Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Entrepreneurship & Hustle
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Online Vintage Shop
For as long as I can remember, I have loved fashion. However, as a teenager, I never had enough money to buy expensive designer brands. That’s why I started spending my weekends exploring local charity shops. I often found amazing vintage jackets and dresses for almost nothing. One day, while I was organising my wardrobe, I realised I had too many clothes. I decided to start an online shop to resell some of my best finds. I thought it would be a fun way to earn some extra pocket money.
At first, running the shop was incredibly exciting. I spent hours washing the clothes, taking beautiful photographs in my garden, and writing interesting descriptions for each item. Whenever someone bought something, I carefully wrapped it in colourful paper and posted it the same day. Within a few weeks, I had made a nice profit, and my small business was growing steadily. I felt very proud of myself and even started dreaming about opening a real shop one day.
But running a business isn’t always easy. Last month, I sold a beautiful winter coat to a woman in London. I was sure she would love it, so I was shocked when I received an angry message from her a few days later. She complained that a button was missing from the sleeve and demanded her money back. Reading her harsh words made me feel terrible. I had checked the coat, but I obviously hadn’t looked closely enough. My first reaction was to argue with her, as I felt it was only a tiny mistake.
However, I knew that arguing wouldn’t solve the problem. I took a deep breath and wrote a polite reply. I apologised for my mistake and immediately gave her a full refund, telling her she could keep the coat too. To my surprise, her attitude changed completely. She thanked me for being so helpful and later wrote a five-star review on my shop’s page, promising to buy from me again in the future.
That experience taught me a valuable lesson about running a business. I realised that making mistakes is normal, but how you fix them is what truly matters. If you treat your customers with respect, they will return. I am much more careful with my clothes now, and my little shop is doing better than ever!
1 Why did the writer decide to start her online shop?
(A) She wanted to design her own expensive clothing brands.
(B) She needed to make some money from the clothes she no longer wore.
(C) She was asked to help out by the manager of a local charity shop.
(D) She wanted to buy more vintage clothes to add to her wardrobe.
2 How did the writer feel about her business in the beginning?
(A) Pleased with her progress and hopeful about the future.
(B) Annoyed that posting the items took up so much of her time.
(C) Surprised by how quickly she was able to open a real shop.
(D) Tired from spending hours washing and photographing clothes.
3 When the writer read the customer’s message, she initially wanted to
(A) check the winter coat again to see if the button was there.
(B) send the customer a replacement button for the sleeve.
(C) give the money back immediately because she felt terrible.
(D) tell the customer that she was wrong to complain.
4 What happened after the writer resolved the problem?
(A) The customer sent the winter coat back to the writer.
(B) The customer decided to leave positive feedback online.
(C) The writer asked the customer to buy another item.
(D) The writer realised she couldn’t afford to give refunds.
5 What would the writer write in her diary today?
(A) I’m making a lot of money, but dealing with angry customers is too stressful. I think I’ll stop selling vintage clothes online.
(B) I lost money on a winter coat today. Next time a customer complains about a missing button, I will definitely refuse to give a refund.
(C) Starting an online shop was a great idea. Dealing with a difficult situation showed me that treating people well is the key to success.
(D) I’m so proud that I opened a real clothes shop today! It’s much better than photographing old charity shop clothes in my garden.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states the writer realised she “had too many clothes” and decided to resell them to “earn some extra pocket money”.
2 A – The second paragraph explains she “felt very proud of myself and even started dreaming about opening a real shop one day”, which shows she was pleased and hopeful.
3 D – In the third paragraph, the writer admits that her “first reaction was to argue with her”, meaning she initially wanted to tell the customer she shouldn’t complain.
4 B – Paragraph four explains that after the refund, the customer “wrote a five-star review on my shop’s page”, which is paraphrased as leaving positive feedback online.
