Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Landscapes & Phenomena 3
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Underground Night Sky
When my family planned a holiday to New Zealand, visiting the Waitomo Glowworm Caves was at the top of our schedule. I knew we would be taking a boat ride underground, but I didn’t think it would be that exciting. In my mind, a cave was just a cold, wet place full of boring grey rocks. I honestly expected the tour to be quite dull, and I only agreed to go because my parents really wanted to experience it.
However, my attitude completely changed the moment we stepped into the small wooden boat and travelled deep underground. As we left the entrance behind, the cave became incredibly dark. In fact, the darkness was absolute. I couldn’t even see my own hands in front of my face. The only sound was the gentle noise of the water against the boat. I must admit, the silent, black space was actually quite scary, and my heart started beating very fast. I really began to wonder if coming here was a huge mistake.
Just as I was feeling most terrified, our guide quietly whispered to the group, “Look up.” I slowly raised my head and gasped in surprise. The ceiling of the dark cave was completely covered in thousands of tiny, shining blue lights. It looked exactly like a clear, starry night sky, but we were deep under the earth! These were the famous Waitomo glowworms. The fear I had felt only moments before disappeared instantly, replaced by a feeling of pure wonder. It was so beautiful that nobody in the boat said a single word for the rest of the ride.
We floated under those magical lights for about twenty minutes before the boat slowly returned to the bright daylight outside. As we walked back to our car, my parents asked me if I had enjoyed the trip. I just couldn’t stop smiling. The experience taught me a highly valuable lesson. Sometimes, you have to face your fears and go into the absolute darkness to see something truly amazing. I will definitely never forget that underground starry sky, and I now recommend the caves to everyone I meet!
1 What did the writer expect before entering the caves?
(A) She thought she would see a lot of colourful rocks.
(B) She believed the boat trip would be uninteresting.
(C) She was worried that the cave would be too cold.
(D) She felt excited because it was her idea to go there.
2 How did the writer feel as the boat went deeper underground?
(A) Frightened because she could not see anything at all.
(B) Annoyed by the loud noises coming from the water.
(C) Disappointed that the boat ride was moving so slowly.
(D) Anxious about the other people on the small boat.
3 When the writer looked up at the ceiling, she
(A) felt terrified of the glowing insects above her.
(B) wished she had brought a camera to take a photo.
(C) was amazed by a view that looked like the night sky.
(D) started talking excitedly with the rest of the group.
4 What did the writer learn from her experience?
(A) It is important to listen carefully to tour guides.
(B) New Zealand is the best place in the world for a holiday.
(C) You should always agree to do what your parents want.
(D) Going through scary situations can lead to wonderful rewards.
5 What would the writer write in her diary that evening?
(A) The cave was incredibly dark and scary. I really wish my parents hadn’t forced me to go on such a terrifying boat ride.
(B) I was right to think the rocks would be boring, but at least the boat ride in the dark was a fun adventure.
(C) I was so scared of the dark at first, but seeing thousands of glowworms shining like stars made it an absolutely unforgettable trip!
(D) The glowworms were quite pretty, but the twenty-minute boat ride was far too long and the cave was too dark to enjoy it.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states, “I honestly expected the tour to be quite dull,” which means she thought it would be uninteresting.
2 A – The second paragraph describes how the “darkness was absolute” and she “couldn’t even see my own hands,” leading her to feel “quite scary” and making her heart beat very fast.
3 C – The third paragraph describes her gasping in surprise because the ceiling was covered in lights and “looked exactly like a clear, starry night sky.”
4 D – In the final paragraph, the writer reflects that “Sometimes, you have to face your fears and go into the absolute darkness to see something truly amazing.”
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: moving from expecting a dull trip to feeling genuine fear in the absolute darkness, and finally experiencing the awe-inspiring, unforgettable beauty of the glowing “stars.”
