Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Adventure Holidays 10
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Glowing in the Dark
Last spring, my family and I travelled to Puerto Rico in the Caribbean for our holidays. My parents love outdoor activities, so they booked a night kayaking tour in a famous bioluminescent bay. I normally enjoy water sports during the day, but the idea of going out on the ocean in the middle of the night made me feel quite anxious. I really couldn’t understand why anyone would want to paddle around in complete darkness when they could easily be relaxing back at the comfortable hotel.
When we arrived at the bay, the sun had already disappeared. There were no streetlights on the beach, and the water looked incredibly black and intimidating. Our tour guide quickly handed us some safety jackets and explained how to use the paddles correctly. He warned us that we needed to stay close together as a group. As I climbed into the small plastic kayak behind my dad, my hands were shaking slightly. I honestly started to regret agreeing to come on the trip, nervously wondering what kind of creatures might be swimming underneath our little boat.
However, as soon as we started moving away from the beach, something unbelievable happened. With every stroke of my paddle, the dark water suddenly began to glow a bright neon blue. It looked as if someone had switched on thousands of underwater lights! Our guide smiled and explained that the glow was caused by millions of tiny, harmless organisms reacting to the movement of the water. Even the fish swimming past us looked like colourful shooting stars. My fear completely vanished. Instead of feeling terrified, I was absolutely fascinated by the magical light show surrounding us.
By the time we paddled back to the sandy shore, I was actually disappointed that the two-hour tour was over. I just couldn’t stop smiling and talking about what we had seen. The whole experience taught me a very valuable lesson about facing my fears. If I had stayed in my hotel room like I originally wanted to, I would have missed out on one of the most beautiful natural sights on the planet. I am so glad I took the risk, and I can’t wait to try more unusual adventures in the future.
1 How did the writer feel about the kayaking trip before it started?
(A) She was excited to learn a completely new water sport.
(B) She was worried about paddling in the dark.
(C) She was disappointed that the tour wasn’t happening in the morning.
(D) She was angry because she wanted to choose the holiday activities.
2 When the writer got into the kayak, she
(A) found it difficult to put on her safety jacket.
(B) had trouble following the guide’s instructions.
(C) wanted to sit in the front of the boat instead of behind her dad.
(D) felt frightened about what might be in the water.
3 What does the writer say about the glowing water?
(A) It was caused by brightly coloured fish.
(B) It was brighter than the underwater lights she had seen before.
(C) It made her forget how scared she was.
(D) It only happened when fish swam quickly past the boat.
4 What did the writer learn from this holiday experience?
(A) It is important to try things even if they seem scary at first.
(B) Kayaking is much easier to do at night than during the day.
(C) Hotel activities are often more boring than outdoor tours.
(D) Nature is beautiful but can be very dangerous.
5 What would the writer write in her diary that evening?
(A) I really enjoyed kayaking today, but I hope my parents don’t book any more outdoor activities because I’m exhausted.
(B) The black water looked terrifying, but watching it turn bright blue as we paddled was an absolutely unforgettable experience!
(C) The glowing water was beautiful, but I was too worried about the creatures swimming under the boat to really enjoy the trip.
(D) I wish I had stayed in my hotel room tonight. Paddling around in the complete darkness was exactly as scary as I expected.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that the idea of going out on the ocean in the middle of the night made her feel “quite anxious”, which matches being worried about paddling in the dark.
2 D – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that her hands were shaking and she was “nervously wondering what kind of creatures might be swimming underneath our little boat.”
3 C – Paragraph three describes how seeing the neon blue water and shooting-star fish meant that her “fear completely vanished.”
4 A – In the final paragraph, the writer says the experience taught her a “valuable lesson about facing my fears” and she is “glad I took the risk.”
