Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Creative & Performing Arts 2
Reading 1
You are going to read a magazine article about a garage band whose equipment breaks during a music competition.
For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
The Night the Music Stopped
When I first saw the promotional poster for the annual ‘Battle of the Bands’ competition in our local town hall, I knew my band, The Sonic Shadows, simply had to enter. We had been rehearsing in my parents’ cramped garage for over a year, dreaming of the day we would finally perform in front of a live audience. Until then, our only fans had been the long-suffering neighbours who occasionally complained about the noise. My bandmates – Liam on drums, Maya on bass, and me, Sam, on lead guitar – were absolutely thrilled. If we hadn’t spent those countless weekends perfecting our setlist, we wouldn’t have felt so quietly confident.
On the night of the competition, the atmosphere in the venue was electric. The hall, which is normally used for community meetings, had been transformed into a professional-looking music venue, complete with blinding stage lights and massive speakers. As we watched the other bands perform, my initial excitement began to mix with a heavy dose of apprehension. Some of these musicians were undeniably talented, boasting expensive equipment that made our second-hand instruments look rather amateurish. Maya, however, remained unfazed, reminding us that passion and energy were far more important than flashy gear.
Eventually, our name was called. We marched onto the stage, the glare of the spotlights temporarily blinding me. Liam counted us in, and we launched into our opening track, a high-energy rock song we had written ourselves. For the first two minutes, everything was going spectacularly well. The crowd was nodding along, and I felt a surge of pure joy. But then, disaster struck. Just as I was about to play my highly anticipated guitar solo, a loud popping sound echoed through the hall, followed by a faint hiss. My amplifier, a notoriously unreliable piece of equipment I had bought online, had completely died.
Suddenly, the heavy backing track vanished, leaving only the sound of Liam’s drums and Maya’s bass echoing awkwardly in the large room. I stood there frozen, staring at my useless guitar as a wave of absolute despair washed over me. I figured that must be the end of our musical aspirations. The audience fell silent, and I could feel hundreds of eyes staring at us sympathetically. I wanted the stage floor to open up and swallow me whole. The presenter even took a step towards the microphone, presumably to politely thank us and introduce the next act.
However, I wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Acting on pure instinct, I signaled to Liam to keep a gentle beat going. I quickly unstrapped my electric guitar, grabbed the battered acoustic one I always brought as a backup, and stepped right up to the edge of the stage. Without the safety net of my loud amplifier, I began to strum the chords with raw intensity, belting out the lyrics with every ounce of energy I had. Maya seamlessly adjusted her bassline to match the new, stripped-back vibe.
What followed was an incredible rush of adrenaline. Because we had been forced to drop the noise, the song took on a completely new, intimate atmosphere that captivated the room. By the time we hit the final chorus, the entire crowd was clapping along to the beat. We didn’t end up winning the first prize that night – that honour went to a polished indie-pop quintet – but we gained something far more valuable. We learned that true musicianship isn’t about having the loudest equipment; it’s about adaptability and connecting with your audience, no matter what goes wrong.
1 How did Sam and his bandmates feel about entering the competition?
(A) They were worried about playing in front of their complaining neighbours.
(B) They felt a sense of self-assurance because of their extensive preparation.
(C) They were thrilled because they had already performed live many times.
(D) They felt pressured to enter after seeing the poster in the town hall.
2 How did Sam react to seeing the other bands perform?
(A) He felt intimidated by the quality of their instruments.
(B) He was surprised by the professional transformation of the hall.
(C) He agreed with Maya that their passion would win the competition.
(D) He was annoyed by the flashy gear the other musicians brought.
3 What does the phrase ‘disaster struck’ in paragraph 3 refer to?
(A) The sudden failure of Sam’s musical equipment.
(B) The audience’s negative reaction to their song.
(C) A loud explosion in the hall’s sound system.
(D) Sam forgetting how to play his guitar solo.
4 When the presenter stepped towards the microphone, it implies that
(A) he was going to ask the audience to remain quiet.
(B) he wanted to offer Sam a replacement instrument.
