Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Career Guidance & Future Planning 4
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Discovering a future in game design
For as long as I can remember, I have spent most of my free time playing video games. As soon as I finished my homework, I would turn on my console and get lost in virtual worlds for hours. My parents, however, were not very happy about this situation at all. They constantly complained that I was wasting my time on a lazy hobby that would never help me in the future. They always wanted me to go outside, play sports with my friends, or read more books. I understood their worries, but I just loved the creativity and problem-solving involved in my favourite games, even if they didn’t see it that way.
Everything changed last month during our school’s annual career week. Our teachers invited several professionals to talk about their jobs. One of the guest speakers was a woman named Chloe, who worked as a software developer for a well-known game studio. When I saw her presentation on the schedule, I made sure to sit right in the front row. Chloe explained exactly how a simple idea is turned into a massive digital world. She showed us early drawings of characters and explained the complicated code needed to make them move and interact with the player.
The most surprising part of Chloe’s talk was when she discussed the business side of the industry. I had absolutely no idea that game design was such a serious and highly respected profession. She explained that successful game designers, programmers, and writers earn excellent salaries, often much more than people in traditional office jobs. It takes a huge team of talented people working closely together for years to build these popular games. Suddenly, I realised that the activity my parents called “wasting time” could actually become a fantastic and rewarding career.
After the presentation, I stayed behind to ask Chloe a few questions about how to get started. She was very helpful and suggested that I should focus on my maths and computer science classes at school. She also advised me to try learning some basic coding in my free time. When I went home that evening, I didn’t turn on my console to play. Instead, I sat down with my parents and explained my new goal. They were shocked but incredibly pleased to see me so motivated about my education. Now, I am learning how to program my own simple games, and I hope to study game design at university in the future.
1 What did the writer’s parents think about his interest in video games?
(A) They thought it was a good way to develop problem-solving skills.
(B) They felt it was an unhelpful activity that took up too much time.
(C) They believed he should play games outside with his friends instead.
(D) They were worried that the video games were too expensive to buy.
2 During Chloe’s presentation, the writer learned that
(A) software developers have to draw all the characters themselves.
(B) it is very difficult to get a job at a well-known game studio.
(C) making a video game involves a lot of complex programming.
(D) students should play more games to understand how they work.
3 What surprised the writer most about the game design industry?
(A) The fact that it offers very good pay for its workers.
(B) The high number of people who play games around the world.
(C) The amount of time it takes to become a professional writer.
(D) The fact that it is much easier than a traditional office job.
4 How did the writer’s behaviour change after the school talk?
(A) He asked his parents to buy him a new computer for coding.
(B) He chose to stop playing games that night and talk to his family.
(C) He decided to spend all of his free time studying mathematics.
(D) He asked his teacher if he could change his school subjects.
5 What would the writer text a friend after the career week?
(A) I’m so annoyed! My parents are still telling me to stop playing games, even after I told them about game design.
(B) I’ve decided to quit playing video games completely. The developer said it’s a waste of time if you want to work in software.
(C) That talk was amazing! It made me realise I can turn my gaming hobby into a real career, so I’m starting to learn how to code.
(D) The presentation was okay, but I don’t think I want to be a game designer. It sounds like too much hard work and the pay is bad.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 (B) – In paragraph 1, the text states that the writer’s parents “constantly complained that I was wasting my time on a lazy hobby that would never help me in the future,” matching the idea that it was an unhelpful activity.
2 (C) – Paragraph 2 mentions that Chloe “explained the complicated code needed to make them move,” which paraphrases the idea that making a game involves complex programming.
3 (A) – In paragraph 3, the writer states the most surprising part was learning that game designers and programmers “earn excellent salaries,” which means it offers very good pay.
4 (B) – Paragraph 4 says that when the writer went home, “I didn’t turn on my console to play. Instead, I sat down with my parents and explained my new goal.”
