Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Entrepreneurship & Hustle
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Nature’s Little Helpers
I have always enjoyed helping my parents in the garden, so last spring, I decided to turn my hobby into a small business. I cleared a large patch of land behind our house to grow organic tomatoes. My goal was to earn enough money to buy a new bicycle. I visited a popular local restaurant and spoke to the head chef. When I explained that my tomatoes would be grown completely naturally, without any chemicals, he was incredibly impressed. He immediately agreed to buy my entire harvest.
For the first two months, everything went perfectly. The plants grew tall and produced hundreds of green tomatoes. However, one morning, I noticed something terrible. Tiny insects had covered the leaves and were slowly destroying the plants. Within just a few days, the insects had eaten almost half of my crop. I felt absolutely devastated. I seriously considered giving up and calling the chef to cancel our arrangement, assuming the rest of the tomatoes would soon be ruined too.
I knew I had to act quickly, but I faced a difficult choice. I could easily buy a strong chemical spray to kill the insects, but that would mean breaking my promise to the chef about growing organic food. Instead, I spent hours researching natural solutions online. I discovered that ladybugs actually eat the type of pests that were attacking my plants. Although it sounded strange, I ordered a large box of live ladybugs from a gardening website and carefully released them onto my tomato plants.
To my absolute amazement, the natural trick worked perfectly. The ladybugs quickly removed the harmful insects, and the remaining tomatoes grew into large, juicy red fruits. When I finally delivered the harvest to the restaurant, I told the chef the story of how the ladybugs had saved the crop. He thought it was brilliant and even included the story on the restaurant’s menu. Customers loved the idea, and the tomato dish sold out every night. It was a stressful experience, but it taught me that there is always a creative way to solve a business problem.
1 Why did the writer start growing tomatoes?
(A) He wanted to earn money to buy a new bicycle.
(B) His parents asked him to help more in the garden.
(C) A local chef suggested it would be a good business.
(D) He wanted to learn how to use farming chemicals.
2 How did the writer feel when he saw the insects?
(A) Surprised that his tomato plants had grown so tall.
(B) Confident that he could save the green tomatoes.
(C) Upset because he thought he would lose his whole crop.
(D) Angry that the chef wanted to cancel their agreement.
3 Why did the writer decide not to use a chemical spray?
(A) It was too difficult to find in gardening shops.
(B) He wanted to keep his word about how the food was grown.
(C) He read online that ladybugs were much cheaper to buy.
(D) He was afraid the spray would harm his live ladybugs.
4 What happened when the writer delivered the tomatoes?
(A) The chef decided to order fewer tomatoes for the restaurant.
(B) The customers complained about insects in their food.
(C) The restaurant used his experience to help sell the food.
(D) The chef gave him a new recipe to try at home.
5 What would the writer write in his diary today?
(A) Growing organic food is impossible without chemicals. I’m going to have to break my promise to the chef next year.
(B) I managed to save my business using nature! It was a worrying time, but the chef and the customers loved the final result.
(C) The ladybugs ate all my tomatoes, which was a disaster. I will never try to run my own gardening business again.
(D) I earned enough for my bike, but the chef refused to put my name on the menu. I think I’ll sell to a different restaurant next time.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The first paragraph states that the writer’s goal “was to earn enough money to buy a new bicycle,” showing his initial motivation for growing the tomatoes.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer mentions feeling “absolutely devastated” and assuming “the rest of the tomatoes would soon be ruined too,” which paraphrases to being upset about losing the whole crop.
3 B – The third paragraph explains that using a strong chemical spray “would mean breaking my promise to the chef about growing organic food.”
4 C – The fourth paragraph details that the chef “included the story on the restaurant’s menu” and “Customers loved the idea,” showing the restaurant used his experience to promote and sell the dish.
5 B – This option successfully captures the global narrative: the writer faced a stressful problem with his crop, used a natural solution to fix it, and ultimately pleased both the chef and the restaurant’s customers.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Custom T-Shirt Business
Ever since I was young, I’ve loved drawing graphic designs. A few months ago, I decided to turn my hobby into a small business by making custom t-shirts. I used all my birthday money to order a professional heat-press machine online. I had seen several videos of people making clothes on the internet, and I honestly thought the whole process looked incredibly simple. I imagined I would just press a button and start selling dozens of colourful shirts to my classmates by the end of the week.
