worried that their friend might look down on their current career path?

8   believes it was inevitable that their paths would cross again eventually?

9   feels that the time gap simply vanished once they started communicating?

10   recognises that social media was the only way they could have avoided losing touch permanently?

Reconnecting After a Decade

A Elias

I always knew, deep down, that Amina and I were bound to end up back in each other’s lives, as if it were a matter of destiny. We were inseparable in high school, so when I found her profile, it felt like completing a missing piece of my puzzle. However, catching up was more complex than I’d anticipated. While the affection remains, our lives have diverged significantly. I am incredibly ambitious, constantly chasing new horizons, while she has settled down and is entirely focused on her family. It’s a stark contrast in our priorities. We have enjoyed our conversations, but I must admit, I am left questioning whether we share enough common ground now to sustain a meaningful, long-term friendship. It is going to take a great deal of effort from both of us to keep this relationship afloat as we continue to grow in different directions.

B Sarah

When the idea of searching for Natalia online first occurred to me, I was terrified that we wouldn’t have anything left to say to each other. I spent hours debating whether to hit the message button. When I finally did, I was taken aback by how little she had changed; she looked almost identical to how she did a decade ago. We started chatting, and the awkwardness I feared never manifested. It was as if no time had passed at all. We are still quite different people—she remains devoted to athletics, which has never been my forte—but we still share that same sociable energy we had as teenagers. Without these digital platforms, I am absolutely certain we would have vanished from each other’s lives forever, a thought that makes me incredibly grateful for this technology.

C Marcus

I have to be honest: reconnecting with Megan has been a bittersweet experience. I had always admired her spirit, but we drifted apart when I moved away for university. I genuinely wish we hadn’t let the years slip by so easily; it was a mistake to take our friendship for granted back then. When we finally spoke, it felt as though ten years hadn’t passed at all. We picked up exactly where we left off, laughing about old teachers and shared mishaps. Yet, seeing her now, I am struck by how much we missed. There is a sense of melancholy in knowing we weren’t part of each other’s growth during our twenties. While the old spark is there, I can’t help but mourn the lost time we can never reclaim, no matter how much we talk now.

D Elena

I hesitated for a long time before hitting the send button on that initial message to Carla. I had spent years wondering if she still thought of me. When she finally replied, I was stunned to discover she had become a high-level economist; honestly, back in school, she had struggled so much with basic maths that I would never have imagined her in such a corporate role! I was initially worried that she might look down on my choice of career, fearing that my path seemed insignificant compared to hers. However, she was nothing but supportive. In fact, she seems to have a mature perspective that I find quite inspiring. Reconnecting has forced me to be more serious about my own goals, and I find myself looking forward to our chats more than I ever expected.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four teenagers discussing the toxic psychology behind “cancel culture” online and how it destroyed their real-life friend group.

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 feeling too intimidated by the digital mob to publicly support their peer?

2   points out that many individuals involved in the backlash had no personal connection to the issue?

3   argues that the current digital climate offers no opportunity for personal growth or redemption?

4   expresses a newfound sense of paranoia about how their own future posts might be scrutinised?

5   explains their unsuccessful attempt to settle the dispute in a face-to-face setting?

6   suggests that people joined the campaign primarily to boost their own moral image?

7   highlights the sheer speed at which a seemingly harmless remark was blown out of proportion?

8   concedes that calling out bad behaviour has its merits, even if it went too far this time?

9   describes the severe psychological toll the public shaming took on the victim?

10   regrets that years of genuine companionship were discarded for the sake of internet drama?

When the Screen Shatters the Friend Group

A Alex

It’s genuinely terrifying how rapidly a situation can spiral out of control. It all started when Jamie, a close friend, posted a sarcastic joke on a fairly obscure social media thread. Within hours, the harmless remark had been entirely stripped of its context, and an aggressive wave of hostility descended upon him. Watching the situation escalate, I found myself completely paralysed. I knew for a fact that Jamie had meant no offence, but the sheer ferocity of the virtual mob made me too terrified to publicly leap to his defence. I was convinced I would be their next target if I did. What breaks my heart the most is how our wider circle instantly abandoned him. We had practically grown up together, yet a decade of solid companionship was tossed aside in a heartbeat, simply to appease an angry online crowd. It was a harsh lesson in how easily real-world loyalties can be destroyed by the pressure to conform.

B Mia

What struck me most about the whole ordeal was the performative nature of the outrage. As the backlash against our friend gained momentum, I noticed that the loudest voices belonged to people who hadn’t even met him. These complete strangers were jumping on the bandwagon, leaving vicious comments as if they had been personally victimised. It became glaringly obvious that their participation had nothing to do with genuine hurt; rather, it was a convenient way to broadcast their own supposed moral superiority. By publicly tearing someone else down, they were trying to prove how virtuous they were. Even people within our own friend group started chiming in, terrified of being seen on the ‘wrong’ side of the debate. If they had simply taken a step back to evaluate the facts, the entire catastrophe could have been avoided. Instead, the toxic psychology of groupthink took over, and a tight-knit group was irreversibly shattered by people desperate for digital validation.

C Sam

While I understand why people get angry online, what happened to our group was nothing short of a witch hunt. When the controversy peaked, I desperately tried to organise a meet-up at a local café, hoping we could hash things out offline. I firmly believed that if we just looked each other in the eye, rationality would prevail. Unfortunately, nobody showed up. They were too absorbed in their digital echo chambers. The most disturbing aspect of this cancel culture is its absolute finality; it operates on a black-and-white premise where one mistake brands you as irredeemable for life. There is zero tolerance for apologies or personal evolution. The relentless public shaming took a devastating toll on the friend at the centre of it all. He became a shell of his former self, suffering from severe anxiety and completely withdrawing from society. Witnessing a vibrant person be emotionally dismantled by people he once trusted was deeply unsettling.

D Chloe

I won’t deny that calling out problematic behaviour serves a vital purpose in today’s society. Historically, many individuals who abused their power were finally brought to justice thanks to this kind of collective action. However, in our case, this righteous mechanism morphed into a brutal spectator sport. A minor lapse in judgement was treated like a major crime, completely tearing our social circle apart. Now, the aftermath has left me walking on eggshells. I find myself excessively analysing every single thing I type, terrified that an innocent comment could be dug up and weaponised against me years from now. The spontaneity has completely vanished from my online interactions, replaced by a suffocating sense of paranoia. We used to share everything in our group chat, but that trust has evaporated. When friendships are policed by the unforgiving standards of internet culture, it becomes impossible to express your authentic self without fearing total social exile.

Exercises:   123456