Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Winter, Outdoor and Adventure Sports 1
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My first time snowboarding
by Toby Miller
My name is Toby, and I’ve always enjoyed winter sports. Last month, my school organised a skiing trip to the mountains. While most of my classmates chose to ski, I decided to try snowboarding. I’d watched professional snowboarders on television jumping and racing down mountains, and they made it look incredibly cool and effortless. I was confident I could learn it quickly, so I signed up for beginner lessons with a lot of excitement.
However, my first day on the mountain was a complete disaster. Putting on the heavy boots and attaching both my feet to one board felt very strange. As soon as I tried to stand up, I lost my balance and fell backward. I spent the entire morning sitting on the freezing snow, struggling to get up, only to fall straight back down again. By the time the lesson finished, I was covered in snow, freezing cold, and covered in painful bruises. I honestly thought I had made a terrible mistake.
The next morning, every muscle in my body ached. When my alarm rang, I seriously considered staying in bed and resting. I told my instructor that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue. He listened kindly and explained that everyone finds the first day tough. He promised me that if I kept trying, things would slowly start to make sense. Reluctantly, I agreed to give it one more chance and went back out into the cold.
To my surprise, the second day was completely different. We started on a gentle slope, and my instructor showed me how to use my body weight. Suddenly, everything clicked. I managed to stand up, slide forward, and successfully link my first turn without falling over. The feeling of gliding smoothly across the snow was absolutely thrilling. All my frustration disappeared immediately, and I spent the rest of the afternoon riding down the beginner slopes with a massive smile on my face.
Now, I completely understand why people love snowboarding so much. I still have a lot of techniques to learn, and I still fall over occasionally, but I don’t mind at all. I am already saving my pocket money so I can buy my own snowboard next winter!
1 Why did Toby decide to learn to snowboard?
(A) He wanted to do the same sport as his classmates.
(B) He was inspired by seeing the sport on television.
(C) He had already bought his own snowboarding equipment.
(D) He wanted to enter a winter racing competition.
2 How did Toby feel by the end of his first lesson?
(A) Surprised by how warm his winter clothes kept him.
(B) Upset because his instructor wasn’t very helpful.
(C) Regretful about his choice to try the winter sport.
(D) Annoyed that the snowboard was too heavy to carry.
3 What made Toby go back to the slopes on the second day?
(A) He didn’t want to waste the money he had paid.
(B) His muscles had stopped aching overnight.
(C) His classmates forced him to get out of bed.
(D) His instructor persuaded him to try again.
4 What does Toby say about his experience on the second day?
(A) He found the beginner slopes far too easy for him.
(B) He felt a huge sense of excitement when he finally succeeded.
(C) He needed a different instructor to show him the right technique.
(D) He managed to spend the whole afternoon without falling.
5 What would Toby write in a message to his parents?
(A) Snowboarding is much easier than I thought. I didn’t fall over once on my first day and I’m already doing jumps!
(B) The instructor was terrible and my whole body hurts. I’m going to spend the rest of the week staying in my room.
(C) I had a difficult start and got some bruises, but I eventually learned how to turn and now I completely love it!
(D) I managed to do a turn today, but the sport is just too painful. I’m definitely going to switch to skiing tomorrow.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, Toby says “I’d watched professional snowboarders on television… and they made it look incredibly cool and effortless”, which inspired him to sign up for lessons.
2 C – In paragraph 2, Toby explains that he was cold, bruised, and “honestly thought I had made a terrible mistake.” This maps to being regretful about his choice.
3 D – In paragraph 3, Toby says his instructor “promised me that if I kept trying, things would slowly start to make sense.” This encouragement persuaded him to give it one more chance.
4 B – In paragraph 4, Toby notes that “The feeling of gliding smoothly across the snow was absolutely thrilling” after he linked his first turn. This matches feeling a huge sense of excitement when he finally succeeded.