(C) he intended to announce the band as the winners.
(D) he believed the band’s performance was completely over.
5 What did Sam do to save the performance?
(A) He switched to a different instrument and played with more emotion.
(B) He asked Liam to stop drumming so he could sing instead.
(C) He fixed his electric guitar without relying on his amplifier.
(D) He stepped off the stage to connect directly with the audience.
6 What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this text?
(A) To explain why acoustic music is always better than loud rock.
(B) To show how an unexpected problem led to a meaningful realisation.
(C) To complain about the poor quality of cheap musical equipment.
(D) To give advice to young musicians on how to win competitions.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B: [The text says, “If we hadn’t spent those countless weekends perfecting our setlist, we wouldn’t have felt so quietly confident,” which directly translates to feeling self-assurance from their extensive preparation. Distractor A is a partial truth; neighbours did complain, but the band wasn’t playing for them at the competition. Distractor C contradicts the text, which states they were “dreaming of the day we would finally perform in front of a live audience.”]
2 A: [Sam states that his excitement mixed with “apprehension” because the other musicians had “expensive equipment that made our second-hand instruments look rather amateurish,” showing he was intimidated. Distractor B is a partial truth; he notes the hall’s transformation, but this happens before watching the bands perform. Distractor C is an over-inference; Maya said this, but the text doesn’t say Sam immediately felt better or agreed.]
3 A: [The text describes “disaster struck” as the moment a loud popping sound happened and “My amplifier… had completely died.” Distractor C is a trap; there was a pop, but it was from Sam’s amp, not the general “hall’s sound system.” Distractor D is unstated and incorrect.]
4 D: [The text states the presenter stepped forward “presumably to politely thank us and introduce the next act,” implying he thought the band couldn’t continue. Distractor B relies on outside logic (what a presenter might do) rather than the text. Distractor A is incorrect because the audience had already “fallen silent.”]
5 A: [Sam “grabbed the battered acoustic one” (switched instrument) and played with “raw intensity” and “every ounce of energy I had” (more emotion). Distractor D is tricky; he stepped to the “edge of the stage,” not off the stage. Distractor B is opposite to the text, as he told Liam to “keep a gentle beat going.”]
6 B: [The whole narrative builds toward the final paragraph’s conclusion: failing to win but gaining something “far more valuable” by learning about adaptability and connection. Distractor C is too specific; while he mentions his cheap amp breaking, this is just a plot point, not the main purpose. Distractor D is false because they explicitly did not win the competition.]
Reading 2
You are going to read an article about a student who attempted a 30-day novel writing challenge.
For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
The Month I Wrote a Novel
When November arrived, I embarked on a journey that would push my creative limits to the absolute edge: a challenge to write a 50,000-word novel in just thirty days. The premise seemed simple enough on paper. All I had to do was produce roughly 1,667 words a day. Armed with a brand-new laptop and an oversized mug of coffee, I dove into the project with unbridled enthusiasm. During the first week, the ideas flowed effortlessly. My protagonist, a cynical detective living in a dystopian city, practically wrote his own dialogue. I remember feeling incredibly smug as I easily surpassed my daily targets, convinced that I was on the brink of producing a literary masterpiece.
To maintain this momentum, I had to drastically alter my usual routine. As a full-time university student, finding spare hours was a monumental task. Consequently, my alarm was set for dawn, and I would frantically type away before my morning lectures. I also sacrificed my weekends, swapping social gatherings for the solitude of the campus library. Despite the lack of sleep, I felt a profound sense of purpose. Whenever my friends asked why I was putting myself through such a gruelling schedule, I proudly explained that I was finally acting like a professional author. The sheer discipline the challenge required made the experience feel remarkably authentic.
However, this initial burst of energy was severely depleted by the time I reached the middle of the month. On day fifteen, I opened my laptop and stared at the blindingly white screen, only to realise that my mind was completely blank. I had forced my characters into a corner, and the plot had become so tangled that I had no idea how to resolve it. The enthusiasm that had previously fueled my late-night writing sessions evaporated, replaced by a crushing wave of mental exhaustion. I spent hours typing and deleting the same dreadful paragraph. It felt as though a brick wall had been built across my imagination, and I seriously considered throwing in the towel.
