Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Modern Lifestyle, Habits & Productivity 6
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Black Hole Backpack
For as long as I can remember, my school backpack has always been a complete disaster. Instead of packing it carefully, I usually just threw all my books, pens, and papers inside and zipped it up. I never thought it was a serious issue until last week. My teacher asked me to hand in a permission slip for an exciting science trip, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. I searched through my bag while the whole class waited. I felt so embarrassed when I finally had to admit that it was lost.
When I got home that afternoon, I decided it was time to face the problem. I tipped my heavy bag upside down on my bedroom floor and was shocked by what fell out. Along with my textbooks, there were several broken pencils, a few crushed sandwiches from last month, and dozens of crumpled worksheets. I spent a whole hour sorting through the disgusting mess, throwing out rubbish and trying to rescue any important notes. I couldn’t believe I had been carrying all that extra weight around every day.
I knew I needed a proper system, so I asked my older sister for some advice. She suggested buying a set of brightly coloured plastic folders. I bought five folders and chose a different colour for each school subject. For example, my maths homework went into the blue folder, and my history notes went into the red one. Furthermore, I decided to use the small front pocket of the bag exclusively for my house keys and wallet. Suddenly, my messy bag looked like a highly organised mobile office.
It has been two weeks since I cleaned out my backpack, and the results have been incredible. The morning rush to get ready is much calmer, and I never lose marks for handing in my assignments late anymore. When a teacher asks for a document, I can easily pull out the correct coloured folder in seconds. If I had known how relaxing it feels to be organised, I would have definitely done this years ago. I no longer carry a heavy black hole on my shoulders, and my daily life is completely stress-free.
1 Why did the writer finally decide to sort out their backpack?
(A) They were unable to find an important school document.
(B) Their teacher told them their bag was too messy.
(C) They wanted to pack their bag for an upcoming science trip.
(D) Their classmates made fun of their unorganised things.
2 How did the writer feel when they emptied their bag onto the floor?
(A) annoyed that their sister had hidden their homework
(B) amazed by how many school textbooks they needed
(C) surprised by the terrible condition of the objects inside
(D) disappointed that they had lost their favourite pencils
3 What was the writer’s new system for their backpack?
(A) They asked their sister to pack their bag for them every day.
(B) They matched specific colours to different school subjects.
(C) They bought a new bag with a special pocket for their phone.
(D) They decided to carry fewer textbooks to school each morning.
4 What does the writer say about their current situation?
(A) They find it stressful to keep the coloured folders organised.
(B) Their teachers give them higher marks for their assignments.
(C) They spend much more time getting ready in the mornings.
(D) They find it much easier to locate their schoolwork in class.
5 What would the writer write in their diary?
(A) I missed out on the science trip because I couldn’t find the slip, but at least my bag is finally clean and organised now!
(B) My sister bought me some amazing new folders. I hope they help me stop losing my homework because I’m tired of getting low marks.
(C) I used to just throw everything into my bag, but creating a proper system with coloured folders has made my school days so much easier!
(D) Cleaning my bag was an awful experience. Next time, I think I will just buy a brand new backpack instead of trying to organise it.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In paragraph 1, the writer explains they lost a “permission slip for an exciting science trip,” which maps to being unable to find an important school document.
2 C – Paragraph 2 states the writer “was shocked by what fell out” and describes finding broken pencils, crushed sandwiches, and a disgusting mess, mapping to surprise at the terrible condition of the objects.
3 B – Paragraph 3 details the new system where the writer “chose a different colour for each school subject” (e.g., blue for maths, red for history).
4 D – In paragraph 4, the writer explains that when a teacher asks for a document, they “can easily pull out the correct coloured folder in seconds,” meaning they can locate their work much easier.
