Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Extracurricular Activities & Clubs 9
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Knight at School
When my history teacher suggested we organise a medieval reenactment for the school’s History Week, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. I had only joined the History Club because my best friend Sam didn’t want to go alone. To make matters worse, the teacher told us we had to dress up in historical clothes. In my mind, walking around the school in a knight’s costume sounded like a terrible idea. I was absolutely certain that all my classmates would laugh at me and make silly jokes.
The morning of the event finally arrived, and my negative feelings only grew stronger. Putting on the heavy, uncomfortable costume made me feel completely ridiculous. As Sam and I walked into the main school hall, I tried to stay close to the walls. A few older students pointed in our direction and whispered to each other. At that exact moment, my face turned red, and I secretly wished I could just take off the silly helmet and hide in the library for the rest of the day.
However, everything changed when a large group of younger students from the primary classes entered the hall. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for their laughter. Instead, a little boy ran up to me with his eyes wide open. “Are you a real knight?” he asked excitedly. Soon, I was completely surrounded by amazed children. They didn’t think I looked foolish at all. They immediately started asking dozens of questions about my plastic sword, the heavy clothes, and what life was really like in the Middle Ages.
To my surprise, I found myself answering all their questions with enthusiasm. I realised that thanks to the club, I actually knew a lot of interesting facts about the period. Sharing my knowledge with the younger children was incredibly fun, and I completely forgot about my uncomfortable outfit.
By the end of the afternoon, I felt extremely proud of our club’s hard work. The event was a huge success, and nobody had made fun of us. The whole experience taught me that sharing history can be brilliant if you just stop worrying about what other people think.
1 What did Leo think about the History Week event at first?
(A) He was excited to show off his historical knowledge.
(B) He thought wearing the costumes would be a very bad idea.
(C) He was annoyed because he had to organise it alone.
(D) He believed the history club needed more members.
2 How did Leo feel when he first arrived in the school hall?
(A) Angry that his friend Sam was hiding from the older students.
(B) Surprised that the older students wanted to wear his costume.
(C) Uncomfortable and anxious that people were looking at him.
(D) Disappointed because the school hall was completely empty.
3 What happened when the younger children saw Leo?
(A) They were frightened by his heavy plastic sword.
(B) They laughed at his silly knight costume.
(C) They were fascinated by him and wanted to learn more.
(D) They tried to take his helmet away from him.
4 What did Leo realise while talking to the children?
(A) He had learned a great deal about medieval history.
(B) He needed to do more research for the history club.
(C) He preferred teaching history to older teenagers.
(D) His costume was actually quite comfortable to wear.
5 What would Leo write in his diary that evening?
(A) I should never have joined the history club with Sam. The older students laughed at us, and it was a complete disaster.
(B) I was right to think that dressing up is silly. Even though the little kids liked it, I will never wear a costume again.
(C) I was so worried about looking foolish, but seeing how much the younger kids loved the history event made me feel really proud!
(D) The event was quite fun, but I wish the younger children hadn’t asked so many difficult questions about the Middle Ages.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states, “walking around the school in a knight’s costume sounded like a terrible idea,” matching the expectation that wearing costumes would be a bad idea.
2 C – The second paragraph explains that he felt “completely ridiculous,” tried to stay close to the walls, and wished he could “hide in the library” after older students pointed at him, showing his discomfort and anxiety.
3 C – In the third paragraph, the writer says the children were “amazed” and “immediately started asking dozens of questions,” which means they were fascinated and eager to learn.
4 A – The fourth paragraph states, “I realised that thanks to the club, I actually knew a lot of interesting facts about the period,” which means he had learned a great deal.
5 C – This option effectively captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: transitioning from a fear of looking ridiculous and being mocked, to feeling immense pride after successfully engaging and inspiring the younger students.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Life-Saving Lesson
When our school announced a new after-school club called the First Aid Volunteer Squad, I only joined because my best friend persuaded me to do it with him. The teacher said we would learn essential life-saving skills, but I honestly couldn’t see the point. I thought medical emergencies only happened in movies or to other people. I imagined we would just be watching boring educational videos, and I secretly believed that I would never actually need to use anything they taught us.
