Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Environmental Conservation & Climate Action
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Saving Willow Park
My name is Leo, and I have lived next to Willow Park my whole life. It is a beautiful green space where kids play football and families have picnics at the weekend. However, a few months ago, our local newspaper announced some terrible news. A large building company was planning to buy the park and destroy it to build a massive shopping mall. When I read the article, I felt completely shocked and heartbroken. I couldn’t imagine my neighbourhood without our beloved park.
I knew I had to do something, even though I was only fifteen. First, I decided to write a formal letter to the local council, explaining why the park was so important to our community. I also asked all my classmates to write their own letters. We spent hours after school writing and sending them. However, after a few weeks, we had received no reply. I started to worry that the politicians wouldn’t listen to us simply because we were teenagers who couldn’t even vote yet.
I realised we needed to get the attention of the whole town. I took my smartphone and filmed a short documentary about Willow Park. I interviewed people walking their dogs and children playing on the swings, asking them how they would feel if the park disappeared. I added some emotional music, uploaded the video to social media, and asked everyone to share it. To my absolute amazement, the video went viral. Within a week, it had thousands of views, and even the local TV news reported on it.
Because of the huge public reaction, the local council held a special meeting to discuss the future of the park. My friends and I attended, feeling incredibly nervous. The head of the council stood up and announced that they had seen our video and read our letters. Because so many people had spoken out, they had decided to reject the building company’s plan. The park was saved!
Walking through the park today, I feel incredibly proud. This experience has taught me a very valuable lesson. I used to think that politics was only for adults, but I now know that young people have a powerful voice. If you care about something enough and take action, you really can change the world around you.
1 Why was Leo so upset at the beginning of the text?
(A) The local council had closed the park for repairs.
(B) A business wanted to replace the park with a shopping centre.
(C) He had to move to a new neighbourhood without a park.
(D) The local newspaper had stopped printing his articles.
2 How did Leo feel after sending the letters to the council?
(A) Confident that the building company would change their minds.
(B) Annoyed that his classmates refused to help him write them.
(C) Concerned that the politicians would ignore them because of their age.
(D) Upset that the local newspaper didn’t want to publish them.
3 What did Leo include in his social media video?
(A) A speech from the head of the local council.
(B) Conversations with local people using the park.
(C) Detailed information about the building company.
(D) A song that he had written and performed himself.
4 Why did the council finally reject the building plan?
(A) They saw how much the local community wanted to keep the park.
(B) They realised the park was too small for a massive shopping mall.
(C) The building company decided they didn’t want to buy the land.
(D) The teenagers offered to pay to look after the park themselves.
5 What would Leo say about his campaign to save the park?
(A) “Writing letters was definitely the most effective thing we did, so I wouldn’t bother using social media next time.”
(B) “I’m glad the park is safe, but I wish the local news had helped us earlier instead of just ignoring our video.”
(C) “The politicians saved the park because they have always cared about the environment, not because of our campaign.”
(D) “It was a lot of hard work, but I’ve learned that you don’t need to be an adult to make a real difference in your community.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that “A large building company was planning to buy the park and destroy it to build a massive shopping mall,” which left Leo feeling shocked and heartbroken.
2 C – In the second paragraph, Leo says, “I started to worry that the politicians wouldn’t listen to us simply because we were teenagers who couldn’t even vote yet.”
3 B – The third paragraph mentions that he “interviewed people walking their dogs and children playing on the swings”, which maps to having conversations with local people using the park.
4 A – In the fourth paragraph, the head of the council announced that “Because so many people had spoken out, they had decided to reject the building company’s plan.”
5 D – This option captures the global meaning and the lesson learned in the final paragraph: Leo used to think politics was only for adults, but realized that young people have a powerful voice and can change the world around them.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Clean Soap Project
For as long as I can remember, I have suffered from sensitive skin. Whenever I used normal soaps or shower gels from the supermarket, my arms and hands would immediately become red and itchy. My doctor suggested I should only use natural products, but they were incredibly expensive. After reading several articles online about eco-friendly living, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I figured that making my own chemical-free soap couldn’t be that difficult, and it would definitely save me some money.