5 C – This option correctly captures the global meaning and emotional arc: acknowledging the messy past habit, describing the specific solution (coloured folders), and celebrating the positive, stress-free outcome.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Power of Micro-Journaling
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to keep a daily diary. I loved the idea of writing down my thoughts and reading them years later. Every January, I would buy a beautiful new notebook and promise myself that I would write two pages before going to sleep. However, after the first week, I always gave up. After a long day of school and sports practice, sitting down to write felt like doing extra homework. I was completely overwhelmed by the idea of filling blank pages, so my notebooks stayed empty.
Then, a few months ago, a friend told me about something called ‘micro-journaling’. She explained that instead of writing long paragraphs, you only have to write a single sentence about your day. At first, I didn’t think one sentence would be enough to record anything meaningful. But because it sounded so easy and would only take a minute, I decided to give it a try. I found an old notebook, placed it next to my bed, and grabbed a pen.
During the first few weeks, my sentences were extremely simple. I wrote things like, “Today I had an amazing pizza for lunch,” or “I felt quite stressed about my maths test this morning.” It was so quick that I never had an excuse to skip a day. I didn’t have to worry about my handwriting or using perfect grammar. I just wrote whatever came into my mind right before I turned off my light.
Before I knew it, a whole year had passed, and I had successfully written something every single day. Recently, I sat down and read through the whole notebook. It was incredible to see how those tiny sentences created a beautiful summary of my year. Even the most boring days had at least one small detail that I would have completely forgotten otherwise.
Micro-journaling has taught me that you don’t need to do something huge to make a difference. Taking just one minute a day to reflect has improved my memory and helped me appreciate the little things in my life. If you struggle to keep a regular diary, I definitely recommend trying this method. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy it.
1 Why did the writer always stop keeping a diary in the past?
(A) She couldn’t afford to buy beautiful notebooks.
(B) It felt like too much hard work at the end of the day.
(C) She preferred spending her time doing extra homework.
(D) She couldn’t remember what she wanted to write about.
2 How did the writer initially feel about ‘micro-journaling’?
(A) She was worried that it would take up too much time.
(B) She was annoyed that her friend suggested it to her.
(C) She doubted that such a short entry would be useful.
(D) She felt excited to buy a brand new notebook for it.
3 What was the main advantage of micro-journaling in the early weeks?
(A) It helped her to get better marks in her maths tests.
(B) It allowed her to improve her grammar and handwriting.
(C) It gave her a reason to eat her favourite food for lunch.
(D) It was so fast that she never failed to complete it.
4 What happened when the writer read her notebook after a year?
(A) She realised that most of her days had been incredibly boring.
(B) She was amazed by how much she could remember from short notes.
(C) She decided she wanted to write longer paragraphs in the future.
(D) She noticed she had forgotten to write on several days.
5 What would the writer write in a blog post about journaling?
(A) I still think that writing long pages is the best way to keep a diary, but micro-journaling is a good start.
(B) You don’t need to write pages to keep a diary. Writing just one sentence a day is an easy way to record your life.
(C) Micro-journaling is fun, but it takes a lot of time to think of the perfect sentence to summarise your day.
(D) I regret not writing more about my feelings, as a single sentence doesn’t really explain anything about my year.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text in paragraph 1 explains that after a long day, sitting down to write “felt like doing extra homework” and she was “overwhelmed by the idea of filling blank pages”.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer says, “At first, I didn’t think one sentence would be enough to record anything meaningful.”
3 D – Paragraph 3 states that because it was so quick, “I never had an excuse to skip a day.”
4 B – In paragraph 4, the writer mentions that reading the whole notebook was “incredible” because those tiny sentences provided a beautiful summary and helped her remember small details she “would have completely forgotten otherwise.”
