Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Digital Detox, Gadgets & Innovation 5
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Making Memories Real
My name is Maya, and until recently, I had a huge problem: my smartphone was completely full. I had over 5,000 photos saved on it. Like most teenagers, I take pictures of absolutely everything, from my breakfast to my friends at the park. However, I realised something sad. I never actually looked at any of those pictures again. They were just sitting in a digital gallery, completely forgotten. I felt it was a real pity that so many fantastic memories were trapped on a small screen.
One weekend, I decided I had to do something about this situation. I walked to a local stationery shop and bought a beautiful, traditional leather photo album. Then, the real challenge began. I had to choose which photos to print. Looking through 5,000 images took me several hours. Eventually, I managed to select the best fifty. It was incredibly difficult to leave some nice pictures out, but I only wanted to include my most special moments.
The next day, I used a printing machine at the supermarket to get physical copies of my chosen photos. When I finally held the printed pictures in my hands, I was absolutely thrilled. The colours looked deeper and somehow more real than on my phone. I spent the whole of Sunday afternoon carefully pushing the photos into the pages of the leather album. I also used a pen to write short notes next to each one, so I would never forget the exact dates and places.
Now, instead of being hidden in a digital folder, my photo album sits proudly on my desk. Whenever my friends come over to visit, we can actually turn the physical pages and look at the memories together. We never did that when the photos were just files on my phone. I have discovered that holding a physical book makes those past experiences feel much more valuable. It has changed the way I see photography, and I definitely plan to print more pictures in the future.
1 Why was Maya unhappy about the photos on her phone?
(A) She had taken too many pictures of her breakfast.
(B) She never spent any time viewing them again.
(C) She didn’t have enough space to save new ones.
(D) She thought the screen made the photos look ugly.
2 What was the most difficult part of making the album?
(A) Finding a traditional leather album in the shop.
(B) Paying for the fifty pictures she wanted to print.
(C) Picking which images she was going to keep.
(D) Looking at 5,000 photos in a single weekend.
3 How did Maya feel when she saw the printed photos?
(A) Disappointed because the colours were too dark.
(B) Delighted because they looked better than digital ones.
(C) Worried that she wouldn’t remember when they were taken.
(D) Tired because it took all Sunday to print them.
4 What does Maya say about her friends now?
(A) They prefer to look at photos on their smartphones.
(B) They enjoy looking through the album with her.
(C) They have decided to buy leather albums for themselves.
(D) They think physical photos are too old-fashioned.
5 What would Maya write in her blog about her weekend project?
(A) I’m glad I finally deleted all 5,000 photos from my phone. I don’t need them anymore now that I have an album.
(B) Creating a photo album was a lot of hard work, and to be honest, I think digital photos are much more convenient.
(C) It took a long time to organize, but having a real book of my favorite memories makes them feel so much more important.
(D) I loved buying the leather album, but it’s a pity I couldn’t afford to print out every single picture from my phone.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text explicitly states her sad realization: “I never actually looked at any of those pictures again. They were just sitting in a digital gallery, completely forgotten.”
2 C – Paragraph 2 mentions that “the real challenge began. I had to choose which photos to print… It was incredibly difficult to leave some nice pictures out”.
3 B – In Paragraph 3, Maya notes she was “absolutely thrilled” because the colors looked “deeper and somehow more real than on my phone.”
4 B – Paragraph 4 explains that when friends visit, “we can actually turn the physical pages and look at the memories together,” contrasting with how they never did this on her phone.
5 C – This perfectly captures the overall message of the text: Maya spent hours sorting the photos (a long time to organize) but ultimately found that the physical album made the experiences feel “much more valuable” (important).
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The “No Tech” Morning Routine
For as long as I can remember, my smartphone was the first thing I reached for every morning. It sat on my bedside table, acting as my alarm clock. The moment I woke up, I would turn off the alarm and immediately start scrolling. Within seconds, my brain was flooded with social media updates, messages, and stressful global news. Instead of feeling ready for the day, I usually felt anxious and exhausted before I had even managed to get out of bed. I knew this habit wasn’t healthy, but I couldn’t seem to stop.
One evening, after reading a magazine article about the negative effects of screen time, I decided it was time to make a serious change. The article suggested keeping electronics out of the bedroom entirely. That sounded impossible, but I was desperate to feel better. The next afternoon, I went to a local shop and bought a cheap, old-fashioned alarm clock with bells on top. That night, I plugged my phone into a charger in the kitchen and walked to my bedroom empty-handed. It felt very strange not having my device next to my pillow.
The first few mornings of my new routine were actually quite difficult. The loud ringing of the traditional clock was a huge shock compared to the gentle music my phone used to play. Worse still, my hand automatically reached out for my phone to check my messages, only to find an empty table. For a brief moment, I felt a sense of panic. I wondered what I was supposed to do with myself for the first half hour of the day without a screen to look at.
However, I soon discovered that the extra time was a gift. Instead of reading depressing news, I started picking up a novel. Waking up slowly with a good book and a cup of hot tea completely transformed my mornings. I noticed that my mind felt clearer and I was much more cheerful when I finally went downstairs to see my family. At school, my concentration improved significantly. Banning my phone from the bedroom was tough at first, but it has definitely changed my daily life for the better.
1 Why did the writer want to change their morning habit?
(A) They were frequently late for school because of their phone.
(B) They realised looking at their phone made them feel stressed.
(C) Their phone alarm was not loud enough to wake them up.
(D) They wanted to spend more time reading the news.
2 What did the writer do to solve their problem?
(A) They asked their parents to wake them up.
(B) They started reading a magazine every morning.