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Giant Surprise
When my parents told me we were spending part of our California holiday walking through Sequoia National Park, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. We had already visited several cities, and I was looking forward to relaxing by a pool. In my mind, trees were just trees. I had seen plenty of them back home, so I couldn’t understand why we needed to drive for hours just to look at some larger ones. I reluctantly put on my hiking boots, secretly hoping the visit would be quick.
As we drove higher into the mountains, the air grew cooler and the roads became narrower. When we finally parked and started walking along the forest path, I complained about the steep hills and the dust. The forest was certainly peaceful, and the trees were undeniably tall, but I still wasn’t very impressed. I walked quickly ahead of my parents, mostly just wanting to reach the end of the trail so we could return to the comfortable car.
Then, we turned a corner and arrived at a clearing where a group of tourists had gathered. In the center stood a tree called General Sherman. As I looked up, my jaw dropped. It was completely different from anything I had ever seen. The trunk was so incredibly wide that if twenty people held hands, they probably couldn’t reach around it. Its lowest branches were higher than most normal trees. Suddenly, I felt completely frozen, staring up at the bright red bark disappearing into the sky.
Reading the information board next to it, I discovered that this living thing was over two thousand years old. It had been growing there long before modern cities even existed. Standing next to something so ancient and massive made me realize just how small and young humans really are. All my previous complaints felt silly.
For the rest of the hike, my attitude was completely different. I walked slowly, taking my time to admire the spectacular forest around me. I didn’t even care about getting back to the car anymore. I realized that nature has an amazing power to change how we see the world, and I felt incredibly lucky to have experienced it.
1 How did the writer feel about visiting the national park at first?
(A) She was excited to go hiking in the Californian mountains.
(B) She thought looking at trees would be uninteresting.
(C) She was annoyed that she had to buy new hiking boots.
(D) She felt too tired after visiting several busy cities.
2 During the first part of the walk, the writer
(A) wanted to get back to the vehicle as soon as possible.
(B) enjoyed the peaceful and quiet atmosphere of the forest.
(C) walked very slowly in order to stay close to her parents.
(D) was surprised by how cool the mountain air felt.
3 What happened when the writer saw the General Sherman tree?
(A) She was disappointed by the large number of tourists there.
(B) She tried to reach her arms around its incredibly wide trunk.
(C) She was completely amazed by the extraordinary size of it.
(D) She noticed its red bark was the same as other trees back home.
4 How did the writer’s opinion change after reading the information board?
(A) She believed modern cities should plant more trees like it.
(B) She realised that her previous negative behaviour was foolish.
(C) She felt frightened by how old the surrounding forest was.
(D) She wished she had spent more time studying ancient plants.
5 What would the writer write in her diary later that day?
(A) I finally saw the famous General Sherman today. It was definitely a big tree, but I still think spending the whole day in the dusty forest was a waste of time.
(B) My parents dragged me to a forest today. I complained at first, but seeing a tree that has been alive for thousands of years completely changed my perspective on the world!
(C) I loved walking in the peaceful Californian mountains today. The fresh air was great, but the trees weren’t quite as big as I expected them to be.
(D) We saw a two-thousand-year-old tree today! I managed to get a great photo of myself and twenty other tourists holding hands around the trunk.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states that she “wasn’t exactly thrilled” and thought “trees were just trees,” showing she found the idea of looking at them uninteresting.
2 A – In paragraph 2, the writer mentions that she walked quickly ahead, “mostly just wanting to reach the end of the trail so we could return to the comfortable car.”
3 C – In paragraph 3, the writer’s “jaw dropped” and she notes the trunk was “so incredibly wide” and the branches were exceptionally high, demonstrating her amazement at its size.
4 B – Paragraph 4 explains that standing next to something so ancient and massive made her realise how small humans are, causing her to feel that “all my previous complaints felt silly.”
