Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – School-based Environmental Activities 6

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four students sharing the inspiring story of how they fundraised to install solar panels on the roof of their school gymnasium.

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 that they were initially intimidated by the total amount of money required?

2   points out that the initiative faced early resistance from authority figures?

3   mentions a specific skill they had to develop to be taken seriously by adults?

4   expresses satisfaction at the long-term educational benefits of the installation?

5   credits a broadcast media source as the original spark for the campaign?

6   recalls a moment of panic when a key part of their fundraising event almost fell apart?

7   highlights how getting used to rejection ultimately made them more determined?

8   felt a profound sense of accomplishment when the equipment actually arrived on site?

9   notes that a local enterprise stepped in to cover a significant portion of the cost?

10   believes the project proved that young people can bring about tangible environmental change?

Powering the Future: How We Put Solar Panels on Our School

A Lucas

It all started when we watched a fascinating documentary about carbon footprints during a geography lesson. That was the true catalyst for our campaign. I vividly remember looking out the window at the vast, empty roof of our school gymnasium and thinking, ‘Why aren’t we utilising that space?’ However, pitching the idea of solar panels to the school governors wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. At first, they were highly skeptical, arguing that the logistics were far too complex for teenagers to manage, and dismissed it as a pipe dream. Nevertheless, we refused to take no for an answer. By compiling a detailed feasibility report, we eventually won them over. Looking back, the most rewarding aspect of this entire journey has been dismantling the stereotype that adolescents are apathetic about the climate crisis. We’ve proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that when students unite for a common cause, they can implement genuine, real-world solutions.

B Maya

When Lucas first revealed that we needed to raise a staggering £15,000, my heart sank. Honestly, I thought we’d bitten off more than we could chew. To reach that daunting target, my committee organised a massive community auction and talent showcase. Coordinating dozens of student performers and local vendors was incredibly demanding. On the day of the event, disaster nearly struck; an hour before the doors opened, the main sound system short-circuited. I was on the verge of a complete meltdown, imagining having to refund hundreds of tickets. Thankfully, our physics teacher stepped in and managed to fix the wiring just in the nick of time. Despite the immense stress, the evening was a roaring success, generating over half of our total funds. It taught me a valuable lesson: no matter how meticulously you plan, you must always be prepared to think on your feet when things go awry.

C Sam

My primary role was securing corporate sponsorships to bridge the remaining financial gap. I quickly realised that sending casual emails wouldn’t cut it; if I wanted local CEOs to invest in a school project, I had to completely overhaul my communication style. I spent weeks learning how to draft formal proposals, effectively mastering the corporate jargon needed to sound like a professional rather than a school kid. Initially, the process was soul-destroying. We received countless polite rejections, which was incredibly disheartening. However, instead of throwing in the towel, I used every ‘no’ as motivation to significantly refine our pitch. Eventually, that persistence paid off. A regional renewable energy firm was so impressed by our dedication that they agreed to match whatever we had raised, effectively covering the final third of the expenses. If we hadn’t learned to embrace failure, we would never have crossed the finish line.

D Chloe

After eighteen months of relentless fundraising and endless paperwork, the day the contractors finally pulled up to the school gates was surreal. Watching the cranes hoist those massive, gleaming solar panels onto the gymnasium roof was an incredibly emotional moment. I felt a profound sense of pride, knowing that our collective late nights and weekend meetings had culminated in this physical reality. But this initiative is about much more than simply reducing the school’s electricity bills. We specifically requested that a digital monitoring dashboard be installed in the main reception. This allows current and prospective pupils to track exactly how much clean energy is being generated in real-time. Knowing that our hard work has created a permanent, interactive learning resource makes it all worthwhile. It ensures that the importance of sustainability will remain a central part of the school’s culture long after we have graduated and moved on.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four teenagers talking about the anxiety of giving a public speech on climate change during the morning school assembly.

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 thrown off balance by a technical hiccup during their presentation?

2   found the sheer magnitude of the global issue to be mentally paralysing?

3   harboured doubts about their own authority to lecture others on the topic?

4   describes a physiological response to the extreme stress of the situation?

5   concluded that expressing sincere passion resonated more than reciting data?

6   modified their material to make it more relevant to their immediate surroundings?

7   utilised a specific focal point to maintain their composure on stage?

8   originally anticipated a massive lack of engagement from the student body?

9   felt their confidence grow thanks to a peer’s post-speech comment?

10   considered requesting that their segment be cancelled entirely?

Facing the Crowd: Speaking Up for the Planet

A Leo

I’d spent weeks preparing a meticulously researched slideshow, packed with complex graphs illustrating rising sea levels. I had it all memorised, but as I walked towards the podium, my mind went completely blank. To make matters worse, the moment I plugged in my USB drive, the projector screen went black. I was completely thrown off balance by this technical glitch and stood there freezing. If my teacher hadn’t given me an encouraging smile, I might have just given up and walked away. Realising I had to wing it, I abandoned the statistics and simply spoke from the heart about why we urgently need to protect our environment. Funnily enough, this impromptu approach worked wonders. It dawned on me that expressing sincere conviction leaves a far greater impression than simply bombarding people with numerical data. It was a steep learning curve, but I managed to bounce back.

B Maya

My biggest fear wasn’t forgetting my words; it was looking out into a sea of yawning faces. I fully expected my peers to completely switch off the moment I mentioned the phrase ‘carbon footprint’. On top of that, I was secretly battling a severe case of imposter syndrome. Who was I to lecture everyone on sustainability when I occasionally forget to recycle my own plastic bottles? I felt like an absolute fraud. Nevertheless, I pushed through my opening remarks. I tried to keep my tone upbeat, but I was convinced my message was falling on deaf ears. However, my assumption couldn’t have been more wrong. After the assembly, a guy who rarely pays attention in class approached me to say my speech had really struck a chord with him. That single piece of positive feedback was incredibly uplifting and completely validated all the nerve-wracking preparation I’d put in.

C Toby

I’ve never been a natural public speaker, so the mere thought of addressing the entire school filled me with utter dread. As I waited in the wings, the physical toll of my nervousness became impossible to ignore; my palms were sweating profusely, and my knees were trembling so much I genuinely thought I might collapse. I was practically on the verge of backing out and asking the headmaster to cancel my slot. I was terrified my voice would crack. To keep my panic at bay, I employed a trick my drama teacher had taught me: I found one friendly face in the second row—my best mate, Sam—and delivered the entire speech directly to him. By narrowing my field of vision, the daunting crowd seemed to disappear. It wasn’t a flawless performance by any means, but I was immensely proud of myself for simply seeing it through.

D Chloe

When I first volunteered to speak about climate change, I didn’t quite realise what I was letting myself in for. The sheer scale of the global crisis is so overwhelming that I found myself completely paralysed during the drafting process. How could I possibly cover melting ice caps, deforestation, and extreme weather in a five-minute slot? It was just too vast to tackle effectively. Just two days before the assembly, I had a sudden change of heart. I decided to completely scrap my broad, worldwide overview and rewrite the text to focus exclusively on the threatened wildlife in our local park. I reasoned that highlighting an issue right on our doorstep would make the abstract concept of climate change feel far more tangible to the students. This last-minute adjustment not only made the speech much easier to deliver, but it also made the subject matter undeniably relevant to everyone sitting in the hall.

Exercises:   123456