Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Cultural & City Explorations 7
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Taste of Taiwan
When my family and I travelled to Taiwan last summer, my parents announced that we were going to spend our first evening at a famous local night market. I honestly wasn’t very excited about the idea. After a long flight, I was already feeling tired, and the summer weather in Taipei was incredibly hot and humid. I usually prefer eating in quiet, comfortable restaurants with air conditioning. In my mind, walking around a busy street market in the heat sounded like a stressful and exhausting way to spend our first night.
However, the reality of the market was even more overwhelming than I had imagined. As soon as we arrived, we were surrounded by thousands of people. We had to push our way through the narrow streets. Suddenly, a terrible smell hit my nose. It was so strong that I actually gagged and had to cover my face with my t-shirt. My dad laughed and explained that it was ‘stinky tofu’, a very popular local dish. At that exact moment, I felt completely miserable and begged my parents to take me back to our hotel.
Fortunately, my mum persuaded me to stay just a little longer and promised to find something I would actually enjoy. A few minutes later, she bought me an ice-cold, sweet bubble tea. It was so refreshing that I immediately started to feel better. Next, we stopped at a small food stall and bought a fresh scallion pancake. It was hot, crispy, and incredibly delicious. Eating that amazing food while standing in the middle of the busy street made me forget all about the terrible smells and the uncomfortable heat.
For the rest of the evening, my attitude was completely different. I stopped worrying about the crowds and started paying attention to the colourful lights, the energetic sellers, and the fantastic variety of food being cooked everywhere. I even watched some people happily eating the stinky tofu, although I still refused to try it myself! By the time we finally left the market, I couldn’t stop smiling. The experience taught me that stepping out of my comfort zone can be wonderfully surprising. In fact, that noisy, crowded market became my absolute favourite place in Taiwan.
1 What did the writer think about visiting the night market before they arrived?
(A) She expected it to be a relaxing way to spend the evening.
(B) She thought it would be an uncomfortable and tiring experience.
(C) She was worried about finding a quiet restaurant there.
(D) She was excited to try the local street food in Taiwan.
2 How did the writer feel when she first entered the market?
(A) Annoyed because her dad was laughing at her.
(B) Surprised by how cheap the local food was.
(C) Disgusted by a strong smell and wanting to leave.
(D) Scared of getting lost in the large crowds of people.
3 What happened to make the writer change her mind?
(A) She tried the stinky tofu and realised it was actually tasty.
(B) She drank something refreshing and ate a delicious snack.
(C) Her mother promised to take her to a restaurant later.
(D) She found a quiet place to sit and escape the heat.
4 How does the writer feel about the night market by the end of the trip?
(A) She realises it is her favourite place because of the stinky tofu.
(B) She still prefers air-conditioned restaurants to street markets.
(C) She wishes there had been fewer people and brighter lights.
(D) She appreciates the lively atmosphere and the amazing food.
5 What would the writer say in a message to a friend?
(A) I hated the night market from start to finish. The food smelled awful and the weather was far too hot to enjoy anything.
(B) I was right to think the market would be exhausting, and I wish we had just stayed at the hotel for dinner.
(C) I initially wanted to leave the crowded, smelly market, but the amazing food and energetic atmosphere completely won me over!
(D) If you visit Taiwan, make sure to try the stinky tofu. It smells terrible but it is the most
delicious thing I have ever eaten.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states that “walking around a busy street market in the heat sounded like a stressful and exhausting way to spend our first night.”
2 C – The second paragraph describes how a “terrible smell hit my nose” causing her to gag, and she “begged my parents to take me back to our hotel.”
3 B – In the third paragraph, the writer explains that her mother bought her an “ice-cold, sweet bubble tea” and a “fresh scallion pancake,” which made her forget about the terrible smells and heat.
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, the writer notes that she “started paying attention to the colourful lights, the energetic sellers, and the fantastic variety of food” and that the noisy, crowded market became her “absolute favourite place.”
