Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Video Games & Interactive Media 2
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The people below all want to find a puzzle and brain-training app to use.
There are descriptions of eight puzzle apps.
Decide which puzzle app would be the most suitable for the people below.
1 Tom wants an app that offers quick everyday games he can finish in a few minutes. He hopes to practice remembering things better. He often travels by train, so the app must work perfectly without an internet connection.
2 Lily wants a free app because she has no money to spend on games. She needs puzzles that will help her remember names and numbers easily. She also wants to share her highest scores online with her classmates.
3 Simon is looking for a brain app that provides quick new exercises every morning. He is happy to pay a monthly fee for a premium service, but the puzzles must be difficult enough to give him a real challenge.
4 Anna enjoys playing with words and wants an app full of crosswords. She needs something completely free to download that she can enjoy during long airplane flights where there is no Wi-Fi network available.
5 Raj wants an app focused on visual puzzles using shapes and images. He needs short five-minute tasks he can complete during his work breaks. He also hopes these exercises will boost his weak short-term memory.
Puzzle and Brain-Training Apps
A MindSprint
This brilliant application provides a new set of short routine activities each morning. The exercises focus on sharp recall, helping you remember information easily. Best of all, everything runs completely in offline mode, meaning you do not need data or a Wi-Fi connection to enjoy your daily practice.
B BrainBoost
Download this fantastic software at zero cost with absolutely nothing to pay. It features specialized training to give your memory a boost, making it easy to store lists and numbers in your head. You can also connect to your social media accounts to show friends your latest high achievements.
C LogicMaster
This premium service requires a small monthly subscription but offers incredible quality. It delivers brief breakfast tasks that take just moments to complete before you start your day. However, these complex puzzles are designed for expert-level thinkers, so expect a serious test of your thinking skills every time.
D WordCrafter
Enjoy a massive collection of vocabulary games and letter puzzles on this cost-free platform. There are no fees or hidden charges at all. The entire application functions perfectly while disconnected from the web, making it the ideal choice to keep you entertained while traveling on long airplane journeys.
E FocusPic
This creative app uses colorful pictures, geometric patterns, and visual layouts to test your brain. It is divided into rapid five-minute blocks that fit neatly into any busy day. The smart design helps players improve their immediate recall, making it excellent for developing your short-term mental abilities.
F QuizZone
Train your brain to remember historical dates and facts with this excellent software. It is fully functional without any internet network, so you can play anywhere. However, the games are extremely long and require at least one hour of continuous attention, so it is not meant for quick sessions.
G MemoryVault
Access this wonderful memory-improvement tool completely free without spending a penny. It contains dozens of scientific tasks designed to help you store data and remember faces or numbers easily. However, this is a completely private experience, meaning there are no options to upload or share your results with others.
H DailyRiddle
Get a highly difficult new puzzle delivered to your smartphone every single morning. These advanced logical problems will challenge even the smartest users. The application is completely cost-free to use, meaning you will never have to pay a membership fee or a subscription premium to enjoy the daily content.
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 D 5 E
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The people below all want to find a virtual reality adventure game.
There are descriptions of eight virtual reality games.
Decide which virtual reality game would be the most suitable for the people below.
1 Lucas wants a game set in outer space. He prefers playing while sitting down because his room is very small. He doesn’t have much money, so he needs something that costs less than ten dollars.
2 Sara and her brother want to solve difficult puzzles together in a realistic historical setting. They are very busy studying this week, so they only have about forty-five minutes to complete the whole adventure before dinner.
3 Maya is looking for a fantasy world full of magic. She wants a highly active experience that provides a good physical workout. Since she doesn’t own a VR headset, she needs a game available at local gaming centres.
4 Ben wants an underwater adventure where he can explore the ocean. He enjoys games that let him build his own bases or structures. He has a lot of free time and wants a game lasting many hours.
5 Elena loves feeling frightened and wants a truly terrifying horror experience. She prefers to play by herself without any other players online. She is looking for a completely free download to add to her collection.
Virtual Reality Games
A Deep Blue Architect
Dive deep beneath the waves to discover wonderful marine life. In this massive open-ended adventure, your main task is constructing enormous research stations and habitats on the sea floor. With no strict end to the story, players can easily spend entire weekends expanding their aquatic homes and exploring the depths.
B Galaxy Journey
Explore the stars without leaving your comfortable chair! This spaceship simulator is perfectly designed for players with limited room, requiring absolutely no standing or walking. Travel to different planets and discover alien life at your own pace. Best of all, this amazing experience is currently on sale for just five dollars!
C Star Fighter VR
Fly through the galaxy and battle alien ships in this exciting cosmic journey! It costs absolutely nothing, making it great for gamers on a tight budget. However, you will need a large empty room to enjoy it, as dodging laser beams requires you to jump and run around a lot.