However, my excitement quickly disappeared when my machine finally arrived. I eagerly invited my best friend over to watch me print my very first batch of ten shirts. I set the machine to a high temperature, hoping it would make the pictures stick to the fabric much faster. Unfortunately, this was a terrible idea. When I lifted the press, the designs had completely melted, and the cotton was burnt. All ten expensive t-shirts were ruined. I felt extremely foolish and worried that I had just thrown my savings in the bin.
Despite feeling miserable, I refused to give up. I realised that I couldn’t just guess how the machine worked. Instead, I spent the entire weekend carefully reading the instruction manual and watching detailed tutorials by experienced printers. I learned that different types of fabric actually require completely different temperatures and pressing times. Rather than risking more brand new shirts, I practised my technique on some of my dad’s old clothes until I finally understood how to control the heat perfectly.
Last week, I finally completed my first official order for the school basketball team. When I handed over the twenty perfect shirts, the players were absolutely delighted with the professional quality. My new business is now slowly growing, but I’ll never forget my disastrous first attempt. It taught me that becoming an entrepreneur isn’t just about buying the right equipment. You also have to be willing to invest your time in learning the necessary skills, even if it means making a few costly mistakes along the way.
1 Why did the writer buy the heat-press machine?
(A) He wanted to start selling his own custom clothing.
(B) His classmates asked him to print shirts for them.
(C) He wanted to save money on buying expensive clothes.
(D) His friends recommended a specific professional machine.
2 What problem did the writer have with his first ten shirts?
(A) The machine was already broken when it arrived.
(B) He used the wrong kind of fabric for his colourful designs.
(C) He set the machine too hot in order to speed up the process.
(D) His best friend accidentally melted the pictures on the cotton.
3 What did the writer do to improve his printing technique?
(A) He bought some new t-shirts to practise on.
(B) He invited experienced printers to visit his house.
(C) He started guessing which temperatures were best.
(D) He studied how to use the equipment properly.
4 How does the writer feel about his business now?
(A) He is upset that his basketball shirts were too expensive to make.
(B) He understands that making mistakes is part of learning a business.
(C) He wishes he hadn’t bought such expensive equipment at the start.
(D) He thinks that anyone can print quality shirts without any practice.
5 What would the writer write in his diary about his experience?
(A) I ruined my first batch of shirts today, so I’ve decided to sell the machine. Starting a business is just too stressful for me.
(B) My new machine is amazing! It’s just as easy to use as I thought, and I didn’t even need to read the instructions to get perfect results.
(C) Starting my t-shirt business has been a challenge. Burning my first shirts was a tough lesson, but putting in the effort to learn was completely worth it.
(D) The basketball team loved their shirts, but I really regret spending all my birthday money on a machine that simply melts my designs.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – Paragraph 1 states that the writer decided to “turn my hobby into a small business by making custom t-shirts,” which matches wanting to start selling his own custom clothing.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that he “set the machine to a high temperature, hoping it would make the pictures stick to the fabric much faster,” which led to the shirts being burnt and ruined.
3 D – Paragraph 3 details how the writer spent the weekend “carefully reading the instruction manual and watching detailed tutorials,” which paraphrases studying how to use the equipment properly.
4 B – Paragraph 4 shows the writer’s reflection that becoming an entrepreneur requires investing time in learning skills, “even if it means making a few costly mistakes along the way.”
5 C – This option accurately captures the global narrative arc of the text: making an initial costly mistake, taking the time to educate himself on the proper technique, and ultimately feeling that the hard lesson led to a successful business outcome.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Ultimate Escape
During the lockdown last year, everyone was stuck at home. I have always loved computers and complex puzzles, so I decided to use my free time to start a small online business. My idea was to create virtual escape rooms specifically for corporate team-building events. Companies could pay me to let their employees solve fun digital mysteries together on the internet. I spent weeks designing the website, drawing the digital rooms, and coding all the secret clues. When a large, famous company booked my game for twenty of their workers, I was absolutely delighted and excited to begin.
