Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Extreme and Water Sports 2
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Learning to climb
by Toby Andrews, 15
I’ve always loved playing outdoor sports, especially football. However, when winter arrived with heavy rain and freezing temperatures, I needed to find a way to stay fit indoors. I usually find gym exercises incredibly boring, so I wasn’t sure what to do. Then, my friend Leo suggested we try indoor rock climbing. I must admit, I wasn’t very keen at first. I’ve never been completely comfortable with heights, and I thought it sounded slightly dangerous. But Leo promised it was extremely safe, so I finally agreed to go with him.
When we walked into the climbing centre, I immediately felt quite nervous. The walls were covered in brightly coloured plastic rocks, and they looked much taller than I had expected. Before we could start, an instructor gave us some special equipment. We had to put on climbing shoes, which were surprisingly tight and uncomfortable, but the instructor explained they would help us grip the wall better. We also put on harnesses and learned how to tie the safety ropes. The instructor was very patient and made sure we understood everything before letting us near the walls.
For my first attempt, I chose a route that looked fairly easy. At first, moving from one rock to another was fine. But halfway up, things suddenly became much more difficult. My arms and legs were shaking, and I couldn’t figure out where to put my right hand. I looked down, which was a big mistake, and suddenly wanted to give up. Just as I was about to ask Leo to let me down, he shouted some useful advice, pointing to a small green rock near my knee. I pushed myself up, reached out, and finally managed to grab it.
Reaching the top was an unbelievable feeling. I hit the buzzer to show I had finished the route, and then Leo slowly lowered me to the ground. My hands were red and my muscles ached, but I felt incredibly proud of myself. I had completely forgotten my fear of heights while I was trying to solve the puzzle of how to climb higher. Now, I go to the climbing centre twice a week. I’m still not the fastest climber, but my confidence has grown, and I’m even thinking about entering a local competition next month.
1 Why did Toby decide to try indoor climbing?
(A) He wanted to find a way to overcome his fear of heights.
(B) He was looking for a new activity to keep him healthy during winter.
(C) He needed to practise a new sport for a school project.
(D) He wanted to join a local gym with his friend Leo.
2 What does Toby say about the equipment he was given?
(A) The safety ropes were quite difficult to tie.
(B) The harness was too heavy to wear comfortably.
(C) The shoes didn’t feel very pleasant to wear at first.
(D) The instructor took too long to explain how to use it.
3 What happened when Toby was halfway up the wall?
(A) He realised he had chosen the most difficult route.
(B) He stopped because his friend told him to come down.
(C) He dropped the green rock he was trying to hold onto.
(D) He struggled to find the next place to put his hand.
4 How does Toby feel about climbing now?
(A) He is disappointed that he isn’t climbing much faster.
(B) He is pleased that the sport has helped him become more self-assured.
(C) He is proud that he is the best climber in his local centre.
(D) He is worried about taking part in a competition next month.
5 What would Toby write in a text message to a friend?
(A) I really didn’t want to go climbing because I hate the gym, but I’m so glad I found a sport that is completely safe and easy to do.
(B) Leo convinced me to try climbing, but to be honest, the uncomfortable shoes and the painful arms mean I probably won’t go again.
(C) I was so nervous about the heights when I first started, but it’s amazing how focusing on the climb makes you forget your fears.
(D) I’m planning to enter a climbing competition next month. I’m definitely the fastest climber at the centre now, so I think I’ll win!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – Toby states he “needed to find a way to stay fit indoors” because of the “heavy rain and freezing temperatures” of winter.
2 C – Toby mentions that the climbing shoes “were surprisingly tight and uncomfortable” before the instructor explained why they needed to be that way.
3 D – Toby explains that halfway up, he “couldn’t figure out where to put my right hand”, which paraphrases struggling to find the next hold.
4 B – Toby says his “confidence has grown,” which matches being pleased that the sport has helped him become more “self-assured”.
5 C – This option perfectly captures Toby’s initial fear of heights and his global realisation that solving the puzzle of the climb made him completely forget those fears.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My First Paddleboarding Experience
by Chloe, 15
My family and I often go to a beautiful lake near our home during the summer holidays. We usually just swim or rent a small boat, but this year, I noticed lots of people doing something different: stand-up paddleboarding, or SUP for short. From the beach, it looked incredibly relaxing. The people on the boards were moving smoothly across the flat water, and it seemed like the easiest water sport in the world. So, despite having no experience, I begged my parents to let me rent a board for the afternoon.
The instructor gave me a huge board and a long paddle, explaining a few basic safety rules. At first, you have to start on your knees. That part was actually fine. However, when I tried to stand up, I immediately realised how wrong I had been about it being easy. The board began to shake wildly from side to side. It turns out that staying upright requires intense core strength and balance, which I clearly hadn’t developed yet.
Within five minutes, I lost my balance completely and fell backwards into the lake with a huge splash. Some teenagers on the beach saw me and giggled. Instead of feeling embarrassed, though, I just started laughing too. The water was surprisingly cold, but it woke me up! I climbed back onto the board, tried again, and fell in another three times. My arms were getting tired, but each time I crashed into the water, I found it funnier than the last. It was impossible to be angry on such a sunny, beautiful day.
Eventually, after about an hour of trying, I managed to stand up and paddle for ten minutes without falling. As I moved slowly across the quiet lake, I felt incredibly proud of myself. The view of the forest from the middle of the water was amazing. I am already looking forward to going back next weekend. If I practise enough, I might even be as good as the experts I saw on my first day, although I think I will always enjoy the funny moments of falling in.
1 Why did Chloe decide to try paddleboarding?
(A) She wanted to do a different sport from her family.
