Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Study Methods, Tech & Distance Learning 1
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Distance Learning During a Storm
When I woke up on Monday morning and looked out of my bedroom window, I couldn’t believe my eyes. A massive snowstorm had covered our town overnight, and the local news announced that my secondary school would be closed for the entire week. Instead of having a normal snow day, our teachers decided to move all our lessons online. At first, I was absolutely delighted. The idea of attending maths and geography classes while wearing my warm pyjamas seemed like a dream come true. I didn’t even have to worry about catching the freezing morning bus.
For the first two days, distance learning felt incredibly relaxing. I woke up ten minutes before my first lesson, made a large mug of hot chocolate, and sat comfortably on my bed with my laptop. During the breaks, I could play video games or listen to loud music without anyone complaining. My teachers tried their best to make the online lessons interesting, and I thought I had found the perfect way to get an education. I couldn’t understand why anyone would ever want to learn in a traditional classroom again.
However, by Wednesday morning, my opinion began to change. I started to notice how quiet my house was. During a science lesson, we were asked to do a group project, but discussing ideas through a screen was frustrating and slow. I couldn’t easily ask my friends for help, and staring at a computer monitor for hours made my eyes feel tired. I realised that I hadn’t had a proper, face-to-face conversation with anyone my own age since Friday. The relaxing holiday feeling had completely disappeared.
To my absolute surprise, I actually started to miss my school. I missed the noisy corridors, laughing with my friends in the cafeteria, and even the strict sports lessons in the sports hall. I discovered that school isn’t just about reading textbooks and passing exams; it’s also about the people you share those experiences with. By Friday afternoon, I was staring out of the window again, hoping the snow would finally melt. I never thought I would say this, but I can’t wait to put my school uniform back on next week.
1 How did the writer feel when he heard the school would be closed?
(A) Disappointed because he wouldn’t be able to see his friends.
(B) Thrilled about the idea of learning from home in comfortable clothes.
(C) Worried about missing his important maths and geography exams.
(D) Annoyed that he still had to wake up early to catch the bus.
2 What did the writer enjoy about the first couple of days of online learning?
(A) The fact that his teachers made the lessons much shorter.
(B) Being able to chat with his friends during the breaks.
(C) The freedom to do whatever he wanted between lessons.
(D) Not having to do any schoolwork in the mornings.
3 Why did the writer’s opinion of distance learning change on Wednesday?
(A) He found it difficult to communicate with classmates online.
(B) His computer stopped working during a science project.
(C) He received too much homework from his science teacher.
(D) He was told off for not paying attention to the screen.
4 What important lesson did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) Studying online is the most effective way to prepare for exams.
(B) He actually prefers wearing a school uniform to casual clothes.
(C) Social interaction is a completely essential part of going to school.
(D) Sports lessons are much more enjoyable when they are done indoors.
5 What would the writer write in his diary on Friday evening?
(A) “This week has been amazing. I really hope it keeps snowing so we can do distance learning forever.”
(B) “I loved doing classes in my pyjamas at first, but I’ve realised that being around my friends is what makes school actually fun.”
(C) “Online classes are much harder than normal ones. I’m worried that my grades are going to drop because I can’t look at a screen.”
(D) “I missed out on a whole week of schoolwork because of the snow. I need to spend the weekend catching up on science.”
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states the writer was “absolutely delighted” and thought taking classes in his “warm pyjamas seemed like a dream come true,” which paraphrases being thrilled about learning in comfortable clothes.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer mentions that “During the breaks, I could play video games or listen to loud music,” matching the option about having the freedom to do what he wanted between lessons.
3 A – Paragraph 3 explains that “discussing ideas through a screen was frustrating and slow” and he “couldn’t easily ask my friends for help,” meaning he found it difficult to communicate with classmates online.
4 C – Paragraph 4 details his realization that “school isn’t just about reading textbooks… it’s also about the people you share those experiences with,” showing that social interaction is an essential part of school.
5 B – This option captures the global meaning and the writer’s emotional arc perfectly: starting with the excitement of comfortable online learning but ending with the surprising realization that he misses the social aspect of traditional school.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Leveling Up in Math
For as long as I can remember, mathematics has been my absolute worst subject at school. While my classmates easily solved equations and remembered long formulas, I always felt completely lost. The moment my teacher handed out a math test, my hands would start shaking and my mind would go blank. Because of this terrible anxiety, I kept getting low grades, no matter how much time I spent staring at the textbook in my bedroom. I honestly believed that my brain just wasn’t built for numbers, and I was almost ready to give up on the subject completely.
However, my attitude completely changed during the spring term. I was preparing for an important algebra exam and feeling extremely stressed about failing again. Instead of reading my confusing textbook, I decided to search online for some extra help. I scrolled through several boring tutorials before clicking on a channel called “Level Up Math.” The young teacher in the video didn’t use complicated academic language. Instead, he explained difficult algebra rules using exciting examples from popular video games that I played every day.
Suddenly, everything started to make sense to me. He compared solving an algebraic equation to completing a difficult mission in a role-playing game, where you have to balance your items perfectly to reach the next level. For the very first time, I could actually picture the math clearly in my head. The visual approach was exactly what I needed. I spent the entire weekend watching his videos, writing down colourful notes, and actually smiling while doing my math homework. The terrifying numbers had finally become a fun puzzle to solve.
When I took my algebra exam the following Monday, the familiar feeling of panic was completely gone. I imagined the video game characters helping me through each difficult question, and I easily managed to finish the test before the school bell rang. A week later, my teacher handed back my paper with a huge “A” written in bright red ink. I now understand that I am not stupid; I just needed a different way of learning. While math is still a quite challenging subject, my terrible anxiety has finally turned into genuine understanding.
