Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Practical Life Skills 1

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four teenagers describing the anxiety and ultimate freedom of taking driving lessons and passing their driving test.

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 almost abandoning their lessons altogether?

2   mentions that a specific part of the learning process was more demanding than anticipated?

3   experienced a temporary setback during their initial assessment?

4   appreciates no longer being subjected to the constraints of local transit?

5   felt overwhelmed by the actions of other road users?

6   points out how taking a hiatus from lessons was necessary due to academic pressures?

7   expresses gratitude for the tough approach taken by their teacher?

8   acknowledges that their new independence comes with added family duties?

9   struggled to master the mechanical coordination of a specific car?

10   originally felt intimidated by the expectations placed upon them by relatives?

The Road to Freedom: Surviving the Driving Test

A Liam

Coming from a family of car enthusiasts, the assumption that I would pass my driving test with flying colours weighed heavily on me. This unspoken expectation generated an immense amount of anxiety. Consequently, during my initial practical assessment, my nerves completely got the better of me. I made a series of foolish errors, like forgetting to check my blind spot, and inevitably failed. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but it forced me to keep a cool head the second time around. Had I not been so fixated on their opinions, I might have passed the first time. The sense of liberation I felt when I finally received my licence was unbelievable. However, I soon came to terms with the fact that having a car isn’t just about leisurely drives. My parents immediately took advantage of my new status, meaning I’m now frequently tasked with ferrying my younger siblings to various appointments. It’s a small price to pay for the freedom of the open road, though.

B Chloe

Before I even sat behind the steering wheel, I took it for granted that the practical side of driving would be my biggest hurdle. Strangely enough, mastering the physical controls was relatively straightforward. What genuinely caught me off guard was the sheer volume of information required for the theoretical exam. Memorising countless road signs and braking distances was incredibly tedious, and I only just managed to scrape a pass. Once I actually got onto the main roads, my anxiety shifted to the unpredictable behaviour of fellow motorists. I was constantly terrified that someone would suddenly pull out in front of me without indicating. Fortunately, my instructor was exceptionally patient and taught me defensive driving techniques. Now that I’m fully qualified, that initial dread has vanished completely. Nothing compares to the thrill of picking up my friends on a Friday evening and cruising down the coast. It is undoubtedly the ultimate form of independence.

C Noah

My journey to getting a driving licence was far from smooth sailing. I was paired with an incredibly demanding instructor who meticulously analysed my every move. Whenever I stalled at a busy intersection, he would point out my mistakes quite bluntly. It was so demoralising that, at one point, I seriously considered throwing in the towel and cancelling my remaining sessions entirely. Looking back, however, I realise his uncompromising methods were exactly what I needed. Had he not been so relentless, I probably wouldn’t have passed the final test without a single fault. The relief was overwhelming. For years, my daily routine had been completely dictated by unreliable bus schedules and delayed trains, which frequently left me stranded in the rain. Now, having the autonomy to leave the house exactly when I choose is a privilege I will never take for granted. It has completely transformed the way I navigate my life.

D Maya

I learned to drive in my grandfather’s ancient manual car, which turned out to be a massively steep learning curve. I initially found it incredibly tricky to coordinate pressing the clutch while shifting gears smoothly; the engine would aggressively jump and splutter at every roundabout. Just as I was finally getting the hang of the mechanics, my final school exams approached. The pressure to secure top grades meant I had to put my driving ambitions on hold for several months to focus exclusively on revision. Returning to the driver’s seat after such a long gap was nerve-wracking, but my muscle memory surprisingly kicked in. Although I was a bag of nerves on the day of the test, the examiner soon put me at ease. Passing has opened up a whole new world of opportunities. Having my own vehicle means I can easily commute to my new weekend job on the outskirts of town, something that would have been practically impossible previously.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four young adults sharing their humorous disasters and successes while learning how to cook basic meals for themselves.

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

Which person

1   mentions that attempting to save money motivated them to start cooking?

2   found that an unexpected sense of relaxation came from preparing food?

3   admits they ruined a meal by misinterpreting the required quantities of ingredients?

4   decided to abandon visual internet guides in favour of a more conventional format?

5   caused a disturbance that affected other people living nearby?

6   realised their failure was due to attempting a task that was too advanced for a beginner?

7   resorted to buying a ready-made meal to feed their guests?

8   wasted a significant amount of food due to improper storage?

9   mistook one common kitchen ingredient for another?

10   sought formal instruction to improve their culinary skills?

Kitchen Nightmares and Culinary Triumphs

A Jack

When I first moved into my own flat, I lived exclusively on fast food deliveries, taking it for granted that cooking was a mysterious art form I’d never master. Eventually, the sheer expense became unjustifiable, so I decided to tackle a basic spaghetti bolognese. I felt quite confident until I accidentally swapped the sugar for salt when attempting to season the sauce. It was absolutely inedible! To make matters worse, I had the stove turned up so high that the smoke alarm started blaring, bringing my rather annoyed neighbours to my front door. Despite that early catastrophe, I didn’t throw in the towel. I slowly got the hang of temperature control, and these days, my friends actually look forward to my homemade pasta nights. It just goes to show that persistence really does pay off, even if my initial attempts were a genuine hazard to public safety. Now I can laugh about it, but it was terribly stressful at the time.

B Sophie

I’ve always been quite ambitious, which was precisely my downfall when I first took up culinary duties. Instead of starting with simple dishes, I invited six people over for a three-course dinner, planning to roast a whole chicken. I had watched a few cooking shows and assumed it would be a breeze. Unfortunately, I severely underestimated the preparation time. By the time my guests arrived, the kitchen was a disaster zone, and the chicken was still completely raw in the middle. If I had opted for an easier recipe, I wouldn’t have faced such a humiliating evening of ordering emergency pizza. We still joke about it today, but I was absolutely mortified. That embarrassing episode served as a much-needed wake-up call. I realised I had to walk before I could run, so I scaled back my expectations. Now, I have a solid repertoire of reliable meals, though I still steer clear of roasting poultry for large gatherings!

C Liam

My cooking journey began after I stumbled upon a viral baking video online. The chef made baking a loaf of bread look so effortless that I immediately headed to the supermarket for supplies. However, I completely failed to realise that the measurements in the video were imperial, whereas my kitchen scales were strictly metric. Had I paid closer attention, I wouldn’t have ended up adding roughly three times the required amount of yeast! The dough expanded so aggressively that it actually overflowed onto the floor, taking me hours to clean up. That incident taught me a harsh lesson about the deceptive nature of social media tutorials, which routinely edit out all the tricky parts. Consequently, I’ve given up on visual guides entirely. These days, I rely exclusively on traditional, written cookbooks, which leave no room for interpretation. It’s definitely a foolproof method for someone as prone to careless errors as I am. There is a lot to be said for following a proper, well-tested recipe.

D Emma

Growing up, my mother handled all the meals, meaning I left home without a clue how to boil an egg. Determined to get my act together, I decided to try ‘meal prepping’—cooking all my weekday lunches on a Sunday afternoon. I spent hours chopping, frying, and roasting, feeling incredibly proud of my neatly packed containers. Tragically, I was completely ignorant about food safety and left them sitting on the counter overnight instead of putting them in the fridge. Having to throw away a whole week’s worth of groceries was financially devastating and deeply frustrating. However, instead of giving up, I signed up for a basic evening cookery class. Surprisingly, I discovered that the repetitive nature of slicing vegetables is actually incredibly mindful. What started as a stressful chore has gradually evolved into a therapeutic evening routine that helps me unwind after a demanding day at university. I may not be a master chef yet, but I can certainly keep myself well-fed.

Exercises:   123456