Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Physical Education & Extracurriculars 5

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four students reviewing their time spent organizing and writing for the student-led school newspaper.

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 that failing to distribute tasks properly caused them unnecessary stress?

2   acknowledges having to accept that the visual appeal shouldn’t overshadow the articles?

3   felt a sense of panic when a technological device malfunctioned during a crucial moment?

4   was surprised by the intense reactions their work generated among their peers?

5   credits their role on the paper with helping them overcome their natural timidity?

6   struggled to cope with constructive criticism regarding their contribution?

7   believes the competencies they developed will give them an advantage in the workplace?

8   briefly doubted their choice to share a particular piece of writing with the public?

9   had to confront a peer who was failing to meet their commitments?

10   found it exceptionally difficult to get a subject to open up during a conversation?

Making Headlines: Life on the School Newspaper

A Leo

When I was appointed editor-in-chief of The Student Voice, I honestly thought managing the publication would be a walk in the park. However, reality soon hit me hard. Initially, I was so reluctant to relinquish control that I tried to proofread and format every single submission myself. Unsurprisingly, this inability to delegate led to massive burnout, and I found myself pulling all-nighters just to get the paper to the printers on time. Once I finally swallowed my pride and started sharing the workload with my editorial team, the relief was immense. My hardest moment, though, was pulling aside a staff photographer who was consistently missing our strict deadlines; having that tough, disciplinary conversation was incredibly awkward. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. The resilience and project management techniques I’ve acquired over the past year will undoubtedly give me a competitive edge when I eventually enter the corporate world.

B Maya

Taking on the role of lead investigative reporter was a massive leap of faith for me. Previously, I had always been notoriously introverted, avoiding center stage at all costs. However, being forced to approach strangers and ask probing questions worked wonders for my self-assurance; it truly helped me break out of my shell. It wasn’t always smooth sailing, though. I vividly remember sitting down with our newly appointed headteacher for an exclusive feature. Trying to coax detailed responses out of him was an uphill battle, as he kept dodging my inquiries with vague, one-word replies. To make matters worse, halfway through our chat, the battery on my digital voice recorder completely died! My heart sank into my boots, and I had to frantically scribble down notes by hand to salvage the piece. Despite the sheer panic of that incident, seeing my byline on the front page made all the stress worthwhile.

C Sam

Being the chief layout designer sounded like the perfect gig for a creative soul like me. I spent hours mastering complex publishing software, determined to make our school newspaper look like a high-end glossy magazine. In the early editions, I got completely carried away with elaborate fonts and massive, colorful graphics. I was actually highly offended when the editorial board bluntly told me that my artistic choices were making the actual news stories virtually illegible. I took their remarks completely to heart and felt quite demotivated for a fortnight. Eventually, I came to terms with the fact that they were right. I had to accept a hard truth: in journalism, the aesthetic presentation must serve to enhance the written word, not completely dominate it. While it was frustrating when the design program occasionally crashed, learning to absorb feedback and prioritize clarity over flashiness has made me a vastly superior graphic artist.

D Chloe

As the resident opinion columnist, my primary job was to spark debate among the student body. I usually wrote about light-hearted topics like cafeteria food or dress codes. However, everything changed when I penned a rather critical piece about the school’s lack of mental health resources. When the issue was distributed, the sheer scale of the uproar absolutely caught me off guard. Students were arguing about it passionately in the corridors, and a few teachers were visibly displeased. For a fleeting moment, I was so overwhelmed by the backlash that I genuinely wished I had never submitted the file to the printers. I felt like I had made a terrible mistake. Yet, a few days later, the school administration announced a new counselling initiative directly prompted by my article. That was a profound revelation. It taught me that journalism isn’t just about stringing pretty words together; it’s a powerful tool that can drive real, tangible change.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four teenagers talking about the challenges of organizing a large-scale charity fundraising event at their high school.

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

Which person/section

1   felt stressed due to a sudden shortage of helpers?

2   was initially doubtful whether the project would be approved by school authorities?

3   realised that a flexible approach to the layout or plan was necessary?

4   regrets taking it for granted that a close friend would support them?

5   mentions an unexpected expense that threatened their budget?

6   was surprised by how cooperative local merchants turned out to be?

7   learned to delegate tasks instead of trying to handle everything alone?

8   felt anxious when looking at how far ahead another school’s event was?

9   appreciated the public recognition they received after the event concluded?

10   states that a clear distribution of roles prevented internal arguments?

The School Fundraiser Challenge

A Liam

When we first floated the idea of a 24-hour sports marathon, I was highly skeptical about whether the headteacher would give us the green light, given the safety regulations involved. Consequently, I spent days drafting a meticulous proposal to ease her concerns. At the beginning, I foolishly tried to micro-manage every single detail, from sorting sponsorships to ordering refreshments. It was completely overwhelming, and I quickly reached a breaking point. Fortunately, I bounced back after realizing I had to hand over significant responsibilities to my capable classmates. Once I trusted others to run the refreshment stands, a massive weight was lifted off my shoulders. Everything ran smoothly, and we even stayed strictly on track with our timeline. Although a rival school down the road raised more funds than us the previous year, we completely ignored their metrics and stayed focused on our own goals. Ultimately, it was a very rewarding venture.

B Maya

Organizing the charity concert taught me a lot about team dynamics. We were determined to avoid internal clashing, so we held a meeting on day one to assign highly specific duties to each committee member. This explicit division of labor worked wonders, as everyone knew exactly what they were responsible for, preventing any major disputes. On the other hand, the real challenge came from unexpected human errors. I had completely taken it for granted that my closest companion would be right by my side to help manage the ticket sales, but he dropped out at the last minute to study for a math test. To make matters worse, several volunteer marshals failed to turn up on the actual morning. This sudden deficit of hands caused an absolute panic, and my anxiety levels peaked as we scrambled to find replacements. Fortunately, local entrepreneurs were sympathetic, even though none had replied to our initial emails requesting free raffle prizes.

C Ethan

Our team decided to set up a winter carnival in the school courtyard, which looked straightforward on paper. However, we soon discovered that executing it required immense resilience. We were constantly tracking the progress of a neighboring academy’s fundraiser on social media, and seeing their beautifully decorated stalls a month before our launch date triggered a massive wave of insecurity. I felt terrified that our project would look amateurish by comparison. Then, an unforeseen delivery fee for the marquee hire completely jeopardized our budget, forcing us to quickly reallocate funds from our advertising pot. To top it off, terrible weather meant our original layout was unworkable. We quickly came to terms with the fact that sticking rigidly to a plan is impossible; a high degree of adaptability was required to reorganize the layout inside the gymnasium within hours. Luckily, our core group of helpers stayed reliable throughout the chaos.

D Chloe

We opted for a community bake sale and auction, which was a massive undertaking. Before we even applied for official permission, which was surprisingly granted without any fuss, we spent hours researching historical fundraisers from various institutions. Nevertheless, we still faced unexpected hurdles. Our plan relied heavily on getting items to auction, and I was taken aback by the incredible generosity of the high street shopkeepers; they happily donated expensive vouchers and luxury gift baskets when we went door-to-door. Unfortunately, because we hadn’t defined exact boundaries for who did what early on, a few heated arguments broke out regarding the stage setup. We managed to resolve it, but it was a tough lesson. The highlight for me happened a week later. Being formally praised by the principal during the whole-school morning assembly made all the anti-social hours and exhaustion completely worthwhile. It was wonderful to see our hard work acknowledged in front of everyone.

Exercises:   123456