Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Visual Arts, Crafts & Making Things
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Big Canvas
My name is Max, and I have always been obsessed with drawing. Ever since I was a young boy, my notebooks have been completely filled with sketches and designs. However, I recently started to feel frustrated with small pieces of paper. I desperately wanted to paint on a much larger scale so that more people could see my art. When the local council finally gave me official permission to paint a large mural on an ugly brick wall in the park, I was absolutely thrilled. I bought several cans of bright spray paint and eagerly went to work.
However, I quickly discovered that creating a mural is completely different from drawing at a desk. My biggest challenge was the weather. On my first weekend, the wind was blowing so strongly that the spray paint went everywhere except on the wall. It covered my clothes, my shoes, and even blew back into my face. Furthermore, the spray cans were surprisingly difficult to control, and my straight lines quickly turned into messy drips. I felt incredibly frustrated and wondered if I had made a huge mistake by taking on such a massive project.
Despite the difficult conditions, I refused to walk away. I decided to change my approach and start working very early in the morning when the wind was much calmer. I also spent hours practicing how to hold the cans correctly and watching online tutorials about different spraying techniques. Slowly, I learned how to control the pressure and create smooth, colourful shapes. It was physically exhausting work, and my arms ached every night, but I was determined to finish what I had started.
After three weeks of hard work, I finally put down my empty paint cans and stepped back. The ugly brown brick was completely gone, replaced by a massive, vibrant painting of a colourful jungle. Seeing my artwork brighten up the entire street was an incredibly rewarding experience. When local people walked past and smiled at the mural, all the frustration and aching muscles simply did not matter anymore. That project taught me that stepping out of your comfort zone can be difficult, but creating something that brings joy to the community is completely worth it.
1 Why did Max want to paint the mural?
(A) He wanted more people to see his artwork.
(B) He needed to earn money to buy new sketchbooks.
(C) The local council asked him to clean up the park.
(D) He wanted to practice drawing on different types of paper.
2 What problem did Max face on his first weekend?
(A) He realised he had bought the wrong colours of paint.
(B) The local council told him to stop painting the brick wall.
(C) Strong weather conditions made it hard to direct the paint.
(D) He dropped the spray cans and ruined his shoes.
3 How did Max solve his problem with the wind?
(A) He built a large tent to protect himself from the weather.
(B) He chose to paint at a different time of the day.
(C) He asked a friend to help him hold the paint cans steady.
(D) He decided to use regular paint brushes instead of spray cans.
4 How did Max feel about the finished mural?
(A) Disappointed because it didn’t look like a real jungle.
(B) Relieved because he could finally sell it to the community.
(C) Annoyed that it took three whole weeks to complete.
(D) Proud because it made the street look better and made people happy.
5 What would Max write in a social media post?
(A) I ruined my clothes with spray paint, so I am never painting outside again. I’ll stick to drawing in notebooks!
(B) The council made me paint this wall, and even though it was hard work, I’m glad I don’t have to do it again.
(C) Controlling spray paint in the wind was tough, but seeing my colourful mural bring joy to the street was incredibly rewarding.
(D) Creating a large mural is actually much easier than drawing at a desk, especially if you work early in the morning!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In paragraph 1, Max says he “wanted to paint on a much larger scale so that more people could see my art.”
2 C – In paragraph 2, Max explains that “the wind was blowing so strongly that the spray paint went everywhere except on the wall,” meaning strong weather made it hard to direct the paint.
3 B – In paragraph 3, Max decides to change his approach and “start working very early in the morning when the wind was much calmer,” which means he chose to paint at a different time of the day.
4 D – In paragraph 4, Max states that “Seeing my artwork brighten up the entire street was an incredibly rewarding experience” and notes that the mural “brings joy to the community,” showing he felt proud of making the street better and people happy.
