Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Visual Arts, Crafts & Making Things
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Winter Knitting Project
I have always loved winter fashion, but finding the perfect jumper in the shops is often difficult. They are either too expensive or made from uncomfortable materials. Last autumn, I decided the best solution was to knit a winter sweater for myself. I had learned some basic knitting skills from my grandmother when I was younger, but I had only ever made simple scarves. Making a whole piece of clothing seemed like an exciting challenge. I went to a local craft shop, spent my savings on several balls of thick, soft blue wool, and found a suitable pattern on the internet.
For the first week, everything went incredibly well. I spent my evenings sitting on the sofa, happily listening to the rhythmic clicking of my knitting needles. The back of the sweater grew quickly, and I felt very confident. However, one evening, I was watching a fascinating movie on television while I worked. Because I wasn’t looking closely at my hands, the wool slipped off the needle. I completely failed to notice my mistake and just continued knitting row after row.
It wasn’t until the following afternoon that I saw the disaster. A huge, ugly hole had formed right in the middle of the beautiful blue fabric. I tried to pull the wool together to hide the gap, but that only made the material look stretched and messy. When I realised the only way to fix the problem was to pull the wool out and undo hours of hard work, I felt absolutely heartbroken. I put the needles back in the bag and seriously considered giving up on the project forever.
After taking a few days away from it, I decided I couldn’t let my expensive wool go to waste. I carefully undid the ruined section and started again. This time, I paid much closer attention and turned off the television while I was working. It took a lot of patience, but when I finally connected the front, back, and sleeves together, the result was amazing. Wearing my cozy, homemade sweater for the first time made me feel incredibly proud, especially when my friends asked which shop I bought it from. It taught me that creating something worthwhile often requires fixing your mistakes.
1 Why did the writer decide to knit her own sweater?
(A) She wanted to copy a piece of clothing her grandmother had made.
(B) She was frustrated by the high prices and poor quality in stores.
(C) She needed a special winter project for her school fashion class.
(D) She wanted to practice the advanced knitting skills she had learned.
2 How did the writer make a mistake with her knitting?
(A) She was paying more attention to a film than to her hands.
(B) She accidentally dropped her knitting needles on the floor.
(C) She tried to knit too fast to finish the back of the sweater.
(D) She found the pattern on the internet too difficult to follow.
3 How did the writer feel when she realised what she had to do?
(A) Annoyed because she had to go back to the shop to buy more wool.
(B) Relieved that she could hide the gap by pulling the material together.
(C) Upset because she had to destroy a large amount of her own progress.
(D) Surprised that the blue fabric had suddenly become so stretched and messy.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) That knitting while watching television is the best way to relax.
(B) That homemade clothes are always much warmer than shop-bought ones.
(C) That her friends also wanted to learn how to knit their own winter clothes.
(D) That achieving a great result means you have to accept and correct errors.
5 What would the writer write in her diary today?
(A) I finally finished my blue sweater! Having to restart the back was really frustrating, but wearing it now makes me feel fantastic and proud of my hard work.
(B) Making a sweater was much easier than I expected. I managed to watch television the whole time and didn’t make a single mistake!
(C) My grandmother had to help me fix a huge hole in my knitting today. Next time, I think I’ll just save my money and buy a sweater from a fashion shop.
(D) I had to throw away all my expensive blue wool today. I ruined the pattern completely and decided that knitting just isn’t the right hobby for me.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states that shop-bought jumpers “are either too expensive or made from uncomfortable materials,” which led her to the decision to knit her own.
2 A – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that she “was watching a fascinating movie” and “wasn’t looking closely at my hands,” which caused the wool to slip.
3 C – The third paragraph describes her feeling “absolutely heartbroken” when she realised the only way to fix the hole was to “undo hours of hard work.”
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, the writer concludes that the process “taught me that creating something worthwhile often requires fixing your mistakes.”
