Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Practical Life Skills 4

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four teenagers talking about the patience required when learning how to sew and mend their own clothes.

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

Which person/section

1   was primarily motivated by a desire to showcase their unique personal style?

2   took up the craft out of a need to reduce their living expenses?

3   realised that using mechanical equipment does not act as a substitute for care and attention?

4   completely ruined a cherished item because they tried to finish the task too quickly?

5   mentions repeatedly sustaining minor injuries during the early stages of their learning?

6   acknowledges that dismantling existing stitches takes up a considerable amount of time?

7   caused damage to a specific tool multiple times due to applying excessive force?

8   notes that acquiring this skill has changed their attitude towards consumerism?

9   discovered that a tedious task unexpectedly became a great way to relax?

10   initially underestimated the amount of time required to successfully repair an item?

A Stitch in Time: Learning the Art of Patience

A Chloe

When I first decided to try my hand at mending, I honestly took it for granted that it would be a straightforward process. I thought patching up a hole would be a five-minute job. My impatience, however, cost me dearly. During my very first attempt, I rushed through fixing a tear in my absolute favourite summer dress and ended up bunching the fabric so badly it was beyond repair. If I had simply taken my time, I wouldn’t have destroyed such a beautiful garment. It was a crucial wake-up call. I had to come to terms with the fact that sewing demands intense concentration and an unhurried pace. Nowadays, I willingly spend hours carefully darning my torn jeans. Not only has this taught me to slow down, but it has also drastically altered my perspective on fast fashion. Instead of instantly throwing away damaged garments and heading to the high street for replacements, I now take immense pride in extending their lifespan.

B Liam

I inherited my grandmother’s vintage sewing machine a few months ago, and I arrogantly assumed that the motor would do all the hard work for me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I initially treated the pedal like a car accelerator, putting my foot down and hoping for the best. Consequently, because I was pushing the fabric through too forcefully, I kept snapping the delicate needles. It was incredibly frustrating to constantly stop, replace the broken part, and re-thread the bobbin. I quickly discovered that relying on a motorised device doesn’t mean you can bypass patience. You still have to meticulously guide the material and pay close attention to the tension. I’ve had to force myself to embrace a much slower, more deliberate rhythm. Although I still occasionally lose my temper when the thread tangles, I’ve definitely bounced back from my initial struggles. Learning to harmonise my own movements with the speed of the machine has been a thoroughly grounding experience.

C Maya

To be perfectly honest, I only started fixing my own clothes because my student allowance wouldn’t stretch to buying a new winter wardrobe. It was purely a matter of making ends meet. Initially, I found the entire prospect of threading needles and tying knots overwhelmingly tedious. I was incredibly clumsy, and during those first few weeks, my fingertips were constantly covered in plasters because I kept jabbing myself with the needle. However, once I managed to overcome my initial clumsiness, something unexpected happened. The highly repetitive motion of hand-stitching—pulling the thread up and pushing it back down—actually became a wonderful stress reliever. After a long day of wrestling with complex college assignments, sitting quietly with a needle and thread helps me completely switch off. What started out as a frustrating chore driven by economic necessity has miraculously evolved into a mindful evening ritual that I now genuinely look forward to.

D Sam

My journey into tailoring began because I was desperate to stand out from the crowd. I love rummaging through second-hand stores, but the vintage jackets I buy rarely fit properly, so I decided to learn how to alter them to reflect my own distinct aesthetic. I quickly realised that creating something bespoke requires an almost agonizing level of patience. The most surprising aspect is that you actually spend the vast majority of your time doing things in reverse. If a sleeve is too loose, you can’t just sew over it; you have to meticulously extract the original threads using a tiny seam ripper. Taking apart a well-constructed garment stitch by stitch without tearing the underlying fabric is an incredibly delicate and time-consuming procedure. It’s certainly not a hobby for those who seek instant gratification. Nevertheless, wearing a totally unique jacket that I have successfully tailored to fit me like a glove provides an unmatched sense of accomplishment.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four young adults sharing their experiences of learning to navigate a complex city using public transport for the first time.

