Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Career Changes & Unique Professions
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Chasing the Storm
For five years, I worked as a professional wedding photographer. It was a very safe job, and I certainly enjoyed capturing people’s happy moments. However, after taking similar photos weekend after weekend, I started to feel incredibly bored with my routine. I wanted a career that offered more excitement and a completely different kind of challenge. One evening, while I was watching a television documentary about extreme weather, I saw some amazing pictures of violent storms. Right then, I made a huge decision. I decided to change my life, buy a reliable truck, and become a storm chaser.
At first, chasing storms was just as thrilling as I had hoped. I travelled across the country, carefully following weather forecasts and waiting hours for the perfect storm to develop. But I soon learned exactly how dangerous my new profession could be. Last spring, I was driving through the flat countryside of Texas when I saw a massive tornado forming in the distance. I quickly got out of my truck to take some photos, but the wind suddenly changed direction. To my horror, the huge dark tornado started moving straight towards me!
I quickly jumped back into my vehicle and drove away as fast as I possibly could. My heart was beating so hard, and my hands were shaking on the steering wheel. When I finally reached a safe distance, I parked by the side of the road and just tried to breathe normally. I was absolutely terrified by the experience. For the first time, I seriously questioned my choice of career. I wondered if the excitement was really worth risking my life, and I even thought about returning to the safety of wedding photography.
Despite my deep doubts, I decided to continue with my new career for a little longer. A few weeks later, I was photographing a dark, heavy thunderstorm at night. Suddenly, several bright purple lightning strikes lit up the sky at the exact same moment. I clicked my camera and managed to capture the incredible scene perfectly. That single photograph actually won a national photography award. Seeing my work printed in a famous science magazine made me realise something important. I have never regretted my career choice since that night. Although my job is extremely risky, capturing the powerful beauty of nature makes all the danger completely worthwhile.
1 Why did the writer stop being a wedding photographer?
(A) He was no longer able to take good photographs.
(B) He wanted a job that was more thrilling.
(C) He watched a documentary about unhappy weddings.
(D) He didn’t earn enough money to buy a new truck.
2 What happened while the writer was working in Texas?
(A) He had to escape from a very dangerous storm.
(B) He realised his weather forecast was completely wrong.
(C) He accidentally drove his truck into a tornado.
(D) He was unable to take any photos of the countryside.
3 How did the writer feel immediately after driving away from the tornado?
(A) Angry that his vehicle was damaged by the wind.
(B) Relieved that he had taken some amazing photos.
(C) Unsure whether he should continue his new career.
(D) Excited to get back to photographing weddings.
4 Winning the national photography award made the writer
(A) decide to stop taking risks in the future.
(B) want to work for a famous science magazine.
(C) realise that thunderstorms are the easiest things to photograph.
(D) feel that the risks he takes are justified.
5 What would the writer write about his career in a blog post?
(A) “I miss my old job at weddings, because taking photos of people is much more challenging than waiting for storms.”
(B) “I survived a terrifying experience, and it has taught me to always stay inside my truck when photographing a storm.”
(C) “Changing jobs was a mistake. I almost lost my life, and no photograph is worth facing a tornado.”
(D) “I left a boring job for a dangerous one, but creating incredible images of extreme weather makes it all okay.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph, “I started to feel incredibly bored with my routine. I wanted a career that offered more excitement,” which directly paraphrases to wanting a job that was more thrilling.
2 A – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that a huge tornado started “moving straight towards me,” forcing him to jump into his vehicle and drive away. This is a factually correct paraphrase for having to escape from a dangerous storm.
3 C – Paragraph three explains that after he reached safety, he “seriously questioned my choice of career” and “wondered if the excitement was really worth risking my life.” This maps perfectly to being unsure whether he should continue his new career.
4 D – The fourth paragraph states that after winning the award, the writer realised that “capturing the powerful beauty of nature makes all the danger completely worthwhile.” This means he feels the risks he takes are justified.
