Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Entrepreneurship & Hustle
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Saving the Party
I have always loved spending time with my younger cousins, so when my neighbour asked me to organise the games for her son Leo’s seventh birthday party, I immediately agreed. I was saving up for a new laptop, and this seemed like the perfect way to earn some extra money. I wanted everything to be absolutely perfect, so I spent my entire weekend planning a strict schedule of traditional games, like musical chairs and egg-and-spoon races. I even bought small prizes for the winners. I felt incredibly prepared and confident as I arrived at Leo’s house on Saturday afternoon.
However, the reality of the party was completely different from what I had imagined. As soon as the fifteen children arrived, the house became incredibly noisy. When I tried to explain the rules for the first game, nobody listened to me. The kids were running around the living room, shouting, and throwing balloons at each other. Whenever I managed to get a few children to sit down, the others would run away. After twenty minutes of trying to follow my carefully written schedule, I started to panic. I felt like I was completely failing at my very first job.
I quickly realised that my traditional games were far too slow for a group of highly energetic seven-year-olds. If I wanted to save the party, I had to stop forcing them to follow my strict rules. I noticed they were all jumping around to the background music, which gave me a sudden idea. I put my schedule in my pocket, walked over to the music player, and turned up the volume. “Right, everyone!” I shouted through a microphone. “Forget the games. Who wants to enter the ultimate dance competition?”
The reaction was amazing. The children immediately stopped running around and started showing off their best dance moves. I became the judge, encouraging them and giving out prizes for the silliest and most energetic dancing. By the time Leo’s parents brought out the birthday cake, the kids were exhausted but incredibly happy. The experience taught me a very valuable lesson about organising events. I discovered that no matter how much you prepare, things will go wrong, so you must always be flexible. I’m now looking forward to doing more parties, but without a strict plan!
1 Why did the writer accept the job to organise the party?
(A) She wanted to earn enough cash to buy a computer.
(B) She was hoping to spend more time with her younger cousins.
(C) She needed to help her neighbour choose a birthday present.
(D) She wanted an excuse to buy small prizes and play games.
2 How did the writer feel shortly after the children arrived?
(A) Annoyed because the music in the living room was too loud.
(B) Worried because the children refused to pay attention to her.
(C) Surprised that so many children had come to the birthday party.
(D) Disappointed that the children didn’t like the traditional games.
3 Why did the writer decide to start a dance competition?
(A) Because Leo’s parents asked her to change the background music.
(B) Because she had forgotten where she put her schedule of games.
(C) Because she realised her original plan didn’t suit the children’s energy.
(D) Because she wanted to use the microphone she had found in the room.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) Preparing carefully for an event is usually a waste of time.
(B) Traditional games are definitely the best choice for birthdays.
(C) Children’s parties are much easier to manage than she thought.
(D) It is important to be able to change your plans if necessary.
5 What would the writer write in her diary that night?
(A) I will never organise a children’s party again. The kids were so wild that my whole schedule was ruined and the parents were disappointed.
(B) Today was tough at first, but I saved the party! I realised that adapting to the situation is much more useful than following a strict list of games.
(C) The dance competition was a disaster because the kids had too much energy. Next time, I will make sure they play musical chairs properly.
(D) I’m so glad I bought those small prizes. I managed to follow my weekend plan perfectly and the children listened to all of my rules.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The first paragraph states the writer accepted because she “was saving up for a new laptop, and this seemed like the perfect way to earn some extra money”.
2 B – In the second paragraph, the writer mentions that “nobody listened to me” and that after trying to follow her schedule, she “started to panic” and felt she was failing.
3 C – The third paragraph explains that she “realised that my traditional games were far too slow” for the energetic kids and she “had to stop forcing them to follow my strict rules.”
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, she reflects that “no matter how much you prepare, things will go wrong, so you must always be flexible,” meaning you must be able to change plans.