(C) They decided to charge their phone in a different room.
(D) They bought a new smartphone with a better alarm.
3 How did the writer feel during the first few mornings of the new routine?
(A) annoyed that their new alarm clock didn’t work properly
(B) worried because they couldn’t remember where their phone was
(C) uncomfortable because they didn’t know how to pass the time
(D) pleased that they were waking up to gentle music
4 What has been the result of the new routine?
(A) The writer enjoys chatting with their family more than reading.
(B) The writer is able to focus better during their lessons.
(C) The writer no longer uses their phone during the day.
(D) The writer feels proud of finishing their homework faster.
5 What would the writer text to a friend about their experience?
(A) I can’t believe how much my new alarm clock has helped me. It plays such relaxing music that I wake up feeling great every day!
(B) I’ve decided to stop reading the news completely. It’s too depressing, so I threw my phone away and I just read books now.
(C) Leaving my phone in the kitchen at night was a hard change, but starting my day with a book has made me so much happier.
(D) If you want to do better at school, you should buy a traditional alarm clock. It’s the only way to make sure you’re never late!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states that the habit of looking at social media and global news first thing made the writer feel “anxious and exhausted” and they knew the habit “wasn’t healthy.”
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains they bought an old-fashioned alarm clock and “plugged my phone into a charger in the kitchen,” which matches keeping the phone in a different room.
3 C – The third paragraph describes the writer feeling a sense of panic and wondering “what I was supposed to do with myself for the first half hour of the day without a screen to look at.”
4 B – The fourth paragraph explicitly states that as a result of the new routine, the writer’s “concentration improved significantly” at school.
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: acknowledging that the change was initially difficult (“a hard change”) but ultimately resulted in a positive transformation through reading (“starting my day with a book has made me so much happier”).
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Gaming My Way to Fitness
My name is Toby, and until recently, I completely avoided exercise. I always knew I needed to get fitter, but I just couldn’t find an activity I actually liked. I tried going to the local gym, but lifting weights felt incredibly boring, and staring at a blank wall while riding a stationary bike was even worse. My parents suggested I start running, but since it rains almost every day where I live, that idea didn’t appeal to me at all. I needed something I could do indoors that didn’t feel like a punishment. That’s when I decided to save up and buy a Virtual Reality (VR) headset.
When the device finally arrived, I immediately downloaded a rhythm-based action game I had read about online. I put the headset on my head, picked up the controllers, and suddenly, my messy bedroom disappeared. I was standing in a futuristic neon world. The rules of the game were simple: I had to use two virtual swords to slash at glowing blocks that flew towards me in time with fast, electronic music. It was thrilling. If I missed a block, I lost points, so I had to move my arms quickly and duck under virtual walls to stay in the game.
I intended to play for just fifteen minutes to see what it was like, but I got completely lost in the experience. When I finally took the headset off, I was shocked to see that over an hour had passed. Even more surprisingly, my t-shirt was completely wet, and I was breathing heavily. I was sweating just as much as I would have been if I had run several kilometres, but I hadn’t even noticed. I had been having too much fun trying to beat my high score.
That afternoon changed my whole perspective on fitness. I discovered that cardiovascular exercise doesn’t have to be a painful task; it can be completely disguised as gaming. Now, I use my VR headset for an hour every day, and I’m feeling much healthier and more energetic than before. If someone had told me a year ago that I would actually look forward to doing cardio, I would never have believed them.
1 Why did Toby decide to buy a VR headset?
(A) He wanted a way to exercise inside that he actually enjoyed.
(B) His parents promised to pay for it if he stopped going to the gym.
(C) He needed something to keep him busy when it was raining.
(D) He wanted to play video games with the friends he met at the gym.
2 What does Toby say about the game he played?
(A) He found the rules quite complicated to learn at first.
(B) He was able to choose the electronic music he wanted to hear.
(C) He had to move his whole body to avoid losing points.
(D) He felt scared when the glowing blocks flew towards him.
3 How did Toby feel when he finished playing?
(A) Annoyed that he hadn’t managed to beat his high score.
(B) Surprised by the physical effect the game had on him.
(C) Disappointed that he had only played for fifteen minutes.
(D) Exhausted because he had run several kilometres that day.
4 What is Toby’s attitude towards fitness now?
(A) He believes traditional gyms are still the best way to get fit.
(B) He wishes he had started doing cardio earlier in his life.
(C) He thinks everyone should spend less time playing video games.
(D) He is pleased that he has found a fun way to stay healthy.
5 What would Toby write in his diary?
(A) I finally joined the gym today. It’s hard work, but when it rains outside, it’s the only way to get a good workout.
(B) I never thought I would enjoy exercising! This new virtual reality game makes working out feel like an amazing adventure.
(C) I played my new VR game for an hour today. It was fun, but I think I still need to start running if I want to lose weight.
(D) My parents were right. Running outside in the rain is much better than sitting in my bedroom playing computer games all day.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – Paragraph 1 explains that Toby disliked the gym and running outside in the rain, so he “needed something I could do indoors that didn’t feel like a punishment.”
2 C – Paragraph 2 describes how Toby “had to move my arms quickly and duck under virtual walls to stay in the game.”
3 B – Paragraph 3 states that Toby was “shocked to see that over an hour had passed” and was “surprisingly” sweaty and breathing heavily, not realizing he was working out.
4 D – Paragraph 4 shows his positive attitude. He feels “healthier and more energetic” and now “looks forward to doing cardio” because it is “completely disguised as gaming.”
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and Toby’s personal growth throughout the text: he went from hating traditional exercise to loving it because VR made it feel like a fun game.