The turning point came when I confided in my literature professor, who noticed my unusually miserable expression after a seminar. She pointed out that I was treating my rough draft as if it were a final, published manuscript. “You can always edit a bad page, but you can’t edit a blank one,” she advised. Her words resonated with me deeply. I realised that if I hadn’t been so obsessed with perfection, I wouldn’t have been suffering from such severe writer’s block. Accepting that the writing was allowed to be terrible liberated me. I lowered my standards, allowed my characters to make ridiculous decisions, and simply focused on moving the story forward, regardless of how messy the prose became.
As the final week approached, the word count steadily climbed. By the evening of the thirtieth day, I was just a few hundred words short of the finish line. My fingers flew across the keyboard, driven by a mixture of adrenaline and desperation. When I finally typed the words ‘The End’ and watched the counter click over the 50,000 mark, an overwhelming sense of deep satisfaction washed over me. I sat back in my chair, physically drained but emotionally soaring. I had actually done it; I had written an entire book from start to finish.
Looking back now, I can admit that the novel itself is virtually unreadable. The pacing is inconsistent, the dialogue is often unnatural, and there are plot holes large enough to drive a bus through. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. The challenge taught me that creativity isn’t just about waiting for inspiration to strike; it’s about endurance and showing up even when the words refuse to come. The messy manuscript sitting on my hard drive may never be published, but it stands as a testament to my resilience.
1 What does the writer say about his experience during the first week?
(A) He found it surprisingly difficult to reach his daily word counts.
(B) He was convinced his university would publish his novel.
(C) He felt overly confident about the quality of his writing.
(D) He struggled to develop a believable protagonist.
2 How did the writer feel about his new daily routine?
(A) He was proud of the commitment and discipline it demonstrated.
(B) He was frustrated by the constant lack of sleep it caused him.
(C) He resented his friends for not supporting his gruelling schedule.
(D) He preferred working in the university library over attending classes.
3 What does the word ‘it‘ refer to in paragraph 3?
(A) the blank screen
(B) the tangled plot
(C) an awkward corner
(D) his mental exhaustion
4 What did the writer learn from his professor’s advice?
(A) It is essential to plan a story properly before starting to write.
(B) A writer should take regular breaks to avoid mental exhaustion.
(C) Asking for professional feedback guarantees a successful novel.
(D) Accepting flaws in your work is necessary to make creative progress.
5 How did the writer feel at the very end of the challenge?
(A) relieved that he would now have time to edit his manuscript
(B) anxious about whether his word count was completely accurate
(C) physically exhausted but immensely proud of his achievement
(D) surprised by how quickly he wrote the final few hundred words
6 What is the writer’s main conclusion about his experience?
(A) Thirty days is simply not enough time to write a high-quality book.
(B) The habit of persevering is more valuable than the final product.
(C) Anyone can write a best-selling novel if they practice enough.
(D) You should never show your messy first drafts to other people.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 C: The writer states that he felt “incredibly smug” and was “convinced that I was on the brink of producing a literary masterpiece,” which is a paraphrase of feeling overly confident about the quality. Distractor A is the opposite; he easily surpassed his targets. Distractor B uses the word “publish,” but the text says nothing about the university publishing it. Distractor D contradicts the text, which says his protagonist “practically wrote his own dialogue.”
2 A: The writer says, “Whenever my friends asked… I proudly explained that I was finally acting like a professional author. The sheer discipline the challenge required made the experience feel remarkably authentic.” Distractor B is incorrect because he states, “Despite the lack of sleep, I felt a profound sense of purpose.” Distractor C is false; his friends asked him about it, but there’s no mention of resentment or a lack of support. Distractor D is a partial truth trap; he spent time in the library, but he didn’t skip classes (he typed “before my morning lectures”).
3 B: Grammatically and contextually, “it” refers back to the noun phrase “the plot”. He had forced his characters into a corner, and the plot became so tangled he had no idea how to resolve the plot.