5 C – This option effectively captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: she started out wanting to escape the overwhelming smells and crowds, but the delicious food and vibrant energy ultimately changed her mind.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Taste of the Floating Markets
When my family travelled to Thailand for our summer holiday last month, visiting a traditional floating market was at the top of our sightseeing list. I had seen plenty of colourful photographs online of narrow wooden boats filled with bright exotic fruits, and I imagined a peaceful, relaxing morning on the water. So, when we woke up at six o’clock to travel to the famous canals just outside Bangkok, I was feeling incredibly excited to finally experience this famous piece of Thai culture for myself.
However, my excitement quickly disappeared as soon as we climbed into our hired ‘longtail’ boat. The large engine at the back of the boat was so unbelievably loud that I couldn’t even hear my parents talking to the guide. Furthermore, as we sped quickly along the narrow canals, I noticed that the water was dark brown and looked rather dirty. With the intense heat of the morning sun already beating down on us, I started to feel quite uncomfortable and slightly annoyed. I secretly wondered if booking this tourist trip had been a terrible idea.
Eventually, the canal became much wider, and we arrived at the main market area. The scene was absolutely chaotic, packed with hundreds of small boats moving carefully in every direction. Suddenly, an elderly woman in a tiny wooden boat paddled right up next to ours. Her boat was basically a mini floating kitchen! She was happily preparing fresh mango sticky rice, which is a traditional sweet Thai dish. My dad handed her some money across the water, and she carefully passed us a warm, sweet-smelling bowl of the freshly made dessert.
I took my first bite, and it was honestly the most delicious thing I had tasted on our whole holiday. The sweet, juicy mango and warm coconut rice completely changed my mood. Suddenly, I didn’t care about the noisy boat engines or the muddy canal water anymore. Sitting there, eating incredible local food while boats gently bumped into each other, I realised how magical the busy atmosphere actually was. It certainly wasn’t the quiet, relaxing experience I had originally expected, but this chaotic, unique way of shopping turned out to be completely unforgettable. I would definitely recommend doing it!
1 How did the writer feel about visiting the floating market before getting there?
(A) She was worried about waking up so early in the morning.
(B) She expected it to be a calm and beautiful experience.
(C) She was anxious about travelling on the narrow wooden boats.
(D) She felt disappointed that they had to leave Bangkok.
2 What did the writer dislike during the boat ride?
(A) The fact that the tour guide talked too much.
(B) The high speed of the other boats on the water.
(C) The unpleasant conditions and the level of noise.
(D) The uncomfortable wooden seats inside the boat.
3 What does the writer find surprising about the boat vendor?
(A) She was selling a dish the writer had never heard of before.
(B) She was able to cook food directly on her small boat.
(C) She managed to paddle her boat so quickly through the crowd.
(D) She refused to accept the money from the writer’s father.
4 How did the writer’s attitude change at the market?
(A) She decided she wanted to learn how to cook local Thai food.
(B) She wished she had brought more money to spend on shopping.
(C) She realised that the busy environment was actually part of its charm.
(D) She felt relieved when the noisy engines were finally turned off.
5 What would the writer write in her diary that evening?
(A) I finally visited a floating market today. The pictures online were exactly right, and the peaceful boat ride was the highlight of my trip!
(B) Thailand is amazing, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend taking a longtail boat. It was so loud and uncomfortable that it completely ruined my morning.
(C) We bought some strange fruit from a woman on a boat today. I couldn’t eat it, but just seeing the busy market was interesting enough.
(D) I almost didn’t enjoy our trip to the canals today because of the noise and dirt, but tasting some amazing food made the whole chaotic experience fantastic!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer states she “had seen plenty of colourful photographs” and “imagined a peaceful, relaxing morning on the water,” which matches expecting a calm and beautiful experience.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer complains that the engine was “unbelievably loud,” the water “looked rather dirty,” and the “intense heat” made her feel quite uncomfortable, summarizing the unpleasant conditions and noise.
3 B – In paragraph 3, the writer notes with surprise that “Her boat was basically a mini floating kitchen!” and that she was “happily preparing” the dish right there on the water.
4 C – In paragraph 4, the writer states she “realised how magical the busy atmosphere actually was,” understanding that the chaos was what made the unique way of shopping so unforgettable.
