Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Physical Education & Extracurriculars 9

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four young people sharing what they learned about responsibility from serving on the school student council.

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 to trying to complete all the necessary duties without any assistance at first?

2   came to the realisation that pleasing the entire school population is unachievable?

3   accepted responsibility for a collective failure despite not being the one at fault?

4   gained a deep sense of satisfaction from overseeing a substantial amount of money?

5   learned that it is vital to pay close attention to contrasting opinions before acting?

6   found it highly challenging to juggle their official role with their regular schoolwork?

7   discovered how to confidently express their ideas when addressing senior school staff?

8   points out that honouring your initial pledges is the key to retaining people’s belief in you?

9   confesses that their original motivation for taking part was largely to boost their CV?

10   was taken aback by the extensive administrative preparation needed to run school activities?

Stepping Up: Life Lessons from the Student Council

A Leo

Being elected as Events Coordinator seemed like a dream come true, but it was a steep learning curve. I honestly thought organising the winter dance just meant booking a DJ and ordering snacks. I was completely oblivious to the endless risk assessments and health and safety forms required prior to the actual night. At first, I tried to handle every single detail myself, convinced that no one else would do it properly. Predictably, I burned out within a month. The greatest lesson in responsibility I learned was how to delegate tasks to committee members and trust them to deliver. Some people assumed this extra workload would ruin my grades, but I actually managed to stay on top of my studies quite easily. Moreover, whenever we wanted to change a school rule, I was the one who had to pitch the idea to the headteacher. Articulating your points clearly to intimidating authority figures was nerve-wracking, but it taught me how to advocate for my peers effectively.

B Maya

I’ll be completely honest: I initially ran for the student council simply because I knew it would look fantastic on my university application. However, the role of Student Representative quickly turned into a major commitment. I found myself flooded with complaints and suggestions from my classmates, ranging from cafeteria food to homework policies. I desperately wanted to fix everything, but I eventually had to come to terms with the harsh reality that satisfying the entire student body is practically impossible. While I never had to deal with the stress of handling the school’s budget like the treasurer did, managing the emotional weight of my peers’ expectations was exhausting. Furthermore, juggling these daily council demands with my A-level revision was a genuine struggle. There were weeks when I fell behind on my coursework because I was too busy sorting out council disputes. Learning to strictly manage my schedule and prioritise my academic responsibilities was a difficult but invaluable lesson.

C Sam

Serving as Vice President taught me what true leadership actually entails, and it wasn’t always glamorous. During the spring term, our committee organised a charity fundraiser, but the team in charge of marketing forgot to print the promotional flyers. As the project leader, when the teachers demanded to know why the turnout was so exceptionally poor, I had to stand up and accept the criticism on behalf of the whole group. Pointing fingers wouldn’t have solved anything, and taking ownership of a collective failure is a massive part of being responsible. While I didn’t struggle with delegating tasks to others, checking that they actually followed through was another story. Additionally, my role involved mediating arguments between different student clubs competing for school resources. I quickly realised that jumping to conclusions is a terrible idea. I had to train myself to actively absorb opposing viewpoints and weigh up the evidence before making a fair decision.

D Chloe

When I took on the role of Council Treasurer, I suddenly found myself in charge of an annual budget of nearly three thousand pounds. It was incredibly daunting at first, as every penny had to be accounted for, but successfully allocating funds for new sports equipment and library books gave me a profound sense of accomplishment. I rarely had to give speeches to the headteacher, preferring to work quietly with the numbers instead. Dealing with real money meant I couldn’t afford to be careless or disorganised. Beyond the spreadsheets, the position taught me a crucial lesson about personal integrity. During my campaign, I had pledged to increase funding for the arts department. When budget cuts hit, it would have been easy to quietly abandon that pledge. However, I fought tooth and nail to keep my word, ultimately learning that following through on your commitments is absolutely essential if you want to maintain the trust of your peers.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four teenagers describing their experience attending an intense weekend leadership camp in the mountains.

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

Which person/section

1   underestimated the amount of physical exertion the weekend would demand?

2   confesses to holding a flawed assumption about the qualities of an effective leader?

3   made a poor decision that hindered the team’s advancement?

4   appreciated being disconnected from modern electronic devices?

5   managed to settle a personal dispute during a collaborative task?

6   acknowledges a mentor’s role in helping them recover from a disappointment?

7   discovered that practical participation motivates peers more effectively than verbal commands?

8   succeeded in maintaining a positive atmosphere when conditions worsened?

9   admits they were reluctant to attend the programme in the beginning?

10   realised the necessity of integrating the ideas of fellow participants?

Mountain Mentors: Teenagers Put to the Test

A Liam

When my teachers selected me for the mountain leadership camp, I jumped at the chance. Having always played team sports, I took it for granted that my fitness levels were adequate. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Navigating steep, rocky trails with a heavy backpack completely drained me; I hadn’t anticipated just how physically punishing the landscape would be. My biggest learning curve, though, came during the shelter-building exercise. At first, I simply stood around barking orders at my peers, which understandably bred resentment. Realising my strategy was failing, I stopped talking and started dragging the heaviest branches myself. Seeing me put in the hard graft, the others immediately pitched in. It suddenly dawned on me that the most effective leaders don’t just boss people around; they lead by example. If I hadn’t changed my approach, we would never have finished the task before nightfall.

B Chloe

Prior to this weekend, I had always operated under the assumption that true leaders were the loudest, most dominant individuals in any given room. Consequently, during a complex river-crossing challenge, I immediately tried to take charge. This led to a heated disagreement with another girl who was equally determined to do things her way. We ended up locking horns, wasting precious time arguing while our teammates stood by awkwardly. Eventually, it became obvious that our stubbornness was holding everyone back. I swallowed my pride, pulled her aside, and we calmly negotiated a strategy that combined both our ideas. The tension evaporated instantly. That incident was a massive wake-up call. I came to terms with the fact that dictating orders is ineffective; true leadership requires actively valuing alternative viewpoints. Had we not resolved our differences, we would have completely failed the assignment.

C Noah

I’ve always been confident in my decision-making abilities, but the wilderness has a habit of testing your limits. On the second day, I was appointed head navigator for a trekking challenge. Unfortunately, I misread the topographical map and led my group down a steep, dead-end ravine. Having to backtrack cost us three hours, and the morale of the group plummeted. I was absolutely devastated, feeling that my incompetence had jeopardised the entire expedition. I was ready to step down, but our camp instructor intervened. He pulled me aside and explained that failure is simply a stepping stone to success, providing I learned from the error. He patiently helped me re-orientate the compass. That brief pep talk was exactly what I needed to bounce back. Thanks to his supportive guidance, I regained my focus and successfully led the team back to base camp, a much more humble individual.

D Maya

To be completely honest, I was dragged to this camp kicking and screaming. My parents signed me up to push me out of my comfort zone, and I heavily resented losing my weekend. My misery was compounded when the organisers confiscated our smartphones upon arrival. I anticipated feeling entirely cut off from the world, yet, surprisingly, the digital detox turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Free from the constant ping of notifications, I found myself forming much deeper connections with my peers. The real test of my character came when a torrential downpour soaked our campsite. Everyone was freezing, miserable, and ready to complain. Instead of joining in, I started organising silly word games and singing ridiculous campfire songs. Laughter soon spread through the group, and the tension lifted. It was a revelation to discover that my natural optimism could effectively turn a grim situation around and keep team morale high.

Exercises:   123456