5 D – This option successfully captures the global meaning and the entire narrative arc of the text: leaving a boring job, facing danger, but ultimately finding that the incredible photos make the risks worthwhile.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Waiting for the Perfect Shot
My name is Leo, and I recently started my dream job as a junior wildlife documentary filmmaker. Ever since I was a teenager, I have loved watching programmes about nature on television. So, when a famous television company invited me to join a team travelling to a remote South American jungle, I was absolutely delighted. Our main goal was to film a very rare bird called the Blue-Crowned Manakin. I felt incredibly lucky to be chosen for this exciting adventure, although I did not completely understand what the trip would actually involve.
When we arrived, the reality of living in a jungle quickly hit me. The daily heat was terrible, and the air was so wet that my clothes never dried properly. Furthermore, there were huge insects everywhere, and they seemed to bite me all day and night. For the first three weeks, we sat in a small, dark tent for ten hours a day, waiting for the bird to show up. We didn’t see anything except green leaves and large spiders. I felt completely miserable and started to wonder if I had made a big mistake choosing this career.
Then, everything suddenly changed. Early one Tuesday morning, while I was carefully watching the trees, I heard a strange, high noise. Suddenly, a tiny bright blue and black bird landed on a branch just a few metres away from our tent. I quickly, but silently, turned on my camera. To my absolute amazement, the male bird began to perform its famous mating dance to attract a female. It jumped and moved incredibly fast along the branch in a beautiful display. It was the most fascinating thing I had ever seen in the wild.
After the bird flew away, I checked the camera and realised I had recorded the whole dance perfectly. Suddenly, all my frustration completely disappeared. The terrible heat, the annoying insects, and the long, boring weeks of waiting simply did not matter anymore. Capturing that magical moment on film was such a fantastic reward for all the hard work we had done. I know that making wildlife documentaries will always be physically challenging, but I am now completely certain that I have the best job in the world.
1 Why was Leo excited about going to the South American jungle?
(A) He was asked to lead the documentary team.
(B) He was given the chance to work for a well-known TV company.
(C) He had always wanted to travel to South America.
(D) He already knew everything about filming rare birds.
2 How did Leo feel during his first three weeks in the jungle?
(A) Disappointed because he saw too many large spiders.
(B) Worried that he had brought the wrong clothes.
(C) Unhappy because the daily conditions were so difficult.
(D) Angry because the rest of the team didn’t help him.
3 What happened early one Tuesday morning?
(A) A female bird landed on top of the team’s tent.
(B) Leo managed to film a rare bird’s special dance.
(C) Leo heard a noise that frightened the birds away.
(D) A strange bird tried to attack Leo’s camera.
4 What did Leo realise after filming the bird?
(A) He needed to improve his camera skills for future trips.
(B) He would prefer to make documentaries in more comfortable places.
(C) He wanted to spend more time studying annoying jungle insects.
(D) The difficult parts of the trip were definitely worth it.
5 What would Leo write in a text message to his family?
(A) The jungle is just too hot and full of bugs. I’m quitting my job as soon as I get home because I haven’t seen a single bird!
(B) Waiting in the jungle was hard, but filming the rare bird was an incredible experience. I love my career more than ever!
(C) I finally saw the rare bird, but unfortunately, my camera was switched off. I will have to wait another three weeks now!
(D) Making documentaries is much easier than I thought. We didn’t have to wait long at all before the bird appeared.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states that Leo was “absolutely delighted” when “a famous television company invited me to join a team,” which matches being given the chance to work for a well-known TV company.
2 C – In paragraph 2, Leo describes the terrible heat, wet clothes, and biting insects, stating that he “felt completely miserable” and wondered if he’d made a mistake, which shows he was unhappy with the difficult conditions.
3 B – Paragraph 3 explains that a bright blue and black bird landed nearby, and Leo turned on his camera and recorded the male bird as it “began to perform its famous mating dance.”
4 D – In paragraph 4, Leo says his frustration disappeared and the heat and insects “simply did not matter anymore” because capturing the moment was “such a fantastic reward,” showing the difficulties were worth it.