On the afternoon of the event, I sat in my bedroom with three computer screens, ready to manage the game. I welcomed all twenty players on a live video call and clearly explained the rules to them. At first, everything went perfectly. The players were laughing, communicating with each other, and slowly solving my difficult puzzles. I felt incredibly proud watching them enjoy the virtual world I had built.
However, an hour into the game, a terrible disaster suddenly happened. A major technical glitch in my software caused my main server to crash, and the virtual game completely froze for everyone. Suddenly, my screen was full of frustrated faces. Twenty people were complaining loudly on the video call, annoyed and asking why they couldn’t click on anything. My heart started beating terribly fast. The pressure of so many people staring at me was enormous, and I seriously wanted to turn off my computer and hide under my bed.
I knew I couldn’t simply run away and ignore my paying customers. I took a deep breath and spoke confidently to the group. I apologised calmly for the delay, promised to fix the issue immediately, and asked them to chat together for just five minutes. Then, I quickly checked my complicated server code, found the tiny mistake, and restarted the whole system. Thankfully, the game began working smoothly again. The players successfully finished the escape room and even cheered happily when they finally escaped.
That extremely stressful afternoon taught me a crucial lesson about running an online business. I realised that being a brilliant programmer is only half the job. Dealing with live complaints and learning how to stay calm while fixing serious problems under intense pressure are the true tests of a successful business owner.
1 Why did the writer decide to create virtual escape rooms?
(A) He wanted to use his hobbies to start a business during the lockdown.
(B) A large, famous company asked him to design a game for them.
(C) He needed to solve a complex digital mystery for his university course.
(D) He wanted to play online games with his friends while stuck at home.
2 How did the writer feel at the beginning of the event?
(A) Worried that he hadn’t explained the game rules clearly enough.
(B) Pleased because the players were successfully enjoying his creation.
(C) Surprised that twenty people could easily fit on one live video call.
(D) Annoyed that the players were laughing instead of solving the puzzles.
3 What happened when the game crashed?
(A) The players decided to turn off their computers and leave the game.
(B) The live video call completely stopped working for everyone.
(C) The writer felt incredibly anxious because of the players’ reactions.
(D) The main server deleted all of the writer’s complicated software.
4 How did the writer solve the problem with the game?
(A) He asked the group of players to find the mistake in his software.
(B) He ignored the paying customers until the system fixed itself.
(C) He bought a brand new server to make the game run smoothly again.
(D) He communicated with the players and corrected the computer code.
5 What would the writer say about his experience?
(A) “Technical glitches are normal, so you shouldn’t worry or apologise when your software suddenly crashes.”
(B) “Having good computer skills isn’t enough; you also need to manage people and problems well.”
(C) “I’ve decided to stop running my online business because the corporate customers were just too rude.”
(D) “It’s impossible to fix a broken server when twenty people are staring at you on a computer screen.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The text states in the first paragraph, “I have always loved computers and complex puzzles, so I decided to use my free time to start a small online business.” This directly paraphrases to wanting to use his hobbies to start a business.
2 B – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that everything went perfectly and “I felt incredibly proud watching them enjoy the virtual world I had built.” This maps perfectly to being pleased because the players were enjoying his creation.
3 C – Paragraph three explains that when the players complained, “My heart started beating terribly fast. The pressure… was enormous, and I seriously wanted to turn off my computer and hide”. This is a factually correct paraphrase for feeling incredibly anxious because of their reactions.
4 D – The fourth paragraph states that the writer “spoke confidently to the group”, “apologised calmly”, and then “checked my complicated server code, found the tiny mistake, and restarted the whole system.” This matches communicating with the players and correcting the computer code.
5 B – This option successfully captures the global meaning and the specific lesson in the final paragraph: “I realised that being a brilliant programmer is only half the job. Dealing with live complaints and learning how to stay calm while fixing serious problems… are the true tests”.