Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Sleep, Dreams & Mental Well-being 10

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four students sharing their views on schools starting later in the morning to align better with the natural biological clocks of growing teenagers.

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

Which person/section

1   points out the practical difficulties this change creates for families?

2   believes that modifying the timetable wouldn’t change students’ actual sleep duration?

3   feels that society unfairly blames teenagers for their sleeping habits?

4   mentions a noticeable improvement in their psychological well-being?

5   expresses concern about the negative impact on after-school commitments?

6   admits they are less irritable with others before leaving the house?

7   highlights the necessity of adjusting evening habits to make the new schedule work?

8   observed a positive change in their ability to absorb information in class?

9   experienced a temporary implementation of the proposed schedule?

10   argues that the traditional system prepares students for future professional life?

The Morning Bell Debate: Should Schools Start Later?

A Liam

It is a common misconception that adolescents who struggle to drag themselves out of bed at 7:00 a.m. are simply unmotivated. In reality, our circadian rhythms naturally shift during puberty, meaning our bodies genuinely want to fall asleep and wake up much later. For years, I was constantly reprimanded for my sluggishness, which felt incredibly unjust since I literally couldn’t fight my own biology. Recently, our school shifted the first bell to 9:30 a.m. The difference has been staggering. Previously, I would spend the first two periods staring blankly at the whiteboard, completely unable to take in complex formulas. Nowadays, my concentration levels have skyrocketed, and my test scores clearly reflect this newfound focus. While some peers argue that this leaves less time for socializing, I’d much rather be alert during lessons than exhausted all day. If we truly care about youth development, aligning educational schedules with our internal clocks is a no-brainer.

B Chloe

I was absolutely thrilled when I heard the petition to push back our timetable, as I notoriously struggle with early mornings. Before the change, breakfast was always a battleground; I used to snap at my siblings and argue with my parents simply because I was severely sleep-deprived. Having that extra hour in bed means I now start the day with a much brighter disposition, and the household atmosphere is significantly more peaceful. However, I can’t deny that the transition hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing. The revised start time clashes terribly with standard working hours, creating a logistical nightmare for parents who need to drop their children off before commuting to the office. My mum has had to drastically alter her shifts just to accommodate my new routine. I still manage to attend my evening basketball training, though it takes a bit more coordination. Ultimately, the health benefits are undeniable, but it does place a heavy burden on working households.

C Marcus

Frankly, I think the push for later school starts is completely misguided. Advocates claim it will magically cure adolescent fatigue, but human nature suggests otherwise. If you tell a teenager they don’t have to be at their desk until 10:00 a.m., they aren’t going to get more rest; they will merely use it as an excuse to stay up past midnight scrolling through social media. Furthermore, shifting the entire academic day forward has severe repercussions for our extracurricular pursuits. By the time the final bell rings, it’s already getting dark in winter, leaving barely any daylight for football practice or drama rehearsals. We are essentially sacrificing our personal passions for a minor morning lie-in. Beyond that, the adult world doesn’t adapt to our biological preferences. The majority of corporate jobs require employees to clock in bright and early. We should be using our educational years to cultivate self-discipline, not catering to habits we’ll eventually have to break anyway.

D Priya

Last term, our local council introduced a six-week pilot scheme, delaying our morning registration by ninety minutes to observe the effects on student welfare. Prior to this experiment, I was constantly on edge, overwhelmed by the pressure of juggling assignments while chronically fatigued. That additional rest acted as a crucial reset button for my emotional state, and my daily anxiety levels dropped remarkably. Suddenly, I wasn’t dreading the alarm clock. However, the headmaster made it crystal clear that the initiative’s success relied entirely on us. If we wanted the policy to become permanent, we had to prove we could handle it responsibly. That meant consciously bringing our evening routines forward, switching off digital devices earlier, and ensuring we didn’t push our bedtimes back. It required a conscious effort to establish strict nighttime boundaries, but observing the incredible boost to my overall mental health made the sacrifice more than worth it.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four people talking about how understanding the science of dreams stopped them from feeling guilty about having strange, socially unacceptable nightmares.

