Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Modern Lifestyle, Habits & Productivity 8
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My “Eat the Frog” Experiment
For as long as I can remember, my after-school routine was exactly the same. I would come home, make a snack, and sit down at my desk to do my homework. However, I always chose the easiest and most enjoyable tasks first, like drawing for art class or writing a few Spanish words. I deliberately ignored my difficult maths assignments until the very end of the day. By the time 11:00 p.m. arrived, my brain was completely exhausted, and I would frequently end up crying in frustration because I simply couldn’t concentrate.
I knew my habit of delaying the hard work was destroying my evenings, but I didn’t know how to fix it. Then, during a study skills lesson, my teacher introduced us to a time-management concept called “Eating the Frog”. She explained that the “frog” represents the biggest, most difficult task on your to-do list. If you do that terrible task first thing, the rest of your day will feel incredibly easy. Although it sounded like a strange idea, I decided I had to try it out with my daily homework.
The following afternoon, I arrived home and immediately opened my maths textbook. It took a lot of willpower not to pick up my favourite history project instead. Staring at the complex equations was just as horrible as I had expected. For the first twenty minutes, I felt annoyed and wanted to give up. However, I forced myself to keep going. To my surprise, because I wasn’t already tired from hours of studying other things, I actually solved the problems much faster than usual.
When I finally closed my maths book, a huge wave of relief washed over me. Knowing that my most difficult job was already finished made me feel incredibly light and happy. I calmly completed my history and Spanish homework, and by 6:00 p.m., my entire bag was packed for the next day. I spent the rest of the evening happily watching a film with my family without any feelings of guilt or anxiety. Tackling my hardest subject first has completely transformed my daily life, and now my evenings are completely stress-free.
1 Why did the writer often cry late at night?
(A) Because she had too much art and Spanish homework to finish.
(B) Because she was too tired to understand her difficult assignments.
(C) Because she had forgotten to bring her maths books home.
(D) Because her teachers were giving her more work than usual.
2 What is the main idea behind the “Eating the Frog” method?
(A) You should ask a teacher for help when a task is too hard.
(B) You should finish your easiest jobs before starting the hard ones.
(C) You must complete the most unpleasant activity before anything else.
(D) You have to do all your homework early in the morning before school.
3 How did the writer feel when she first started her maths homework?
(A) She was excited to finally understand the complex equations.
(B) She found it easier because she had already done her history project.
(C) She felt frustrated and wanted to stop doing the work.
(D) She was worried that she wouldn’t have time for her other subjects.
4 What was the result of trying the new method?
(A) She realised that maths was actually her favourite subject.
(B) She was able to enjoy her free time without worrying about school.
(C) She asked her teachers to give her more challenging homework.
(D) She decided to stop doing her history and Spanish assignments.
5 What would the writer write in her diary about her experience?
(A) “I can’t believe I stayed up until 11 p.m. again. This new study method is terrible and I’m going back to my old routine.”
(B) “Doing my hardest homework first was difficult, but it made my evening so relaxing. I’m definitely going to keep doing this.”
(C) “My teacher’s advice didn’t work at all. Maths is still impossible to understand, no matter what time of day I do it.”
(D) “I loved doing my history project first today. It really gives me the energy to finish all my other boring subjects.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer explains that by 11:00 p.m., her brain was “completely exhausted,” causing her to cry because she “simply couldn’t concentrate” on the difficult maths assignments she had ignored all day.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the teacher explains that the frog represents “the biggest, most difficult task” and that you should “do that terrible task first thing” to make the rest of the day easy.
3 C – Paragraph 3 states that staring at the math equations was horrible, and for the first twenty minutes, she “felt annoyed and wanted to give up”.
4 B – In the final paragraph, the writer notes that she finished early and “spent the rest of the evening happily watching a film with my family without any feelings of guilt or anxiety.”
