Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Practical Life Skills 7

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four teenagers reviewing a workshop on digital etiquette and how to craft professional emails.

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

Which person/section

1   successfully secured an opportunity as a direct result of the workshop?

2   initially felt sceptical about the usefulness of the session?

3   firmly believes that this training should be a standard part of the school syllabus?

4   expresses regret over a previously sent message that lacked courtesy?

5   recalls a highly embarrassing incident caused by a lack of attention to detail?

6   was surprised by the significant difference a formal closing phrase can make?

7   appreciated how the instructor used personal stories to get their point across?

8   discovered the correct etiquette for prompting someone who hasn’t replied?

9   realised they needed to be much more concise in their written communication?

10   admits they were treating correspondence with authority figures like chats with friends?

Hitting Send: Mastering Digital Etiquette

A Liam

When my tutor suggested I attend a weekend workshop on digital etiquette, my first reaction was an eye roll. I genuinely took it for granted that I already knew how to type a simple message, assuming the whole event would be a complete waste of time. However, it turned out to be a massive wake-up call. The instructor projected examples of poorly written emails on the whiteboard, and I instantly recognised my own terrible habits. I had been firing off messages to my teachers as if we were close mates hanging out at the local park, using slang and skipping greetings altogether. I was completely taken aback when the speaker highlighted how a simple, respectful sign-off, such as ‘Kind regards’, instantly elevates the tone of a request. It had honestly never crossed my mind that these subtle nuances shape how seriously adults take you. I’ve completely changed my approach, and I’m already getting far more helpful and prompt replies from the school staff.

B Maya

I’ve always loved creative writing, which unfortunately meant my emails used to resemble lengthy essays. Before this workshop, I would send huge blocks of text to potential employers, wondering why I never heard back. The presenter was absolutely brilliant, largely because she shared some hilarious, self-deprecating anecdotes about her own early career blunders. Listening to her relatable experiences made the advice much easier to swallow. She drove home the point that busy managers simply don’t have the time to wade through unnecessary fluff. We were taught how to ruthlessly edit our drafts, utilise bullet points, and craft subject lines that get straight to the point. Putting this into practice paid off almost immediately. I recently applied for a part-time job at a local graphic design agency, keeping my cover email incredibly brief and professional. To my sheer delight, the manager replied within hours to schedule an interview, specifically praising my clear, no-nonsense communication style!

C Noah

For me, the most stressful aspect of sending emails has always been the waiting game. If a teacher didn’t reply to my question within a couple of hours, I used to panic and assume I was being deliberately ignored. During the seminar, we tackled the unwritten rules of response times. I learned that it is standard professional practice to allow someone at least one to two business days to get back to you. The workshop also taught us a polite formula for sending a follow-up email without coming across as pushy or demanding. This was a particularly bitter pill to swallow, as it made me cringe at the memory of an incredibly impatient chaser email I had fired off to my physics teacher last term. I deeply regret being so demanding, completely oblivious to his heavy workload. Now, I have a solid framework for managing my expectations and keeping my correspondence courteous, even when I am desperate for a quick answer.

D Chloe

It astounds me that mastering digital communication isn’t a compulsory module in our secondary education system. We spend hours learning algebra, yet nobody formally teaches us how to conduct ourselves in a virtual professional environment! I enrolled in this workshop purely because of a monumental blunder I made a few months ago. I had proudly emailed my final history assignment to my lecturer, but I completely forgot to attach the actual document. To make matters worse, I had absent-mindedly saved the draft under a highly unprofessional, joke file name, which he eventually saw when I resent it. I was absolutely mortified. The seminar firmly established the importance of proofreading. We were given a comprehensive checklist to follow before hitting the ‘send’ button, ensuring that everything from the recipient’s title to the attached files is flawless. Adopting this meticulous routine has spared me from any further blushes, and I firmly believe every teenager should be equipped with these essential life skills.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four young adults describing the meticulous process of learning how to grow their own vegetables in an urban garden.

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 an overly theoretical approach in favour of practical action?

2   admits to destroying their initial crop through excessive care?

3   was on the brink of quitting due to a specific external problem?

4   explains how the hobby provides a mental escape from professional pressures?

5   benefited from the unsolicited guidance of a more experienced peer?

6   realised a lack of transitional care caused their plants to perish?

7   initially believed their living situation made the hobby impossible?

8   discovered that making mistakes is a superior way to learn compared to reading?

9   takes pleasure in distributing what they have grown with others?

10   finds the repetitive physical tasks involved in the hobby to be healing?

Cultivating a Green Thumb: Urban Gardening Adventures

A Liam

When I first decided to transform my tiny concrete patio into a vegetable patch, I took a highly analytical approach. I spent weeks meticulously charting the sunlight hours and testing the soil pH. I was determined to create the perfect environment before planting a single seed. Looking back, I definitely overcomplicated things. I was so caught up in the theory that I kept putting off the actual digging! Eventually, I realised that nature is incredibly resilient. I bought some tomato seedlings and just went for it. Of course, my meticulous planning did pay off to some extent—my tomatoes thrived—but I’ve since learned that trial and error is a far more effective teacher than any textbook. I still monitor my crops closely, but I no longer panic if a leaf looks slightly yellow. I just adapt and move on to the next task.

B Maya

Living in a fifth-floor apartment, I was convinced my dream of growing my own produce was completely out of the question. However, after stumbling upon a blog about vertical gardening, I decided to give it a go. I bought a tiered planter and filled it with herbs and salad greens. At first, I was so enthusiastic that I ended up drowning my poor plants; the roots completely rotted away because I watered them every single day. I had to throw the entire first batch in the compost bin. It was a harsh lesson in understanding that sometimes, less is more. Now, I always check the moisture level of the compost before reaching for the watering can. Seeing those vibrant green shoots climbing up my balcony wall gives me an enormous sense of accomplishment. It proves you don’t need a sprawling lawn to be self-sufficient.

C Ethan

Getting a plot at the local community garden was a dream come true, but I was quite naïve about the challenges ahead. I assumed I could just scatter some seeds and watch them grow. I hadn’t factored in the local wildlife! Within a week, a swarm of slugs had decimated my carefully planted row of lettuces. I was on the verge of giving up completely, feeling utterly defeated. Fortunately, an elderly gentleman who had been tending the adjacent plot for decades took me under his wing. He taught me a few organic, chemical-free tricks to keep the pests at bay, like using crushed eggshells. If he hadn’t stepped in with his words of wisdom, my plot would have remained a barren patch of dirt. Now, sharing the harvest with my fellow gardeners is the highlight of my week.

D Chloe

I started growing vegetables from scratch indoors as a way to disconnect from my stressful office job. I set up a mini nursery in my spare room and nurtured the seedlings for weeks. However, I made a classic beginner’s blunder. When the weather warmed up, I moved the fragile plants straight outside into the harsh spring sunshine. The sudden change in temperature shocked them, and most of them wilted and died within a day. I hadn’t realised they needed to be introduced to the outdoors gradually! Despite that initial heartbreak, the daily routine of tending to my surviving crops has become my ultimate stress reliever. There is something incredibly therapeutic about getting your hands dirty and watching a tiny seed evolve into something you can actually cook and eat. It requires immense patience, but it’s completely worth the effort.

Exercises:   123456