Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Volunteering & Community Work 5

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find a community garden to help at.

There are descriptions of eight community gardens.

Decide which community garden would be the most suitable for the people below.

1   Liam wants to learn how to cultivate his own vegetables. He hopes to receive a share of the fresh crops to cook at home. Because he works during the week, he can only volunteer on Sunday mornings.

2   Maya is looking for a simple task like giving water to the flowers rather than doing heavy digging. She is busy during the day, so she needs weekday evening shifts. The garden must supply all the necessary tools.

3   Sam wants to get advice from experts on producing healthy crops. He is in a wheelchair, so the garden must have flat, easy paths. He also loves the idea of cooking and enjoying meals with the other volunteers.

4   Chloe wants to volunteer with her small kids, so the area must be very safe for children. They enjoy keeping the plants hydrated. She also hopes to take some of the fresh produce back to her own kitchen.

5   David is a teenager who wants to make friends with volunteers his own age while working with plants. He prefers helping indoors to avoid bad weather. He is happy to spend his whole weekend helping out.

Community Gardens

A The Sunny Patch

Help us manage our carrot and potato beds! We meet at 9 a.m. at the end of the weekend to prepare the soil. As a thank you for your hard work, helpers can always fill a bag with our delicious organic produce to enjoy later. No experience is required!

B City Blooms

We urgently need people to keep our beautiful flower displays hydrated after the sun goes down, Monday to Friday. You won’t have to do any difficult planting, and we have plenty of hoses and buckets ready for you to use. It is a fantastic way to relax after work!

C Unity Greens

Join our community of professional growers who are happy to share their knowledge of root crops and leafy greens. Our site features wide, smooth concrete walkways, making it perfect for everyone to move around safely. Best of all, we finish our sessions by preparing and sharing a delicious feast!

D Family Roots

This is a wonderful, secure environment where even the youngest family members can join in. Your little ones will love using our small cans to keep the beds wet. Furthermore, every helper is welcome to carry away a box of our tasty grown goods for their own family dinners.

E The Glasshouse Project

We run a special club for high school students every Saturday and Sunday. Come socialize with your peers while looking after our delicate seeds. Because all our activities take place inside our large, warm glass buildings, you will stay completely dry and comfortable, no matter what the weather is doing!

F Green Fingers Club

We are looking for energetic people to grow onions and tomatoes. We give all our assistants plenty of fresh food to carry to their own kitchens. We are open from 8 a.m. to midday, Tuesday to Thursday, so this is perfect for those with free time during the week.

G Oasis Gardens

We supply all the equipment you need, so just bring yourself! We are searching for enthusiastic assistants to spray the flowers and keep the soil perfectly damp. We only operate on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, making it a brilliant weekend activity. Unfortunately, we don’t have any lighting for late shifts.

H High Hill Harvest

Help us cultivate fantastic organic crops on our beautiful hillside! Our professional farmers will guide you through every step. We always celebrate a hard day’s work by eating a fantastic dinner together. Please note, reaching our lovely site requires climbing several steep, rocky steps, which can be challenging.

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find IT support for older people.

There are descriptions of eight tutoring options.

Decide which tutoring option would be the most suitable for the people below.

1   Arthur recently bought a modern mobile phone but does not know how to open it. He needs a tutor who can explain things slowly and calmly. He specifically wants to learn how to create a new electronic mail account.

2   Beatrice has a new touchscreen tablet and wants to connect with her family overseas through live video chats. She is very busy during the week, so she can only attend a class on Saturday mornings.

3   Charles wants to use his portable computer to buy groceries and clothes from home. He is worried about web security and wants to learn how to pay safely. Because he is retired, he needs a course that costs nothing.

4   Dorothy loves taking pictures but her digital storage is completely full. She wants to learn how to save her photographs on a system. She prefers learning alone with an individual tutor and is only available in the afternoon.

5   Edward wants to join popular social networks to find his old school friends. He enjoys being around other people his age and prefers a group environment. The location must be very close to a local bus stop.

IT Support Classes

A Smart Start

Bring your new touchscreen mobile device to our gentle sessions. Our friendly instructors understand that technology can be confusing, so they always speak clearly and never rush you. You will also discover how to write and receive messages electronically to stay in touch with relatives. It is a wonderfully calm space.

B Weekend Connect

Every Saturday from 9 a.m., we help mature learners get the most out of their handheld tablets. This popular class focuses entirely on using camera apps to see and speak with your relatives live on screen. Settle in with a hot drink and master these communication tools before your afternoon activities begin.