5 C – This captures the global meaning and the writer’s attitude: she is positive about her shop, learned a valuable lesson from a mistake, and understands the importance of good customer service for keeping customers.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Sneaker Painting Disaster
Ever since I was young, I’ve been obsessed with art and street fashion. About a year ago, I decided to combine these two passions by customizing plain white sneakers. I started by painting colourful designs on my own old shoes, and soon my friends were asking me to paint theirs. When people at school started offering to pay me for my artwork, I created a social media page to take official orders. I felt incredibly proud that my hobby was slowly turning into a real small business.
A few months later, I received a message from a new client who wanted a highly detailed design. To make things even more stressful, he sent me a brand-new pair of very expensive designer sneakers to work on. I was thrilled about the opportunity, but I also wanted to make a good profit. Because the design required several rare colours, I decided to buy a new, cheaper brand of paint instead of my usual high-quality one. I assumed that all shoe paints were basically the same and didn’t think twice about it.
I spent an entire weekend carefully painting the detailed patterns onto the leather. At first, the sneakers looked absolutely incredible. However, disaster struck on Monday morning when I checked on them. As the cheap paint had dried, it had completely cracked and started peeling off. I panicked and desperately tried to wash the paint off, but the strong colours had permanently stained the white leather. I realised with horror that the expensive sneakers were completely ruined and could never be worn.
I had no choice but to contact the client, explain my terrible mistake, and apologise. I then had to use all the money I had saved from my previous orders to buy him an exact replacement pair. Handing over my hard-earned savings was a painful and depressing experience. However, it taught me a vital lesson about running a business. I now always test any new materials on old pieces of fabric before using them on a client’s item. My sneaker business is still growing, but I am now much more professional and careful with every single order.
1 Why did the writer start a social media page?
(A) He wanted to show off his old shoes to his classmates.
(B) He needed a way to manage the requests from paying customers.
(C) He was told to do it by his art and fashion teachers.
(D) He wanted to buy plain white sneakers at a lower price.
2 Why did the writer buy a different brand of paint?
(A) He wanted to try out higher-quality materials on the shoes.
(B) His usual paint brand didn’t have the exact colours he needed.
(C) He wanted to keep his costs down to make more money.
(D) The client specifically asked him to use a rare type of paint.
3 What happened after the writer finished painting the sneakers?
(A) He successfully washed off some stains from the white leather.
(B) The colours changed completely when they were left to dry.
(C) He realised the paint had broken apart and damaged the shoes.
(D) The client was extremely unhappy with the detailed patterns.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) That he should always check how new products work before applying them.
(B) That he should stop accepting orders for expensive brand-name sneakers.
(C) That replacing damaged shoes is a quick and simple process.
(D) That saving money is the most important part of running a small business.
5 What would the writer write in his diary about his business?
(A) I’m so angry with the client for sending me such expensive shoes. It’s his fault I had to spend all my savings!
(B) Using cheap paint was a terrible mistake that cost me all my savings, but it taught me a valuable lesson about preparation.
(C) I managed to clean the cracked paint off the leather just in time. The client loved the shoes and I made a huge profit!
(D) I’ve decided to close my social media page. The stress of ruining a pair of sneakers means I never want to paint again.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – Paragraph 1 states that when people “started offering to pay me for my artwork, I created a social media page to take official orders,” which matches needing a way to manage paying customers.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains, “I also wanted to make a good profit… I decided to buy a new, cheaper brand of paint,” meaning he wanted to keep costs low to earn more money.
3 C – Paragraph 3 describes the disaster where the paint “had completely cracked and started peeling off” and “ruined” the shoes, which maps to realizing the paint had broken apart and caused damage.
4 A – Paragraph 4 details how the writer learned a “vital lesson” and now will “always test any new materials on old pieces of fabric before using them,” meaning he checks products before applying them.
5 B – This option captures the global narrative arc: starting a business, making a costly mistake by using cheaper materials to maximize profits, taking financial responsibility, and ultimately learning a crucial lesson to become more professional.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Trick to Selling Treats
I have always loved animals and baking, so last summer I decided to start my own small business. I wanted to make healthy, homemade dog treats. I spent weeks researching dog-friendly ingredients and testing recipes in my parents’ kitchen. When I gave some to my friends’ pets, they absolutely loved them. Because of this, I felt incredibly confident. I rented a small table at the local weekend market, expecting to sell all my treats on the very first morning.