5 C – This option successfully captures the global narrative arc of the text: Toby’s painful and frustrating first day (difficult start and bruises), the turning point on day two, and his new passion for the sport (now I completely love it).
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Different Kind of Skiing
Last winter, my family and I decided to spend our holiday in a small mountain village. Usually, we go downhill skiing, but my parents suggested trying cross-country skiing for a change. I had seen people doing it on television, gracefully sliding across flat snow. Because it looked so effortless, I immediately agreed. I honestly thought it would be a relaxing way to spend the morning without the fear of falling down steep mountainsides.
However, when we rented our equipment and stepped onto the trail, I quickly realised how wrong I was. The skis were much thinner and lighter than I was used to, which made balancing surprisingly tricky. Once we started moving, the real challenge began. Instead of gravity pulling you down a hill, you have to use your own physical strength to push yourself forward. Within the first twenty minutes, my heart was beating rapidly, and I was completely out of breath. It felt like I was running a marathon, and I wondered if I could actually finish the route.
Despite my tired legs, my mood changed as we went deeper into the woods. Away from the busy village, the forest was incredibly peaceful. The only sound I could hear was the gentle noise of our skis sliding over the fresh snow. The trees were covered in thick white blankets, and the bright morning sun made everything shine. Being surrounded by such beautiful, quiet nature was amazing. It helped me forget about my aching muscles and encouraged me to keep going.
After two hours of intense effort, we finally reached a small wooden cabin at the end of the trail. We stopped to drink some hot chocolate and rest before heading back. Although I was more exhausted than I had ever been on a traditional skiing holiday, the feeling of achievement was fantastic. Cross-country skiing is certainly a tough workout, but the reward of exploring the silent, snowy forest makes the exhaustion completely worth it. I am already looking forward to doing it again next year.
1 Why did the writer agree to try cross-country skiing?
(A) He wanted a break from playing traditional team sports.
(B) He believed the activity would be quite easy to do.
(C) He felt too scared to go downhill skiing with his parents.
(D) He wanted to improve his physical fitness and strength.
2 What did the writer discover when he started skiing?
(A) The equipment was too heavy for him to carry.
(B) The trail was full of surprisingly steep hills.
(C) He had to run a marathon before putting the skis on.
(D) The sport required a lot more energy than he had expected.
3 How did the forest affect the writer?
(A) It made him feel anxious about getting lost in the woods.
(B) It allowed him to hear the sounds of local wild animals.
(C) It distracted him from the physical pain he was feeling.
(D) It provided a quiet place to stop and rest his tired legs.
4 When the writer reached the wooden cabin, he felt
(A) proud of himself for completing the difficult journey.
(B) disappointed that the hot chocolate was cold.
(C) sorry that he hadn’t chosen a downhill skiing holiday.
(D) worried about having to ski all the way back to the village.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that evening?
(A) Cross-country skiing is so boring! There are no mountains to go down, and walking through the forest was a complete waste of time.
(B) I managed to reach the cabin, but my equipment was terrible. Next time, I need to get heavier skis so I don’t lose my balance.
(C) I was so wrong to think this sport was just relaxing! It was really hard work, but experiencing the silent, beautiful woods made it a brilliant day.
(D) Today was so easy! The thin skis did all the physical work for me, and I wasn’t even tired when we finally arrived at the cabin.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states that cross-country skiing “looked so effortless” and he “honestly thought it would be a relaxing way to spend the morning,” meaning he believed it would be easy.
2 D – The second paragraph explains that instead of gravity helping, “you have to use your own physical strength to push yourself forward” and that he was “completely out of breath,” showing it required much more energy than expected.
3 C – The third paragraph describes the beauty of the quiet nature and notes that “It helped me forget about my aching muscles,” meaning it distracted him from his physical pain.
4 A – In the fourth paragraph, the writer mentions that “Although I was more exhausted than I had ever been… the feeling of achievement was fantastic,” which means he felt proud of completing it.
