Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Physical Health, Diet & Exercise
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Beating the Sugar Monster
I have always had a massive sweet tooth. For years, my daily routine was exactly the same: as soon as I walked through the front door after school, I would eat a large bar of milk chocolate. It was my way of relaxing after a long day of lessons. However, a few months ago, my dentist warned me that eating so much sugar was damaging my teeth. I realised I had to make a change, so I decided to cut out chocolate completely and overcome my sugar cravings.
I thought it would be quite easy, but I was completely wrong. The first few days without my favourite snack were incredibly difficult. The cravings always hit me the hardest at about four o’clock in the afternoon. My brain was shouting for sugar, and I felt quite tired and moody. I knew I needed to find a replacement quickly, so I decided to try a healthier snack. I cut up a fresh apple and covered the slices in peanut butter.
To be honest, my first reaction to this new snack was disappointment. The apple and peanut butter tasted fine, but it certainly didn’t give me the same exciting feeling as a rich bar of chocolate. I almost gave up on my challenge right then. However, I forced myself to stick with the new routine. After the first week, something strange happened. The apple actually started to taste sweeter to me, and I noticed that I had much more energy in the evenings.
The real test happened about a month later. I was at the cinema with my best friend, and she offered me a piece of my old favourite milk chocolate. I accepted it, expecting it to be absolutely delicious. But to my surprise, it tasted unpleasantly sweet. I actually couldn’t finish it! I realised that my taste buds had completely changed during my time away from junk food. Now, I genuinely prefer my healthy snacks, and I am proud that I finally control my cravings instead of letting them control me.
1 Why did the writer decide to stop eating chocolate?
(A) She wanted to lose a bit of weight.
(B) She received a warning from her dentist.
(C) She wanted to save the money she spent after school.
(D) She felt too tired to concentrate on her lessons.
2 What was the writer’s biggest problem during the first few days?
(A) She couldn’t find any healthy fruit in her house.
(B) She forgot to eat anything when she got home.
(C) She struggled most with her desire for sugar after school.
(D) She was annoyed that she had to prepare her own snacks.
3 How did the writer feel about her new snack at first?
(A) She was surprised by how much energy it gave her immediately.
(B) She thought it was much too sweet to eat every day.
(C) She believed it was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten.
(D) She was let down because it wasn’t as satisfying as chocolate.
4 What happened when the writer tried her old favourite chocolate?
(A) She realised she had really missed the taste of milk chocolate.
(B) She found that the flavour was far too sweet for her now.
(C) She ate the whole bar because she was so hungry.
(D) She decided to buy some more on her way home.
5 What would the writer say about her experience?
(A) “It was too hard to stop eating chocolate, so I’m glad I only did the challenge for one single month.”
(B) “I still dream about chocolate every day, but I know apples are better for my teeth.”
(C) “Changing my routine was difficult at first, but I’m glad I did it because my tastes have transformed.”
(D) “I would advise everyone to stop eating fruit because it has just as much sugar as chocolate bars.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states that her “dentist warned me that eating so much sugar was damaging my teeth,” which caused her to realise she had to make a change. This paraphrases receiving a warning from her dentist.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the text explains that the first few days without chocolate were incredibly difficult, and the cravings “hit me the hardest at about four o’clock in the afternoon” (after school).
3 D – Paragraph three mentions that her first reaction to the apple and peanut butter was “disappointment” because it didn’t give her the “same exciting feeling as a rich bar of chocolate”. This matches being let down because it wasn’t as satisfying.
4 B – Paragraph four describes her reaction to tasting the milk chocolate a month later: “to my surprise, it tasted unpleasantly sweet. I actually couldn’t finish it!” This means the flavour was far too sweet for her now.