However, I soon discovered that the process was much messier than the online videos suggested. One Saturday, I bought various natural ingredients like coconut oil, olive oil, and dried lavender. I spent the entire afternoon mixing everything together in our kitchen. I completely underestimated how difficult it would be to pour the thick liquid into the moulds. By the end of the day, the kitchen counters and floor were covered in sticky oil, and my parents were rather annoyed. Despite the terrible mess, I managed to create ten rough, slightly ugly bars of soap.
After leaving the soap to harden for a few weeks, I finally tried it in the shower. The results were amazing. My skin didn’t react badly at all, and the bathroom smelled beautifully of lavender. Because I had made far more soap than I could possibly use myself, I decided to take the extra bars to school. I gave them to my closest friends as small gifts, simply hoping they would appreciate the pleasant smell, even if the bars looked a bit strange.
To my complete surprise, my friends absolutely loved them. A few days later, they started asking me to make more, saying that their skin felt much softer too. We began discussing how many unnecessary chemicals are in everyday products. Now, instead of just hanging out at the shopping centre on weekends, my friends and I meet at my house to create different eco-friendly cleaning products together. I am incredibly proud that my small, messy experiment has encouraged my entire friend group to choose a healthier, chemical-free lifestyle.
1 Why did the writer start making her own soap?
(A) She was asked by her doctor to invent a new product.
(B) She wanted to save money on expensive supermarket shower gels.
(C) She needed a way to wash without hurting her sensitive skin.
(D) She wanted to write an online article about eco-friendly living.
2 What happened when the writer first tried to make the soap?
(A) She found the online videos very unhelpful and confusing.
(B) She created a huge mess that upset her parents.
(C) She failed to make any bars that were actually solid.
(D) She dropped the ingredients on the kitchen floor by accident.
3 Why did the writer give the soap to her friends?
(A) She wanted them to test if it worked on sensitive skin.
(B) She thought the bars looked too ugly to keep.
(C) She wanted to convince them to stop using chemicals.
(D) She produced too much and couldn’t finish it all herself.
4 What was the result of the writer’s soap project?
(A) Her friends stopped going to the shopping centre completely.
(B) Her parents asked her to start making different cleaning products.
(C) It inspired her friends to start making natural products with her.
(D) It allowed her friends to cure their own serious skin allergies.
5 What would the writer write in her diary about her experience?
(A) “My parents were so angry about the kitchen that I’ve decided to stop making soap. I’ll just buy the expensive natural ones from now on.”
(B) “I’m so glad I tried making my own soap. It solved my skin issues and even started a chemical-free trend among my friends!”
(C) “Making soap was incredibly easy and clean. My friends think my bars look beautiful, so I’m going to start selling them.”
(D) “The lavender soap smelled great, but it didn’t really help my allergies. At least my friends enjoy using the extra bars I gave them.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In the first paragraph, the writer explains that supermarket soaps made her skin “red and itchy” and she “suffered from sensitive skin”, so making natural soap was a way to avoid hurting her skin. (Supermarket soaps weren’t expensive; the natural ones were, making B incorrect).
2 B – In the second paragraph, the writer states that “the kitchen counters and floor were covered in sticky oil, and my parents were rather annoyed.”
3 D – In the third paragraph, the writer mentions, “Because I had made far more soap than I could possibly use myself, I decided to take the extra bars to school.”
4 C – In the fourth paragraph, the writer notes that her friends now “meet at my house to create different eco-friendly cleaning products together,” showing she inspired them to join her.
5 B – This option successfully synthesizes the global narrative: the writer started the project to fix her personal skin problems and ended up proudly sparking a chemical-free movement among her friends.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Pedaling for the Planet
I’ve always lived quite far from my secondary school, so my parents usually drove me there every morning before they went to work. However, last year, we learned about climate change and greenhouse gases in my science class. I suddenly realized that driving short distances produces a lot of unnecessary pollution. I decided I wanted to take action to reduce my personal carbon footprint, so I made a strict promise to cycle to school every single day. My parents thought I would definitely give up after a week, but I was absolutely determined to prove them wrong.
