Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Charity Events, Fundraising & Activism
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The “Ugly Veg” Campaign
I’ve always been interested in protecting the environment, but I recently discovered a completely new problem: food waste. While reading an article online, I learned that supermarkets throw away millions of perfectly good vegetables simply because they are an unusual shape or size. These are known as “ugly veg.” I immediately realised that our school could help make a difference. I arranged a meeting with our cafeteria manager, Mrs. Higgins, and persuaded her to start buying these cheaper, misshapen vegetables for our school lunches instead of the normal ones.
At first, Mrs. Higgins was extremely supportive, and the following week, she ordered a huge box of weirdly shaped carrots and bumpy potatoes. However, when lunchtime arrived, things didn’t go according to plan. The students took one look at the strange vegetables on their plates and absolutely refused to eat them. Many of my classmates complained that the food looked completely unnatural and left it on their trays. I felt incredibly disappointed. Instead of reducing food waste, my campaign was actually creating more of it, and I worried Mrs. Higgins would stop the project entirely.
I knew I had to act quickly to change my classmates’ opinions. The next day, with the help of a few friends, I set up a small stand in the cafeteria. We organised a “blind taste test” for anyone willing to try. We asked students to wear a blindfold and taste two different pieces of carrot: one normal and one “ugly.” After chewing both, they had to guess which one was the perfect vegetable and which was the misshapen one.
The results of our experiment were absolutely fantastic. Almost everyone failed to tell the difference, and they were amazed to realise that the weird-looking food tasted exactly the same as the regular vegetables. Once they understood this, the students happily started eating the ugly veg in their meals. Since then, the school cafeteria has continued to buy misshapen vegetables, which has saved the school money and reduced our food waste massively. The experience taught me that people’s minds can be changed if you find a creative way to show them the truth.
1 Why did the writer speak to Mrs. Higgins?
(A) To complain about the high cost of school lunches.
(B) To ask her to purchase unusual-looking vegetables.
(C) To get help writing an educational article about food waste.
(D) To apply for a part-time job in the school cafeteria.
2 How did the writer feel during the first week of the project?
(A) Annoyed because Mrs. Higgins refused to cook the new vegetables.
(B) Surprised that the strange vegetables tasted so unnatural.
(C) Upset because the students’ reaction was causing more waste.
(D) Angry that the school had spent too much money on carrots.
3 What did the writer do to solve the problem?
(A) She asked her friends to eat all the strange vegetables.
(B) She gave the students a chance to try the food without seeing it.
(C) She cooked a delicious new carrot recipe for her classmates to try.
(D) She forced the students to wear blindfolds during their lessons.
4 What was the final result of the writer’s campaign?
(A) The cafeteria manager decided to grow her own vegetables.
(B) The students learned how to save money on their lunches.
(C) The school completely stopped serving regular carrots.
(D) The students accepted the ugly veg after seeing they tasted normal.
5 What would the writer write in her diary today?
(A) My campaign was a disaster. Even though I proved the ugly veg tastes good, the cafeteria manager still won’t buy it.
(B) It took a lot of effort, but I’m so proud I managed to change my classmates’ habits and help the environment.
(C) I’m never eating school food again! The blind taste test was fun, but those weirdly shaped potatoes were disgusting.
(D) I finally convinced the school to reduce food waste, but I wish I hadn’t had to spend my own money on the vegetables.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that the writer arranged a meeting with Mrs. Higgins and “persuaded her to start buying these cheaper, misshapen vegetables for our school lunches”.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer mentions feeling “incredibly disappointed” because “my campaign was actually creating more of it [food waste]” when the students refused to eat the vegetables.
3 B – The third paragraph describes how the writer asked students to “wear a blindfold and taste two different pieces of carrot,” allowing them to try the food without looking at its unusual shape.
4 D – The final paragraph explains that after the taste test, the students were amazed the food tasted the same and “happily started eating the ugly veg in their meals.”
