Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Endurance Sports & Country Walking 6

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four young professionals describing how joining a weekend hiking club helped them escape the digital fatigue of their office jobs.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people/sections (A-D). The people/sections may be chosen more than once.

Which person/section

1   admits they initially found it challenging to disconnect from the virtual world?

2   mentions that the activity relieved persistent physical pain associated with screen use?

3   mentions that the group dynamic led to surprisingly deep and meaningful conversations?

4   explains how the remote locations serve as a perfect excuse to remain uncontactable?

5   realised that the outdoor excursions unexpectedly boosted their professional problem-solving skills?

6   was initially motivated to join the group to improve their overall fitness?

7   points out the stark contrast between their weekday immobility and weekend exertion?

8   notes that their weekend routine has had a dramatically positive impact on their sleeping patterns?

9   appreciates no longer feeling the need to immediately respond to work-related demands?

10   credits the quiet, repetitive nature of the activity with clearing their confused state of mind?

Stepping Off the Grid: How Hiking Cured Our Digital Fatigue

A Liam

Working as a software developer, I was practically glued to my monitor for ten hours a day. By Friday evening, my posture was terrible, and my brain felt completely fried. I joined a weekend hiking club simply to counteract the fact that I barely moved from my desk from Monday to Friday. The contrast between sitting in a sterile, air-conditioned office and hauling myself up a steep, muddy trail couldn’t be greater. To be honest, during my first few treks, I experienced severe withdrawal symptoms; I kept reaching into my pocket to check my phone for notifications, even when we had no signal. However, once I finally embraced the digital detox, the results were astonishing. Without the constant barrage of emails and instant messages, my mind had the space to breathe. Bizarrely, stepping away from the screen and losing myself in nature actually helped me untangle complex coding issues that had been frustrating me all week. I returned to work on Mondays feeling completely revitalised.

B Maya

As a digital marketing executive, my entire life revolves around social media trends and online engagement. I originally signed up for the local rambling group because I was desperately out of shape and thought traversing hilly landscapes would be a more engaging way to build stamina than staring at a gym wall. While my fitness has certainly improved, the most profound benefit has been the genuine human connection. In my industry, everyone is constantly looking at their screens, even during coffee breaks. On the trail, however, smartphones stay packed away in rucksacks. Walking side-by-side with people from completely different professional backgrounds seems to strip away our usual social barriers. I’ve found that we end up having incredibly profound and authentic discussions, something that is virtually impossible in a noisy pub or a distracted office environment. It’s a massive relief to interact with people who aren’t obsessing over their online personas.

C Sam

My job as a data analyst requires intense focus on spreadsheets, which inevitably led to a severe case of digital fatigue. Before I discovered the hiking club, I was plagued by persistent, throbbing headaches and dry eyes by the time the weekend arrived. Furthermore, my mind would race at night, making it impossible to drift off to sleep. Venturing into the mountains has been the ultimate antidote to my mental burnout. Gazing at expansive valleys and distant peaks completely cured the visual strain caused by staring at pixels all day. More importantly, the combination of fresh mountain air and exhausting physical exertion has worked wonders for my insomnia. I now sleep like a log on Sunday nights, which was previously unheard of. I do occasionally chat with the other hikers, but for me, the true value lies in the silent, meditative rhythm of walking. It has successfully banished the mental fog that used to cloud my judgment.

D Chloe

Being a freelance graphic designer, the boundary between my personal and professional life had completely blurred. Because my clients knew I always had my smartphone on me, they expected me to be at their beck and call, demanding minor edits to logos late on Saturday afternoons. I desperately needed to reclaim my free time, and the hiking club provided the ultimate escape route. The beauty of venturing into remote national parks is that the cellular coverage is practically non-existent. Whenever a demanding client asks why I haven’t replied, I can truthfully claim that I was completely out of range. This built-in excuse has empowered me to establish strict boundaries. I no longer feel a knot of anxiety in my stomach whenever my phone vibrates, nor do I feel obligated to instantly reply to trivial requests. While the fresh air is wonderful for clearing my head, the simple act of being genuinely unreachable is what truly recharges my batteries.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four individuals talking about the physical toll and the bizarre diets required to train for an ultra-marathon.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once.