During our training sessions in the gym, we had to practice various techniques on plastic models, which I found quite embarrassing. We spent hours learning how to put someone into the recovery position and how to correctly bandage a broken arm. Some of the students took the roleplay exercises extremely seriously, acting as if they were real doctors. I, on the other hand, spent most of the time trying not to laugh at how silly we all looked. Although I managed to pass the basic tests, I still doubted the usefulness of the course.
However, my attitude completely changed just one week later. I was walking down a crowded corridor to my maths lesson when a younger boy walking in front of me suddenly collapsed. He fell heavily to the floor and didn’t move. Instantly, all the other students around him panicked. Some girls started screaming, while a few older boys just stood there staring, completely frozen and unsure of what to do. My own heart started beating rapidly, but then something strange happened.
Without even thinking about it, my training automatically took over. I pushed through the crowd, kneeled beside the boy, and carefully checked his breathing. Because he was breathing normally but still unconscious, I calmly rolled him onto his side into the recovery position, exactly as we had practised on the plastic models. Moments later, a teacher ran over and immediately phoned for an ambulance. She looked at how the boy was lying and praised me for knowing exactly what to do.
Fortunately, the student woke up a few minutes later and was perfectly fine. Later that afternoon, the headteacher thanked me personally for my quick actions. The entire experience taught me that emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere. I finally realised the true value of being prepared, and I now pay attention to every single detail during our weekly squad meetings.
1 Why did the writer join the first aid club?
(A) He wanted to become a medical professional in the future.
(B) He only did it because his friend convinced him to go.
(C) He was forced to join the club by his school teachers.
(D) He enjoyed watching educational videos about medicine.
2 How did the writer feel about the training exercises?
(A) He found the practical roleplay activities completely ridiculous.
(B) He was angry that other students were not taking them seriously.
(C) He found it very difficult to pass the basic medical tests.
(D) He felt proud acting like a real doctor in front of his classmates.
3 When the boy collapsed in the corridor, the other students…
(A) ran away from the boy because they were frightened.
(B) immediately went to find a teacher for help.
(C) knew exactly what to do to help the young boy.
(D) reacted with fear and were incapable of helping.
4 How did the writer help the boy?
(A) He called an ambulance using his mobile phone.
(B) He gave the boy some medicine to wake him up.
(C) He moved the boy’s body into a safe resting position.
(D) He carefully bandaged the boy’s broken arm.
5 What would the writer text to his friend after the incident?
(A) Taking a first aid course at school is a complete waste of time. You just feel silly and you never actually use the skills in real life!
(B) The medical training was really hard, and I couldn’t remember anything today. I hope I never have to help anyone in the corridor again.
(C) I saved a student’s life today! The teachers didn’t know what to do, so I’m glad I stepped in and acted like a real doctor.
(D) I used to think learning first aid was pointless, but staying calm and helping that sick student showed me how vital those skills really are!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer states, “I only joined because my best friend persuaded me to do it with him,” which directly matches option B.
2 A – In paragraph 2, the writer notes that he found the exercises “quite embarrassing” and “spent most of the time trying not to laugh at how silly we all looked,” meaning he found them ridiculous.
3 D – In paragraph 3, the text describes the other students as having “panicked,” with some screaming and others “completely frozen and unsure of what to do,” matching the idea that they reacted with fear and were incapable of helping.
4 C – In paragraph 4, the writer explains that he “calmly rolled him onto his side into the recovery position,” which is a paraphrase for moving the boy’s body into a safe resting position.
