Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Sports Career Development, Competitions & Injuries 1
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Supporting from the sidelines
by Alex Miller
Football has always been my life. Since I was seven, I’ve played for my local club every weekend. Last year, I was finally chosen as the team captain, and we were having a fantastic season. We hadn’t lost a single match by November. But then, during an important game, I jumped to head the ball and landed badly. I heard a loud crack and felt a terrible pain. At the hospital, the doctor told me I had broken my leg and wouldn’t play again for at least six months.
The first few weeks of my recovery were the hardest. I had to stay at home while my friends went to school and football practice. At weekends, knowing my team was playing without me made me feel incredibly frustrated and lonely. Sometimes my teammates texted me after the matches, but it just wasn’t the same as being there. I started to wonder if they even needed me, especially when I heard they were winning their games easily.
After a month, I was finally able to walk with crutches, so I decided to go and watch a home game. Standing on the sidelines in the freezing cold was strange at first. However, I soon noticed things about the game that I never saw when I was playing on the pitch. I could see where there were empty spaces and when players needed to pass the ball. I started shouting advice to my teammates, and to my surprise, they actually listened and scored a goal.
From that day on, I went to every training session and match. Even though I couldn’t run or kick a ball, I became an unofficial assistant coach. I helped the manager plan tactics and gave encouragement to the players who lacked confidence. It completely changed my attitude towards my situation. My leg is almost fully healed now, and I can’t wait to play again next season. However, this injury has taught me that being part of a team isn’t just about scoring goals; it’s about supporting each other from anywhere.
1 What do we learn about Alex in the first paragraph?
(A) He injured himself before the football season had started.
(B) He had an accident during a very successful period for his team.
(C) He decided to stop playing football for six months to rest.
(D) He broke his leg because another player pushed him over.
2 Why did Alex feel frustrated during the first few weeks of his recovery?
(A) He was unable to reply to his teammates’ text messages.
(B) He had to do extra schoolwork while staying at home.
(C) He began to doubt if his team actually missed having him there.
(D) He was angry that his friends did not come to visit him.
3 When Alex went to watch a home game, he discovered that
(A) the weather was too cold for him to stand outside.
(B) his teammates ignored the instructions he gave them.
(C) standing on the sidelines was more boring than he expected.
(D) he could understand the game better from a distance.
4 What does Alex say about his new role as an “unofficial assistant coach”?
(A) It helped him to feel more positive about his injury.
(B) It made him realise he prefers coaching to playing.
(C) It was difficult to give advice to the younger players.
(D) It caused arguments with the team’s manager.
5 What would Alex write in his diary at the end of the season?
(A) Breaking my leg was terrible, and watching my team play without me has made me want to give up football completely.
(B) I’m proud I could help my team from the sidelines this year, but I’m really looking forward to getting back on the pitch.
(C) I enjoyed being the assistant coach so much that I’ve decided to stop playing football and do this instead next season.
(D) The hardest part of the injury was that my teammates stopped talking to me, but at least my leg is fully healed now.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 (B) – In paragraph 1, Alex mentions that he was chosen as captain and his team “were having a fantastic season” and “hadn’t lost a single match” before his injury mid-season.
2 (C) – In paragraph 2, Alex explains that because his team was winning easily without him, “I started to wonder if they even needed me.” This maps to doubting if his team missed having him there.
3 (D) – In paragraph 3, Alex states that from the sidelines, “I soon noticed things about the game that I never saw when I was playing on the pitch.” This correctly paraphrases understanding the game better from a distance.
4 (A) – In paragraph 4, Alex explains that taking on this new coaching role “completely changed my attitude towards my situation,” showing that it helped him feel more positive about being injured.
5 (B) – This option perfectly captures the global narrative arc: Alex’s pride in helping the team from a new position (unofficial coach), the lesson he learned about teamwork, and his eagerness to return to playing next season.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finding My Rhythm
For the past three years, basketball has been my life. I’ve always been one of the top scorers on my school team, mostly because I was excellent at shooting three-pointers from far away. However, about a month ago, everything suddenly changed. For several weeks, I couldn’t score a single three-pointer in any of our matches. At first, I thought it was just bad luck, but as the games went on, I began to feel incredibly frustrated.
My confidence completely crashed. Instead of trusting my natural abilities, I started overthinking every single movement. I spent hours alone in my bedroom watching online tutorial videos, trying to change how I held the ball or how I jumped. During team practices, I was so worried about missing that my muscles felt tight before I even threw the ball. I was trying far too hard, and it was only making my performance worse. I even considered asking the coach to leave me on the bench for the next game.
Everything changed last weekend when I bumped into my old primary school coach, Mr. Davis, at the local park. I explained my problem to him, and he kindly offered to watch me practice a few shots. After just five minutes, he stopped me. He told me that my technique was perfectly fine, but I looked like I was carrying a heavy weight on my shoulders. He advised me to stop worrying about the scoreboard, take a deep breath, and just remember why I love playing basketball in the first place.
In our most important game of the season on Tuesday, I was standing on the court when the ball was suddenly passed to me. My immediate reaction was panic, but then I remembered Mr. Davis’s words. I relaxed my shoulders, cleared my mind, and just let the ball fly without thinking about the result. It went straight through the net! The crowd cheered, and a huge wave of relief washed over me. I’m finally playing well again, and I’ve learned that a relaxed mind is just as essential as physical practice.
1 Why did the writer become frustrated?
(A) He lost his position as the top scorer on the team.
(B) He was unable to successfully make his favourite type of shot.
(C) He realised he had suddenly run out of good luck.
(D) He had to stop playing basketball for several weeks.
2 How did the writer react to his scoring problem?
(A) He asked his coach if he could miss the next few games.