5 B – This option best captures the global meaning and Leo’s change in attitude. He acknowledges the tough conditions but concludes that getting the footage was amazing and confirms he has “the best job in the world.”
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My First Movie Stunt
For ten years, my whole life was about gymnastics. I trained every day and even won medals in national competitions. But when I reached my twenties, I decided to stop competing and look for a completely new challenge. One evening, while watching a fantastic action movie with my friends, I suddenly had a great idea. I realised that my ability to jump and control my body would be perfect for a career as a stunt double in the film industry. I immediately signed up for a training course and eventually managed to get my first job on a movie set.
During my first few days on set, everything went perfectly. I had to do some basic rolls and flips, and the director was extremely pleased with my work. Then came the big day: I had to jump off the roof of a low building and land safely on a huge, soft mat. I felt incredibly confident. After all, I had done similar jumps thousands of times in the gym. I actually thought it was going to be the easiest part of my whole week.
However, I soon discovered that doing a stunt for a movie is very different from performing in a gymnastics hall. The director shouted “Action!”, and I jumped off the roof. Unfortunately, I landed slightly too close to the edge of the mat instead of exactly in the middle. My foot twisted awkwardly, and I felt a sharp pain. The doctor at the hospital told me I had sprained my ankle. It wasn’t a terrible injury, but I felt so embarrassed and disappointed with myself.
While I was resting at home, I spent a lot of time thinking about what went wrong. I realised that in gymnastics, you usually just jump to get the highest score. But in movies, you must jump exactly where the camera needs you to be. It requires extreme precision. I learned that on a film set, every single movement is planned down to the last centimetre to make sure everyone stays completely safe.
My ankle has almost fully recovered now, and I can’t wait to return to work next month. I know I will have to be much more careful and listen closely to the camera operators. If I pay attention to the details, I’m sure I can have a long and exciting career in the movie business.
1 Why did the writer decide to become a stunt double?
(A) He wanted to win more medals in national competitions.
(B) He thought his physical skills would be useful for the job.
(C) A friend suggested it while they were watching a movie.
(D) He was tired of training every day at his gymnastics club.
2 How did the writer feel before the roof jump?
(A) anxious because it was his first time doing a high jump.
(B) worried that the soft mat on the ground was not big enough.
(C) certain that the task would not be very difficult for him.
(D) surprised that the film director asked him to do it.
3 What happened during the roof jump?
(A) The camera was placed in the wrong position.
(B) He landed in the wrong place and hurt himself.
(C) The director shouted at him for making a mistake.
(D) He broke his foot and had to go to the hospital.
4 What important lesson did the writer learn while resting?
(A) Gymnastics is much more dangerous than doing movie stunts.
(B) Stunt doubles need to be incredibly accurate with their movements.
(C) He should always plan his own stunts instead of the director.
(D) Camera operators need to learn how to keep stunt doubles safe.
5 What would the writer write in his blog?
(A) I really miss gymnastics. If I hadn’t changed careers, I wouldn’t be sitting at home with a painful ankle right now.
(B) I’m looking forward to going back to the film set. I’ve learned that being a stunt double means thinking about safety and precision, not just jumping.
(C) The film industry is too dangerous for me. Next time the director asks me to jump off a building, I’m going to say no.
(D) Being a stunt double is exactly like being a gymnast. Once my ankle is better, I’ll go back and do the jump exactly the same way.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states the writer realised that his “ability to jump and control my body would be perfect for a career as a stunt double.”
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer mentions he “felt incredibly confident” and thought it “was going to be the easiest part of my whole week.”
3 B – The third paragraph explains that he “landed slightly too close to the edge of the mat” and his “foot twisted awkwardly,” causing a sprained ankle.
4 B – In the fourth paragraph, the writer reflects that being in movies “requires extreme precision” and movements must be “planned down to the last centimetre.”
5 B – This option captures the writer’s positive outlook for the future and synthesizes the main lesson learned about the strict safety and precision required in the movie industry.