Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Practical Life Skills 12

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four young people talking about the challenges and strategies of learning a language with a completely different alphabet.

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 abandoning physical workbooks in favour of a digital alternative?

2   was annoyed by letters that looked familiar but had entirely different pronunciations?

3   initially felt daunted by the massive quantity of symbols they had to memorise?

4   points out that their previous studies in a different academic field gave them a head start?

5   struggled to adapt to reading text that progressed in the reverse direction?

6   experienced bodily aches as a direct result of practising their new handwriting?

7   was relieved to discover that the alphabet was far less complex than they had imagined?

8   felt a sense of triumph after successfully reading the information on a consumer product?

9   relied on making up short visual narratives to remember what the characters meant?

10   notes that the visual form of a letter varies based on its placement within a word?

Decoding the World: Learning a New Alphabet

A Leo

I decided to take up Russian last year. At first glance, Cyrillic doesn’t look too intimidating because several letters are identical to English ones. However, this turned out to be a massive trap! I’d constantly mispronounce words because a Russian ‘P’ sounds like an ‘R’, and an ‘H’ is actually an ‘N’. Breaking those deeply ingrained reading habits was incredibly frustrating. Another unexpected hurdle was mastering Russian cursive. The letters all seem to blend into one continuous loop, and gripping my pen tightly to meticulously copy them out left my wrist aching terribly after every study session. Nevertheless, the effort paid off. Last week, I bought some imported Russian chocolates and managed to translate the entire ingredient list without consulting a dictionary. That small victory made all the cramps and confusion totally worthwhile.

B Maya

When I initially signed up for Japanese classes, I almost backed out. Realising that I had to familiarise myself with three distinct writing systems—including thousands of intricate Kanji characters—was absolutely terrifying. The sheer scale of the task felt entirely insurmountable. To prevent myself from throwing in the towel, I had to completely change my learning strategy. Rather than just staring blankly at lists of vocabulary, I started turning the characters into little sketches. For instance, the symbol for ‘tree’ actually resembles a tree with roots and branches, so I would invent brief mental narratives to associate the shape with its translation. I’ve always been rather terrible at art, but this creative method worked wonders for my memory. I’m still a long way from fluency, but breaking the alphabet down into imaginative chunks has made the process far less daunting.

C Sam

The most disorientating aspect of tackling Arabic was unquestionably the fact that it is written from right to left. My brain was so conditioned to scanning pages the other way around that my eyes would instinctively jump to the wrong side of the text. Furthermore, the alphabet is highly cursive, and it genuinely confused me how a single letter could look completely different whether it appeared at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. At first, I tried tracing the shapes in traditional paper workbooks, but it just wasn’t clicking and I was wasting reams of paper. I eventually ditched them entirely and downloaded a tracing application on my tablet. Using a digital stylus allowed me to watch animations of the stroke order and practice endlessly without the mess. It was a technological lifeline that finally helped the script lodge in my brain.

D Chloe

I booked a month-long backpacking trip across Greece and wanted to be able to navigate the street signs and bus schedules without constantly relying on translation software. I approached the Greek alphabet with a sense of dread, assuming it would take months to grasp. However, to my absolute delight, it was a breeze compared to what I had envisioned. With only twenty-four letters, it was surprisingly straightforward to commit them to memory. What really gave me a head start, though, was my background in sciences. Having studied advanced physics and mathematics at college, I was already perfectly acquainted with symbols like Delta, Pi, and Omega. Knowing how to pronounce these characters right off the bat stripped away a lot of the initial mystery. While my conversational skills are still pretty basic, being able to confidently read my surroundings made my travels infinitely more enjoyable.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four students describing their inspiring journeys of overcoming learning difficulties, such as dyslexia or ADHD, in a traditional school setting.

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

Which person/section

1   praises a specific software program for helping them capture information during lessons?

2   mentions that incorporating physical movement into their routine improved their concentration?