5 B – This option successfully captures the global narrative arc: acknowledging the initial difficulty, the success of the impromptu dance contest, and the main lesson learned about the necessity of flexibility in event management.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Space Game Adventure
Ever since I was a young child, I have absolutely loved playing board games with my family. One weekend, it rained non-stop, so I decided to stay indoors and invent my own card game. I wanted to design something exciting about space exploration and eventually sell it online to other gamers. I spent weeks drawing colourful aliens on the cards and writing down the instructions. I felt incredibly proud of my creation and felt extremely confident that people would want to buy it immediately.
When I finally finished the first physical copy of the game, I invited four of my closest friends over to test it. I expected them to be completely amazed, but the reality was quite different. As I started explaining how to play, their faces quickly looked confused. The rules were simply too complicated to remember. After forty-five minutes of reading the instruction manual, we hadn’t even finished the first round. My friends tried to be polite, but I could easily tell that they were feeling quite bored. I felt deeply disappointed and embarrassed.
The next morning, I was so upset that I almost threw the entire game in the bin. However, I decided to change my approach instead. I realised that a successful game doesn’t need to be difficult to be enjoyable. I spent the next few days throwing away half of the rules and making the instructions much easier to understand. I invited my friends back for another try, and this time, we couldn’t stop laughing. The game was fast, simple, and highly entertaining.
Seeing how much they enjoyed the new version gave me the courage to launch a crowdfunding campaign on the internet. I uploaded a short video explaining my simplified space game, hoping to raise just enough money to print fifty boxes. To my absolute amazement, hundreds of strangers supported my project within the first week. I actually raised enough cash to manufacture a thousand games! This whole adventure has taught me a valuable lesson. It proved that initial failure is just a normal step towards success, as long as you are willing to listen to feedback and make necessary changes.
1 Why did the writer decide to create a card game?
(A) He wanted to impress his family with his drawing skills.
(B) He had to stay inside because of the bad weather.
(C) He couldn’t find any good space games to buy online.
(D) He was asked to design one for a school project.
2 What happened when the writer played the game with his friends?
(A) They finished the game too quickly because it was easy.
(B) They were amazed by the colourful alien drawings on the cards.
(C) They struggled to understand the complicated instructions.
(D) They refused to play the game because it was too boring.
3 How did the writer solve the problem with his game?
(A) He threw the old game away and invented a completely new one.
(B) He reduced the number of rules to make it simpler.
(C) He asked his friends to help him write better instructions.
(D) He spent more days making the game last much longer.
4 What surprised the writer about his crowdfunding campaign?
(A) He only managed to sell fifty boxes of his game.
(B) It took a long time to get people to support his project.
(C) He received more financial support than he had expected.
(D) Strangers gave him useful feedback on his game design.
5 What would the writer write in his blog about this experience?
(A) My space game is finally a huge success! I’m glad I didn’t change anything, because my friends just didn’t understand how clever it was.
(B) Making a game was much harder than I thought. My friends hated the rules, so I’ve decided to give up designing games completely.
(C) Changing my game to make it simpler was the best decision. I’ve learned that listening to other people’s opinions can lead to great results.
(D) Raising money online is incredibly easy. All you need is a quick video and a space theme, and people will buy thousands of copies.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – Paragraph 1 states that “One weekend, it rained non-stop, so I decided to stay indoors and invent my own card game,” matching the fact that bad weather kept him inside.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that his friends’ faces “looked confused” and the “rules were simply too complicated to remember,” showing they struggled to understand how to play.
3 B – Paragraph 3 details how the writer spent a few days “throwing away half of the rules and making the instructions much easier to understand,” which paraphrases reducing the rules to simplify it.
4 C – Paragraph 4 describes how he hoped to raise enough for just fifty boxes, but “To my absolute amazement, hundreds of strangers supported my project” and he raised enough cash for a thousand games.
