Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Wildlife Encounters 9
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Night in the Sahara
When my family planned a trip to Morocco, the first thing we booked was a camel trek deep into the Sahara Desert. I had seen plenty of adventure movies where brave explorers ride smoothly across endless golden sand dunes, looking completely relaxed and comfortable. In my mind, it was going to be a magical, effortless journey. I simply couldn’t wait to climb onto my camel and experience that perfect, mysterious desert silence for myself.
However, the reality of travelling by camel hit me almost immediately. When the huge animal suddenly stood up, I was thrown forward and nearly fell off backwards! As we began to walk, I quickly realised that riding a camel is extremely uncomfortable. The movement was incredibly bumpy, throwing me from side to side with every single step. After just an hour under the blazing hot sun, my legs were aching terribly, and my back was stiff. I honestly started wondering how I was going to survive the rest of the three-hour journey to our desert camp.
By the time we finally reached our traditional tents in the middle of the dunes, I was completely exhausted. Climbing down from the camel was a huge relief, even though my muscles were so sore I could barely walk in the soft sand. Our friendly guides immediately served us sweet mint tea to welcome us and started cooking a delicious traditional dinner over an open fire. As the sun went down, the temperature dropped quickly, and the fierce heat of the afternoon was replaced by a surprising chill.
But the true magic happened later that night. Once the fire died down, I lay on my blanket, looked up, and gasped. Far away from any city lights, the sky was absolutely filled with millions of bright stars. It was the clearest sky I had ever seen. Within minutes, I saw several shooting stars flash across the darkness. Lying there in the quiet desert, staring up at the incredible universe, I completely forgot about my aching muscles. The bumpy ride had been painful, but sleeping under that spectacular sky made every single uncomfortable moment completely worthwhile.
1 What did the writer expect the camel trek to be like?
(A) As easy and relaxing as it looks in the cinema.
(B) Frightening and a bit dangerous for beginners.
(C) Exciting but physically tiring for the riders.
(D) Hot and uncomfortable due to the desert sun.
2 How did the writer feel during the camel ride?
(A) Scared that the camel was walking too fast.
(B) Annoyed that the journey was three hours long.
(C) Shocked by how physically difficult the movement was.
(D) Bored because the scenery was always the same.
3 When the writer arrived at the camp, they were
(A) surprised that the guides had already eaten.
(B) disappointed that the tents were on soft sand.
(C) worried about the suddenly dropping temperatures.
(D) happy to finally get off the animal.
4 Looking at the night sky made the writer
(A) wish they had brought a warmer blanket.
(B) stop caring about the pain from the journey.
(C) want to learn more about the universe.
(D) miss the bright lights of the city.
5 What would the writer write in their travel diary?
(A) The camel ride was awful and painful. I would never recommend going into the desert because it’s just too uncomfortable.
(B) Even though the journey there was tough and left me aching, the incredible night sky made the whole trip amazing.
(C) I was right to think riding a camel is just like the movies! It was a relaxing way to see the beautiful Moroccan desert.
(D) The stars were beautiful, but I wish we had taken a jeep to the camp so I didn’t have to suffer on a camel.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A – In the first paragraph, the writer mentions seeing movies where explorers ride “smoothly” and look “relaxed,” expecting a “magical, effortless journey.”
2 C – The second paragraph highlights how shocked the writer was by the physical difficulty, stating that the ride was “extremely uncomfortable,” “incredibly bumpy,” and left their legs “aching terribly.”
3 D – The third paragraph explicitly states that “Climbing down from the camel was a huge relief,” showing their happiness at getting off.
4 B – In the fourth paragraph, the writer explains that while looking at the stars, “I completely forgot about my aching muscles.”
5 B – This option captures the full narrative arc and the global meaning of the text: acknowledging the severe physical discomfort of the ride, but concluding that the magical experience of the night sky made it entirely worth it.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A magical night in the forest
When my parents told me we were going on a nighttime walk through a forest in Japan to see fireflies, I wasn’t thrilled. We were visiting my aunt for the summer holidays, and the weather was incredibly hot. I had imagined spending my evenings relaxing in her air-conditioned living room, watching movies or chatting with my friends online. Going outside into the dark woods seemed like a very uncomfortable way to spend a Saturday night, but my parents insisted it would be a special experience.
As we entered the forest, my bad mood only got worse. The tall trees blocked the moonlight, making it difficult to see where we were walking, and the summer air felt heavy and damp. To make matters worse, the mosquitoes quickly found me. Within ten minutes, my arms and legs were covered in itchy bites. I complained continuously to my mom, asking her how much longer we had to walk and secretly hoping she would agree to turn back and go home.
However, about twenty minutes later, we reached a small, quiet river, and everything changed. Out of the darkness, a few tiny yellow lights appeared, floating gently above the water. Then, suddenly, there were hundreds, and soon thousands of them. The entire forest was filled with glowing fireflies. They moved silently through the air, looking exactly like magic fairy dust sparkling in the night. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life. I stood completely still, hardly daring to breathe in case I frightened them away.
For the next half hour, I completely forgot about the heat and the itchy mosquito bites. I was just focused on the incredible light show happening all around me. It felt like stepping into a dream. When it was finally time to leave, I actually felt disappointed. Walking back to the house, I realised that sometimes the best experiences happen when you step away from your screens and go slightly out of your comfort zone. I couldn’t wait to share the photos with my friends, although I knew the pictures wouldn’t be as good as the real thing.
1 How did the writer feel when she first heard about the walk?
(A) She was excited to explore a Japanese forest at night.
(B) She would have preferred to stay indoors where it was cool.
(C) She was worried about the hot weather ruining her holiday.
(D) She wanted to spend time with her aunt instead of her parents.
2 What happened during the first part of the forest walk?
(A) The writer found it difficult to breathe in the damp air.
