Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Entrepreneurship & Hustle
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Cost of Snacks
I’ve always loved trying foreign food, so when I was looking for a way to earn some extra money, I had a brilliant idea. I decided to start my own subscription box business. My plan was to create a monthly box filled with unusual snacks from all over the world and send it to customers. I imagined it would be a really fun and simple way to start my career as a young entrepreneur.
At first, the business grew much faster than I expected. Finding delicious Japanese biscuits or spicy Mexican crisps online was actually the easy part. I bought the snacks in large quantities, packed them into beautiful cardboard boxes, and quickly found fifty customers on social media. However, when I took the first mountain of boxes to the local post office to send them, I got a terrible shock. The cost of sending the parcels to people’s houses was incredibly high.
When I returned home and checked my accounts, I felt completely miserable. Because the shipping prices were so expensive, all of my profits had completely disappeared. In fact, I realised that I was actually losing money on every single box I sent out! For a few days, I seriously considered shutting down my website and giving up. I thought my dream of running a successful business was ruined before it had even properly begun.
But then, I decided I couldn’t just let my new customers down. I spent hours reading about delivery services on the internet. I discovered that some companies offer special discounts for businesses. The next morning, I arranged a meeting with the manager of the local delivery company. I explained that I would be sending hundreds of boxes every month, and after a long discussion, we finally agreed on a much cheaper business rate.
That single meeting completely saved my subscription box business. Now, I have over two hundred regular customers, and I am finally making a healthy profit. The experience taught me a vital lesson. Having a fantastic, creative product is important, but if you don’t carefully manage the boring everyday costs, your business will never survive.
1 Why did the writer decide to start the subscription box business?
(A) He wanted a fun way to earn some extra cash.
(B) He was asked to send foreign snacks to his friends.
(C) He needed to complete a project for his business class.
(D) He wanted to travel the world to find unusual food.
2 What was the writer’s main problem in the second paragraph?
(A) He couldn’t find enough beautiful cardboard boxes.
(B) He found it very difficult to buy snacks from Japan and Mexico.
(C) He was shocked by how much it cost to deliver the parcels.
(D) He bought too many snacks and couldn’t sell them all.
3 How did the writer feel after checking his accounts?
(A) Annoyed because his customers hadn’t paid him yet.
(B) Ready to quit because his business was losing money.
(C) Relieved that he had finally finished sending the first boxes.
(D) Confident that his profits would improve the following month.
4 What did the writer do to solve his problem?
(A) He decided to use the internet to send his boxes instead.
(B) He charged his customers a lot more money for the delivery.
(C) He stopped sending boxes to customers who lived far away.
(D) He asked the delivery company manager for a cheaper price.
5 What would the writer write in a blog post about his business?
(A) “My snack business failed because buying unusual food from other countries was simply too expensive.”
(B) “I’m so glad I gave up my business when it started losing money, because it was just too stressful.”
(C) “I’ve learned that a successful business needs both a creative product and careful control of its costs.”
(D) “If you want to start a subscription box, you should always avoid using the local delivery company.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The text states in the first paragraph, “when I was looking for a way to earn some extra money, I had a brilliant idea. I decided to start my own subscription box business.” This directly paraphrases to wanting a fun way to earn some extra cash.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that buying the snacks was easy, but when he went to send them, “The cost of sending the parcels to people’s houses was incredibly high.” This is a factually correct paraphrase for being shocked by how much it cost to deliver the parcels.
3 B – Paragraph three explains that because he was losing money, “I seriously considered shutting down my website and giving up.” This maps perfectly to being ready to quit because his business was losing money.
4 D – The fourth paragraph states that the writer “arranged a meeting with the manager of the local delivery company… and after a long discussion, we finally agreed on a much cheaper business rate.” This matches asking the manager for a cheaper price.
5 C – This option successfully captures the global meaning and the specific lesson in the final paragraph: “Having a fantastic, creative product is important, but if you don’t carefully manage the boring everyday costs, your business will never survive.”
