Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Music, Singing & Audio Production
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finding the right note
I’ve always loved listening to music, but I never played an instrument until recently. A few months ago, my parents took me to a live jazz concert in the city. The band was amazing, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the saxophone player. The instrument looked incredibly cool, and the music sounded so relaxed and smooth. That night, I decided I wanted to learn how to play it. After saving up my pocket money, I managed to rent a second-hand saxophone from a local music shop. I couldn’t wait to get it home and make my own music.
However, my excitement didn’t last very long. When I put the saxophone together and blew into it for the first time, nothing happened. I took a deep breath and blew as hard as I possibly could, but the only sound that came out was a high, horrible squeak. It sounded like an angry mouse! I spent the whole afternoon trying to play a single musical note. By dinner time, my cheeks were aching, my head hurt, and I was feeling completely miserable. I started to wonder if renting the heavy instrument had been a huge mistake.
The next day, instead of giving up, I searched for some beginner lessons online. I quickly discovered a helpful video made by a professional music teacher. He explained that making a sound on a saxophone isn’t about blowing with all your strength. Instead, the secret is all about the shape of your mouth, which musicians call the ’embouchure’. The teacher showed how to fold your bottom lip over your teeth and rest your top teeth gently on the mouthpiece. I practised in front of a mirror to make sure my face looked exactly like his.
After a few days of practising the mouth shape without blowing too hard, I finally tried again. I carefully placed my lips on the mouthpiece and blew gently. To my absolute amazement, a deep, smooth, jazzy note filled my bedroom. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever created! I spent the rest of the evening playing that same perfect note over and over. Now, I’m learning how to play different keys and simple songs. It still takes a lot of effort, but I’m hoping to be good enough to join the school jazz band next year.
1 Why did the writer rent a saxophone?
(A) He wanted to start a band with his parents.
(B) He was inspired by a musician at a live performance.
(C) He needed to learn an instrument for a school concert.
(D) He found a cheap one at a local music shop.
2 How did the writer feel after his first afternoon of practising?
(A) Disappointed because he only produced a terrible noise.
(B) Amused because the instrument sounded exactly like a mouse.
(C) Exhausted because the saxophone was so heavy to hold up.
(D) Angry because the second-hand instrument was clearly broken.
3 What did the writer learn from the online video?
(A) He needed to blow much harder to get a good sound.
(B) He should practise playing the instrument in front of a mirror.
(C) The correct way to position his lips and teeth on the instrument.
(D) The specific name of the mouth muscle used for playing.
4 What is the writer’s main goal for the future?
(A) To buy his own brand new saxophone.
(B) To learn how to play complex jazz songs.
(C) To become a professional music teacher.
(D) To play music with other students at his school.
5 What would the writer write in his diary?
(A) I can’t believe how easy it is to play the saxophone. As soon as I brought it home, I was playing jazz music!
(B) I’m so frustrated. My cheeks hurt from blowing so hard, and I still can’t make a sound. I think I’ll return it tomorrow.
(C) It was really difficult at first and I almost quit, but learning the right technique changed everything. I’m so proud of my progress.
(D) Watching that video was a waste of time. I just had to figure out how to blow as hard as possible to get a clear note.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer mentions seeing a live jazz concert and says, “I couldn’t take my eyes off the saxophone player… That night, I decided I wanted to learn how to play it.”
2 A – In paragraph 2, the writer explains blowing as hard as possible but only getting a “high, horrible squeak” and feeling “completely miserable” by dinner time.
3 C – Paragraph 3 details how the video taught him about ’embouchure’, which involves how to “fold your bottom lip over your teeth and rest your top teeth gently on the mouthpiece”.
4 D – In the final paragraph, the writer states his future plan: “I’m hoping to be good enough to join the school jazz band next year.”
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the passage: the writer starts out frustrated and in pain (almost quitting), learns the proper mouth shape (technique), and ends up successfully producing a note and feeling highly motivated for the future.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finding My Flow
I have always loved writing poetry. Ever since I was a young child, my notebooks have been full of poems about my daily life, my friends, and my dreams. Because I was already quite good at writing rhymes on paper, I thought learning to rap would be incredibly easy. I regularly listened to my favourite hip-hop artists and imagined myself performing just like them on a huge stage. I felt confident that all I needed to do was say my written poems out loud to a fast beat, and I would instantly sound like a professional rapper.
However, my first real attempt was a complete disaster. One afternoon, I played a hip-hop beat on my computer and tried to freestyle, which means making up lyrics on the spot without any preparation. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I started to stutter and completely froze in front of the microphone. I quickly realised that writing poetry in a quiet room is very different from thinking of words instantly while following a continuous rhythm. The music was moving much faster than my brain could manage, and I felt extremely disappointed in myself.
Despite this terrible start, I refused to give up my dream. I began searching for advice online and discovered how useful rhyming dictionaries can be for beginners. Instead of trying to invent everything from nothing, I spent hours studying common rhyming patterns. I practised matching different words to the beat of the music, starting very slowly at first. I also learned that I had to stop worrying about making mistakes. If I said something silly, I just kept going and focused on staying with the rhythm.
After several weeks of hard work, I finally noticed a real improvement. I was in my bedroom when I managed to freestyle for two whole minutes without stopping or freezing. The words flowed naturally, and I was able to express my thoughts incredibly fast. It felt amazing to let the music guide my voice instead of overthinking every single word. I still have a lot of techniques to learn before I can perform in front of an audience, but I am proud of my progress. I have finally found my true flow!
1 What did the writer believe before she started rapping?
(A) She would need to practice for years to perform.
(B) Her poetry skills would make rapping very simple.
(C) She would write better poems if she listened to music.
(D) Famous artists would help her learn to rap.