C Digital Wallet

Learn how to use your personal laptop to buy goods on the internet without any worries. This helpful course teaches you how to recognize protected websites and protect your bank details. Best of all, our community project provides this training completely free of charge for senior citizens. Book your seat today!

D Memory Keepers

Do you have too many digital images on your camera? Our afternoon sessions, running from 3 p.m. daily, are perfect for you. We offer private, one-to-one support with an expert who helps you sort and store your precious family pictures safely. You will receive undivided attention during your personal hour.

E Friendly Networks

Settle into our lively classroom and discover the world of online communities. This group workshop shows you how to safely navigate sites like Facebook to message old companions. Settle in, enjoy a chat with fellow students, and enjoy our convenient city venue located just a short two-minute walk from the central bus station.

F Tech Express

This fast-paced, one-day course is perfect for seniors who want to master their latest mobile devices quickly. We cover everything from download systems to creating text and mail accounts in just three hours. Please note this high-speed workshop is designed for confident individuals who do not require slow explanations.

G Picture Perfect

Join our popular weekday afternoon class at 4 p.m. to learn all about organizing your favorite digital images on folders. Our expert teacher demonstrates how to save files effectively on a large screen. This is a busy, crowded group class with over twenty students, offering a wonderful social atmosphere for everyone.

H Net Friends

Settle into our friendly group atmosphere and explore popular online platforms to message old friends. This social class is a wonderful way to meet people. We meet in our beautiful countryside center, which has a massive car park. However, there are no bus or train links to this remote area.

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to help organize a charity bake sale.

There are descriptions of eight charity bake sales.

Decide which bake sale would be the most suitable for the people below.

1   Sarah loves cooking sweet treats in her own kitchen. She wants to discover how to make her stall look beautiful and attract customers. She is completely free to take part in an event this weekend.

2   Mark wants to be responsible for taking payments and giving the correct coins back to buyers. He doesn’t want to make any food himself. He is looking for a market that is completely inside a building.

3   Chloe wants to bake plant-based cakes without using butter or eggs. She hopes to support a charity that helps wildlife. She is looking for an organizer that will pay for all her cooking supplies.

4   David and his classmates want to cook together at his house. They want to sell their treats at a massive city festival. Their desserts need to be kept cold, so they require a chilled display area.

5   Lisa enjoys preparing classic recipes passed down from her grandmother. She wants to get experience managing the money box during a sale. As she doesn’t drive, the event must be near a bus or train station.

Charity Bake Sales

A Weekend Sweet Smiles

Join our charity event this Saturday and Sunday! Volunteers prepare their own delicious desserts in their kitchens before arriving. We run a special morning class teaching you how to arrange your tables and decorate your display perfectly to catch people’s attention. It’s a wonderful way to spend your days off!

B The Community Hall Market

We need friendly helpers for our indoor charity market. The entire event happens completely inside our large sports room, so the rain won’t matter. We already have plenty of cooks, but we urgently need trustworthy people to manage the cash boxes, collect payments, and return the exact change to customers.

C Paws and Claws Bakery

Help us raise funds for injured dogs, wild birds, and cats! We are looking for bakers to make delicious treats without any animal products or milk. Don’t worry about the cost of flour or sugar; just keep your shopping receipts, and our organisation will give you all your money back.

D Summer Fiesta Sweets

Bring your friends and prepare your favourite sweet treats together in your own kitchens! You will be selling your goods to thousands of visitors at the town’s biggest outdoor music and arts celebration. Our modern food tents include large electronic cooling units to keep your creamy desserts perfectly fresh all day.

E Station Square Charity

Located exactly next to the main railway platforms, our charity sale is incredibly easy to reach. We need volunteers to prepare classic, old-fashioned cakes in their own kitchens to sell. During the day, our team leaders will train you on how to safely look after the earnings and operate the money box.

F Wild Rescuers Bake Sale

Support our forest wildlife protection team! We need volunteers to prepare classic desserts in their own kitchens to sell at our beautiful park event. The sale happens outdoors in the fresh air. Volunteers must buy their own cooking supplies, but you will learn lots about handling customer payments.

G The Grand Carnival

Join thousands of people at the city’s annual street celebration! Grab your friends, bake some amazing cookies at home, and bring them to our charity tables. We provide the cash boxes, but please note our stalls do not have any electricity or cold storage, so avoid bringing cream cakes!

H City Center Baking

Help us raise money for the local children’s hospital inside the comfort of the town shopping mall. We are looking for volunteers who can bake fantastic cakes at home and then come to the mall to manage the money and customer sales. It is an easy walk from the station.

Exercises:   123456