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Quality Over Quick Cash
My name is Liam, and last year I started my own online business selling printed phone cases. I have always loved graphic design, so I decided to put my digital artwork onto phone cases and sell them on the internet. At first, I only sold a few cases a week to my friends and family. However, after I posted some videos of my designs on social media, my small business quickly became very popular. I was incredibly excited to see orders coming in from all over the country.
A few months later, I prepared for the busy winter holiday season. I wanted to make sure I had enough stock, so I ordered a large box of one hundred cases from my usual supplier. When the heavy package finally arrived at my house, I eagerly opened it. Unfortunately, my excitement quickly turned into shock and disappointment. The printing company had made a terrible mistake. Every single case had my most popular design printed completely upside down.
At first, I didn’t know what to do. I had spent a lot of my savings on this order. Some of my friends suggested that I should just sell them anyway at a lower price. They argued that some customers might not notice or care about the mistake. I thought about it for a while, but I knew I couldn’t do it. I realised that if people received a bad product, they would leave negative reviews. I decided that protecting my brand’s reputation was far more important than making a quick sale.
Instead of selling the faulty cases, I threw them away and immediately started looking for a new printing company. I spent days reading reviews and contacting different businesses. Finally, I found a new, highly recommended supplier. They charged a little more money and the delivery took a few extra days, but when the new cases arrived, the quality was absolutely perfect.
That stressful experience taught me an extremely important lesson about running a successful business. It is always better to lose a little time and money than to lose your customers’ trust. Providing a high-quality product is the only way to build a brand that people will actually respect and remember.
1 Why did Liam’s phone case business suddenly grow?
(A) He asked his friends and family to buy more.
(B) He started advertising in national newspapers.
(C) He shared his artwork on social media platforms.
(D) He lowered the prices of his digital designs.
2 What was the problem with the large order of phone cases?
(A) The supplier had sent the wrong number of cases.
(B) The image on the back was facing the wrong direction.
(C) The heavy package was damaged during delivery.
(D) The cases were missing his most popular design.
3 Liam decided not to sell the damaged cases because
(A) he wanted to keep all of them for himself.
(B) he was worried about getting bad customer feedback.
(C) his friends told him it was a terrible idea.
(D) he didn’t want to sell them at a lower price.
4 What does Liam say about the new printing company?
(A) Their products were worth the extra cost.
(B) They managed to deliver the cases much faster.
(C) They were very difficult to find online.
(D) Their communication was better than the old supplier.
5 What would Liam write in a diary entry about his business?
(A) I was so angry with the new supplier for charging me more money, but at least the customers didn’t notice the mistakes.
(B) Selling the upside-down cases cheaply was a great idea because I made my money back without losing my reputation.
(C) Throwing away the faulty cases was painful, but learning to value quality over a quick profit saved my business.
(D) My friends gave me some great business advice, and from now on, I will always listen to what they tell me to do.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In paragraph 1, Liam says that “after I posted some videos of my designs on social media, my small business quickly became very popular,” which paraphrases as sharing his artwork on social media platforms.
2 B – In paragraph 2, Liam explains that the printing company made a terrible mistake and the design was “printed completely upside down,” which means the image was facing the wrong direction.
3 B – In paragraph 3, Liam states, “I realised that if people received a bad product, they would leave negative reviews,” meaning he decided not to sell them because he was worried about bad customer feedback (protecting his brand’s reputation).
4 A – In paragraph 4, Liam mentions that the new supplier “charged a little more money” but “the quality was absolutely perfect,” showing that he felt the new products were worth the extra cost.