1 How did the writer feel about math at the beginning of the text?
(A) He was annoyed because the teacher gave too many tests.
(B) He felt confident that he would eventually understand the textbook.
(C) He was convinced that he was naturally bad at the subject.
(D) He felt jealous of his classmates who enjoyed the lessons.
2 Why did the writer decide to watch the “Level Up Math” channel?
(A) His math teacher recommended it for the upcoming exam.
(B) He was looking for an alternative way to study algebra online.
(C) He wanted to watch videos about his favourite video games.
(D) His friends told him it would help him relax before the test.
3 What did the writer like most about the online videos?
(A) They allowed him to visualize the math problems clearly.
(B) They provided all the correct answers for his weekend homework.
(C) They were shorter than the other boring tutorials he had found.
(D) They taught him how to design his own role-playing games.
4 What happened during the algebra exam on Monday?
(A) The writer finished the test but still felt quite anxious.
(B) The writer needed extra time after the school bell rang.
(C) The writer received help from his classmates to finish it.
(D) The writer remained calm and completed the paper in time.
5 What would the writer say about his experience with math?
(A) Online videos are fun, but reading the textbook is still the best way to get an A in math class.
(B) I still hate algebra, but at least I know how to use video games to cheat on my school exams now.
(C) I used to be terrified of numbers, but finding the right teaching method helped me overcome my fear completely.
(D) Math is actually incredibly easy once you realise that it is exactly like playing a video game.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C – In paragraph 1, the writer explains his initial feeling by stating, “I honestly believed that my brain just wasn’t built for numbers, and I was almost ready to give up on the subject completely.”
2 B – In paragraph 2, the writer mentions he was stressed about an exam and “Instead of reading my confusing textbook, I decided to search online for some extra help.”
3 A – In paragraph 3, the writer highlights the benefit of the videos by saying, “For the very first time, I could actually picture the math clearly in my head. The visual approach was exactly what I needed.”
4 D – In paragraph 4, the writer states that “the familiar feeling of panic was completely gone” and that he “easily managed to finish the test before the school bell rang.”
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and the overall narrative of the text. It summarizes the writer’s journey from experiencing terrible anxiety about math to finally achieving understanding and success through a visual, game-based learning method.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Digital Detox
With my final exams just two weeks away, I knew I had to study hard. However, every time I opened my textbooks, my mobile phone would beep or light up with another social media notification. I would tell myself I was only going to check one message, but half an hour later, I was still looking at funny videos. I felt incredibly stressed because I was wasting so much valuable time. I finally realised that if I didn’t change my habits, I was definitely going to fail.
I decided to take serious action. I turned off my phone, put it inside my desk drawer, and locked it. I gave the key to my mum and told her not to give it back to me for a whole week. The first day of my ‘digital detox’ was absolutely awful. I kept reaching into my empty pocket out of habit, and I felt completely disconnected from my friends. I constantly worried that I was missing out on important news or fun conversations. It was almost impossible to concentrate on my history notes because my mind was focused on the locked drawer.
By the third day, however, something surprising happened. Without the constant interruption of messages and alerts, my brain began to calm down and focus. I could finally read a whole chapter of a book without stopping. My studying became much more effective, and I actually started to understand the complex science topics I was reviewing. Furthermore, because I wasn’t staring at a bright screen late at night, my sleep improved dramatically. I woke up feeling energetic and ready to learn, rather than completely exhausted.
When the week finally ended and my mum gave me the key, I wasn’t in a hurry to turn my phone back on. I saw that I had dozens of missed messages, but none of them were actually important. Surviving the detox showed me that I don’t need to be online twenty-four hours a day. Although I am glad to have my phone back, I have made a new rule for myself. From now on, whenever I need to do homework or study for a test, the phone stays in another room.
1 Why did the writer decide to lock up his phone?
(A) He wanted to avoid seeing messages from his friends.
(B) He was spending too much time watching videos instead of studying.
(C) His mother told him he was going to fail his final exams.
(D) His phone was broken and the screen kept lighting up.
2 How did the writer feel on the first day without his phone?
(A) He was glad he didn’t have to talk to anyone.
(B) He found it easy to focus on his history notes.
(C) He felt anxious about what his friends were doing.
(D) He was angry with his mum for keeping the key.
3 What positive change did the writer experience later in the week?
(A) He felt less tired during the day.
(B) He finished reading all of his science books.
(C) He received important news without using his phone.
(D) He slept for fewer hours but felt much better.
4 What is the writer’s attitude towards his phone now?
(A) He plans to never use social media again.
(B) He realises that checking messages is very important.
(C) He intends to keep it away from his study area.
(D) He wants his mum to lock it up every weekend.
5 What would the writer write in his diary at the end of the experience?
(A) I can’t believe how much I missed! My friends had so many important conversations, and I was just sitting in my room studying.
(B) Giving my phone to my mum was a terrible idea. I couldn’t sleep well at all, and I failed my science and history exams.
(C) I’m so happy to have my phone back. I’m going to study with it on my desk from now on so I don’t miss anything.
(D) The first few days were a nightmare, but locking my phone away actually helped me study better and feel healthier.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer explains that he was wasting valuable time looking at funny videos for half an hour when he should have been preparing for his exams.
2 C – The second paragraph states that he felt disconnected from his friends and “constantly worried that I was missing out on important news or fun conversations.”
3 A – The third paragraph describes how his sleep improved dramatically, and he “woke up feeling energetic and ready to learn, rather than completely exhausted.”
4 C – In the final paragraph, the writer states his new rule: “whenever I need to do homework or study for a test, the phone stays in another room.”
5 D – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: it acknowledges the difficult, agonizing start (a nightmare) but ultimately recognises the significant improvements in concentration and physical well-being.