(B) The writer got lost because the forest was so dark.
(C) The writer was annoyed because insects were biting her.
(D) The writer persuaded her mother to return to the house.
3 When the writer saw the fireflies, she
(A) tried to catch some to take back with her.
(B) was surprised by how much noise they made.
(C) thought they looked like something from a fantasy.
(D) jumped into the river to get a closer look.
4 How did the writer’s attitude change by the end of the trip?
(A) She realised that taking a risk and going outside was worth it.
(B) She felt annoyed that the light show didn’t last longer.
(C) She wished she had brought her phone to show her friends.
(D) She realised that she had taken some excellent photographs.
5 What would the writer write in her diary that night?
(A) Japan is too hot and the mosquitoes are terrible. I’m going to spend the rest of this holiday inside my aunt’s living room!
(B) My parents made me walk in the woods tonight. We saw some bugs, but I would have had much more fun chatting online with my friends.
(C) I was so glad I remembered to bring insect spray tonight. It meant I could relax and enjoy watching the fireflies by the river without getting bitten.
(D) Tonight I saw thousands of fireflies. Even though the walk started badly, it ended up being one of the most magical things I’ve ever seen!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – The text states the writer “had imagined spending my evenings relaxing in her air-conditioned living room” and wasn’t thrilled about going outside.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer explains that the “mosquitoes quickly found me” and her arms and legs were “covered in itchy bites,” causing her to complain continuously.
3 C – The text explicitly compares the glowing insects to a fantasy, stating they were “looking exactly like magic fairy dust sparkling in the night.”
4 A – In the final paragraph, she reflects that the “best experiences happen when you step away from your screens and go slightly out of your comfort zone.”
5 D – This option perfectly captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: starting with a bad, uncomfortable mood due to mosquitoes and heat, but ending with fascination and appreciation for the magical fireflies.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Monkey Temple
When my family and I travelled to Thailand last summer, I had a long list of places I wanted to visit. At the top of that list was a famous ‘monkey temple’, an old ruin where hundreds of wild macaques live. I had seen lots of videos online of these animals, and I thought they looked incredibly cute. I couldn’t wait to get close to them and take some amazing selfies to show my friends back home. My parents warned me to be careful, but I was sure the monkeys were completely harmless.
As we walked through the temple gates, the sight was absolutely incredible. There were monkeys everywhere! Some were climbing up the ancient stone walls, while others were relaxing in the warm sunshine or playing with their babies. Many tourists were buying small bags of fruit and nuts to feed them. The monkeys seemed so friendly and used to humans that I quickly forgot my parents’ advice. I moved closer to a group of young macaques, holding my camera up to get the perfect picture.
I was so focused on my camera screen that I didn’t notice a larger monkey sitting on a wall just above my head. Suddenly, I felt a quick movement, and before I knew what was happening, the monkey reached down and snatched my favourite sunglasses right off my face! I jumped back in shock and dropped my camera, luckily catching it by the strap before it hit the ground. The monkey quickly climbed to the very top of the temple, holding my glasses tightly. I was so surprised that I couldn’t even speak.
A local guide laughed and told me that I would never get them back. He explained that shiny objects easily attract the macaques, and they are quick to steal anything visitors leave unguarded. Although I was quite annoyed about losing my sunglasses, it was a valuable lesson. I realised that despite their cute appearance, these are wild animals with unpredictable behaviour. They aren’t pets, and treating them like tame zoo animals was a big mistake. From that moment on, I decided to keep a safe distance, respecting their space and enjoying watching them from far away.
1 What did the writer think about the monkeys before visiting the temple?
(A) She was scared of them because of videos she had seen.
(B) She believed they would be friendly and safe to approach.
(C) She wanted to buy food to give to them.
(D) She agreed with her parents’ warnings about them.
2 When the writer first arrived at the temple, she
(A) noticed that the monkeys were afraid of the tourists.
(B) decided to follow her parents’ advice carefully.
(C) felt relaxed enough to get very close to the animals.
(D) was asked by tourists to take pictures of the baby monkeys.
3 What happened while the writer was trying to take a photo?
(A) She accidentally dropped and broke her camera.
(B) A large monkey jumped onto her shoulders.
(C) She chased a monkey to the top of the temple.
(D) An animal unexpectedly took something belonging to her.
4 How did the writer feel at the end of her visit?
(A) Angry at the local guide for laughing at her.
(B) Glad that she had learned to treat the monkeys with respect.
(C) Sad that she couldn’t take any more photographs.
(D) Disappointed that the monkeys behaved like zoo animals.
5 What would the writer text to a friend after visiting the temple?
(A) I finally visited the monkey temple! The animals are so cute and I managed to get a great selfie with one sitting on my head.
(B) The monkey temple was a bit boring. We couldn’t get close to the animals because the local guides told us it was too dangerous.
(C) I lost my sunglasses today! A monkey stole them, which taught me that we really need to be careful around wild animals.
(D) I was so annoyed today. I tried to feed the monkeys, but they just stole my camera and ran up the ancient walls.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer says she “couldn’t wait to get close to them” and was “sure the monkeys were completely harmless,” ignoring her parents’ warnings.
2 C – In paragraph 2, the writer says the monkeys seemed so friendly that she “quickly forgot my parents’ advice” and “moved closer to a group… to get the perfect picture.”
3 D – In paragraph 3, the writer describes how a monkey “reached down and snatched my favourite sunglasses right off my face” while she was focused on her camera.
4 B – In paragraph 4, the writer states that it was a “valuable lesson” and that she decided to “keep a safe distance, respecting their space.”
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and narrative arc of the text: starting with a funny/surprising incident (stolen sunglasses) and ending with the realization that macaques are wild animals that require respect and distance.