For the first few months, the autumn weather was mild, and cycling was actually a very enjoyable experience. But when winter finally arrived, everything changed completely. Waking up at seven o’clock when it was still totally dark and freezing cold was incredibly difficult. The icy wind made my face and hands ache, and there were several mornings when the heavy rain soaked right through my jacket. Sometimes, as comfortable cars drove past me with their warm heaters on, I seriously questioned why I had made such a difficult and uncomfortable promise.
Despite the terrible weather, I refused to get back into my parents’ car. I used my saved pocket money to buy a better waterproof coat, a warm hat, and some thick winter gloves. Slowly, my body started to adapt to the daily exercise. I noticed that the journey was getting faster and I was no longer out of breath when I finally reached the school gates. In fact, I felt much more awake and ready to learn than my sleepy classmates who had travelled to school by bus or car.
By the time spring arrived and the mornings became brighter, I felt like a completely different person. The physical fitness I had gained from months of cycling made me feel incredibly strong and energetic. Moreover, I felt a deep sense of pride knowing that my daily journey to school was producing absolutely zero emissions. I had successfully managed to stick to my original plan, and it felt amazing.
I still cycle every day, and I’ve even managed to persuade a few of my closest friends to join me on the route. It was definitely a tough challenge during those freezing winter months, but knowing I am doing something positive for the environment keeps me pedaling forward.
1 Why did the writer decide to cycle to school?
(A) His parents could no longer drive him to school every morning.
(B) He wanted to prove to his science teacher that he was healthy.
(C) He wanted to lower the amount of pollution he was responsible for.
(D) He needed a way to get to school faster in the mornings.
2 How did the writer feel during the dark winter mornings?
(A) doubtful about his decision when he saw people in warm cars
(B) annoyed that he had forgotten to wear his waterproof jacket
(C) worried that it was too dark for drivers to see him safely
(D) angry because the cars driving past splashed him with freezing rain
3 What was a positive result of the writer’s winter cycling?
(A) He saved enough pocket money to buy a new bicycle.
(B) He felt more alert and prepared for his lessons than the other students.
(C) He managed to persuade all of his classmates to stop taking the bus.
(D) He arrived at the school gates earlier than his teachers.
4 In the spring, the writer realized that
(A) he preferred cycling in the dark rather than the light.
(B) his daily cycling route to school was getting shorter.
(C) he had become much healthier and more energetic.
(D) he needed to make a new fitness plan for the summer.
5 What would the writer say in his blog about his cycling experience?
(A) I’m proud of my fitness, but I’ve decided to start taking the car again next winter because the freezing weather is just too painful.
(B) Cycling through the winter was extremely hard, but the physical benefits and knowing I am helping the planet make it completely worthwhile.
(C) I advise everyone to cycle to school, but you shouldn’t try it unless you can afford to buy expensive waterproof clothing first.
(D) My parents were right to think I would quit, but I’m glad I managed to cycle for at least a few weeks before the winter started.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In paragraph 1, the writer states, “I wanted to take action to reduce my personal carbon footprint,” which means he wanted to lower the amount of pollution he was responsible for.
2 A – Paragraph 2 explains that “as comfortable cars drove past me… I seriously questioned why I had made such a difficult and uncomfortable promise,” matching feeling doubtful when seeing people in warm cars.
3 B – In paragraph 3, the writer says, “I felt much more awake and ready to learn than my sleepy classmates,” which paraphrases feeling more alert and prepared for lessons.
4 C – Paragraph 4 states that “The physical fitness I had gained from months of cycling made me feel incredibly strong and energetic,” showing he had become healthier.
5 B – This captures the global meaning and the overall reflection in the final paragraph. Despite it being a “tough challenge” in the winter, the physical fitness and “doing something positive for the environment” keeps him pedaling and makes it rewarding.