(B) She thought it appeared very simple to do.
(C) She was bored of swimming and renting boats.
(D) She wanted to prove to her parents that she could do it.
2 What did Chloe discover when she first tried to stand up?
(A) The board was too big for her to control.
(B) She needed to listen to the instructor more carefully.
(C) She had to use her body in a way she didn’t expect.
(D) Kneeling down was much harder than she had thought.
3 How did Chloe react when she kept falling into the water?
(A) She was annoyed because the water was freezing.
(B) She felt silly because some people were watching her.
(C) She wanted to give up because her arms hurt.
(D) She saw the funny side of the situation.
4 How did Chloe feel by the end of the activity?
(A) Surprised that she was already as good as the experts.
(B) Disappointed that she only stood up for ten minutes.
(C) Pleased that she had finally achieved her goal.
(D) Worried about how much she still had to learn.
5 What would Chloe text to a friend about her afternoon?
(A) I tried a new water sport today. It was much harder than it looked, but I had a brilliant time anyway!
(B) Paddleboarding is great, but you should only try it if you already have excellent balance and strength.
(C) I spent the whole afternoon falling into the lake. I don’t think I’ll ever learn how to paddleboard properly!
(D) The instructor wasn’t very helpful, which is why I kept falling in. But the view of the forest was nice.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states that from the beach “it seemed like the easiest water sport in the world,” which motivated her to try it.
2 C – When she stood up, she realized “staying upright requires intense core strength and balance,” which refers to using her body in an unexpected, physically demanding way.
3 D – The text explicitly mentions that “instead of feeling embarrassed… I just started laughing too” and she “found it funnier than the last,” showing she found humor in the struggle.
4 C – After finally standing up for ten minutes, Chloe says, “I felt incredibly proud of myself,” demonstrating pleasure in her achievement.
5 A – This option correctly captures the global meaning and positive, reflective attitude of the text: she found it difficult (falling in multiple times) but ultimately had a fun and rewarding experience.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Taking the Leap
by Liam, 15
I’ve always been a water baby. Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve spent my weekends at the local swimming pool. Swimming up and down the lanes kept me fit, and I was proud to be one of the fastest in my swimming club. However, recently, I started feeling a bit bored with my usual routine. I wanted to push myself and try something completely new. That’s when I noticed the high diving boards at the deep end of the pool. The highest one was five metres above the water, and I decided it was time to give it a go.
A few days later, I joined a beginner’s diving class. After some basic instructions on the poolside, our coach told us to climb up to the five-metre board. Walking up the narrow, wet steps, my legs actually started to shake. I’ve never been afraid of heights, but standing at the edge of the board was a completely different story. The water looked incredibly far away, and my confidence suddenly disappeared. Even though I knew I was a strong swimmer, the view from the top was absolutely terrifying. I spent what felt like hours just looking down, wondering if I had made a terrible mistake.
Our coach, who was watching from below, shouted some encouraging words and reminded me to keep my body straight. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a second, and finally stepped off the edge. The feeling of falling was unusual but thrilling. Before I knew it, I hit the cold water at speed. I went quite deep but quickly swam back up to the surface. As I broke through the water and took a breath, I heard the rest of my class clapping.
Swimming to the side of the pool, my heart was beating so fast. It wasn’t fear anymore, though; it was pure excitement. The adrenaline rush was amazing, and I couldn’t stop smiling. I realised that the hardest part wasn’t the jump itself, but overcoming the panic in my own mind. I hadn’t entered the water perfectly, and my dive was quite messy, but that didn’t matter. As soon as I climbed out, I immediately got back in the queue to jump again. I know it will take months of practice to dive beautifully, but I’m definitely ready for the challenge.
1 Why did the writer decide to try high diving?
(A) He wanted to enter a local diving competition.
(B) He was looking for a new challenge in the water.
(C) He wanted to prove to his friends that he was brave.
(D) He was advised to do it by his swimming club coach.
2 How did the writer feel when he reached the top of the diving board?
(A) surprised by how slippery the steps were
(B) confident because he was a good swimmer
(C) shocked to discover he was frightened of heights
(D) scared because of the distance to the water
3 What happened when the writer jumped off the board?
(A) He forgot to keep his eyes closed.
(B) He was surprised by how warm the water felt.
(C) He found the experience of dropping through the air exciting.
(D) He was unable to hear his coach’s instructions.
4 How does the writer feel about his first dive now?
(A) annoyed that his technique was not very good
(B) proud that he managed to control his fear
(C) worried about how long it will take to improve
(D) disappointed that the adrenaline rush didn’t last
5 What would the writer write in his diary that evening?
(A) I’m glad I finally tried diving today, but I don’t think I’ll do it again. The five-metre board is just too high for me.
(B) Today I proved that being a great swimmer means you’ll naturally be a great diver. My first jump was absolutely perfect!
(C) Standing on that board was the scariest thing I’ve ever done, but the feeling afterwards was so amazing that I can’t wait for my next lesson.
(D) I was so embarrassed when the class watched me hesitate on the board. I wish I had stayed with my swimming club instead.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that the writer was “bored with my usual routine” and “wanted to push myself and try something completely new.”
2 D – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that his confidence disappeared because “The water looked incredibly far away,” and the view was “absolutely terrifying.”
3 C – The third paragraph describes the jump, noting that “The feeling of falling was unusual but thrilling,” meaning he found it exciting.
4 B – In the final paragraph, the writer reflects that “the hardest part wasn’t the jump itself, but overcoming the panic in my own mind,” showing pride in conquering that fear.
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: extreme fear followed by an adrenaline rush and the immediate desire to try it again.