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

Which person/section

1   felt uncomfortable interacting with specific individuals in waking life due to their dreams?

2   mentions that their nighttime visions involved committing illegal acts?

3   learned that the brain’s rational decision-making area rests during sleep?

4   woke up feeling as though they had deceived others?

5   was afraid that their nightmares were stripping away their polite facade to reveal a bad attitude?

6   discovered that the mind acts as a rehearsal space for dangerous situations?

7   now reacts to their inappropriate dreams with a sense of amusement?

8   realised that their brain was simply shuffling and sorting random pieces of daily information?

9   actively sought out educational material on the topic to ease their troubled conscience?

10   understood that their dreams were merely metaphorical representations of their waking stress?

The Science of Nightmares: Waking Up from Guilt

A Tom

For months, I was plagued by horrifying nightmares where I was committing terrible crimes. I would wake up in a cold sweat, genuinely wondering if I was secretly capable of such malice. The guilt weighed heavily on me, and I couldn’t understand why a law-abiding citizen like myself would imagine such horrific scenarios. Desperate for answers, I started looking into sleep psychology. I stumbled upon the ‘threat simulation theory’, which completely changed my perspective. It turns out that our ancestors evolved to practice escaping danger while asleep. Basically, the brain runs extreme survival drills to prepare us for worst-case scenarios. Learning this was a massive relief. I finally came to terms with the fact that my mind wasn’t revealing a dark, twisted desire to break the law, but was simply trying to protect me. I no longer beat myself up over these nocturnal adventures.

B Aisha

I used to feel absolutely mortified after having romantic dreams about people I had no business dreaming about, like a distant colleague or a friend’s partner. The worst part was having to face them the next day; I would feel incredibly self-conscious and awkward, even though I knew nothing had actually happened. I honestly thought my subconscious was trying to tell me something terrible about my morals. If I hadn’t listened to a fascinating podcast about memory consolidation during REM sleep, I would probably still be avoiding those people today. The expert explained that the sleeping brain acts like a messy filing cabinet, randomly sticking together different faces, places, and emotions to store memories. It’s just neural static, totally devoid of any deep meaning or secret passions. Realising that these dreams were just a byproduct of my brain organising random data was incredibly liberating. I can now look those people in the eye without blushing!

C Liam

My recurring nightmares usually involved me being uncharacteristically cruel to my loved ones or making a complete fool of myself in public. For a long time, I was terrified that these dreams were stripping away my polite exterior and exposing my genuine, unpleasant personality. It was quite a heavy burden to carry. However, a psychology article I read completely put my mind at rest. It pointed out that the prefrontal cortex—the area of the brain responsible for logic, morality, and social boundaries—essentially powers down when we enter deep sleep. Without that internal filter keeping us in check, our thoughts just run wild and produce socially unacceptable narratives. Understanding the biological mechanics behind it took all the guilt away. Instead of waking up filled with regret, I now tend to chuckle at the sheer absurdity of the things my unfiltered brain comes up with.

D Chloe

As a university student, my stress levels are often through the roof, and this definitely spills over into my sleep. I frequently dreamt that I was cheating on important exams or lying my way into a job. I would jolt awake feeling utterly ashamed, convinced that I was a deceitful person and a complete fraud in real life. It really took a toll on my self-esteem until I discussed the issue with a university counsellor. She explained that the emotional core of the brain remains highly active during sleep, and it often uses extreme scenarios to process everyday tension. The cheating in my dreams wasn’t a reflection of my personal ethics; it was simply a manifestation of my waking fear of failure and not being good enough. Knowing that the scenarios are just symbolic expressions of my academic anxiety has helped me entirely let go of the unwarranted guilt.

Exercises:   123456