D Cyber Escape
Work with your best friend to break out of a futuristic space prison! This thrilling co-operative challenge is packed with brain-teasing tasks and complex codes to crack. It is a very quick experience, designed to be completely finished in about forty minutes. It is absolutely perfect for a quick study break!
E The Pharaoh’s Tomb
Grab a partner and step back into ancient Egypt! You and your teammate must use your brains to escape a pyramid by working out clever riddles. The beautifully designed environment looks exactly like the past. It’s a fast-paced escape room challenge that takes exactly half an hour to successfully beat.
F The Dark Cabin
Prepare to be genuinely terrified in this haunted forest adventure. You must survive the night in a spooky wooden house, relying only on your flashlight. It is a single-player only journey, meaning no friends can come to your rescue. You won’t pay a single penny for this exciting downloadable title!
G Wizard’s Tale
Experience a beautiful land of wizards and castles. This relaxing, story-driven adventure lets you ride on a dragon’s back while comfortably sitting in a chair, so you certainly won’t get tired. It is an exclusive title that is only available to play at premium virtual reality gaming cafés in town.
H Dragon Slayer Fit
Step into a magical kingdom and fight mythical beasts using your whole body! You will definitely sweat as you swing your virtual sword and dodge enemy attacks. You cannot buy this to play at home, but it is currently featured on the machines at all major arcade venues across the city.
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 E 3 H 4 A 5 F
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The people below all want to find a city-building and strategy game to play.
There are descriptions of eight video games.
Decide which game would be the most suitable for the people below.
1 Anna wants a game with an ancient historical setting. She loves managing resources like crops and stone to grow her town, and she specifically wants a slow-paced, peaceful mode where she doesn’t have to worry about enemy attacks.
2 David is looking for a sci-fi space colony simulator. He enjoys planning ahead by mapping out complex oxygen pipelines and electrical grids before constructing buildings, and he needs a game he can play on his portable tablet during long journeys.
3 Maria wants a modern city simulator where she can manage resources like traffic congestion and budget taxes. She is very social and wants a game that includes a multiplayer feature so she can trade goods online with her friends.
4 Samuel loves fantasy settings filled with magical creatures. He prefers a slow-paced, turn-based strategy layout rather than real-time action, and he wants a game that requires planning ahead to survive freezing winter cycles.
5 Lily wants to build a deep-sea underwater settlement. She wants a gameplay experience centered on managing resources like air pressure and oxygen levels, and she needs detailed visual charts and statistics to help her plan ahead.
City-Building and Strategy Games
A Antiquity Builder
Set in the heart of ancient Rome, this historical strategy game focuses entirely on civic growth. Players spend their time managing resources such as wheat harvests, timber, and stone blocks to expand their empire. It features a dedicated sandbox option with zero enemy combat, offering a beautifully slow-paced experience.
B Planet Colony Alpha
Establish a human civilization on a distant, alien world. This sci-fi title requires immense planning ahead, forcing you to map out underground oxygen pipelines and energy grids to keep your citizens alive. Best of all, the game is perfectly optimized for mobile tablets, complete with cloud saves for gaming on the go.
C Metro Grid
Take control of a modern, bustling metropolis in this realistic simulator. Your daily duties involve managing resources like tax revenues, electricity distribution, and complex road traffic systems. The game also boasts an online multiplayer network, allowing you to connect and trade surplus supplies with your friends.
D Mythic Kingdoms
Govern a magical realm populated by elves, wizards, and dragons. This fantasy game utilizes a slow-paced, turn-based structure, giving players unlimited time to make decisions. Success relies on planning ahead, as you must stockpile food and reinforce your castle walls before the deadly winter cycles arrive.
E Aqua Metropolis
Dive into the deep ocean to construct a high-tech underwater civilization. Surviving the abyss means constantly managing resources like dome air pressure and oxygen filtration. To help you plan ahead, the interface includes a comprehensive laboratory dashboard packed with analytical charts, data graphs, and population statistics.
F Empire at War
This historical strategy game transports players to ancient Greece, where they must gather stone, wood, and gold to construct grand cities. While resource management is important, the gameplay is incredibly fast-paced and features constant, aggressive enemy raids, with no peaceful sandbox modes available.
G Orbit Frontier
An intricate sci-fi simulator where players design massive space stations. It demands careful planning ahead when laying down power grids and docking bays. However, the game requires a highly powerful desktop PC to run its advanced physics engine and features no tablet or mobile compatibility.
H Sub-Ocean Explorer
This beautifully animated game lets you explore a vast underwater world filled with unique marine life. While it features gorgeous graphics of deep-sea environments, it is an action-adventure game focused entirely on piloting a single submarine rather than building a city, managing colony resources, or analyzing charts.
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 D 5 E