However, my first day at the market was a huge disappointment. I set up my table beautifully with clear signs, but almost nobody stopped to look. The market was crowded, but shoppers were busy looking at larger, more colourful stalls selling clothes and hot food. People just walked past me without even noticing my homemade biscuits. By the end of the afternoon, I had only sold two small bags. I went home feeling completely exhausted and miserable, wondering if my business idea was a terrible mistake.
I knew I had to try something completely different if I wanted to succeed. The following Saturday, I decided to bring my own dog, a clever spaniel named Buster, to the market with me. Buster is very energetic and knows how to do several entertaining tricks. Instead of just sitting quietly behind my table, I stood in front of it and started asking Buster to perform. I gave him commands to spin around, jump in the air, and wave at the passing shoppers.
The change was absolutely amazing. As soon as people saw Buster performing, they immediately stopped walking to watch him. Children laughed, and parents stopped to ask questions about my clever pet. Once they were standing at my stall, they naturally noticed the healthy treats I was selling. I explained that my biscuits were the secret to Buster’s high energy. Before lunchtime, a large crowd had gathered, and I had sold absolutely everything I had baked.
That weekend taught me a very valuable lesson about running a business. I realised that having a fantastic, high-quality product is simply not enough. If you want people to buy what you are selling, you have to find an exciting way to get their attention first. Sometimes, good marketing is all about putting on a great show.
1 Why did the writer feel confident about her new business?
(A) She had found a cheap table to rent at the market.
(B) She knew that other dogs already enjoyed her baking.
(C) She had studied how to make pet food at university.
(D) She received advice from successful local business owners.
2 What happened on the writer’s first day at the market?
(A) The weather was too hot for people to go shopping.
(B) Shoppers complained that her table wasn’t set up beautifully.
(C) People were distracted by other things and ignored her stall.
(D) She sold all her treats to a few customers very quickly.
3 What was the writer’s new plan for the second week?
(A) She decided to sell more entertaining toys for dogs.
(B) She brought another person to help her behind the table.
(C) She taught her dog some exciting new tricks at the market.
(D) She used her own pet to put on a performance for people.
4 How did the customers react to Buster?
(A) They bought the treats because they wanted to feed him.
(B) Their interest in him led them to discover the writer’s products.
(C) They asked the writer to teach their own dogs how to do tricks.
(D) They thought the writer was charging too much for the biscuits.
5 What would the writer say about her business experience?
(A) “I’ve learned that making healthy treats is a waste of time because people only care about fun tricks.”
(B) “My business is finally successful, but I am exhausted from baking so many biscuits every single day.”
(C) “It doesn’t matter how good your product is if you don’t know how to attract customers to your stall.”
(D) “I’m so glad I stopped selling treats and decided to start a new career as a professional dog trainer.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph, “When I gave some to my friends’ pets, they absolutely loved them. Because of this, I felt incredibly confident.” This matches knowing that other dogs already enjoyed her baking.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that shoppers “were busy looking at larger, more colourful stalls… People just walked past me without even noticing my homemade biscuits.” This is a factually correct paraphrase for being distracted by other things and ignoring her stall.
3 D – Paragraph three explains that instead of sitting behind the table, she stood in front of it and “started asking Buster to perform,” giving him commands to do tricks for the shoppers. This maps perfectly to using her pet to put on a performance.
4 B – The fourth paragraph states that after people stopped to watch the dog, “Once they were standing at my stall, they naturally noticed the healthy treats I was selling.” This means their interest in the dog led them to discover her products.
5 C – This option successfully captures the global meaning and the specific lesson in the final paragraph: “I realised that having a fantastic, high-quality product is simply not enough. If you want people to buy what you are selling, you have to find an exciting way to get their attention first.”