5 C – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and Max’s emotional arc. He acknowledges the tough conditions (the wind and controlling the spray paint) but concludes that the final result of brightening the street and bringing joy made it incredibly rewarding.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Printmaking Project
I have always enjoyed drawing, but I wanted to try something completely new for my family’s birthday cards this year. Instead of just painting on paper, I decided to learn linocut printmaking. I watched an interesting online video where an artist carved a design into a block of soft rubber, covered it in ink, and pressed it onto paper to make a print. It looked like a fun and creative challenge. I spent my weekend pocket money on a beginner’s kit, feeling incredibly excited to create my own unique designs.
When my kit arrived, I immediately sat down at my desk to start carving. I drew a beautiful bird on the rubber block and picked up the sharp metal tool. Because I was in a hurry to see the final result, I pushed the tool through the rubber much too fast. Suddenly, the tool slipped and I gave my finger a painful cut. I had to stop and put a bandage on it. Looking at my ruined design and my injured hand, I felt totally frustrated and wondered if this hobby was simply too dangerous for me.
After taking a short break to calm down, I realised I hadn’t actually read the instructions in my kit. I sat on my bed and carefully read through the rulebook. I learned about an important concept called ‘negative space’. I discovered that you have to cut away the parts of the rubber that you want to stay blank, leaving only the main picture raised to catch the ink. I also read that carving requires a lot of patience and slow, gentle movements.
Armed with this new knowledge, I picked up a fresh rubber block and started again. This time, I worked very slowly, making sure to keep my fingers safely out of the way. When the carving was finally finished, I rolled some dark blue ink over the rubber and pressed a blank card onto it. When I lifted the paper, the bird design looked absolutely perfect and extremely professional. My family was amazed when they received their beautiful greeting cards. The experience taught me that rushing a new skill only causes problems, and I am already planning to make a new set of prints for the holidays!
1 Why did the writer decide to buy a linocut printmaking kit?
(A) He wanted to make original birthday cards for his relatives.
(B) He needed to complete an art project for a school class.
(C) He wanted to start selling his drawings on the internet.
(D) He was asked by his family to try a new creative hobby.
2 What caused the writer to cut his finger?
(A) The rubber block was too hard to cut easily.
(B) He was trying to work too quickly with the sharp tool.
(C) He was distracted by an online video while working.
(D) He didn’t know how to draw a bird correctly.
3 When the writer read the instructions, he discovered that
(A) he needed to buy a different type of metal tool.
(B) he had to carve away the parts he wanted to print.
(C) he should leave his main drawing raised to hold the ink.
(D) he had to apply white ink to the negative space.
4 How did the writer feel after making his final prints?
(A) Disappointed that the dark blue ink made a mess on his desk.
(B) Proud because his family had helped him design the beautiful bird.
(C) Annoyed that the whole carving process took such a long time.
(D) Delighted because his greeting cards looked so professional.
5 What would the writer write in his diary today?
(A) Linocut printing is far too dangerous. Even though my bird design looked okay, I’m never using sharp tools again.
(B) My first attempt at printing was painful, but slowing down and learning the correct technique resulted in beautiful cards!
(C) Making prints was much easier than I expected. I didn’t even need to read the instructions to make my family’s cards.
(D) The kit I bought was a waste of money because the rubber was ruined. Next year, I’ll just buy cards from a shop.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In the first paragraph, the writer states he “wanted to try something completely new for my family’s birthday cards this year,” which matches his desire to make original cards for his relatives.
2 B – The second paragraph explains that “Because I was in a hurry to see the final result, I pushed the tool through the rubber much too fast,” causing it to slip and cut him.
3 C – The third paragraph describes the concept of negative space, explaining that he had to cut away the blank parts, “leaving only the main picture raised to catch the ink.”
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, the writer mentions that when he lifted the paper, “the bird design looked absolutely perfect and extremely professional,” and his family was amazed, indicating he was delighted with the result.