5 D – This option perfectly captures the global narrative and emotional arc of the text: starting with a negative reaction to the noise and dirty water, but shifting to complete appreciation after trying the delicious mango sticky rice from the boat vendor.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Stories in the Stones
When my parents told me we were visiting the Tower of London during our weekend trip to the capital, I was quite excited. I had always loved reading fairy tales, so I expected to see a shiny, beautiful palace with tall, elegant towers and golden gates. I imagined walking through bright rooms where kings and queens used to have spectacular parties. However, when we actually arrived at the River Thames and looked at the famous building, I felt quite surprised. It didn’t look like a palace at all; instead, it was a massive, grey stone fortress.
As soon as we walked through the heavy wooden doors, the atmosphere felt quite different from my cheerful expectations. The Tower is actually an ancient military building and a former prison. As we explored the cold, dark rooms, my parents read out signs explaining its bloody and frightening history. Many famous people from the past had been locked up in these exact towers. We also saw the famous black ravens jumping around the grass. According to legend, if these huge birds ever leave, the kingdom will fall. It all felt a little bit spooky and miserable to me.
However, my opinion completely changed when we joined a guided tour led by a ‘Beefeater’. These are the traditional guards of the Tower, dressed in smart red and dark blue uniforms. I thought we were going to get a boring, serious history lesson full of dates and confusing names. Instead, our guard was absolutely hilarious. He told incredible stories about the prisoners and the kings, mixing the dark, bloody facts with fantastic jokes and brilliant acting.
Suddenly, the frightening history of the fortress wasn’t just spooky anymore; it was incredibly entertaining. Everyone in our group, including the young children and the adults, was laughing out loud while learning about the past. By the end of the afternoon, I didn’t care that the Tower wasn’t a shiny, beautiful palace. The amazing storytelling made the grey stones come to life. It taught me that learning about history doesn’t have to be a boring school lesson, as long as you have the right person telling the story.
1 How did the writer feel when she first saw the Tower of London?
(A) She was amazed by the bright, elegant towers and golden gates.
(B) She was surprised because it looked like a dark military building.
(C) She was excited to see where kings and queens had spectacular parties.
(D) She was worried about crossing the River Thames to get there.
2 What did the writer think about the inside of the Tower at first?
(A) She found the dark history and the atmosphere a bit scary.
(B) She was upset because the famous black birds had flown away.
(C) She enjoyed reading the signs about the famous prisoners.
(D) She was impressed by the beautiful, heavy wooden doors.
3 What was unexpected about the guided tour with the ‘Beefeater’?
(A) The guard wore a traditional red and dark blue uniform.
(B) The guard asked the visitors to remember dates and confusing names.
(C) The guard told the historical stories in a very funny way.
(D) The guard was an actor pretending to be a real soldier.
4 What did the writer learn from her visit to the Tower?
(A) That old grey buildings are much more beautiful than shiny palaces.
(B) That a good storyteller can make learning about the past very enjoyable.
(C) That you should always take young children to visit historical prisons.
(D) That school lessons should focus more on bloody and frightening facts.
5 What would the writer text to a friend about her day?
(A) The Tower of London is a shiny and beautiful palace. You will love the elegant rooms, but watch out for the scary black birds on the grass.
(B) I thought visiting an old prison would be extremely boring, but the amazing tour guide actually made the dark history so much fun to listen to.
(C) We had a terrible time today. The building was grey and miserable, and the guard made too many jokes instead of teaching us real history.
(D) I loved reading the signs about the bloody history of the fortress! However, the tour guide was quite serious and gave us a boring lesson.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer explains that she expected a beautiful palace but felt “quite surprised” because it was actually a “massive, grey stone fortress.”
2 A – In the second paragraph, the writer mentions that the rooms were dark, the history was bloody, and that “It all felt a little bit spooky and miserable to me.”
3 C – In paragraph three, the writer expected a “boring, serious history lesson,” but instead, the guard was “absolutely hilarious,” mixing dark facts with “fantastic jokes.”
4 B – In the final paragraph, the writer concludes that the “amazing storytelling made the grey stones come to life” and that history isn’t boring “as long as you have the right person telling the story.”
5 B – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: starting with the expectation of a miserable/boring experience at a dark fortress, but ending up having a fantastic time thanks to the entertaining and humorous tour guide.