Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Academic Projects & Field Trips 2
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Surprising Day at the Museum
When my art teacher, Mr. Davies, announced that our class was going on a field trip to the City Modern Art Museum, I couldn’t help but sigh. I have always enjoyed drawing realistic portraits and landscapes, but I had absolutely no interest in modern art. To me, it was just a strange collection of shapes and bright colors that didn’t make any sense. I only agreed to go because we had to write a report about it for our final grade, and I really didn’t want to fail the class. My friends were quite excited, but I spent the bus journey wishing I was anywhere else.
As we walked into the first exhibition room, my negative feelings only grew stronger. The walls were covered with massive canvases, and to be honest, most of them looked like a child’s scribbles. One painting was just a giant red square with a single black line running through the middle. I remember whispering to my best friend, “My five-year-old brother could do that in ten minutes.” I spent the first half of the visit feeling quite bored and annoyed, wondering why people would pay money to see things that seemed to require so little skill to create.
Everything changed when a young museum guide named Sarah offered to show our group around. We stopped in front of a particularly messy-looking painting full of dark blues and aggressive yellow splashes. Instead of talking about the painting’s technique, Sarah asked us how the colors made us feel. She explained that the artist wasn’t trying to paint a realistic scene, but rather the feeling of a terrifying thunderstorm he had experienced during a difficult time in his life. Suddenly, the chaotic yellow lines didn’t look like silly scribbles anymore; they felt like lightning and anxiety.
For the rest of the afternoon, I found myself actually paying attention. I stopped trying to recognize objects in the paintings and started looking for the emotions behind them. I realized that communicating a strong feeling using nothing but color and abstract shapes is actually incredibly difficult. By the time we got back on the bus, my opinion had completely transformed. While I still prefer drawing realistic pictures myself, I now have a huge amount of respect for modern artists. In fact, I’m even planning to visit the museum again with my parents next weekend!
1 Why did the writer go on the field trip?
(A) He wanted to learn how to paint realistic landscapes.
(B) He was required to attend to pass his art course.
(C) He shared his friends’ excitement about the museum.
(D) He wanted to see a specific collection of shapes.
2 What was the writer’s initial opinion of the artwork he saw?
(A) It must have taken a very long time to paint.
(B) It was too dark and depressing to look at.
(C) It looked like it was created by an untalented beginner.
(D) It was the most expensive art he had ever seen.
3 What did the museum guide do that helped the writer understand the painting?
(A) She explained the difficult techniques the artist used.
(B) She described the exact weather conditions in the painting.
(C) She told the students about the artist’s childhood.
(D) She encouraged the students to focus on the emotions shown.
4 How does the writer feel about modern art at the end of the trip?
(A) He appreciates it but wants to stick to his own style of drawing.
(B) He has decided to start painting abstract art himself.
(C) He still believes it is easier to create than realistic art.
(D) He thinks his parents will understand it better than he did.
5 What would the writer text his friend after the trip?
(A) I can’t believe I wasted my weekend looking at a red square. Next time, I’m staying home!
(B) The guide was great, but I still think modern art is a bit of a joke. Anyone could do it!
(C) I actually really enjoyed the museum! It made me realize there’s more to art than just painting exactly what you see.
(D) I’m going to stop drawing portraits completely. The trip showed me that modern art is the only true way to express feelings.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in paragraph 1: “I only agreed to go because we had to write a report about it for our final grade, and I really didn’t want to fail the class.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer says the art “looked like a child’s scribbles” and tells a friend that his “five-year-old brother could do that in ten minutes,” showing he thought it required no skill.
3 D – In paragraph 3, the guide (Sarah) doesn’t talk about techniques, but instead “asked us how the colors made us feel” and explained that the artist was painting a “feeling”.
4 A – In paragraph 4, the writer states his opinion transformed and he has “a huge amount of respect for modern artists”, but notes, “While I still prefer drawing realistic pictures myself…”.