5 B – This option successfully captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: acknowledging the initial difficulty and celebrating the eventual success of changing people’s minds to reduce food waste.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Skill Auction
Every spring, my school organizes a special charity auction to raise money for a local children’s hospital. Instead of selling old toys or homemade cakes, students offer their personal skills. My classmates had some amazing ideas, like giving guitar lessons or baking custom birthday cakes. Because I usually get the highest marks in my class, I decided to offer four hours of math tutoring. However, as soon as I signed up, I felt extremely anxious. I wasn’t a popular musician or an amazing cook, just a teenager who enjoyed numbers.
On the day of the auction, the school hall was completely full of students and parents. As I looked at the list of skills being auctioned, my confidence disappeared entirely. One girl was offering skateboarding lessons, and a boy was selling a weekend photography course. Compared to those exciting activities, my offer seemed incredibly boring. I began to imagine the terrible moment when my name would be called, and absolute silence would fill the room because nobody wanted to buy homework help. I almost asked my teacher if I could remove my name from the list.
Finally, the headteacher stood on the stage and announced my math tutoring sessions. I looked down at my shoes, waiting for the embarrassing silence. But almost immediately, a hand shot up. It was a mother offering ten dollars. Before I could even smile, someone else shouted fifteen. Then, two parents at the back of the room started a fierce bidding war. They both desperately wanted someone to help their younger children prepare for the national exams. The price went up and up, eventually reaching an unbelievable fifty dollars!
Walking off the stage, I felt completely different from the nervous boy who had arrived that morning. Earning so much money for the charity was fantastic, but the experience gave me something much more personal. I finally realized that my academic skills were just as valuable and desirable as playing an instrument or doing sports. My confidence has grown massively, and I can’t wait to start my tutoring sessions next week. I am already thinking about offering advanced science lessons at next year’s auction!
1 Why did the writer feel nervous about offering math tutoring?
(A) He preferred selling old toys to teaching his classmates.
(B) He doubted that his academic ability was impressive enough.
(C) He was worried that the children’s hospital would reject his idea.
(D) He didn’t have four hours of free time to complete the task.
2 How did the writer feel while looking at the list of skills?
(A) He felt annoyed that there were too many parents in the hall.
(B) He wished he had chosen to teach a photography course instead.
(C) He expected that people would be completely uninterested in his offer.
(D) He realized his teacher had forgotten to include him on the list.
3 What happened when the writer’s name was announced?
(A) The headteacher started a bidding war to help the charity.
(B) There was an embarrassing silence for several minutes.
(C) Several students tried to buy his skateboarding lessons.
(D) Two people competed to pay the most for his offer.
4 What was the most important result of the auction for the writer?
(A) He gained a much better opinion of his own abilities.
(B) He changed his mind about being a science teacher.
(C) He learned how to play a new musical instrument.
(D) He earned fifty dollars for his own personal use.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that evening?
(A) The auction was awful. I stood on the stage in total silence because nobody wanted to learn math from a teenager.
(B) I’m so glad my parents bought my tutoring sessions for fifty dollars to save me from embarrassment today.
(C) I raised a lot of money today, and discovering that people really value my academic talents feels absolutely amazing!
(D) I was so nervous that I didn’t go on stage. Next year, I think I’ll just bake some cakes instead of teaching.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer compares himself to his classmates’ “amazing ideas” (guitar, baking) and states he felt anxious because he “wasn’t a popular musician or an amazing cook, just a teenager who enjoyed numbers,” showing he doubted his skill was impressive enough.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer says, “I began to imagine the terrible moment… absolute silence would fill the room because nobody wanted to buy homework help,” meaning he expected people to be uninterested in his offer.
3 D – In paragraph 3, the text describes how “two parents at the back of the room started a fierce bidding war,” meaning they competed against each other to pay the highest price.
4 A – In paragraph 4, the writer explains that he “realized that my academic skills were just as valuable” and “My confidence has grown massively,” which means he gained a much better opinion of his abilities.