5 A – This option accurately captures the global narrative: it mentions the initial frustration of having to undo her work, the successful completion of the project, and the feelings of pride and accomplishment.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My First Woodworking Project
Ever since we moved into our new house, I have wanted a wooden chair for my bedroom desk. I spent hours looking at different furniture shops online, but the ones I really liked were far too expensive for a teenager like me. One Saturday, while I was cleaning out my family’s garage, I noticed a large pile of old wood left over from a building project. Suddenly, I had a brilliant idea: instead of spending all my savings, I would build my very own chair from scratch.
At first, I honestly thought it would be a quick and simple task. I found a hammer, some nails, and a handsaw, and started cutting the wood immediately. I didn’t bother to draw a proper design because I was so eager to see the final result. I nailed the pieces together as fast as I could. However, when I finally stood the chair up, it was a complete disaster. The legs were completely uneven, and when I tried to sit on it, the chair wobbled so aggressively that I nearly fell onto the floor.
I sat on the garage floor feeling extremely frustrated. I was ready to throw all the wood into the bin and just buy a cheap plastic chair instead. Just then, my grandad walked in and saw my terrible creation. He didn’t laugh; instead, he taught me an old woodworking rule: “Measure twice, cut once.” He explained that rushing a physical project always leads to mistakes. If I wanted to build something useful, I needed to have patience and focus on the details.
The next morning, I decided to try again. This time, I adopted my grandad’s advice as my new motto. I found a pencil and a ruler, and I carefully marked exactly where every cut needed to be. I checked my measurements several times before using the saw. Although the whole process took the entire weekend rather than just a few hours, the difference was incredible. When I put the final nails in, the chair stood perfectly flat on the ground.
When I finally placed the chair in my bedroom, I felt a massive sense of achievement. It is incredibly sturdy and looks fantastic next to my desk. Building it taught me that taking your time always produces better results. Now, I am already looking around the garage to see if there is enough wood left to build a matching bookshelf!
1 Why did the writer decide to build a chair?
(A) He wanted to use up the wood taking up space in the garage.
(B) He couldn’t afford to buy the furniture he wanted from shops.
(C) He needed a specific size of chair for his bedroom desk.
(D) His parents asked him to make some furniture for the new house.
2 What went wrong with the writer’s first attempt?
(A) He used the wrong tools to cut the wood.
(B) He forgot to buy enough nails to hold the pieces together.
(C) He worked too quickly and didn’t plan the shape properly.
(D) The wood he found in the garage was broken.
3 How did the grandad help the writer?
(A) He offered to buy him a cheap plastic chair.
(B) He helped him to throw the ruined wood into the bin.
(C) He showed him how to use a saw safely.
(D) He gave him useful advice about working carefully.
4 During his second attempt, the writer
(A) spent less time working than he did on the first attempt.
(B) checked the size of the pieces before cutting them.
(C) decided to use a different type of wood.
(D) asked his grandad to cut the wood for him.
5 What would the writer write in his blog about the project?
(A) I can’t believe how easy woodworking is! I built a perfect chair in just a few hours without needing any help or plans.
(B) My grandad built a wonderful chair for my bedroom. Watching him work taught me that you need a lot of patience to make furniture.
(C) Even though my first try was a wobbly failure, learning to take my time resulted in a strong piece of furniture that I’m really proud of.
(D) I regret not buying a chair from the shop. Woodworking takes the entire weekend and the results are usually a disaster.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The first paragraph states that the chairs he liked were “far too expensive for a teenager like me” and he decided to build one “instead of spending all my savings.”
2 C – The second paragraph explains that he “didn’t bother to draw a proper design” and “nailed the pieces together as fast as I could,” which led to the wobbly result.
3 D – In the third paragraph, the grandad taught him the rule “Measure twice, cut once” and explained that he “needed to have patience and focus on the details.”
4 B – The fourth paragraph details how the writer “carefully marked exactly where every cut needed to be” and “checked my measurements several times before using the saw.”