5 C – This perfectly captures the writer’s journey from thinking modern art was just random shapes to understanding that it is a valid and emotional way to communicate, summarizing the global meaning of the text.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Surprising Biology Trip
When our biology teacher, Mr. Harrison, announced a class trip to the local lake, I wasn’t exactly excited. I am not an outdoorsy person, and the idea of spending my Saturday morning standing near a smelly lake didn’t sound like fun. To make matters worse, when the day arrived, the sky was dark grey, and it was pouring with rain. I packed my waterproof jacket and boots, wishing I could just stay in my warm bed instead.
When we arrived at the lake, the weather was completely miserable. The wind was freezing, and the ground was covered in thick, slippery mud. Mr. Harrison gave us small plastic bottles and told us to collect water samples from different areas of the lake. As I walked towards the water, I slipped and stepped right into a deep puddle. My boots were covered in dirt, my hands were freezing, and I was shivering. By the time we finished, I was wet, tired, and in a terrible mood. I couldn’t understand why we couldn’t just read about this in a textbook.
Thankfully, we finally got back on the bus and returned to the warm school science laboratory. After drying off and having a hot drink, we were told to place a few drops of our dirty lake water onto glass slides. Mr. Harrison showed us how to use the microscopes. I didn’t expect to see much. The water in my bottle just looked brown and boring, with a few pieces of dead grass floating in it.
However, when I looked through the microscope lens, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The dirty water was actually a busy miniature world. I saw dozens of tiny, strange-looking creatures swimming around. Some looked like little bells, while others were shaped like tiny spaceships moving incredibly fast. It was absolutely fascinating to realize that so much life existed in a single drop of muddy water. Suddenly, my freezing morning at the lake felt completely worth it. I even asked Mr. Harrison if I could borrow a book about microorganisms to read at home. I never thought I’d say this, but I can’t wait for our next biology trip!
1 How did the writer feel about the trip before leaving home?
(A) She was disappointed because her friends weren’t going.
(B) She would have preferred to stay at home in bed.
(C) She was worried she didn’t have the right clothes for the rain.
(D) She felt excited to spend her Saturday outdoors.
2 What was the writer’s opinion of the activity at the lake?
(A) She thought it was too dangerous because of the mud.
(B) She felt it would be better to learn the information in class.
(C) She was annoyed that Mr. Harrison didn’t help her collect water.
(D) She was surprised by how quickly they finished the task.
3 What did the writer expect to see through the microscope?
(A) Beautiful underwater plants.
(B) Nothing of any real interest.
(C) A variety of living creatures.
(D) Something she had read about in a book.
4 How did the writer’s attitude change by the end of the day?
(A) She realized she wanted to become a science teacher.
(B) She felt proud of her ability to use a microscope.
(C) She discovered a new interest in the subject.
(D) She decided she preferred working in the lab rather than outside.
5 What would the writer say in a message to a friend?
(A) You were right about the trip! The weather was awful, and we didn’t learn anything useful because we were too cold.
(B) Mr. Harrison is a great teacher, but I really wish we had just stayed in the classroom to read about biology.
(C) I enjoyed being out in the rain today, although using the microscopes in the lab was a bit boring.
(D) I got completely covered in mud today, but seeing the tiny creatures in the water made the whole experience amazing!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states, “I packed my waterproof jacket and boots, wishing I could just stay in my warm bed instead,” matching option B perfectly.
2 B – In the second paragraph, the writer says, “I couldn’t understand why we couldn’t just read about this in a textbook,” which means she thought learning the information in a classroom setting would be better.
3 B – The writer says, “I didn’t expect to see much. The water in my bottle just looked brown and boring,” which shows she did not anticipate seeing anything interesting.
4 C – The text mentions that she borrowed a book to read more about the microorganisms and now “can’t wait for our next biology trip,” showing a newfound enthusiasm and interest in the subject.