5 (C) – This text perfectly captures the global meaning and the writer’s narrative arc: starting with a simple hobby, being inspired by the presentation, realizing it can be a serious career, and taking steps to learn coding.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Talking to Alumni
I have always wanted to be a journalist, travelling the world and writing important news stories. However, recently, my dream felt impossible. My grades in English and history had dropped, and no matter how hard I studied, I couldn’t seem to get higher marks. I started to believe that I just wasn’t clever enough for university, let alone a successful career in writing. When my teacher announced that a former student was coming to give a career talk, I wasn’t particularly excited.
The guest speaker was Mark Davies, a reporter for a well-known national newspaper. As he stood at the front of the school hall, looking confident and professional, I sighed. He showed us photos of his travels and read parts of his published articles. His work was absolutely brilliant. I listened quietly, feeling even worse about myself. I imagined that he must have been the smartest student in his class, getting top grades in every subject without even trying.
But then, Mark changed the subject. He started talking about his time at our school fifteen years ago. To my absolute amazement, he pointed to his old school reports on the screen. His grades were terrible! He admitted that he had actually failed his final English exams the first time he took them. He explained that he used to get easily distracted and rarely finished his homework. I sat up straight in my chair, unable to believe what I was hearing. It sounded exactly like my own situation.
Mark told us that his bad results were a wake-up call. He realised he needed to change his habits if he wanted to achieve his goals. He started asking his teachers for extra help, reading more, and writing a daily blog to practise his skills. He didn’t become a perfect student overnight, but his hard work eventually paid off. He told us that failure is just a chance to learn and improve.
Leaving the hall, my attitude had completely changed. I no longer felt hopeless about my recent test scores. Knowing that a successful journalist had faced the exact same struggles gave me a massive amount of motivation. I immediately went to the school library to finish my history essay. I might not be a top student yet, but I now know that with patience and effort, I can still reach my goals.
1 Why was the writer feeling negative before the career talk?
(A) He realised he didn’t want to travel the world anymore.
(B) His recent school results had made him doubt his abilities.
(C) He thought his teachers were giving him too much homework.
(D) He had discovered that journalism was a very difficult job.
2 How did the writer feel while Mark was showing his work?
(A) Annoyed because Mark was boasting about his travels.
(B) Inspired to write a brilliant article for the school newspaper.
(C) Unhappy because he assumed Mark had always been a perfect student.
(D) Bored because he had already read Mark’s published articles.
3 What surprised the writer in the third paragraph?
(A) Mark had attended the exact same high school as him.
(B) Mark was still unable to pass his final English exams.
(C) Mark had lost his old school reports from fifteen years ago.
(D) Mark had also struggled with his academic performance.
4 What effect did Mark’s talk have on the writer?
(A) He immediately started writing his own daily blog.
(B) He felt encouraged to work harder on his current schoolwork.
(C) He decided to study a different subject at university next year.
(D) He asked Mark to give him extra help with his writing.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that evening?
(A) “The career talk today was interesting, but I think I’ll look for a different job. Journalism seems too stressful for me.”
(B) “I felt so embarrassed today when the speaker asked me about my bad grades. I really need to study harder.”
(C) “It’s amazing to think that Mark Davies failed his exams and still became a successful writer. There is still hope for me!”
(D) “I’m so glad I attended the talk because Mark Davies offered to help me pass my English and history exams.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that the writer’s “grades in English and history had dropped” and he “started to believe that I just wasn’t clever enough,” which paraphrases doubting his abilities due to recent results.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer says he was “feeling even worse” because he “imagined that he must have been the smartest student in his class, getting top grades… without even trying.”
3 D – Paragraph 3 explains that to the writer’s “absolute amazement,” Mark’s “grades were terrible” and he had “failed his final English exams,” meaning Mark had also struggled academically.
4 B – In the final paragraph, the writer states the talk gave him “a massive amount of motivation” and he “immediately went to the school library to finish my history essay,” showing he was encouraged to work on his current schoolwork.