2 What happened when the writer first tried to freestyle?
(A) She forgot the poems she had already written down.
(B) She realised the beat she chose on her computer was too slow.
(C) She found it impossible to think of words quickly enough.
(D) She broke her microphone because she was so nervous.
3 What helped the writer improve her freestyling skills?
(A) She used a rhyming dictionary to learn different patterns.
(B) She started writing all her lyrics down before speaking.
(C) She stopped listening to the music so she wouldn’t make mistakes.
(D) She asked a professional rapper for advice on the internet.
4 How did the writer feel after she successfully freestyled?
(A) Ready to perform her first live concert immediately.
(B) Disappointed that her lyrics didn’t make much sense.
(C) Surprised that freestyling was easier than writing poetry.
(D) Delighted that she could think and speak easily to the music.
5 What would the writer write in her blog about her experience?
(A) I’m glad I stopped trying to freestyle. Writing poetry is much better because you don’t have to worry about a fast beat.
(B) If you want to be a rapper, you shouldn’t use rhyming dictionaries. You just need to say your written poems out loud.
(C) Learning to freestyle was tough at first, but practising patterns really helped me learn how to express myself to a beat.
(D) Freestyling is exactly like writing a poem. As soon as you turn the music on, the words will naturally come to you.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states: “Because I was already quite good at writing rhymes on paper, I thought learning to rap would be incredibly easy.”
2 C – The text explains that she “started to stutter and completely froze,” and that “the music was moving much faster than my brain could manage.”
3 A – The writer mentions she “discovered how useful rhyming dictionaries can be” and “spent hours studying common rhyming patterns.”
4 D – The text says “the words flowed naturally, and I was able to express my thoughts incredibly fast” and that it “felt amazing to let the music guide my voice.”
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and narrative arc of the text: acknowledging the initial difficulty and the successful strategy (practising patterns) that eventually allowed her to flow to a beat.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Recording Our First Demo
My friends and I started a rock band last year. After months of writing songs and practising in my garage, we finally felt ready to share our music with the world. We wanted to record a demo tape to send to local cafés, hoping they would invite us to play live. A professional recording studio was far too expensive for us, so we decided to record the songs in my bedroom using a basic microphone and my old laptop. We were confident it would be a simple and cheap solution.
On the day of the recording, we were incredibly excited. We spent hours playing our best track, putting all our energy into the performance. However, when we finally sat down to listen to the result, our excitement quickly vanished. The recording sounded absolutely terrible. The instruments were mixed together into a messy, muddy noise, and my singing sounded like I was shouting inside a huge cave. It was completely unprofessional, and we felt extremely disappointed with our lack of success.
We realised we couldn’t send this terrible recording to anyone. Instead of giving up, I went online to find out exactly what had gone wrong. I discovered that microphones pick up sound bouncing off hard surfaces, which creates a nasty echo. Professional studios have special foam on the walls to prevent this, but we had zero money for that. So, we had to be creative. We searched my house for the thickest winter blankets we could find and used heavy tape to hang them all around the bedroom walls.
It looked completely ridiculous, but we picked up our instruments and played the song one more time. When we listened back, we were amazed. The heavy blankets had absorbed the echoes perfectly. Every instrument sounded clear, and the vocals were sharp. It wasn’t completely perfect, but it sounded like we had spent hundreds of pounds on a real studio. The experience taught me a valuable lesson. You don’t always need to spend a fortune to achieve your goals; sometimes, a bit of imagination and some old blankets are all you really need.
1 Why did the band decide to record in a bedroom?
(A) They wanted to keep their new songs a secret.
(B) They couldn’t afford to pay for a real recording space.
(C) They believed the bedroom would naturally improve their sound.
(D) They already had professional studio equipment at home.
2 How did the band feel after their first attempt at recording?
(A) Upset because the music sounded messy and echoey.
(B) Annoyed that they had played the wrong notes.
(C) Pleased that the vocals were loud and powerful.
(D) Tired because they had spent hours setting up the room.
3 What did the writer do to solve the sound problem?
(A) He bought special foam for the walls on the internet.
(B) He moved the microphone to a softer surface.
(C) He used heavy covers to stop the sound from bouncing.
(D) He removed all the hard furniture from the bedroom.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) Professional studios are usually a waste of money.
(B) It is impossible to make a perfect recording at home.
(C) Good computer equipment is the most important part of music.
(D) You can solve problems effectively by being clever.
5 What would the writer say in his blog about making the demo?
(A) “We wanted to record our music, but playing in a bedroom was a mistake. Next time, we’ll wait until we can pay for a real studio.”
(B) “Our first recording sounded awful, but using everyday items to fix the room changed everything. We’re so proud of our homemade demo!”
(C) “I spent hours reading about sound online, and I finally saved enough money to buy studio foam. Now our bedroom looks amazing.”
(D) “We sent our first muddy recording to cafés anyway, and surprisingly, they loved our energy. Sometimes passion is better than clear sound.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that a “professional recording studio was far too expensive for us,” which matches the idea that they couldn’t afford to pay for a real space.
2 A – In paragraph two, the writer mentions their excitement “vanished” and they felt “disappointed” because the instruments were a “muddy noise” and the singing sounded like “shouting inside a huge cave” (echoey).
3 C – In paragraph three, the writer explains that they “searched my house for the thickest winter blankets” and hung them on the walls to prevent the echo caused by sound bouncing off hard surfaces.
4 D – Paragraph four concludes with the lesson that “sometimes, a bit of imagination… are all you really need,” meaning clever problem-solving is an effective way to achieve your goals.
5 B – This option successfully synthesizes the global narrative: they started with a terrible recording, used household items (blankets) to improve the acoustics, and achieved a great result they are proud of.