5 D – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: acknowledging the unpleasant, muddy start to the day, but concluding that the microscopic discovery made the whole trip fantastic.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Group Presentation Disaster
When our history teacher, Mr. Harrison, announced the final group project, I was quite excited until I saw the list of groups. I had been put with Mark and Chloe, two classmates who were known for not taking schoolwork very seriously. Immediately, my heart sank. I cared a lot about my grades, and I was sure they were going to ruin this for me. I decided right then that if I wanted a good mark, I couldn’t rely on them at all.
Over the next two weeks, whenever we had time in class to discuss the project, Mark and Chloe would chat about other things. Instead of telling them how I felt or asking them to focus, I just stayed quiet and did all the research myself. I spent my entire weekend typing up the report and creating a beautiful slideshow. I was furious that I had to do all the work alone, but at the same time, I felt quite proud of what I had produced. I thought I was being the perfect student.
However, things did not go as planned on the day of our presentation. When it was our group’s turn, I confidently walked to the front of the classroom, holding my notes. I looked at the audience, opened my mouth to speak, and suddenly my mind went completely blank. I stood there in silence, my hands shaking. The whole class was staring at me. I had practiced the speech the night before, but panic completely took over and I couldn’t remember a single fact.
Just as the silence became unbearable, Mark stepped forward. He calmly looked at the laptop screen, read the bullet points I had written, and started explaining the topic to the class. Chloe then joined in, adding some interesting thoughts of her own. They managed to save the presentation. Afterwards, Mark turned to me and said, “We actually wanted to help, but you never gave us a chance.” At that moment, I realised how foolish I had been. If I had just communicated with my team instead of angrily doing everything myself, the whole experience would have been much easier.
1 How did the writer feel when he first saw his group for the project?
(A) He was confident because he was working with his best friends.
(B) He was excited because he knew he could control the project.
(C) He was annoyed because he preferred to work on his own.
(D) He was worried because his partners had a reputation for being lazy.
2 What did the writer do during the two weeks of preparation?
(A) He argued with Mark and Chloe about their bad behavior.
(B) He completed the project tasks without asking for their help.
(C) He asked his teacher to let him change to another group.
(D) He spent his weekend teaching the topic to his teammates.
3 What happened to the writer when he stood in front of the class?
(A) He dropped the notes he had spent the weekend preparing.
(B) He realized there was a big mistake on his presentation slides.
(C) He felt too nervous to say what he had practiced.
(D) He was interrupted by the other students in the audience.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) He needs to practice his public speaking skills a lot more.
(B) He should discuss things with his group members instead of working alone.
(C) He must make sure his presentation slides have more information on them.
(D) He should always try to work with people who are good at presenting.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that evening?
(A) I’m so angry! I did all the work, but Mark and Chloe got the same good grade as me without doing anything to help.
(B) I’ll never do a group project again. Next time, I’m going to ask Mr. Harrison if I can just do the presentation by myself.
(C) Today showed me that I shouldn’t judge people so quickly. I made a huge mistake by not letting my group share the work.
(D) I’m so proud of myself! Even though I froze in front of the class, the amazing slides I made were enough to get us a great mark.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 D – Paragraph 1 states that the writer’s “heart sank” because Mark and Chloe “were known for not taking schoolwork very seriously,” meaning they had a reputation for not working hard.
2 B – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that instead of asking his team to focus, he “just stayed quiet and did all the research” himself over the weekend.
3 C – Paragraph 3 describes how the writer walked to the front, but “panic completely took over and I couldn’t remember a single fact,” showing his nervousness prevented him from speaking.
4 B – In paragraph 4, the writer realizes his mistake, stating, “If I had just communicated with my team instead of angrily doing everything myself, the whole experience would have been much easier.”
5 C – This perfectly captures the global meaning and the writer’s reflection at the end of the text. He realizes his assumptions were wrong and regrets not communicating and sharing the workload with his teammates.