5 B – This option successfully captures the global meaning and emotional journey of the text: starting with a deep fear of the dark, intimidating water, but concluding with a magical, positive reaction to the glowing bioluminescence.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Fossil Hunting on the Jurassic Coast
Last spring, my parents took me on a holiday to the famous Jurassic Coast in the south of England. The area is well-known for its ancient fossils, and I couldn’t wait to start exploring the beaches. Before we left home, I had watched several documentaries about paleontologists digging up massive dinosaur skeletons. I honestly expected that we would just walk along the sand and trip over a giant T-Rex bone. I packed my bag with a hammer, a brush, and a huge empty box, feeling completely certain I would return with a museum-quality discovery.
However, the reality of fossil hunting was entirely different. On our first morning, we spent four hours walking along a windy, rocky beach. I looked everywhere, turning over large stones and digging in the wet sand, but I found absolutely nothing. Every rock I picked up was just a normal, boring grey stone. My excitement quickly turned into disappointment and frustration. My back was aching from bending down so much, and I began to complain to my parents that we had travelled all this way for a complete waste of time.
Everything changed after lunch when my parents hired a local expert named Martin to help us. When I told him about my bad luck, he laughed gently. He explained that finding enormous dinosaur bones is actually incredibly rare. Instead, he told me to look for smaller, hidden shapes. He picked up a small, round stone that looked completely ordinary and tapped it carefully with his special hammer. The rock split in half, revealing a beautiful, spiral-shaped fossil called an ammonite inside. I was absolutely amazed that such a perfect shape had been hidden in a dull stone.
For the rest of the afternoon, Martin taught me exactly what to look for. Once I stopped searching for giant bones and started paying attention to the tiny details, the beach transformed. By the time we left, I had found three small ammonites of my own to keep. The experience taught me a valuable lesson. Sometimes, if you want to find something truly special, you just need to slow down and look a little closer at the world around you. I can’t wait to go fossil hunting again next year.
1 Why was the writer so excited about the holiday?
(A) They wanted to visit a museum that had a T-Rex skeleton.
(B) They believed they would easily find large dinosaur fossils.
(C) They were looking forward to filming their own documentary.
(D) They had recently bought some new tools for fossil hunting.
2 How did the writer feel during their first morning on the beach?
(A) Upset because the weather was too bad for walking.
(B) Surprised by the amount of interesting grey rocks they saw.
(C) Annoyed that they hadn’t found anything special.
(D) Tired because their parents made them walk too fast.
3 What did Martin the guide do to help the writer?
(A) He showed them how to recognize valuable fossils inside large bones.
(B) He gave them a special hammer to crack open rocks.
(C) He demonstrated that ordinary-looking stones can contain fossils.
(D) He found a rare spiral shell lying open on the sand.
4 What did the writer learn by the end of the trip?
(A) Finding big dinosaur bones requires a lot of patience.
(B) You need to hire an expert if you want to find ammonites.
(C) It is better to focus on small details than wait for big discoveries.
(D) Fossil hunting is an activity that is best done slowly on your own.
5 What would the writer write in their diary at the end of the holiday?
(A) I found some lovely little fossils today. It’s a shame we never found that giant T-Rex bone, because that ruined the whole trip for me.
(B) I was wrong to expect huge dinosaur bones right away. Thanks to our guide, I realised that noticing the small things can be just as exciting.
(C) Martin was a great guide and showed me some beautiful ammonites. I just wish he had let me use his hammer to open the rocks myself.
(D) Walking on the rocky beach was exhausting and my back still hurts. Next time I watch a documentary about paleontology, I’ll know it’s all fake.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer states they “expected that we would just walk along the sand and trip over a giant T-Rex bone,” showing they believed finding large fossils would be easy.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that their excitement turned into “disappointment and frustration” (annoyed) because they “found absolutely nothing” and felt it was a “waste of time”.
3 C – In paragraph 3, Martin “picked up a small, round stone that looked completely ordinary” and split it to reveal an ammonite, proving that normal-looking stones hold hidden fossils.
4 C – In paragraph 4, the writer reflects that once they “stopped searching for giant bones and started paying attention to the tiny details,” they found success, learning to “slow down and look a little closer at the world”.