5 D – This option successfully captures the global narrative and emotional arc of the text: moving from thinking the first aid club was a pointless, silly activity to realising its extreme importance after successfully managing a real medical emergency.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Art of Patience
When I started my second year of high school, I found the homework exhausting. I needed a hobby to help me relax after studying. A friend suggested the after-school origami club, saying that folding paper was incredibly calming. I had never tried it, but I imagined sitting peacefully, effortlessly creating paper animals. I was sure it would perfectly reduce my stress.
However, my first session was anything but relaxing. The teacher handed us delicate paper to make a traditional Japanese crane. The first few steps were simple, but soon the instructions became complicated. I had to fold the paper in different directions, and my fingers felt clumsy. Every time I tried to make a sharp corner, the thin paper tore. I grew increasingly frustrated, and instead of feeling calm, I wanted to throw my ruined paper into the bin.
Just as I was about to give up entirely, the teacher, Mr. Sato, walked over. He didn’t look disappointed that I had ruined my paper. Instead, he smiled gently and handed me a fresh square. Sitting next to me, he patiently explained that I was using too much force. He showed me how to hold the paper lightly and make folds with gentle movements. He quietly encouraged me to slow down and focus only on my hands.
Following his careful instructions, I started again. This time, I paid attention to every single fold. I stopped worrying about finishing quickly and concentrated on the delicate paper. Slowly, a beautiful bird with wide wings appeared in my hands. When I finally finished the complex crane, I felt an enormous sense of achievement. My frustration had completely disappeared, replaced by a deep feeling of calm.
That frustrating first attempt taught me an important lesson. Origami isn’t just about making pretty paper animals; it is a lesson in mindfulness and delicacy. You cannot rush the process or use force to get a result. Now, whenever I feel stressed about school, I take a piece of paper and slowly fold a crane, remembering that patience always brings the best rewards.
1 Why did the writer decide to join the origami club?
(A) Because she wanted to learn how to make traditional Japanese art.
(B) Because she needed a peaceful activity to help deal with her stress.
(C) Because she wanted to spend more time with her school friends.
(D) Because she was already good at creating things with her hands.
2 What problem did the writer have during her first session?
(A) The teacher gave her the wrong type of paper.
(B) She couldn’t understand the first few steps of the instructions.
(C) She accidentally broke her paper while trying to follow the complex steps.
(D) She felt clumsy because she was the only beginner in the room.
3 When the writer ruined her paper, Mr. Sato
(A) told her to throw it into the bin and start a different animal.
(B) calmly helped her understand the correct way to handle the paper.
(C) folded the fresh square of paper for her to show her how it is done.
(D) felt disappointed that she was not paying enough attention to her hands.
4 How did the writer feel after successfully completing the paper crane?
(A) Relieved that she could finally leave the club and go home.
(B) Surprised that the bird looked exactly like a real animal.
(C) Proud of herself and completely relaxed.
(D) Anxious about having to fold more complicated shapes.
5 What would the writer text to her friend about the origami club?
(A) I thought origami would be easy, but it’s actually incredibly stressful and I think I’m going to quit the club.
(B) The teacher was a bit annoyed with me at first, but I eventually managed to fold a beautiful bird.
(C) Making a paper crane was frustrating at the beginning, but it taught me a lot about patience and focusing my mind.
(D) The club is quite relaxing, mainly because the teacher does most of the difficult folding for the students.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer explains that she “needed a hobby to help me relax after studying” and thought it “would perfectly reduce my stress.”
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer mentions that as the instructions became complicated, “Every time I tried to make a sharp corner, the thin paper tore.”
3 B – In the third paragraph, the teacher “patiently explained that I was using too much force” and “showed me how to hold the paper lightly and make folds with gentle movements.”
4 C – In the fourth paragraph, the writer states she felt “an enormous sense of achievement” (proud) and her frustration was replaced by “a deep feeling of calm” (relaxed).
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: starting out frustrated because the folding was difficult, but eventually learning that the process is a valuable lesson in mindfulness, delicacy, and patience.