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

Which person

1   mentions a financial penalty resulting from an honest mistake?

2   eventually chose to commute using an alternative to public transport?

3   was caught off guard by the unspoken social etiquette of fellow passengers?

4   used a digital tool to finally make sense of the transit system?

5   admits they initially overestimated their natural ability to find their way around?

6   intentionally abandoned their itinerary to familiarise themselves with the city?

7   panicked after realising they were travelling in the wrong direction?

8   credits a helpful local resident with getting them out of a tricky situation?

9   appreciated being able to see the city layout while travelling above ground?

10   altered their daily schedule to avoid the most intense travel times?

Mastering the Metropolis: First-Time Commuter Tales

A Tom

Moving to Tokyo was thrilling, but its subway map resembled a bowl of colourful spaghetti. Having always easily navigated the streets of my small hometown, I took it for granted that my natural sense of direction would be more than sufficient here. That illusion was quickly shattered on day two when I found myself stranded at a massive, multi-level interchange. I’d misread the electronic signs and was completely, utterly lost. Fortunately, a sympathetic shopkeeper noticed my visible distress and personally walked me all the way to the correct platform. If he hadn’t intervened, I would have been wandering around those tunnels for hours. After that stressful ordeal, I decided to stick to the local overground buses. Not only are they far less intimidating, but watching the streets roll by from the window really helped me mentally piece the city’s complex geography together. I had tried using a translation app initially, but it proved utterly useless when I lost my internet connection underground.

B Chloe

I am naturally a meticulous planner, so before relocating to London for my degree, I had spent weeks studying and memorising the entire Tube map. I honestly thought I was perfectly prepared for the daily commute. However, the sheer scale and frantic pace of the underground stations caught me entirely off guard. On my first morning travelling to university, I confidently jumped onto the Northern Line, only to hear the automated announcement for a station in south London. I had accidentally boarded a southbound train instead of a northbound one! The sudden panic that set in was overwhelming, and I immediately scrambled off at the next available stop. To prevent further disasters, I downloaded a highly-rated transit app that provides real-time, step-by-step navigation instructions. It has been an absolute lifesaver. If I hadn’t installed that software, I would undoubtedly still be getting lost on a daily basis. I had briefly considered walking everywhere to avoid the trains, but the city’s distances are simply too vast.

C Mateo

When I first arrived in Berlin, my biggest hurdle wasn’t necessarily finding my way from A to B, but rather understanding the incredibly complex ticketing zones. During my very first week, I enthusiastically purchased what I mistakenly assumed was a standard monthly travel pass. I was completely oblivious to the fact that it didn’t actually cover the outer suburbs where my new college was located. Consequently, a strict transport inspector handed me a hefty €60 fine for travelling without a valid ticket. It was a highly frustrating and costly lesson in reading the fine print carefully. To be completely honest, that humiliating experience left a rather bitter taste in my mouth. While I still occasionally use the tram system for long-distance trips on weekends, I’ve since invested in a second-hand bicycle for my daily morning commute. It’s significantly cheaper, keeps me physically fit, and completely eliminates the daily stress of figuring out exactly which travel zone I am currently passing through.

D Aisha

Navigating the public transport system in New York was a massive culture shock for me. What struck me most wasn’t the complex grid of avenues, but rather the strict, unwritten rules of the regular commuters. I quickly learned that blocking the left side of an escalator or stopping abruptly in a busy corridor earns you fierce, disapproving glares from locals. Initially, the sheer volume of people during the morning rush hour was far too intense for me to handle. I felt so claustrophobic that I actually negotiated with my university tutor to start my classes an hour later, purely to sidestep the peak commuter traffic. Once I finally found my rhythm, however, I actually started to really enjoy the subway network. On sunny weekends, I would purposely hop on a random train without consulting any maps, getting off at unfamiliar stops just to explore the area. It turned out to be an incredibly effective way to familiarise myself with the city’s hidden gems.

Exercises:   123456