5 C – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text. It acknowledges his initial misunderstanding that it would be relaxing, highlights the intense physical effort, and concludes that the beautiful, quiet environment made the struggle entirely worth it.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Conquering the Mountain
My family has always loved winter holidays, but I usually spend my time in the beginner areas of the ski resort. I felt perfectly comfortable on the flat hills, moving slowly and safely. However, during our trip to the mountains last week, my older sister persuaded me to go up to a much higher slope with her. She promised me the views from the top would be incredible, and I finally agreed to challenge myself.
When we got off the ski lift, the reality of what I had done suddenly hit me. The slope looked completely different from up there. It was incredibly steep, and watching other people rush past me made my heart beat wildly. The thought of losing control and travelling at such a high speed absolutely paralyzed me. My sister tried to encourage me, but I couldn’t move a single muscle. I stood frozen at the edge, seriously considering taking off my skis and walking all the way back down.
Just as I was about to give up, a friendly ski instructor noticed my panicked expression. He skied over and asked if I needed some help. When I explained my terror of going too fast, he smiled and told me not to worry. He explained a simple technique, telling me to point the front of my skis together to make a “pizza” shape. He promised that this would act like a powerful brake and help me control my speed completely.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself forward slightly. As soon as I started moving, I pushed my skis into the “pizza” shape just as the instructor had shown me. To my absolute amazement, it worked perfectly! I was moving at a slow, steady pace, and the horrible panic was slowly replaced by a feeling of joy. By the time I reached the bottom of the mountain, my legs were aching, but I was smiling proudly. Overcoming my fear felt like a massive victory, and I can’t wait to tackle another slope tomorrow!
1 Why did the writer go to the higher ski slope?
(A) She wanted to prove she was better than her sister.
(B) She was convinced to do it to see the beautiful scenery.
(C) She was bored of doing the same activities every winter.
(D) She wanted to practice a new technique she had learned.
2 How did the writer feel at the top of the mountain?
(A) Annoyed that her sister was rushing past her.
(B) Disappointed that the view wasn’t as good as expected.
(C) Terrified because the hill was much steeper than she thought.
(D) Embarrassed because she didn’t know how to take off her skis.
3 What did the ski instructor do to help?
(A) He told her to follow him down the mountain quickly.
(B) He explained how to use her skis to slow herself down.
(C) He offered to carry her skis so she could walk down.
(D) He showed her how to use her poles to stop moving.
4 How did the writer feel by the end of the run?
(A) Upset because her legs were in a lot of pain.
(B) Frustrated that she had travelled at such a slow pace.
(C) Relieved that she didn’t have to ski ever again.
(D) Delighted because she had successfully managed her fear.
5 What might the writer text her best friend that evening?
(A) I finally went down a steep slope today! I was terrified at the top, but learning how to control my speed made it an amazing experience.
(B) The ski instructor was nice, but the mountain was just too steep for me. I ended up taking my skis off and walking back down to the bottom.
(C) I went on a difficult ski slope today to see the view. It was so easy that I didn’t even need to use the “pizza” shape to slow down!
(D) My sister forced me to ski down a huge mountain today. I crashed a few times because I was going too fast, but at least I survived.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states that her older sister persuaded her and “promised me the views from the top would be incredible,” which maps to seeing the beautiful scenery.
2 C – In the second paragraph, the writer says, “It was incredibly steep… The thought of losing control and travelling at such a high speed absolutely paralyzed me,” showing she was terrified of the steepness and speed.
3 B – In the third paragraph, the instructor tells her to make a “pizza” shape with her skis, explaining that “this would act like a powerful brake and help me control my speed.”
4 D – In the fourth paragraph, the writer says her panic was “replaced by a feeling of joy” and she felt “smiling proudly” because “overcoming my fear felt like a massive victory.”
5 A – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: she was initially paralyzed by fear on a steep slope, but learning the braking technique allowed her to conquer her panic and enjoy a victorious run.