4 D: The professor taught him not to treat a rough draft like a final manuscript. The writer concludes, “Accepting that the writing was allowed to be terrible liberated me. I lowered my standards…” Distractor A is a reasonable real-world assumption but is not stated in the text. Distractor B is plausible but incorrect; the professor didn’t tell him to take a break, she told him to keep writing (“you can’t edit a blank one”). Distractor C is a false cause-and-effect; the feedback helped him past his block, but didn’t guarantee a “successful novel” (which he admits is unreadable).
5 C: The writer describes sitting back in his chair “physically drained but emotionally soaring,” and notes an “overwhelming sense of deep satisfaction.” Distractor A mentions editing, but the text at this point only talks about finishing, not the relief of moving to the editing phase. Distractor B is incorrect; he watched the counter click over but felt no anxiety about its accuracy. Distractor D is a false match; his fingers “flew,” but he doesn’t state he was surprised by the speed.
6 B: In the final paragraph, the writer admits the novel is unreadable but says “creativity isn’t just about waiting for inspiration… it’s about endurance,” and that the manuscript is “a testament to my resilience.” Distractor A is a partial truth trap; while his book is bad, his conclusion isn’t a warning about the time limit, but a reflection on endurance. Distractor C is wrong because he explicitly states his novel may never be published. Distractor D is unstated in the text.
Reading 3
You are going to read a magazine article about a teenager who took part in a regional baking contest.
For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
Rising to the Occasion
Ever since I was tall enough to reach the kitchen counter, baking has been my ultimate passion. So, when my home economics teacher suggested I enter the annual Northern Regional Junior Baking Contest, I jumped at the opportunity. For weeks, my family had been acting as willing taste-testers as I perfected my signature recipe: spiced apple and blackberry tartlets. By the morning of the competition, I was brimming with self-assurance. I had memorised the measurements, timed every step to perfection, and packed my equipment meticulously. I honestly believed that as long as I followed my detailed plan, claiming the first prize was simply a foregone conclusion.
The venue was a massive community hall, currently buzzing with the frenetic energy of twenty other teenage bakers. The sheer scale of the room, combined with the glare of the bright overhead lights and the intimidating presence of the judges, was slightly overwhelming at first. However, once the head judge blew the starting whistle, my nerves melted away. I fell into my familiar rhythm, smoothly weighing out flour, rubbing in the butter, and expertly folding the dough. If I had known then what was about to happen, I wouldn’t have been quite so relaxed. But for the first hour, my pastry was chilling beautifully, and the fruity filling was bubbling away nicely on the stove.
The disaster struck during the crucial baking phase. I had placed my delicate tartlets in the oven, setting the timer for exactly eighteen minutes. While waiting, a local newspaper reporter approached my workstation and started asking me a series of questions about my baking inspirations. Distracted by the camera and the interview, I failed to notice the faint smell of caramelised sugar turning into bitter smoke. It wasn’t until the shrill beep of the oven timer echoed through the hall that I snapped back to reality. I pulled open the oven door to discover a tray of blackened, ruined pastries. Staring at the disaster, tears pricked my eyes and a wave of utter panic washed over me. Overcoming this felt entirely impossible in the moment.
I stood frozen, convinced that my chances of success had literally gone up in smoke. I had a mere forty-five minutes left on the clock – barely enough time to start from scratch. A judge walked past, offering a sympathetic smile, which ironically only made me feel worse. Then, my teacher’s voice echoed in my head, reminding me that a true baker must be adaptable. Wiping my face with the back of my floury hand, I took a deep breath. I realised that if I worked at double my usual speed, I might just manage to pull off a second batch. It would be incredibly tight, but giving up wasn’t an option. I frantically grabbed my spare ingredients and began to work with a newfound, desperate focus.