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global narrative arc: starting with a difficult and flawed game, using his friends’ reactions (feedback) to simplify the design, and ultimately achieving great success as a result of making those changes.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Cost of a Crash
I’ve always loved flying remote-controlled gadgets, and recently I bought a high-quality drone with a built-in camera. Because I wanted to earn some money during the summer holidays, I decided to start a small business. My idea was to film beautiful houses from the sky for local real estate agents. I thought it was a brilliant plan because the agents could use my amazing videos to sell their properties much faster. After sending a few emails, a local agent hired me to film a large, expensive house in my town.
When I arrived at the property, the weather was absolutely perfect. There was no wind at all, so I confidently launched my drone into the bright blue sky. I spent about twenty minutes flying it carefully around the garden, recording some fantastic footage. However, when I tried to fly over the roof to get a final shot of the whole area, something terrible happened. I misjudged the distance, and the drone crashed straight into the old brick chimney. The machine fell all the way down to the ground and broke into pieces.
I was incredibly upset about losing my expensive equipment, but the situation quickly became much worse. The crash had actually damaged the chimney, and a few heavy bricks had fallen and broken a window below. When the homeowner found out, he was understandably very angry. I had to apologise repeatedly and promise to pay for all the necessary repairs. A few days later, the builder’s bill arrived. It was so expensive that it completely wiped out all the savings I had made from my previous part-time jobs.
Although I was disappointed, the disaster taught me a crucial lesson about running a professional business. I realised that having a good idea and the right equipment is simply not enough. Accidents can happen to anyone, no matter how careful they are. Because of this, I have now learned that before you start offering services to the public, you absolutely must buy professional business insurance to protect yourself from unexpected costs. I am saving up for a new drone, but next time, I will definitely be fully insured before I fly.
1 Why did the writer start a drone photography business?
(A) He wanted to help his parents sell their house quickly.
(B) He needed to buy a high-quality drone with a camera.
(C) He hoped to make some cash during his time off school.
(D) He was asked by a local real estate agent to start filming.
2 What caused the drone to crash?
(A) The strong wind suddenly blew it into the house.
(B) The writer made a mistake while estimating the space.
(C) The drone’s battery ran out while it was flying over the roof.
(D) The writer was distracted by the fantastic footage he was recording.
3 How did the writer feel when he received the bill for the repairs?
(A) Annoyed because the builder charged him too much money.
(B) Worried that he would lose his other part-time jobs.
(C) Relieved that he only had to pay for a broken window.
(D) Upset that the cost took away all the money he had saved.
4 What does the writer think is necessary for a successful business?
(A) Getting the best possible equipment before you begin.
(B) Being as careful as possible to avoid any accidents.
(C) Having financial protection in case something goes wrong.
(D) Offering your services to the public at a cheaper price.
5 What would the writer write in a blog post about his experience?
(A) “Starting a business was a mistake. I’ve decided to stop flying drones because it is too dangerous and expensive.”
(B) “My drone crashed and damaged a house, which taught me that having insurance is essential for any business owner.”
(C) “I was very unlucky with the weather, but I managed to make enough money to buy a brand new drone.”
(D) “Real estate agents are difficult to work for. If you break something, they will make you pay for all the repairs.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – The text states in the first paragraph, “Because I wanted to earn some money during the summer holidays, I decided to start a small business.” This directly paraphrases to hoping to make some cash during his time off school.
2 B – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that when flying over the roof, “I misjudged the distance, and the drone crashed straight into the old brick chimney.” This is a factually correct paraphrase for making a mistake while estimating the space.
3 D – Paragraph three explains that the builder’s bill “completely wiped out all the savings I had made from my previous part-time jobs.” This maps perfectly to being upset that the cost took away all the money he had saved.
4 C – The fourth paragraph states that the writer learned “you absolutely must buy professional business insurance to protect yourself from unexpected costs.” This means having financial protection in case something goes wrong is necessary.
5 B – This option successfully captures the global meaning and the specific lesson in the final paragraph: experiencing an expensive crash that taught him the crucial importance of having professional business insurance.