(B) He became very anxious and tried to alter his shooting style.
(C) He started practicing with his teammates much more often.
(D) He refused to watch videos of his previous basketball matches.
3 What was Mr. Davis’s opinion of the writer’s shooting?
(A) The writer needed to change how he was standing.
(B) The writer was too physically relaxed during his practice.
(C) The writer was too stressed and needed to enjoy himself.
(D) The writer should focus more carefully on the scoreboard.
4 When the writer received the ball during Tuesday’s game, he
(A) immediately felt confident that he would score.
(B) decided to pass it quickly to another player.
(C) managed to calm down before taking the shot.
(D) thought carefully about his physical technique.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that night?
(A) I’m so annoyed. Mr. Davis tried to change my technique today, and it completely ruined my shot during the big game.
(B) I’m thrilled we won, but I’ve decided to stop taking three-pointers. It’s just too much stress for me to handle.
(C) It feels incredible to finally end my bad run! I’ve realised that worrying too much is just as harmful as bad technique.
(D) Today proved that watching tutorial videos really works! By completely changing how I throw the ball, I finally scored again.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer explains that he was excellent at shooting three-pointers, but became frustrated because he “couldn’t score a single three-pointer in any of our matches.”
2 B – The second paragraph states that he started overthinking, his muscles felt tight (anxious), and he was “trying to change how I held the ball or how I jumped” (alter his shooting style).
3 C – The third paragraph describes Mr. Davis telling him his technique was fine but he looked like he was “carrying a heavy weight” (stressed). He advised him to “stop worrying… and just remember why I love playing basketball” (enjoy himself).
4 C – The fourth paragraph notes that although his immediate reaction was panic, he “relaxed my shoulders, cleared my mind” before he let the ball fly.
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text. It acknowledges the relief of ending his slump and highlights the core lesson learned: that a relaxed mind is just as essential as physical technique.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Earning My Place
When my parents told me we were moving to a new city last year, I was completely heartbroken. The hardest part was saying goodbye to my old soccer team. I had played with them since I was eight, and I was their top goalscorer. As soon as we arrived in our new town, I immediately looked for a local club to join. I signed up for Metro City FC, which was known for being the most competitive youth club in the area. I thought my previous experience would make it easy to get a place on the team.
However, my confidence quickly disappeared during my very first training session. As I watched the other boys warming up, I realised that their passing and ball control were incredibly fast. They seemed to know exactly where their teammates were at all times. When we played a practice match, I kept losing the ball and felt like I was constantly running in the wrong direction. For the first time in my life, I felt completely intimidated. I actually considered asking the coach to put me in the lower-level team because I didn’t think I belonged there.
Despite feeling so anxious, I decided I couldn’t just give up without trying. Instead of complaining, I started waking up an hour earlier every morning to run before school. I also arrived at soccer practice thirty minutes before anyone else to work on my ball control. The training was exhausting, and my legs often ached, but I slowly noticed a difference. My passes became more accurate, and I was finally able to keep up with the speed of the other players.
My dedication finally paid off during the semi-final match of the local championship. One of our main players got injured, and the coach told me to take his place on the field. I was terrified, but I remembered all my extra practice. In the final five minutes, I managed to steal the ball from a defender and made a perfect pass to our striker, who scored the winning goal. When my teammates ran over to hug me, I finally felt like a true member of the team. I’ve learned that talent is helpful, but hard work is what really earns you respect.
1 Why did the writer decide to join Metro City FC?
(A) His old soccer coach recommended the club to him.
(B) He wanted to play in a different position than he used to.
(C) He expected his past success would help him join easily.
(D) He was told the training sessions would be quite relaxed.
2 How did the writer feel during his first training session?
(A) Angry that the other players refused to pass the ball to him.
(B) Worried that he wasn’t skilled enough for that specific team.
(C) Disappointed that the practice match was much too slow.
(D) Surprised that the coach decided to put him in a lower-level team.
3 What did the writer do to improve his situation?
(A) He asked his new teammates to help him with his passing.
(B) He started doing extra physical training on his own.
(C) He complained to the coach about feeling completely exhausted.
(D) He spent more time practicing his shooting skills before school.
4 What happened during the semi-final match?
(A) The writer scored the winning goal for his new team.
(B) The coach praised the writer for doing so much extra practice.
(C) An injured player returned to the field and helped win the game.
(D) The writer created an opportunity that led to a victory.
5 What would the writer text to a friend back in his old city?
(A) “I really miss playing with you guys. The players here are so much better than me, so I’ve decided to ask the coach to move me to a lower-level team.”
(B) “I’m still the top goalscorer on my new team! It was incredibly easy to get a place here because of all the experience I had playing with you.”
(C) “I was really nervous about my new club at first, but I put in a lot of extra effort and just helped my team win a big match!”
(D) “The training here is exhausting, and I feel like I’m running in the wrong direction. I hope the coach gives me a chance to play in a real match soon.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In paragraph 1, the writer states, “I thought my previous experience would make it easy to get a place on the team,” which matches expecting his past success to help him join.
2 B – In paragraph 2, the writer says, “For the first time in my life, I felt completely intimidated… because I didn’t think I belonged there.”
3 B – In paragraph 3, the writer explains that he “started waking up an hour earlier every morning to run” and “arrived at soccer practice thirty minutes before anyone else,” which refers to doing extra physical training on his own.
4 D – In paragraph 4, the writer describes how he “stole the ball from a defender and made a perfect pass to our striker, who scored the winning goal.” This means he created the opportunity, rather than scoring the goal himself (which eliminates Option A).
5 C – This option accurately captures the global narrative of the text: feeling initially intimidated by the new environment, working hard individually to catch up, and successfully proving himself during an important match.