Which person

1   states that their dietary requirements negatively impacted their social life?

2   had to find an alternative way to exercise while recovering from a physical setback?

3   abandoned conventional energy products because they caused digestive issues?

4   expresses that consuming food felt like a tedious obligation rather than an enjoyable activity?

5   trained at unconventional times to replicate the environment of the actual race?

6   mentions that their peculiar eating habits alarmed the people they knew?

7   believes that their strict dietary regimen gave them a mental advantage during the event?

8   successfully cured their running-related ailments by switching to fast food?

9   acknowledges that professional treatment was the only reason they didn’t quit?

10   deliberately disrupted their sleep pattern in order to meet their daily nutritional targets?

Pushing the Limits: The Reality of Ultra-Marathon Training

A Mark

Training for a 100-kilometre race completely took over my life, demanding sacrifices I hadn’t anticipated. The physical toll was unimaginable at first. About three months in, I developed a nagging knee issue that I thought would end my dream. Had I not sought intensive physiotherapy immediately, I definitely would have been forced to pull out. Thankfully, I bounced back and came to terms with the chronic aches. What surprised me most, however, was the fuelling strategy. I was burning up to 6,000 calories a day, which sounds fantastic until you actually have to consume that much. I found myself setting alarms to eat vast quantities of plain rice and scrambled eggs at 3 a.m. before my long weekend runs. It was a chore, not a pleasure. Most people take a relaxed meal for granted, but for me, eating became just another exhausting, mechanical aspect of the training regime. Nevertheless, crossing that finish line made the months of agony entirely worthwhile.

B Sarah

When you run for fifteen hours straight, your body does strange things, and your digestive system is often the first to rebel. Early in my training, I relied heavily on sweet, sugary energy gels, but they consistently made me feel terribly nauseous. Consequently, I had to adopt a rather bizarre diet on the trails to keep my energy levels from crashing. I discovered that my stomach could only handle jars of baby food and cold, heavily salted boiled potatoes. My friends were absolutely horrified when they saw me slurping mashed bananas out of tiny pouches during our hikes! The physical exhaustion was equally brutal. Sleep deprivation became my constant companion, as I frequently had to run through the night to get accustomed to racing in the dark. There were moments when I was so shattered I almost fell asleep on my feet. Still, the mental resilience you build is truly unparalleled.

C David

People often assume that ultra-runners are the picture of health, but the preparation can actually be quite detrimental to your body. My training block required running back-to-back marathons on weekends. By Sunday evening, my legs would be so stiff that simply walking down the stairs was a major ordeal. To combat the severe muscle inflammation, I was advised by a nutritionist to switch to an entirely liquid diet for the final four weeks. I consumed nothing but specialized nutrient shakes, blended oats, and vegetable broths. It was incredibly isolating; I had to turn down countless dinner invitations because I couldn’t partake in solid meals. If I had known how socially restrictive it would be, I might have reconsidered my approach. On the other hand, my digestion was flawless on race day. The physical pain was immense, but knowing my nutrition was perfectly dialled in gave me a vital psychological edge.

D Emma

You might think ultra-marathoners run on highly scientific sports nutrition, but my secret weapon was junk food. After months of suffering from severe muscle cramps and fainting spells, I realised I was losing salt and calories faster than I could replace them. I completely ditched the sports drinks and started eating pizza slices and cheeseburgers halfway through my 40-mile runs. It sounds absurd, but it worked miracles for my energy levels! Physically, however, the toll was undeniable. I lost three toenails and suffered from stress fractures in my left foot, which meant I had to spend six weeks cross-training in a swimming pool instead of running. It was incredibly frustrating, and I frequently doubted my sanity. I must have questioned my choices a hundred times. Yet, once my foot healed and I could hit the trails again with a slice of pizza in hand, all the doubts faded away.

Exercises:   123456