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and the writer’s attitude perfectly. She acknowledges the initial struggle (“Changing my routine was difficult at first”) but feels proud of the final outcome because her taste buds have changed (“my tastes have transformed”) and she prefers healthy snacks now.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finding Flexibility on the Mat
I have always been passionate about sports. Whether it was playing football with my friends or running on the school athletics track, I loved pushing my body to the limit. However, despite my fitness, I was incredibly stiff. After a football match last month, my coach pulled me aside. He warned me that because my muscles were so tight, I was in serious danger of getting injured. He strongly suggested that I try something new to improve my flexibility, and he recommended signing up for a local yoga class.
Walking into the yoga studio for the first time, I felt completely out of place. There were people of all ages, and most of them looked very relaxed. When the teacher told us to bend forward and touch our toes, I reached down, but my hands stopped by my knees! I felt incredibly silly, especially when I looked around and saw everyone else managing the position easily. For a moment, I considered picking up my mat and walking straight out the door, but I knew my coach was right, so I stayed.
Over the next few weeks, I realised that yoga was entirely different from the fast, aggressive sports I was used to. Instead of forcing my body to move, the teacher taught me how to breathe deeply through the discomfort. Whenever a stretch felt difficult, focusing on my breathing helped my muscles relax. It wasn’t a quick fix, but very gradually, I started to notice small changes. My range of motion was increasing, and I could finally touch my toes without experiencing any pain.
The real test came during a crucial football tournament a few weeks later. While running fast to catch a pass, I slipped on the wet grass and fell awkwardly. Normally, a fall like that would have pulled a muscle or caused a bad injury, forcing me to miss the rest of the season. Amazingly, I just stood back up, feeling completely fine. Yoga had saved me! Now, I understand that true physical health isn’t just about speed or power, but also about taking care of your body. I plan to keep doing yoga every week.
1 Why did the writer decide to start yoga?
(A) To become faster on the athletics track.
(B) His coach advised him to do it to avoid getting hurt.
(C) He wanted to recover from a recent football injury.
(D) His friends invited him to join a local class with them.
2 How did the writer feel during his first yoga lesson?
(A) Embarrassed because he was much less flexible than the others.
(B) Annoyed that the teacher asked him to do difficult movements.
(C) Relaxed after seeing people of all ages in the room.
(D) Confident that he would soon be able to touch his toes.
3 What did the writer learn about yoga over time?
(A) It requires the same type of effort as fast sports.
(B) He had to force his body to stretch further each time.
(C) Paying attention to his breath helped his muscles loosen up.
(D) He needed a quick fix to see any changes in his flexibility.
4 What happened during the football tournament?
(A) The writer had to miss the rest of the season due to a fall.
(B) The writer avoided a serious injury thanks to his new flexibility.
(C) The writer realised he preferred yoga to playing football.
(D) The writer ran faster than he ever had before.
5 What would the writer write in his diary?
(A) Yoga is just as fast and aggressive as football, but I’m glad my coach made me do it because I finally touched my toes.
(B) I felt foolish at first, but sticking with yoga has protected my body and taught me a completely new way to be strong.
(C) I managed to avoid getting injured today, so I think I can finally stop going to those boring yoga classes.
(D) It was great to try yoga with my football friends, even if we were all terrible at touching our toes.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that his coach “warned me that because my muscles were so tight, I was in serious danger of getting injured” and “recommended signing up for a local yoga class”.
2 A – In the second paragraph, the writer mentions feeling “completely out of place” and “incredibly silly, especially when I looked around and saw everyone else managing the position easily”.
3 C – The third paragraph explains that “Whenever a stretch felt difficult, focusing on my breathing helped my muscles relax”, which paraphrases paying attention to his breath to loosen up.
4 B – In the fourth paragraph, the writer says that normally a fall would have caused a bad injury, but “Amazingly, I just stood back up, feeling completely fine. Yoga had saved me!”.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: acknowledging the initial embarrassment (feeling foolish), staying dedicated to the practice, preventing an injury (protecting the body), and discovering a new perspective on fitness and strength.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Simple Trick for Better Eating
I have always really loved food, but a few months ago, I noticed that I was feeling terrible after dinner every night. I was eating absolutely huge portions, mostly just because the food was there on my plate, out of pure habit. Afterward, I always felt overly full and far too tired to do my homework or hang out with my friends. I decided that I urgently needed to change how I was eating. However, I definitely didn’t want to go on a strict diet, count calories, or give up my favourite meals entirely.
