Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Specialized & Vocational Courses 4

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four students talking about a robotics class and the frustration and triumph of building their first working machine.

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

Which person

1   admits to initially focusing on the wrong aspect of the project?

2   felt relieved when their machine met the basic assessment criteria?

3   experienced a moment of panic after damaging a component?

4   found the physical construction of the machine surprisingly simple?

5   realised they needed to reach an agreement with a peer to make progress?

6   almost quit the project entirely due to a recurring problem?

7   felt a special sense of pride because they started as a complete novice?

8   was surprised by the lack of step-by-step guidance provided by the tutor?

9   acknowledges that making a major error was crucial for their understanding?

10   had to alter their approach due to a lack of remaining time?

Sparks and Wires: Building Our First Robots

A Alex

I signed up for the robotics module assuming it would be mostly about putting pieces together. Honestly, snapping the metal frame into place and attaching the motors was an absolute breeze. I put the hardware together in no time at all. However, I completely underestimated the programming side of things. Writing the script to make the machine actually move was a nightmare. I spent days staring at my laptop, trying to figure out why the software kept throwing up the same error messages. At one point, I was so fed up I came perilously close to throwing in the towel and dropping the class entirely. My robot just sat there, lifeless. But after staying late one Friday to debug the system line by line, it finally clicked. When my robot took its first shaky steps across the desk, the rush of adrenaline was incredible. It taught me that programming requires a level of perseverance I didn’t know I possessed.

B Bella

When I walked into the robotics lab on the first day, I fully expected to be handed a comprehensive instruction manual, much like when you buy flat-pack furniture. Instead, the tutor simply gave us a box of sensors and wires, told us what the robot needed to achieve, and left us to it. I was rather taken aback by this hands-off approach. To make matters worse, I was paired up with a classmate who had completely different ideas about how to tackle the design. We spent the first two weeks constantly arguing over the blueprints. Eventually, it dawned on me that unless we found some middle ground, we were going to fail the assignment. We sat down, merged our best ideas, and suddenly the project took off. Watching our mechanical arm successfully pick up a tennis ball during the final demonstration was immensely rewarding. It was a tough lesson in collaboration, but ultimately worth the effort.

C Chris

I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist, which turned out to be my biggest downfall in this class. While everyone else was busy getting their motors to run, I spent the first month obsessing over the sleek design of my robot’s outer shell. I wanted it to look like something out of a sci-fi film. By the time I actually started working on the internal mechanics, the deadline was looming dangerously close. I panicked and realised I had to drastically shift my priorities if I wanted to submit anything at all. I ditched the fancy casing and hurriedly wired the basic components together just to get it moving. During the final assessment, my robot looked like a messy pile of cables, but it managed to navigate the obstacle course and complete the task. I only just scraped a passing grade, but honestly, seeing that ugly little machine cross the finish line was a massive weight off my shoulders.

D Daisy

Enrolling in the robotics workshop was a huge leap of faith for me. Unlike many of my peers who had dabbled in electronics before, I didn’t know the first thing about circuits or coding. I was absolutely terrified I’d break something. Sure enough, during the third week, I plugged a battery in the wrong way and blew a vital circuit board. I was mortified and convinced I had ruined my chances of passing. However, having to trace the fault and figure out exactly why it short-circuited was a highly educational experience. Without that blunder, I wouldn’t have grasped the fundamental rules of electrical currents. Once I replaced the broken part and successfully powered up my robot, the sense of achievement was unparalleled. Watching my creation flash its LED lights and spin in circles felt like a major victory, especially knowing I had built it completely from scratch with absolutely no prior knowledge.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four teenagers describing their experience in a creative writing workshop and learning to accept constructive criticism.

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 they initially felt their overall writing ability was unquestionable?

2   was pleasantly surprised by the encouraging nature of their classmates’ comments?

3   had to accept that their protagonists lacked depth?

4   felt relieved after a teacher explained the true purpose of an early manuscript?

5   mentions discovering a specific literary strength they were unaware of?

6   acknowledges that they spent too much time trying to make their first attempt flawless?

7   originally equated being given suggestions for improvement with personal failure?

8   realised they needed to stop relying on familiar themes and settings?

9   felt extremely anxious about presenting their story to the rest of the class?

10   states that taking on board the advice requires you to separate your identity from your writing?

Facing the Red Pen: Teen Writers Share Their Experiences

A Liam

Before signing up for the creative writing workshop, I took it for granted that I was already a highly accomplished author. I’d always received top marks in English, so my confidence was sky-high. Consequently, when I handed in my first short story, I fully expected to be showered with praise. However, the manuscript came back covered in red ink. I was absolutely devastated; in my mind, requiring revisions meant I lacked genuine talent. I took the critique as a direct attack on who I was. It took a few weeks for me to come to terms with the reality of the editing process. I slowly learned that in order to benefit from constructive criticism, you must detach your self-worth from the words on the page. Once I stopped seeing suggestions as insults, I actually started to see massive improvements. Now, I understand that drafting is just the starting point, not the finish line.

B Chloe

I’ve always loved writing, but keeping my stories hidden in a drawer was my safe space. The mere thought of reading my work aloud to a room full of strangers absolutely terrified me. When it was finally my turn to share during the second week, my hands were shaking so much I could barely hold the paper. I was bracing myself for harsh judgments, convinced everyone would notice my amateur mistakes. To my absolute astonishment, my peers were incredibly supportive. They must have sensed my anxiety, because instead of tearing my plot apart, they gently pointed out areas for improvement and highlighted things they loved. Several people mentioned that my conversations between characters sounded exceptionally natural. That was a huge confidence boost, as I had no idea I had a knack for writing dialogue! Bouncing ideas off such an uplifting group completely changed my outlook, and I no longer dread sharing my imagination.

C Jamal

For years, I had been exclusively writing science fiction, firmly believing that world-building and complex magic systems were the only things that mattered in a compelling story. I thought my intricate universes would easily impress the workshop instructors. However, during our one-on-one feedback session, my tutor bluntly pointed out that while my settings were vivid, the people inhabiting them were incredibly two-dimensional. Initially, I felt quite defensive and tried to argue that action is what truly drives the narrative. But deep down, I knew she had hit the nail on the head. If she hadn’t delivered such a frank assessment, I would never have stepped out of my fantasy bubble to experiment with contemporary realism. By abandoning my usual tropes, I was forced to focus entirely on human emotions and motivations. It was a steep learning curve, but grappling with those weaknesses transformed my approach to storytelling entirely.

D Zoe

I have a tendency to be a bit of a perfectionist, which has always been my biggest stumbling block as a writer. Whenever I sat down at my laptop, I would agonise over every single sentence, deleting and rewriting constantly. By the time the first workshop rolled around, I had spent roughly three weeks obsessing over a single paragraph, desperate to ensure it was absolutely faultless before anyone else laid eyes on it. It was incredibly frustrating. Then, our guest lecturer gave a presentation that completely shifted my perspective. He explained that a preliminary draft is merely meant to be a messy brain dump, rather than a polished masterpiece. Hearing an established author admit that his own early work is often chaotic lifted a massive weight off my shoulders. I finally gave myself permission to write badly, which ironically allowed my creativity to flow much more freely and sped up my productivity.

Exercises:   123456