5 B – This option successfully captures the global narrative: it mentions the painful first attempt (the cut finger), the lesson of slowing down (reading instructions/patience), and the ultimate success of creating beautiful, professional-looking cards.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Slow Photography
I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures. Like most teenagers, I use my smartphone to capture everything. On a normal day, I can easily take a hundred selfies or photos of my lunch without even thinking about it. However, my photography habits changed completely on my fifteenth birthday. Instead of the new video game I was expecting, my grandad gave me his old 35mm film camera from the 1980s. I must admit, when I first opened the box, I was quite disappointed. I had no idea how to use something so old-fashioned.
The following weekend, I decided to give it a try. My grandad helped me put a roll of film inside and explained the basic controls. The biggest shock was realising there was no digital screen on the back. If I took a picture, I couldn’t just look at it immediately and delete it if I didn’t like it. Furthermore, the roll of film only allowed me to take 24 pictures in total. Suddenly, I felt incredibly nervous. I was terrified of wasting my limited film on silly mistakes.
I took the camera to the local park to practise. Usually, I would just point my phone and take twenty pictures of the same tree or duck. But with the film camera, I had to stop and think. I spent minutes looking at the way the sunlight hit the leaves. I carefully arranged the background before pressing the button. Because I only had a few shots, every single one had to be important. Making these choices turned taking pictures from a fast, everyday habit into a slow, deliberate art.
A week later, I took the finished roll of film to a local shop to be developed. Waiting for the prints was actually quite frustrating, as I am used to seeing my photos instantly. However, when I finally held the physical photographs in my hands, the feeling was magical. Although a few of the pictures were completely blurry, the good ones were absolutely stunning. They had a special, classic look that my phone could never copy. Now, I am already saving my pocket money to buy another roll of film!
1 Why was the writer disappointed on his birthday?
(A) He didn’t receive the present he had hoped for.
(B) His grandad forgot to give him a gift.
(C) His smartphone camera was broken.
(D) He wanted a much more modern digital camera.
2 What worried the writer about using the film camera?
(A) He didn’t know how to turn the digital screen on.
(B) He was afraid of using up his photos on bad shots.
(C) He thought he would accidentally delete his best pictures.
(D) He found the basic controls too difficult to understand.
3 How did using the film camera change the writer’s behaviour in the park?
(A) He took twenty pictures of the same tree to practise.
(B) He stopped taking photos of nature and animals.
(C) He spent more time preparing before taking a photo.
(D) He decided to paint pictures of the things he saw instead.
4 How did the writer feel when he received his printed photos?
(A) Frustrated because every single picture was blurry.
(B) Annoyed that the local shop took a full week to develop them.
(C) Surprised that his grandad had paid for the film.
(D) Pleased because they had a style his phone couldn’t create.
5 What would the writer say about his experience with the film camera?
(A) Having only 24 pictures is so annoying. I’m definitely going to stick to using my smartphone for all my photos from now on.
(B) Waiting a whole week to see my photos was the best part of the experience. It is much better than looking at a screen.
(C) Learning to use this old equipment was hard, but it taught me to think carefully and appreciate the true art of photography.
(D) Film cameras take much better pictures than smartphones, so I am going to throw my mobile phone away immediately.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – The text states in the first paragraph that he was disappointed because he received his grandad’s old camera “instead of the new video game I was expecting”.
2 B – The second paragraph explains that because the film only allowed 24 pictures, he felt nervous and “was terrified of wasting my limited film on silly mistakes.”
3 C – In the third paragraph, the writer explains that with the film camera, “I had to stop and think” and “carefully arranged the background before pressing the button”, showing he spent more time preparing.
4 D – The fourth paragraph notes that when he held the photos, the feeling was “magical” and the good ones “had a special, classic look that my phone could never copy.”
5 C – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the passage: acknowledging the initial difficulty and limitations of the camera, but concluding that it transformed his fast habit into a careful, deliberate art.