5 B – This diary entry successfully captures the global meaning and attitude of the text: the writer found tackling her hardest subject first challenging, but the resulting “stress-free” evening made it a highly positive change to her routine.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Beating the Snooze Button
My name is Toby, and until a few weeks ago, my mornings were an absolute disaster. I have always found it incredibly difficult to wake up early for school. Every evening, I set my smartphone alarm for seven o’clock and placed it on the small table next to my bed. However, when it rang the next morning, I always pressed the ‘snooze’ button. I usually did this four or five times before finally getting up. As a result, I always felt exhausted and had to rush to get ready.
One weekend, I decided I had to change this terrible habit. I realised that the extra ten minutes of sleep between alarms wasn’t actually making me feel any less tired. In fact, it was making my morning exhaustion much worse. While searching online for advice on how to wake up more easily, I read a very simple suggestion. The article advised putting the alarm on the other side of the bedroom. I thought it was a brilliant idea, so I decided to try it that Sunday night.
The next morning, my phone started ringing loudly at seven o’clock. My first reaction was to reach out and press snooze, but my hand just hit an empty table. I suddenly remembered where my phone was. I was forced to pull off my warm blankets, put my feet on the cold floor, and walk across the room to turn it off. I was quite annoyed for a few seconds, but I quickly noticed something amazing. By the time I reached the phone, I was completely awake.
Because I was already out of bed, there was no point in getting back in. For the first time in months, I actually had enough time to have a proper breakfast before leaving the house. I wasn’t running for the school bus, and I didn’t feel sleepy during my morning lessons at all.
It has been a month since I moved my charger across the room, and I haven’t used the snooze button once. Having to physically walk to my phone forces my brain to wake up immediately. It is a tiny change, but it has completely cured my morning tiredness. I highly recommend it to anyone who struggles to get out of bed!
1 Why were Toby’s mornings a disaster in the past?
(A) He forgot to set his alarm for seven o’clock.
(B) He delayed waking up and never had enough time.
(C) He went to sleep too late every evening.
(D) He kept dropping his smartphone on the floor.
2 What did Toby learn about using the ‘snooze’ button?
(A) It was the best way to get a few minutes of deep sleep.
(B) It was a trick used by writers in many online articles.
(C) It was actually the reason he felt so tired in the mornings.
(D) It was broken and rang at the wrong times.
3 How did Toby feel when his alarm rang on the first morning of his experiment?
(A) Irritated because he had to leave his warm bed.
(B) Surprised because the alarm was much louder than usual.
(C) Confused because he didn’t know how to turn the alarm off.
(D) Worried because the bedroom floor was too cold to walk on.
4 What was an immediate result of Toby’s new routine?
(A) He started walking to school instead of catching the bus.
(B) He started helping his parents make the morning meals.
(C) He went back to bed after eating his morning meal.
(D) He was able to eat a proper meal before going to school.
5 What would Toby write in an email to a friend about his new habit?
(A) I still feel a bit sleepy during my morning lessons, but putting the phone far away means I never miss the school bus.
(B) Moving my phone across the room is a simple trick, but forcing myself to get up immediately has completely stopped my morning tiredness.
(C) I really hate my new morning routine because the floor is cold, but at least I’m not late for school anymore.
(D) The article I read online was completely wrong. Hitting the snooze button is still the best way to wake up slowly and feel relaxed.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that Toby pressed the snooze button four or five times (delayed waking up) and as a result, he “had to rush to get ready” (never had enough time).
2 C – In paragraph 2, Toby realised that the extra sleep from the snooze button wasn’t helping, and “In fact, it was making my morning exhaustion much worse,” meaning it was the reason he felt so tired.
3 A – Paragraph 3 explains that Toby was “forced to pull off my warm blankets” and walk across the room, and that he was “quite annoyed for a few seconds.” This paraphrases as being irritated because he had to leave his warm bed.
4 D – Paragraph 4 says that because he was already out of bed, “For the first time in months, I actually had enough time to have a proper breakfast before leaving the house.”
