Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Cultural & City Explorations 5
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Celebrating Holi in India
When my family and I travelled to India last March, we arrived right in the middle of Holi, the famous festival of colours. I had read about it online and seen beautiful pictures, but I honestly had no intention of actually taking part. My plan was simply to stand quietly at the edge of the crowds and take some nice photographs. I was wearing my favourite new white t-shirt and light trousers, and I was absolutely terrified of getting them completely ruined by the colourful powder.
The next morning, we decided to go for a walk to find a quiet café for breakfast. As we walked down the narrow streets, I carefully tried to avoid the large groups of people celebrating. Everybody was singing, dancing, and chasing each other. I stayed close to the walls, hoping that no one would notice me. However, my plan to stay clean failed miserably when we suddenly turned a corner and walked straight into a huge group of local teenagers.
Before I could even turn around to escape, a laughing girl ran up to me and gently rubbed bright pink powder all over my cheeks. A second later, someone else threw a bucket of cold, blue water right at my chest! For a brief moment, I stood there in absolute shock. I looked down at my ruined white t-shirt and felt a sudden wave of anger. But when I looked up and saw the warm, welcoming smiles on their faces, I realised they were just inviting me to share their happiness.
At that moment, I made a decision. I stopped worrying about my clothes, laughed out loud, and bought some green powder from a nearby table. I spent the next two hours running through the streets, throwing colours, and dancing with complete strangers. The entire town looked like a brilliant, messy rainbow, and the energy was absolutely incredible. I had never felt so included and joyful in a foreign country.
When we finally returned to our hotel, I was completely covered in pink, blue, and green from head to toe. Even my hair was colourful! I had to throw away my favourite t-shirt, but I didn’t mind at all. The experience taught me that sometimes, you just have to let go of your worries and dive straight into the fun.
1 What was the writer’s original plan for the festival?
(A) To join in and throw powder at people.
(B) To take photos without getting involved.
(C) To buy some traditional Indian clothes.
(D) To stay inside the hotel all day.
2 How did the writer act while walking down the street?
(A) She was trying to find a group to celebrate with.
(B) She was attempting to stay away from the celebrations.
(C) She was lost and looking for a local café.
(D) She was trying to take pictures of the singing crowds.
3 What was the writer’s immediate reaction to getting covered in colour?
(A) She was pleased to be welcomed by the teenagers.
(B) She was angry because the water was so cold.
(C) She was upset because her clothes were destroyed.
(D) She was scared of the teenagers who approached her.
4 What did the writer do after deciding to join in?
(A) She went back to the hotel to change her clothes.
(B) She bought her own powder to throw at others.
(C) She took photographs of the brilliant rainbow.
(D) She helped a stranger find some green powder.
5 What would the writer write in her travel diary about the day?
(A) I loved the festival, but next time I will definitely wear dark clothes so I don’t have to throw them away.
(B) The local teenagers were quite rude to throw water at me, but I eventually managed to have a good time.
(C) I was so worried about my favourite clothes, but forgetting my fears and joining the celebration was the best decision ever!
(D) Taking pictures from the edge of the crowd was a great way to experience the festival without getting dirty.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states, “My plan was simply to stand quietly at the edge of the crowds and take some nice photographs.”
2 B – The second paragraph explains that she “carefully tried to avoid the large groups of people celebrating” and “stayed close to the walls, hoping that no one would notice me.”
3 C – In the third paragraph, immediately after being hit with water and powder, she says, “I looked down at my ruined white t-shirt and felt a sudden wave of anger.”
4 B – The fourth paragraph details that after she stopped worrying, she “bought some green powder from a nearby table” and spent hours “throwing colours.”
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and narrative arc of the text: transitioning from a fear of ruining her favourite clothes to fully embracing the joyous experience of the festival.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Surprising Ride in the Snow
When my parents told me we were going dog sledding during our winter holiday in the French Alps, I was absolutely delighted. I had seen videos online of people gliding smoothly across the snow, pulled by beautiful huskies. I imagined sitting comfortably under heavy blankets, drinking hot tea, and taking hundreds of photos of the stunning mountain scenery. After several days of tiring skiing, a relaxing and lazy morning on a sled was exactly what I felt I needed.
When we arrived at the camp, the noise was incredible. Dozens of dogs were jumping around and barking loudly, clearly excited to start running. Our guide, a friendly man named Pierre, introduced us to our team of dogs and explained the basic safety rules. Then, he looked at me and asked if I wanted to try steering the sled instead of just being a passenger. I quickly agreed, assuming that driving simply meant standing at the back and telling the dogs when to go or stop.
However, as soon as the dogs started running, I realised how wrong I was. The sled shot forward incredibly fast over the icy track. This wasn’t a peaceful sightseeing trip at all; it was a serious physical challenge! Every time we went around a sharp corner, I had to lean my whole body weight to the side to stop the sled from falling over. If I didn’t balance properly, I knew we would crash. I also had to push hard on the heavy metal brakes with my feet when going downhill. Within fifteen minutes, my arms and legs were aching, and I felt like I was competing in an extreme sport.
By the time we returned to the camp an hour later, I was completely exhausted. Although the temperature was well below freezing, I was sweating heavily and covered in tiny pieces of snow. Despite the intense physical effort, I had a huge smile on my face. Working together with the dogs to travel through the wild landscape was an unforgettable experience. I felt incredibly proud of myself for not falling off, though I think I might just sit under the blankets if we ever go again!
1 How did the writer feel about the dog sledding trip before it started?
(A) He expected it to be a restful experience.
(B) He was worried about the freezing temperatures.
(C) He was annoyed because he wanted to continue skiing.
(D) He hoped to learn how to drive the sled himself.