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and Liam’s moral lesson. He acknowledges the pain of losing money (throwing away the faulty cases) but highlights his realization that protecting customer trust and valuing quality over a quick sale is the most important part of running a business.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Healthy Meals Delivered
I have always loved fitness, and spending time at my local gym is my favourite part of the day. A few months ago, some of my gym friends noticed the healthy, colourful lunches I brought with me. They complained about how difficult it was to find the time to cook nutritious food after a long workout. That gave me a brilliant idea. I offered to prepare their weekly meals for a small fee. Word quickly spread, and soon I had a fantastic little meal prep delivery business. I thought it would be an easy way to combine my passion for cooking with my interest in a healthy lifestyle.
At first, I was thrilled with my success, but the reality of running the business quickly became a nightmare. Within a few weeks, I was receiving orders for over fifty meals a day. My small kitchen was completely covered in plastic containers, and I was spending hours writing endless grocery lists. Carrying heavy bags of rice and vegetables on the bus was physically draining. I was visiting the supermarket every single afternoon because I couldn’t store enough food at home. By the time I finished cooking and cleaning at midnight, I was too exhausted to even go to the gym myself.
I knew I couldn’t continue working this way. I seriously considered returning everyone’s money and closing the business completely. However, my parents suggested that I just needed better equipment. I took a huge risk and used all my early profits to buy a massive commercial fridge. It took up half of my dining room, but it meant I could finally store enough vegetables and chicken for the entire week. I also started driving to a wholesale market to buy my ingredients in bulk, which was much cheaper.
These simple changes completely transformed my daily routine. Instead of shopping every afternoon, I now do all my buying on Sunday mornings. Preparing the food is much faster because everything is organised perfectly in my giant fridge. I can easily finish cooking fifty meals in just a few hours. I am earning a better profit now, and my customers are still delighted with the high quality of their lunches. It was a stressful learning experience, but I am so proud that I managed to save my business.
1 Why did the writer start her meal prep business?
(A) She noticed gym members struggled to make their own healthy food.
(B) She wanted to learn how to cook colourful, nutritious meals.
(C) She needed a way to pay for her expensive gym membership.
(D) She was asked by the gym manager to provide lunches for everyone.
2 What was the writer’s main problem in the beginning?
(A) She couldn’t find enough plastic containers for all the meals.
(B) She lacked the space to keep large amounts of fresh ingredients.
(C) She lost interest in spending time at her local gym.
(D) She found it difficult to write good grocery lists.
3 How did the writer solve her problem?
(A) She borrowed money from her parents to buy a new house.
(B) She stopped preparing meals that required fresh chicken.
(C) She started returning money to customers who complained.
(D) She spent her earnings on a much larger piece of kitchen equipment.
4 What does the writer say about her business now?
(A) She prefers to shop for ingredients every afternoon.
(B) She makes more money while working fewer hours.
(C) She has had to reduce the quality of the lunches to save time.
(D) She cooks the meals inside her new dining room.
5 What would the writer write in her blog today?
(A) I’ve decided to close my delivery business. Buying in bulk is too expensive, and I miss going to the gym with my friends.
(B) Making fifty meals a day was impossible, so I only cook for myself now. At least my kitchen isn’t covered in plastic containers anymore!
(C) Running a food business is exhausting, but getting organised saved me. With my new fridge and bulk shopping, I finally have my free time back!
(D) I used to love cooking, but dealing with wholesale markets has ruined it for me. I wish I had just kept my healthy recipes a secret.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The first paragraph states the writer started the business because her gym friends “complained about how difficult it was to find the time to cook nutritious food”.
2 B – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that she was visiting the supermarket every afternoon “because I couldn’t store enough food at home.”
3 D – The third paragraph describes how the writer “used all my early profits to buy a massive commercial fridge,” which means she spent her earnings on larger kitchen equipment.
4 B – The fourth paragraph states that she can “easily finish cooking fifty meals in just a few hours” and is “earning a better profit now.”
5 C – This option accurately captures the global narrative: acknowledging the initial exhaustion of the business, the successful organization through bulk shopping and a new fridge, and the positive outcome of getting her time back.