3   felt that their educators mistakenly assumed they were simply unmotivated or lazy?

4   recalls experiencing intense humiliation when required to participate in a standard class activity?

5   managed to grasp a challenging subject by relating the theory to practical, everyday scenarios?

6   explains that their primary struggle involved comprehending spoken words rather than visual material?

7   attributes their initial breakthrough to the timely intervention of an observant teacher?

8   relied on alternative visual methods to overcome their anxiety regarding numerical tasks?

9   learned to tackle overwhelming workloads by dividing them into smaller, more achievable segments?

10   took it upon themselves to negotiate for necessary adjustments during their exams?

Overcoming the Odds: Thriving with Learning Difficulties

A Leo

When I was in primary school, I dreaded English lessons. Whenever I was called upon to read aloud in front of the class, the letters would seemingly dance around the page, leaving me stumbling over basic words. The sheer humiliation of my peers snickering behind my back was unbearable. I often took it for granted that I was just less intelligent than everyone else. Everything changed in secondary school when a perceptive English teacher noticed my struggle. Instead of forcing me to conform, she took me aside, gently suggested I might be dyslexic, and arranged for a formal assessment. If she hadn’t taken the time to intervene, I would probably have given up completely. She introduced me to audiobooks and encouraged me to map out my essays using spider diagrams, which completely altered my approach. Although I still occasionally feel overwhelmed by lengthy reading assignments, having someone believe in my potential helped me bounce back from years of self-doubt.

B Mia

Living with ADHD in a highly traditional school was incredibly frustrating. I was constantly fidgeting, unable to sit still for more than ten minutes at a time. Consequently, my teachers frequently jumped to the conclusion that I was a disruptive pupil who simply couldn’t be bothered to put in any effort. Being repeatedly reprimanded really chipped away at my self-esteem. It wasn’t until I was officially diagnosed that I finally came to terms with how my brain actually functioned. I quickly figured out that I needed to channel my excess energy, so I began going for a brisk run before tackling my homework. Surprisingly, this burst of exercise significantly sharpened my focus. Furthermore, I realised that facing a massive essay was a recipe for disaster. To avoid feeling paralysed by the sheer volume of work, I adopted the habit of splitting my assignments into bite-sized chunks. It hasn’t always been a walk in the park, but I’ve certainly found my rhythm.

C Sam

For as long as I can remember, mathematics felt like a completely foreign language. While my classmates breezed through algebra, I would stare blankly at the equations, completely mystified. Although I was terrified of being asked to solve a problem publicly, my primary issue wasn’t the attention, but dealing with the numbers themselves—a condition known as dyscalculia. I spent years assuming I was just inherently incapable, until a specialist tutor helped me reframe my perspective. We completely abandoned traditional textbooks. Instead, I started translating abstract formulas into real-world situations, like calculating the cost of ingredients for a recipe or measuring the dimensions of my bedroom. This practical application made a world of difference. To reduce my overwhelming anxiety before tests, I also began colour-coding different types of calculations using brightly coloured charts. By turning a page of intimidating figures into a visually engaging puzzle, I eventually managed to catch up with my peers.

D Chloe

Because I don’t have a visible learning difficulty, it took ages for anyone to realise why I was falling behind. My condition, Auditory Processing Disorder, means my brain struggles to interpret sound properly, especially in noisy environments. Sitting in a bustling classroom, the teacher’s voice would often blend into the background chatter, making it virtually impossible to follow spoken instructions. As long as the information was written down, I was perfectly fine, but lectures were an absolute nightmare. I eventually discovered a highly effective speech-to-text app on my tablet, which automatically transcribes spoken words into readable notes. It was an absolute lifesaver that allowed me to keep pace. However, as exam season approached, I knew I needed further support. Rather than waiting for my school to offer help, I arranged a meeting with the headmaster to actively demand a quiet room and extra time for my listening exams. Standing up for my own academic needs was daunting, but absolutely essential.

Exercises:   123456