2 What happened when they arrived at the sledding camp?
(A) The dogs were too frightened to make a noise.
(B) The writer decided he was too scared to be a passenger.
(C) The guide warned the writer about the dangerous track.
(D) The writer accepted an unexpected offer from the guide.
3 What did the writer discover about driving the sled?
(A) It was difficult to remember the commands for the dogs.
(B) It required a surprising amount of physical energy.
(C) It was impossible to use the brakes on the hills.
(D) It was easier than competing in an extreme sport.
4 How did the writer feel at the end of the activity?
(A) Disappointed that he was covered in snow.
(B) Angry that he had to work so hard in the cold.
(C) Pleased with what he had managed to achieve.
(D) Eager to drive a sled again the following day.
5 What would the writer write in his holiday diary that evening?
(A) Dog sledding was okay, but the guide made me do all the driving. I was so angry that I couldn’t just sit back and enjoy the views!
(B) I thought dog sledding would be a lazy ride, but steering the sled was actually an intense workout! It was exhausting but totally amazing.
(C) The dogs were really beautiful, but they ran much too slowly. It felt like we were just walking through the mountains all morning.
(D) Driving the sled was much easier than I expected. You just stand at the back and the dogs do all the hard work for you!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In paragraph 1, the writer states he imagined “sitting comfortably under heavy blankets” and that a “relaxing and lazy morning on a sled was exactly what I felt I needed.”
2 D – In paragraph 2, the guide (Pierre) asks the writer if he wanted to try steering the sled instead of just being a passenger, and the writer “quickly agreed.”
3 B – In paragraph 3, the writer explains that it wasn’t peaceful, but rather a “serious physical challenge” where he had to lean his body weight and push hard on the brakes, causing his arms and legs to ache.
4 C – In paragraph 4, the writer states that despite the intense effort, he had a “huge smile” on his face and felt “incredibly proud of myself for not falling off.”
5 B – This option successfully captures the global narrative and emotional arc of the text: moving from the expectation of a relaxing, lazy ride to the reality of an exhausting physical challenge that ultimately proved to be an incredibly rewarding experience.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Walk Through History
When my family decided to spend our summer holiday in Italy, visiting the ancient ruins of Pompeii was at the top of our list. I had learned about the famous volcano eruption in my history classes at school, so I was reasonably interested in seeing the site. However, I imagined it would just be a quick walk around some old, boring stones before heading to the beach for an ice cream.
The reality of exploring the ruined Roman city was completely different. The area was absolutely huge, much larger than I had ever expected. Furthermore, we visited in the middle of August, and the midday sun was incredibly hot. There was very little shade among the ancient streets, and after two hours of walking, I was completely exhausted. My feet were aching, I was sweating terribly, and I actually started complaining to my parents, asking if we could just go back to our air-conditioned hotel.
Just as I was about to give up, our tour guide led us into a quieter building. Inside, carefully protected behind glass, were several plaster casts of the people who had lived there. They were the exact shapes of the victims, caught by the ash from the volcano almost two thousand years ago. One was sitting down, while another looked as if it was trying to protect its face from the dust.
Seeing those figures instantly stopped me in my tracks. All of my complaints about the hot weather and my tired feet suddenly felt very silly. I wasn’t just looking at broken walls or reading dates in a textbook anymore; I was standing exactly where real people had experienced a terrible tragedy. The ruined city suddenly felt incredibly real and emotional to me.
By the time we left Pompeii that afternoon, my attitude had completely transformed. The exhausting walk had turned into one of the most profound historical moments of my life. It taught me that history isn’t just about rocks and buildings; it is about the real people who lived there. I know that the next time I visit a historical site, I will definitely look at it with much more respect.
1 What did the writer expect Pompeii to be like?
(A) He thought it would be a very long and exhausting trip.
(B) He believed it would be a fast visit to look at some old rocks.
(C) He expected to learn a lot of new things about the volcano.
(D) He was worried that there wouldn’t be any ice cream shops.
2 How did the writer feel while walking around the city?
(A) Annoyed because the tour guide was walking too fast.
(B) Disappointed because the ruined city was quite small.
(C) Uncomfortable and tired due to the extreme summer weather.
(D) Angry because his parents refused to buy him cold water.
3 When the writer saw the plaster casts, he noticed that
(A) they had been moved outside into the bright sunshine.
(B) the people had been trying to escape from the building.
(C) they showed the exact positions of the people during the disaster.
(D) the protective glass around them was recently broken.
4 What effect did seeing the plaster casts have on the writer?
(A) It made him realise that his own physical discomfort was unimportant.
(B) It made him want to study history at university in the future.
(C) It made him feel terrified that the volcano might erupt again.
(D) It made him wish he had read his textbook before visiting.
5 What would the writer write in his diary about the trip to Pompeii?
(A) The hot weather ruined the trip for me. I wish we had gone to the beach instead of looking at old stones.
(B) It was interesting to see the volcano, but I didn’t like looking at the plaster casts because they were quite scary.
(C) Even though the walk was physically exhausting, seeing the frozen victims made the history feel incredibly real and important.
(D) Pompeii is much smaller than I thought it would be. The walk was very easy, but the history was a bit boring.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that the writer “imagined it would just be a quick walk around some old, boring stones.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that “the midday sun was incredibly hot” and after walking for two hours, he was “completely exhausted.”
3 C – In paragraph 3, the writer describes the casts as being “the exact shapes of the victims, caught by the ash from the volcano,” and describes their specific frozen positions.
4 A – In paragraph 4, the writer states that upon seeing the figures, “All of my complaints about the hot weather and my tired feet suddenly felt very silly.”
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: acknowledging the severe physical exhaustion caused by the hot sun, but concluding that seeing the plaster victims transformed the walk into a profound historical experience.