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and the writer’s emotional shift: from feeling hopeless about his bad grades to feeling motivated and hopeful after learning that a successful journalist faced the exact same struggles.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Ordinary Essay
When my teacher told me about a local university scholarship, I knew I had to apply. The application required a personal essay about a challenge I had overcome or a unique experience that had shaped my life. However, as soon as I sat down at my computer, my mind went completely blank. I stared at the empty screen for hours. I really wanted the financial help for college, but I honestly believed I had absolutely nothing interesting to say about myself.
Over the next few days, I became increasingly stressed. I started thinking about my classmates and what they would write about. My friend Sarah had climbed a mountain in Peru, and David had won a national science prize. Compared to them, my life felt completely ordinary. I hadn’t traveled the world, and I wasn’t a genius. I just went to school, did my homework, and went home. I almost decided to give up on the application completely because I thought the judges would find my story incredibly boring and unimpressive.
Everything changed one Tuesday evening. My parents were working late, so I was in charge of my two younger brothers. While I was cooking a messy dinner and patiently helping them with their difficult math homework at the exact same time, I suddenly had a brilliant idea. I realized that taking care of my siblings every single day wasn’t just a basic, boring routine. It had actually taught me serious responsibility, extreme patience, and how to manage my time under pressure. These were highly important skills, and they were a huge part of who I was becoming.
I ran to my bedroom and finally started typing. Instead of inventing a dramatic story or pretending to be someone else, I wrote honestly about my daily life and responsibilities. I described the loud noise in our house, the occasionally burnt dinners, and the genuine pride I felt when my brothers got good grades. When I finally clicked ‘send’ to submit the application, I didn’t care if it wasn’t as exciting as climbing a mountain. I was extremely proud of my essay because it was completely authentic. I learned that you don’t need a spectacular adventure to have a powerful story; sometimes, everyday ordinary life is special enough to write about.
1 Why did the writer struggle with the essay at first?
(A) He didn’t know how to use the computer program.
(B) He thought his life lacked interesting experiences to share.
(C) He didn’t want to attend the local university.
(D) He found the application questions too difficult to understand.
2 How did thinking about his classmates affect the writer?
(A) It made him want to travel to other countries.
(B) It gave him a great idea for his own essay.
(C) It made him feel like his own life was unexciting.
(D) It motivated him to work harder on his science project.
3 What did the writer realize while looking after his brothers?
(A) He wanted to become a math teacher in the future.
(B) His daily chores had given him valuable personal skills.
(C) He needed to ask his parents to spend more time at home.
(D) Cooking dinner was much harder than doing homework.
4 How did the writer feel about his finished essay?
(A) Pleased because it showed his true self.
(B) Worried that it was too short to win the scholarship.
(C) Disappointed that it wasn’t as thrilling as a climbing story.
(D) Anxious about what the judges would think of his cooking.
5 What would the writer say about his experience of applying for the scholarship?
(A) I’m glad I wrote about my friends’ amazing adventures instead of my own boring life. That was the best way to impress the judges.
(B) It was so stressful that I regret even trying. The scholarship wasn’t worth all the time I spent staring at a blank screen.
(C) At first I felt I had nothing to write about, but I discovered that being honest about my normal life made a really strong essay.
(D) I finally understand that you have to do something incredible, like winning a national prize, to have a good story for an application.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer explains his initial struggle, stating: “I honestly believed I had absolutely nothing interesting to say about myself.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, thinking about his friends’ achievements (climbing mountains, winning prizes) made him feel that “Compared to them, my life felt completely ordinary” and he thought his story was “incredibly boring”.
3 B – In paragraph 3, while doing chores and helping his brothers, the writer realized that “taking care of my siblings… had actually taught me serious responsibility, extreme patience, and how to manage my time”.
4 A – In paragraph 4, the writer states, “I was extremely proud of my essay because it was completely authentic,” meaning he was happy it showed his true, honest life.
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and the narrative arc of the text. It summarizes the writer’s initial writer’s block (“nothing to write about”) and the ultimate realization that a truthful account of everyday life (“normal life”) made for a powerful and authentic essay.