The final half-hour was a chaotic blur of peeling apples and rolling out fresh pastry. My hands were shaking, and my apron was covered in a thick dusting of flour, but I refused to look at the clock. When the whistle finally blew to signal the end of the competition, I was just placing the last tartlet onto the presentation stand. They weren’t quite as meticulously decorated as my original plan, but they were golden, fragrant, and, most importantly, not burnt. Although I didn’t win the overall trophy that day, the judges highly commended my determination. Ultimately, the competition taught me that true resilience isn’t about everything going perfectly; it’s about how quickly you can recover when everything falls apart.
1 How did the writer feel before the competition began?
(A) Certain of her own success due to her extensive preparation.
(B) Nervous about the high expectations her family had placed on her.
(C) Reluctant to participate until her teacher finally persuaded her.
(D) Relieved that the long weeks of testing her recipes were over.
2 What does the writer say about her experience in the first hour of the contest?
(A) The bright lights of the hall made it difficult for her to concentrate.
(B) She was able to overcome her initial anxiety and work naturally.
(C) She felt overwhelmed by the fast pace of the other teenagers.
(D) She realised that her recipe was too complicated for the time limit.
3 What does the word ‘this‘ refer to in paragraph 3?
(A) the tray of ruined pastries
(B) the sudden noise of the oven timer
(C) the distracting interview with the reporter
(D) the overwhelming sense of terror and distress
4 In the fourth paragraph, what motivated the writer to try again?
(A) the sympathetic reaction of one of the judges
(B) the realisation that she still had plenty of time left
(C) the memory of some advice she had previously been given
(D) the desire to prove that her first batch was just a mistake
5 What does the writer admit about her final submission?
(A) It did not look exactly the way she had originally envisioned.
(B) The filling was not as flavorful as her first attempt would have been.
(C) She finished placing it on the stand just after the whistle blew.
(D) The judges refused to taste it because her workstation looked messy.
6 What is the writer’s main purpose in writing the article?
(A) to provide advice on how to win regional baking competitions
(B) to explain why she prefers baking under intense pressure
(C) to highlight the importance of recovering quickly from setbacks
(D) to warn other bakers about the dangers of media distractions
Answer Key & Explanations
1 A: The writer states she was “brimming with self-assurance” and believed that “claiming the first prize was simply a foregone conclusion” because she had timed every step and packed meticulously. Distractor B is a partial truth; her family tested the food, but there’s no mention of their high expectations making her nervous. Distractor C is false; she “jumped at the opportunity”. Distractor D is unstated.
2 B: The text says that although the room was initially overwhelming, “once the head judge blew the starting whistle, my nerves melted away. I fell into my familiar rhythm.” Distractor A is a false match; she mentions the bright lights, but they did not stop her from concentrating once she started. Distractor C is the opposite; she overcame her feeling of being overwhelmed. Distractor D is false; things were going well for the first hour.
3 D: The pronoun ‘this’ refers to the immediately preceding feeling described as “tears pricked my eyes and a wave of utter panic washed over me.” Distractor A is a false match; the pastries caused the panic, but she is trying to overcome the emotional paralysis. Distractors B and C mention preceding events that caused the situation, not the psychological state she felt she couldn’t overcome in that exact moment.
4 C: The writer remembers her teacher’s voice “reminding me that a true baker must be adaptable,” which gives her the strength to take a deep breath and start again. Distractor A is the opposite; the judge’s smile “only made me feel worse.” Distractor B is false; she had a “mere forty-five minutes,” which was “barely enough time.” Distractor D is unstated.
5 A: The writer notes that her final tartlets “weren’t quite as meticulously decorated as my original plan,” meaning the visual presentation was different from what she wanted. Distractor B is unstated; she says they were “fragrant,” but doesn’t compare the taste to the first batch. Distractor C is a false match; she was placing them on the stand “When the whistle finally blew”, not after. Distractor D is unstated.
6 C: The final sentence summarizes her main takeaway: “the competition taught me that true resilience isn’t about everything going perfectly; it’s about how quickly you can recover when everything falls apart.” Distractor A is false; she didn’t actually win the competition. Distractor B is a partial truth; she baked well under pressure, but she doesn’t state she prefers it. Distractor D is too specific; the media distraction was just the plot device, not the overarching moral of the story.