5 B – This option successfully captures the global narrative and emotional arc of the text: moving from an initial bad mood and complaining to experiencing a profound shift in perspective after seeing the ancient, giant tree.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Power of the Earth
Last year, my family and I travelled to Iceland for our summer holiday. I had always wanted to visit this fascinating country because of its wild nature. Our travel guide included a trip to the famous Geysir area, a place where hot water shoots out of the ground. I had seen photos of geysers before, but I honestly didn’t know what to expect in real life. I imagined we would just walk up, take a quick photo, and leave.
When we arrived at the site, we joined a crowd of tourists standing in a circle around a pool of water. It was freezing cold, and the first thing I noticed wasn’t the beautiful scenery, but a terrible smell. It smelled exactly like rotten eggs! My dad explained that this was sulfur, a natural gas that comes from deep inside the earth. We stood there waiting for at least fifteen minutes. My feet were freezing, the smell was making me feel a bit sick, and the pool was just making small bubbling noises. I started to wonder why so many people wanted to see this.
Then, without any warning, the water suddenly changed. A huge blue bubble formed on the surface, and a second later, a massive column of boiling water exploded into the air. It shot up higher than a tall building, sending a huge cloud of white steam into the sky. The sound was incredibly loud, like a jet engine. Everyone in the crowd stepped back in shock, and I could feel the warm mist falling on my face. It was absolutely thrilling.
In that one amazing moment, I completely forgot about the freezing wind and the awful smell of rotten eggs. I realised that I was watching the true, hidden power of our planet. It is easy to forget that the earth is active and alive when you live in a normal city, but standing next to a real geyser makes you understand how strong nature really is.
We stayed at the site long enough to watch the geyser erupt two more times. Even though I knew what was going to happen the second and third time, it was still just as exciting. Now, whenever people ask me about my trip to Iceland, I tell them that they simply have to experience the thrill of the geysers themselves.
1 What did the writer think about seeing the geysers before they arrived?
(A) He was worried that the water would be too hot.
(B) He thought it would be a very fast and simple experience.
(C) He was annoyed that it was included in their travel guide.
(D) He expected to see a huge explosion immediately.
2 How did the writer feel while standing around the pool of water?
(A) He felt sick because of the freezing cold weather.
(B) He was fascinated by the small bubbles in the water.
(C) He began to question if the experience was worth it.
(D) He was angry that his dad hadn’t warned him about the smell.
3 What does the writer say about the eruption itself?
(A) It looked exactly like a jet engine flying into the sky.
(B) It produced a cloud of steam that burned his face.
(C) It started with a loud noise before the water appeared.
(D) It happened very suddenly and surprised everyone.
4 How did the eruption change the writer’s thoughts?
(A) It made him wish he lived closer to wild nature.
(B) It made him forget the unpleasant things he had felt earlier.
(C) It made him afraid of the hidden power of the earth.
(D) It made him realise that cities are safer than nature.
5 What would the writer write in his blog about his visit to the geyser?
(A) The sudden explosion was exciting, but the terrible smell of rotten eggs completely ruined the day for me.
(B) Waiting in the cold was annoying, but the thrilling power of the erupting water made it an unforgettable experience.
(C) I was amazed by the geyser, but I decided that seeing it erupt once was more than enough for me.
(D) If you visit Iceland, you should avoid the geysers because the crowds of tourists make it impossible to see anything.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states: “I imagined we would just walk up, take a quick photo, and leave,” showing he thought it would be a fast and simple visit.
2 C – In paragraph 2, after describing the cold, the smell, and the wait, the writer says, “I started to wonder why so many people wanted to see this,” indicating he was doubting its value.
3 D – Paragraph 3 explains that the eruption happened “without any warning” and that everyone in the crowd “stepped back in shock.”
4 B – In paragraph 4, the writer admits that in that amazing moment, “I completely forgot about the freezing wind and the awful smell of rotten eggs.”
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: moving from annoyance about the bad smell and cold waiting period to complete awe and excitement at the thrilling explosion of the geyser.