Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Parental Influence & Generational Careers 9

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four individuals reflecting on a specific piece of career advice their parent gave them that completely changed the trajectory of their professional life.

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

Which person/section

1   mentions rejecting a highly respected position due to their parent’s wisdom?

2   was warned against allowing their profession to become their entire identity?

3   was encouraged to perceive setbacks as an essential tool for development?

4   admits they initially felt overqualified for the duties their parent suggested they embrace?

5   abandoned a reliable, conventional route in favour of an unpredictable venture?

6   shifted to a different role in order to safeguard their personal wellbeing?

7   credits their parent with helping them avoid developing an arrogant attitude?

8   realised that having supportive colleagues was more crucial than a massive paycheck?

9   highlights how mastering fundamental, unglamorous skills paved the way for leadership?

10   was on the verge of complete burnout before putting their parent’s advice into practice?

Words of Wisdom: The Parental Advice That Shaped Our Careers

A Liam

When I was twenty-two, I was on the brink of accepting a secure, predictable role at an established accounting firm. It was the sensible choice, but my father took me aside and told me, ‘If you never fail, you’re not aiming high enough.’ He urged me to embrace risk rather than running from it. That single conversation completely altered my trajectory. Instead of taking the safe bet, I joined a volatile tech startup. Unsurprisingly, the first two years were fraught with difficulties, and the company nearly went bankrupt. However, keeping my dad’s words in mind, I learned to view those massive hurdles as stepping stones rather than disasters. Had I ignored him, I’d undoubtedly be stuck in a monotonous routine today. Instead, I’m the director of a thriving software company. Other people might value a massive paycheck above all else, but for me, having the courage to make mistakes has been the true secret to innovation.

B Maya

Fresh out of university, I was offered a highly coveted graduate scheme at a ruthless, globally recognized advertising agency. The starting salary was phenomenal, and I was fully prepared to sign the contract. However, my mother, who had spent decades in corporate law, offered me a piece of advice that stopped me in my tracks: ‘A toxic culture will bankrupt your soul faster than a low wage.’ She emphasized that the people I worked with would dictate my happiness far more than a prestigious title. Consequently, I turned down the multinational giant and accepted a modestly paid position at a small, independent design studio. It was a tough pill to swallow at first, but she was absolutely right. The nurturing environment and incredibly supportive teammates have allowed my creativity to flourish. While I occasionally work long hours, I have never experienced the burnout that my peers in larger firms constantly complain about.

C Noah

Armed with a brand-new master’s degree in business management, I genuinely believed I was destined for an executive suite. I applied for senior roles and was repeatedly rejected. Frustrated, I was advised by my father—a man who had worked his way up from the factory floor—to ‘never consider any honest work beneath your dignity.’ At the time, I felt utterly insulted. I thought I was far too educated to accept the entry-level retail job he suggested I take. Reluctantly, I swallowed my pride and started stocking shelves. In hindsight, he must have known exactly what I needed. Sweeping floors and dealing with difficult customers taught me the core mechanics of the industry, keeping my ego firmly in check. I gradually worked my way up, and today, I oversee regional operations for the entire chain. Having mastered the mundane, grassroots tasks, I now command genuine respect from my staff, simply because I have walked in their shoes.

D Chloe

For the first five years of my legal career, I was entirely consumed by my job. I routinely worked eighty-hour weeks, desperately chasing partnerships and sacrificing my weekends. My mother, noticing my increasingly frail appearance and constant fatigue, sat me down and warned me not to let my career become my entire identity. She told me that if I disappeared tomorrow, my firm would replace me in a heartbeat, but my family never could. I was on the absolute brink of physical and mental collapse, yet it took hearing those blunt words to finally open my eyes. Recognising the severe toll the environment was taking on me, I handed in my resignation. I subsequently transitioned to an in-house advisory role for a local charity. Although it lacks the prestige of my previous firm, it offers strictly regulated hours. Safeguarding my health has allowed me to rediscover my passions outside the courtroom, proving that work is merely what I do, not who I am.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four teenagers sharing their frustration when their parents dismiss their modern career aspirations.