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional journey of the text: feeling proud of the money raised for charity and experiencing a massive boost in confidence after seeing that others highly value his academic skills.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Price of Empathy
Ever since I was young, I have felt a deep sadness whenever I walked past people sleeping on the city streets. Last month, I decided to stop feeling helpless and actually do something about it. I saved up my weekly pocket money and went to the local supermarket. I bought several warm pairs of socks, cereal bars, and bottles of fresh water. I spent the entire evening packing these items into small, neat care packages. I felt incredibly proud of my idea and imagined that everyone would be thrilled to receive my help.
The next Saturday, I walked into the city centre with a heavy backpack full of my packages. However, the experience was much more difficult than I had anticipated. When I nervously approached the first few homeless people to offer them a bag, they completely ignored me or simply shook their heads and looked away. I felt deeply embarrassed and hurt. I couldn’t understand why people would reject free food and clothing. Standing on a busy street corner, I felt like a foolish child, and I seriously considered throwing the remaining packages into the nearest bin and going home.
Just as I was about to give up, I noticed an older man sitting quietly in a shop doorway, wrapping his arms around himself to stay warm. I cautiously walked over and crouched down to offer him one of my last care packages. He looked at the thick socks and the snacks, and then he looked up at me. To my absolute surprise, tears began to form in his eyes. He thanked me repeatedly, explaining that his feet had been freezing for days and that he had felt completely invisible to the rest of the world.
Seeing his genuine, tearful gratitude changed everything for me. All my previous feelings of embarrassment instantly vanished. Walking home with an empty backpack, I realised that helping people is not always a smooth or easy process. I learned that true empathy requires a willingness to face rejection and misunderstanding. Even if several people ignore your help, making a meaningful difference in just one person’s life makes all the awkwardness completely worthwhile.
1 Why did the writer buy the items from the supermarket?
(A) Because she needed warm socks and snacks for a school camping trip.
(B) Because she wanted to use her pocket money to help people living on the streets.
(C) Because a local charity asked teenagers to collect warm clothing for winter.
(D) Because she planned to sell the packages to make some extra pocket money.
2 How did the writer feel when people first ignored her packages?
(A) Angry because she had spent all her money on expensive food.
(B) Relieved because she was secretly too shy to talk to strangers.
(C) Embarrassed and hurt that her offers of help were being rejected.
(D) Confused because the people asked for money instead of socks.
3 What did the older man do when the writer gave him a package?
(A) He became emotional and expressed deep gratitude for the items.
(B) He told the writer that he preferred to receive hot coffee instead of water.
(C) He immediately shared his snacks with the other homeless people nearby.
(D) He warned the writer that giving out packages on the street was dangerous.
4 Why was the older man so emotional?
(A) He remembered the writer from a previous charity event he attended.
(B) He was upset that he couldn’t afford to buy his own thick socks.
(C) He was trying to make the writer feel better about her struggling project.
(D) He had been freezing and felt like the rest of the world was ignoring him.
5 What is the main lesson the writer learned from her experience?
(A) “I realised that making care packages is far too expensive for a teenager to do alone.”
(B) “I learned that homeless people are usually ungrateful, so it is better to donate to charities.”
(C) “True empathy means accepting rejection, because helping even one person makes the effort worth it.”
(D) “I should have asked my parents for money because I didn’t have enough to feed everyone.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that she “saved up my weekly pocket money” and bought the items because she wanted to “actually do something about it” after walking past people sleeping on the streets.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that when people ignored her or looked away, “I felt deeply embarrassed and hurt.”
3 A – The third paragraph describes the older man’s reaction: “tears began to form in his eyes. He thanked me repeatedly”.
4 D – In the third paragraph, the text explains the man’s emotional reaction by stating “his feet had been freezing for days and that he had felt completely invisible to the rest of the world.”
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and the lesson learned in the final paragraph: the writer realizes that “true empathy requires a willingness to face rejection” and that making a difference in one person’s life “makes all the awkwardness completely worthwhile.”