5 B – This option successfully captures the global meaning and the writer’s emotional arc: acknowledging their initial, unrealistic expectation of finding massive bones, and concluding with the positive lesson of appreciating smaller, hidden details.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finding Peace on the River
I have always been a highly-strung person. At school, I am constantly rushing between clubs, homework, and sports practice. I hardly ever sit still. So, when my parents announced that our holiday in Thailand would include an afternoon of bamboo rafting, I wasn’t exactly enthusiastic. When we arrived at the river, my heart sank. The raft was literally just several long pieces of bamboo tied together with rope. It looked incredibly flimsy, and I was absolutely convinced that it would fall apart the moment we stepped onto it.
As I carefully climbed aboard, the raft wobbled from side to side. I immediately sat down right in the middle, gripping the rough wood with both hands. Our local guide stood at the back with a long pole, looking completely relaxed. I, however, spent the first twenty minutes staring anxiously at the water coming over the edges of the bamboo. I was wearing my favourite trainers and was annoyed they were getting wet, but mostly I was just terrified that the whole structure was going to sink to the bottom of the river.
However, as we floated further downstream, my feelings gradually began to change. The river was quite shallow and moved at a very slow, peaceful pace. There were no noisy engines, just the gentle sound of the water splashing against the bamboo and the songs of wild birds in the trees around us. The guide steered us smoothly around the rocks, and I realised we were actually perfectly safe. Without even noticing, I stopped holding onto the raft so tightly and finally looked up at the beautiful green forest.
By the time our two-hour journey ended, I felt like a completely different person. The slow rhythm of the river had lulled me into a state of deep relaxation. I had even closed my eyes and almost fallen asleep in the sunshine! Before this trip, I always thought that I needed to be doing something active to avoid getting bored. Now, I understand that sometimes the best thing you can do for your mind is simply to sit quietly and let the world drift by. I am actually looking forward to doing it again someday.
1 How did the writer feel about the bamboo raft when she first saw it?
(A) She was excited to try an activity she had never done before.
(B) She doubted that it was strong enough to carry them safely.
(C) She was angry because her parents forced her to go on the trip.
(D) She felt confident because the bamboo was tied with thick rope.
2 What was the writer’s main worry at the beginning of the journey?
(A) Her new trainers were going to be completely ruined by the river.
(B) The guide didn’t know how to use the long pole properly.
(C) The raft was going to go under the water completely.
(D) She would fall off because the raft was wobbling so much.
3 Why did the writer start to relax during the trip?
(A) She saw some beautiful wild birds in the trees.
(B) The guide told her that the river was very shallow.
(C) The quiet environment and slow speed calmed her down.
(D) She realised that the boat had a very quiet engine.
4 What did the writer learn from her experience?
(A) She needs to find more active hobbies to do in her free time.
(B) Taking time to rest and do nothing can be very positive.
(C) She prefers travelling on rivers to walking in the forest.
(D) Getting enough sleep is the best way to stop feeling stressed.
5 What would the writer write in her diary about the trip?
(A) Bamboo rafting sounded great, but it was just too slow and boring. I wish we had done something more exciting on the river.
(B) I was so stressed about school, so my parents made me try bamboo rafting. Sadly, the flimsy boat just made me more anxious!
(C) I was terrified of the raft at first because it looked so weak! But floating down the river ended up being exactly the peaceful break I needed.
(D) The local guide was amazing at steering the bamboo raft. He taught me so much about the birds and the trees in the jungle.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer states that the raft “looked incredibly flimsy, and I was absolutely convinced that it would fall apart,” showing she doubted its strength.
2 C – Paragraph 2 mentions that while she was annoyed about her shoes, “mostly I was just terrified that the whole structure was going to sink to the bottom,” making it her main worry.
3 C – In paragraph 3, the writer begins to relax because “The river was quite shallow and moved at a very slow, peaceful pace. There were no noisy engines, just the gentle sound of the water…”
4 B – Paragraph 4 details her realization: “Now, I understand that sometimes the best thing you can do for your mind is simply to sit quietly and let the world drift by.”
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and the writer’s emotional arc: beginning the trip feeling terrified of the flimsy raft, but ultimately finding the slow journey incredibly relaxing and beneficial for her mind.