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the passage: acknowledging the initial rushing and wobbling failure, adjusting his method based on patience, and feeling pride in the sturdy final result.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My digital art journey
I have always loved drawing. Ever since I was a child, my desk has been covered in pencils, paints, and piles of paper. I was quite proud of my traditional art skills, but recently, I started seeing amazing digital artwork online. The colors were so bright and the details were perfect. I wanted to try it myself, so I saved my pocket money for months and finally bought a drawing tablet. I couldn’t wait to plug it into my computer and create my first digital masterpiece.
However, my excitement quickly disappeared when I actually tried to use it. Unlike drawing on paper, where you look at your hand, with this tablet, I had to draw on a dark plastic pad while staring straight ahead at the computer screen. It was highly disorienting! My brain just couldn’t understand the disconnect between my hand and my eyes. My first drawings looked like they were done by a five-year-old. The lines were messy, and I felt so frustrated that I almost put the tablet back in its box forever.
But I decided to keep trying, and soon I discovered a few features that changed everything. The best one was the “undo” button. When I made a mistake on paper, I had to use an eraser, which sometimes ruined the page. But digitally, one click and the mistake was gone! Then I learned about ‘layers’. This meant I could do a rough sketch on one invisible layer, add clean ink lines on another, and put the colors underneath. If I didn’t like a color, I could change it instantly without destroying the drawing.
Now, I use my tablet every day. It has opened up a limitless new world of creative freedom for me. I don’t have to worry about wasting expensive paper or carrying a heavy bag of art supplies everywhere I go. If I have my laptop and my tablet, I have a whole art studio in my backpack. I still enjoy painting on real canvas sometimes, but going digital has definitely made me a much more confident and adventurous artist.
1 Why did the writer decide to buy a drawing tablet?
(A) He was bored of using traditional pencils and paints.
(B) He was inspired by the digital pictures he saw on the internet.
(C) He wanted to copy the style of famous online artists.
(D) He needed it for a special art project at his school.
2 How did the writer feel when he first used the tablet?
(A) confused because he couldn’t look at his hand while drawing
(B) surprised that the plastic pad was so dark and difficult to see
(C) disappointed that his computer screen was too small for art
(D) angry that the tablet was broken when he took it out of the box
3 What does the writer say about the ‘layers’ feature?
(A) It stops him from making mistakes when he is drawing.
(B) It is much faster than using a traditional eraser on paper.
(C) It helps him draw straighter lines than he could before.
(D) It makes it easy to adjust colors without damaging the picture.
4 How does the writer feel about his art now?
(A) He prefers digital art and will never paint on canvas again.
(B) He thinks digital art is cheaper because he doesn’t need a backpack.
(C) He is glad he doesn’t have to carry lots of heavy materials around.
(D) He feels nervous about trying adventurous new styles.
5 What would the writer text to his friend about his new tablet?
(A) You should get a tablet too! It’s so much easier than drawing on paper, and you don’t even have to practice to get good lines.
(B) I’m selling my tablet if you want it. It’s too hard to look at the screen and draw at the same time, so I’m going back to paints.
(C) I’ve finally figured out how to use this tablet! It was really weird at first, but now I love all the things I can do with it.
(D) The tablet is okay, but I’m really missing my traditional art supplies. I think digital art just doesn’t look as good.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states in the first paragraph that he “started seeing amazing digital artwork online” and “wanted to try it myself.” Options A, C, and D are not supported by the text.
2 A – The second paragraph describes the experience as “highly disorienting” because he had to “draw on a dark plastic pad while staring straight ahead at the computer screen,” resulting in a disconnect between his hand and eyes.
3 D – In the third paragraph, the writer explains that with layers, “If I didn’t like a color, I could change it instantly without destroying the drawing.” Options A and B refer to the “undo” button, not layers.
4 C – The final paragraph mentions that he doesn’t have to worry about “carrying a heavy bag of art supplies everywhere I go.” Option A is wrong because he still paints on canvas sometimes.
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: initial struggle and disorientation (“really weird at first”) followed by the discovery of creative freedom and enjoyment (“now I love all the things I can do”).