5 B – This option successfully captures the global meaning and the writer’s final message in paragraph 5, highlighting that a small, daily habit is effective for keeping a record of your life without feeling overwhelmed.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Trading my screen for strings
Like most people my age, I’ve always had my smartphone in my hand. Whether I was waiting for the school bus or lying in bed at night, I was constantly scrolling through short videos on social media. One rainy Sunday, out of curiosity, I checked my phone’s weekly screen time report. I was completely shocked to discover that I was spending an average of three hours a day just watching funny, meaningless clips. I did some quick maths and realised this added up to over a thousand hours a year. It felt awful to know I was wasting so much of my life doing absolutely nothing productive.
I decided I needed to make a change immediately, but I knew I couldn’t just give up my phone completely. Instead, I made a strict rule: I would swap just one hour of my daily screen time for learning a new skill. After thinking about various hobbies, I chose to learn the ukulele. It seemed like the perfect option because it was small, easy to carry around, and a lot cheaper than buying a guitar. I found a great second-hand instrument online and eagerly waited for it to arrive at my house.
However, the first few weeks of my new routine were incredibly frustrating. My fingers ached continuously from pressing the tough strings, and the sounds I produced were absolutely terrible. My little sister even complained about the awful noise I was making in my bedroom! Since I didn’t have money for professional lessons, I had to rely on free video tutorials to understand the basic chords. There were many exhausting evenings when I felt so annoyed that I just wanted to put the instrument away in its case and go back to scrolling comfortably through social media.
Fortunately, I forced myself to stick to my one-hour rule, and eventually, things started to improve. After three months of daily practice, the pain in my fingers disappeared, and I could finally play popular songs without looking at the instructions. Last weekend, I even performed a song for my family in the living room, and they were genuinely amazed by my progress. I still use my phone for entertainment, but this experience has taught me a valuable lesson. Investing just a small amount of time every day into a real hobby brings much more satisfaction than staring at a screen.
1 Why did the writer decide to change his habits?
(A) He was failing his school exams because of his phone.
(B) He was horrified by how much time he wasted online.
(C) His parents checked his screen time report and got angry.
(D) He wanted to spend more time waiting for the school bus.
2 Why did the writer choose the ukulele as his new hobby?
(A) He wanted an instrument that was inexpensive and portable.
(B) He was given a second-hand one by a generous friend.
(C) He decided to stop using his mobile phone completely.
(D) He already knew how to play the guitar very well.
3 During his first few weeks of practice, the writer felt
(A) pleased that his sister was helping him learn the chords.
(B) angry that the professional lessons were too expensive.
(C) tempted to quit and return to his old digital habits.
(D) surprised by how quickly he learned to play simple tunes.
4 What is the writer’s attitude toward his hobby now?
(A) He is disappointed that he still needs to read the instructions.
(B) He regrets performing in front of his family last weekend.
(C) He feels guilty whenever he uses his phone for entertainment.
(D) He is proud of what he has achieved through daily effort.
5 What would the writer write in his diary about his experience?
(A) “I can’t believe how easy it was to learn the ukulele. I never even experienced any finger pain, and my family loved it from day one.”
(B) “Although I completely deleted my social media apps, learning an instrument has shown me that life is better without a smartphone.”
(C) “It was tough at first, but swapping just a little bit of internet time for a real activity has given me a skill I’m truly proud of.”
(D) “I spent three hours a day practising the ukulele instead of watching videos. It was exhausting, but I finally know how to play a song.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states he was “completely shocked to discover” how many hours he spent on his phone and felt “awful to know I was wasting so much of my life”.
2 A – Paragraph 2 explains that the ukulele was the perfect option because “it was small, easy to carry around, and a lot cheaper than buying a guitar”.
3 C – The third paragraph describes his frustration and says he “felt so annoyed that I just wanted to put the instrument away… and go back to scrolling comfortably through social media”.
4 D – In paragraph 4, the writer explains that his family was amazed by his progress and that investing time into a real hobby “brings much more satisfaction than staring at a screen”.
5 C – This diary entry accurately captures the global meaning and attitude of the text: the writer found the initial process difficult but is extremely satisfied with the result of swapping just one hour of screen time for learning a real skill.