While looking for advice, I read a fascinating article online about managing portion sizes. It suggested a very simple trick: serving your meals on smaller plates. The scientific idea is that a smaller plate fills up more quickly, so your brain is tricked into thinking you are eating a large amount of food. At first, I thought this sounded completely silly. I really didn’t believe that changing my dishes would magically stop me from feeling hungry. Despite my doubts, I decided to give it a try the following evening just to see what would happen.
When I served myself dinner on a much smaller plate, it felt quite strange. The food portion looked tiny compared to my usual massive mountain of pasta. I made sure to eat my meal slowly, fully expecting to run back to the kitchen for a second plate right away. To my absolute surprise, by the time I finished the last bite, I actually felt fine. I wasn’t completely stuffed, but my stomach wasn’t rumbling either. It was a totally new sensation for me to stop eating before feeling uncomfortable.
Over the next few weeks, using smaller plates became a normal, everyday habit. I finally started to understand the difference between eating until I couldn’t move and eating until I was comfortably satisfied. By paying close attention to my body’s actual signals, I naturally stopped overeating without feeling sad about missing out on food. Now, I have so much more energy in the evenings, and I still get to enjoy all the meals I have always loved. It just proves that sometimes, a very simple psychological trick can make a massive difference to your health.
1 Why did the writer want to change his eating habits?
(A) He wanted to start counting calories to lose weight.
(B) He felt exhausted and uncomfortable after eating large meals.
(C) His friends complained that he never wanted to hang out with them.
(D) He was told to give up his favourite foods by a doctor.
2 How did the writer initially react to the idea of using smaller plates?
(A) He thought it was a brilliant way to trick his brain.
(B) He was worried he would have to buy expensive new dishes.
(C) He doubted it would prevent him from wanting more food.
(D) He was excited to try the scientific experiment immediately.
3 What happened when the writer first tried using the smaller plate?
(A) He ate his food quickly because the portion was so tiny.
(B) He went back to the kitchen to get a second plate of pasta.
(C) He realised he felt perfectly okay after finishing his meal.
(D) He felt angry because his stomach was still rumbling.
4 What is the most important lesson the writer has learned?
(A) To avoid eating heavy meals in the evenings.
(B) To only eat foods that give him a lot of energy.
(C) To completely remove unhealthy meals from his diet.
(D) To stop eating when his body tells him it has had enough.
5 What would the writer write in his blog about his experience?
(A) Dieting is the only way to get your energy back. I stopped eating my favourite meals, but at least I feel much healthier now.
(B) I can’t believe a simple change of plates actually worked. I’m finally listening to what my body needs instead of just eating out of habit!
(C) The smaller plate trick is a great idea, but unfortunately, I am always hungry afterwards. I guess I’ll have to find another way to feel better.
(D) If you want to stop feeling tired after dinner, you need to eat massive portions of pasta. It takes time, but your body gets used to it!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states that after dinner the writer “felt overly full and far too tired to do my homework”, which paraphrases feeling exhausted and uncomfortable. He explicitly mentions not wanting to count calories or give up favourite foods.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer says, “I thought this sounded completely silly. I really didn’t believe that changing my dishes would magically stop me from feeling hungry.”
3 C – The third paragraph describes his surprise that after eating the smaller portion, “I actually felt fine. I wasn’t completely stuffed, but my stomach wasn’t rumbling either.”
4 D – The fourth paragraph explains that he learned “the difference between eating until I couldn’t move and eating until I was comfortably satisfied” by “paying close attention to my body’s actual signals.”
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and narrative of the text: the writer successfully used the smaller plate trick to break a bad habit and is now successfully listening to his body’s signals, all without going on a strict diet.