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and Toby’s attitude. He acknowledges that moving the phone is a small/simple change, but the physical act of getting up immediately “has completely cured my morning tiredness” as stated in the final paragraph.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Brain-Food Snack Box
During my first few weeks of secondary school, I found studying in the evenings incredibly difficult. Whenever I sat down at my desk to do my homework, I usually brought a large bag of potato chips or a packet of sweets with me. I thought that eating my favourite treats would make the boring schoolwork feel more enjoyable. However, although the sugar gave me a quick burst of energy, I always experienced a terrible crash about an hour later. I felt completely exhausted and could hardly keep my eyes open to finish my reading. I knew something had to change if I wanted to pass my exams.
One weekend, my older sister noticed how tired I looked while studying. She explained that my brain needed proper fuel to concentrate, and suggested I try eating “brain food” instead of junk food. We searched online together and found several articles about snacks that help improve memory and focus. The next day, I went to the supermarket and bought a selection of healthy ingredients. I found a small plastic container in the kitchen and filled it with almonds, fresh blueberries, and a few pieces of dark chocolate. I placed this special snack box right next to my computer.
To be honest, the first few days of my new routine were surprisingly hard. When I was struggling with a difficult maths problem, I really wanted to reach for a sweet biscuit instead of an almond. I almost gave up and went back to the kitchen cupboard to find some chips. But by the end of the first week, I started to notice a huge difference in how my body felt. The healthy fats and natural sugars provided a slow, steady release of energy. I was no longer falling asleep halfway through my history essays.
It has now been a month since I introduced my brain-food box, and the results are fantastic. Not only have my grades slowly improved, but my overall mood is much better in the evenings. Whenever my friends complain about being too tired to study, I always recommend preparing a healthy snack box. I wish I had realised earlier how much my diet was affecting my concentration. I am never going back to my old junk food habits again!
1 Why did the writer want to change their study habits?
(A) Their parents complained about them eating too much junk food.
(B) They realised their unhealthy snacks were making them tired.
(C) They wanted to save the money they were spending on sweets.
(D) They found their homework too boring to complete without food.
2 How did the writer create their new snack box?
(A) They followed a recipe their older sister had written down.
(B) They ordered some special “brain food” from an online store.
(C) They gathered suitable items after researching the topic online.
(D) They used ingredients that they already had in their kitchen cupboards.
3 What happened during the first week of the new routine?
(A) The writer found it difficult to resist eating their old favourite snacks.
(B) The writer couldn’t solve a difficult maths problem without eating biscuits.
(C) The writer fell asleep while they were writing a history essay.
(D) The writer realised that the almonds did not give them enough energy.
4 What is the writer’s attitude towards their new habit now?
(A) They are surprised that their friends refuse to try the healthy snacks.
(B) They regret that they didn’t discover the benefits of healthy eating sooner.
(C) They wish they had more time to prepare the snack box every evening.
(D) They think they still need to study harder to get better grades.
5 What would the writer text to a friend about their experience?
(A) I can’t believe how much money I’ve saved by not buying chips anymore. You should definitely try it!
(B) I still miss my favourite sweets while studying, but at least I’m not falling asleep during my afternoon lessons.
(C) Making a healthy snack box has completely stopped my energy crashes. It’s amazing how much better I can focus now!
(D) My sister made me a snack box with almonds and dark chocolate. It tastes awful, but my grades are finally improving.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer explains that although sugar gave them a quick burst of energy, they “experienced a terrible crash” and “felt completely exhausted,” leading to the decision to change.
2 C – The second paragraph states that the writer and their sister “searched online together and found several articles about snacks,” and then the writer went to the supermarket to buy the healthy ingredients.
3 A – The third paragraph describes how the writer “really wanted to reach for a sweet biscuit” and “almost gave up and went back to the kitchen cupboard to find some chips,” showing they struggled to resist their old snacks.
4 B – In the final paragraph, the writer says, “I wish I had realised earlier how much my diet was affecting my concentration,” which maps perfectly to regretting that they didn’t discover the benefits sooner.
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: acknowledging the action of creating the snack box, celebrating the end of the exhaustion/crashes, and highlighting the positive result of improved focus.