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

Which person/section

1   is annoyed that their relatives give people a false impression of what they do?

2   compares their current earnings to what their parent made in the past?

3   highlights the intense level of discipline and analysis their daily routine requires?

4   feels pressured by their family to choose a more prestigious, traditional profession?

5   deals directly with managing financial resources for other companies?

6   was able to learn their skills independently without formal training?

7   negotiates contracts and sponsorships as part of their daily work?

8   wishes their parents understood that their job goes far beyond simply posting online?

9   points out that they are already earning money even when they are not actively working?

10   is frustrated that their parents consider their activity to be purely for entertainment?

“When Will You Get a Real Job?”

A Leo – E-sports Competitor

Whenever I try to explain my e-sports career to my parents, it feels like talking to a brick wall. They simply can’t get their heads around the fact that competitive gaming is a legitimate, multi-million-dollar industry. To them, I’m just a lazy teenager playing video games for pure entertainment in my bedroom. It’s incredibly frustrating because they completely overlook the sheer dedication it takes. My daily routine involves rigorous training sessions, analysing opponents’ strategies, and maintaining peak mental focus for hours on end. If I hadn’t signed a contract with a professional team last month, they probably would have forced me to quit altogether. Even so, my dad still drops hints about me needing a “backup plan.” I just wish they would come to terms with the fact that this isn’t just a fleeting teenage phase. I work just as hard as any traditional athlete, yet I constantly have to defend my choices.

B Mia – Content Creator

I make a living as a lifestyle vlogger, and while my channel has taken off, my parents remain entirely unconvinced. They are stuck in the mindset that a real job requires a daily commute and a boss. I spend my weeks pitching ideas to brands, negotiating sponsorship contracts, and editing hours of raw footage, but my mum still refers to it as my ‘little internet diary’. The irony is that I actually bring in a higher monthly income than my dad did when he was my age! I’ve tried to show them the analytics and the business side of things, but they just turn a blind eye to it. They mean well, but they’re constantly sending me links to entry-level office jobs, terrified I’m going to end up unemployed. It’s exhausting trying to prove that content creation is a viable, sustainable career. If they could only see the sheer volume of administrative work behind the scenes, they might finally change their tune.

C Sam – Social Media Manager

My parents are exceptionally supportive of everything I do, except when it comes to my career as a freelance social media manager. They belong to a generation that values tangible, physical work, so the concept of managing digital communities completely baffles them. I run advertising campaigns and manage marketing budgets for several local businesses, which is highly responsible work. However, my parents seem to think my job consists solely of mindlessly scrolling through social media platforms and uploading funny pictures. What really gets on my nerves is how they describe my job to our extended family; they usually just tell aunts and uncles that I ‘work in IT support’ to avoid having to explain it. I realise they aren’t doing it out of malice, but it undermines the expertise I’ve built up. It takes a solid understanding of market trends and consumer behaviour to do what I do, and it would be nice if they acknowledged that.

D Chloe – App Developer

Because my parents are both doctors, they have always placed a massive premium on traditional, prestigious university degrees. So, when I started developing mobile applications instead of applying to medical school, it went down like a lead balloon. I am entirely self-taught, having spent countless nights learning programming languages from scratch through online tutorials. What frustrates me most is that I’ve already published two highly successful productivity apps that generate a steady stream of passive income while I sleep. Despite this financial independence, my parents still view my coding as a quirky pastime rather than a genuine profession. They constantly pressure me to get a ‘proper’ qualification, warning me that I’m throwing my potential away. I understand their anxiety comes from a place of love, but the tech world has moved on. You don’t necessarily need a piece of paper to prove your worth anymore, but getting them to see that is an uphill struggle.

Exercises:   123456