Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Teen-Parent Dynamics & Generational Gaps
Reading 1
You are going to read an extract from a story about a teenager meeting their father’s new partner.
For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
The Dinner Date
I had been dreading the dinner for weeks. Ever since my parents’ divorce two years earlier, my father and I had settled into a comfortable, predictable routine. So, when he announced he wanted me to meet his new girlfriend, Elena, I felt an immediate surge of resentment. If I were a more adaptable person, I might have handled the sudden news better, but my loyalty to my biological mother was fierce and absolute. I was stubbornly determined not to like this woman. Sitting at the table in my father’s favourite Italian restaurant, my arms were tightly crossed. If my dad had hoped for a warm, welcoming atmosphere, he must have been deeply disappointed by my stony silence.
When Elena finally arrived, she immediately launched into a whirlwind of overenthusiastic greetings. She was undeniably elegant, but it was her behaviour that instantly set my teeth on edge. Within seconds of sitting down, she reached over to adjust the collar of my shirt, commenting on how much I had grown since the photos my dad had shown her. She spoke to me with the kind of forced cheerfulness usually reserved for toddlers. Instead of breaking the ice, her misguided attempts at being maternal created an atmosphere of icy awkwardness. I shrank back in my seat, offering only single-syllable responses to her relentless stream of questions about my schoolwork and hobbies.
As the evening progressed, the situation barely improved. My father, who was completely oblivious to the palpable tension, chatted happily about his week at the office. Meanwhile, Elena took it upon herself to serve me portions of garlic bread and pasta, insisting that growing teenagers needed their energy. It was a perfectly innocent gesture, but I deeply resented it. My mother was the only person who was allowed to fuss over my appetite. Every time Elena used a familiar pet name or tried to share an inside joke with my dad, the invisible wall I had built between us simply grew thicker and taller.
The unbearable dynamic reached its peak when my father excused himself to answer an urgent phone call from work. Left alone with Elena, the silence between us stretched out, heavy and suffocating. I stared intently at my plate, waiting for her to ask another cheerful, probing question. I assumed she would try to fill the void with more artificial warmth, perhaps asking about my mother just to prove how open-minded she was. However, looking back, I realise that she must have been just as terrified of the situation as I was, though she hid her nerves behind a mask of excessive friendliness.
Surprisingly, she let out a long, slow sigh and put down her fork. Her forced smile faded, replaced by an expression of genuine vulnerability. She admitted that she was trying much too hard and asked if I agreed. Startled by her sudden candour, I gave a small, hesitant nod. Elena leaned back in her chair and folded her hands. “I’ve been so incredibly nervous about making a good impression on you,” she explained softly. “But I want to be clear about something: I already know you have a wonderful mother. I have absolutely no intention of trying to replace her.”
Those few honest words acted like a pin popping a tightly inflated balloon. The defensive hostility I had been harbouring suddenly felt entirely unnecessary. We spent the next ten minutes discussing our mutual lack of enthusiasm for my father’s taste in music, establishing a cautious but genuine connection. By the time my dad returned to the table, apologising for the delay, the mood had shifted dramatically. We weren’t suddenly best friends, and I knew it would take time to fully adjust to her presence. Nevertheless, as we shared a dessert, the icy
awkwardness had melted away, leaving room for a tentative, respectful acceptance.
1 Why was the writer dreading the dinner in the first paragraph?
(A) They were deeply devoted to their mother and felt protective of her.
(B) They strongly disliked the Italian restaurant their father had chosen.
(C) They were upset because their weekend routine had become unpredictable.
(D) They knew their stony silence would deeply disappoint their father.
2 How did the writer feel about Elena’s initial greeting?
(A) Impressed by how elegant and cheerful she managed to look.
(B) Irritated by her inappropriate and overly motherly actions.
(C) Intimidated by the relentless stream of questions about their hobbies.
(D) Surprised that she had already looked at photographs of them.
3 What does the word ‘it‘ refer to in paragraph 3?
(A) the father talking happily about his week
(B) the palpable tension at the dinner table
(C) Elena putting food onto the writer’s plate
(D) Elena attempting to use a familiar pet name
4 What does the writer imply about Elena when they were left alone?
(A) She deliberately asked about the writer’s mother to appear open-minded.
(B) She was secretly hoping the father would stay away from the table longer.
(C) She was enjoying the heavy silence because she needed a break from talking.
(D) She was using her cheerful behaviour as a way to cover up her anxiety.
5 What caused the writer to react with a ‘small, hesitant nod’?
(A) Elena’s frank admission regarding her own awkward behaviour.
(B) Elena’s promise that she would never try to replace their mother.
(C) Elena’s explanation of why she was so incredibly nervous.
(D) Elena putting down her fork and letting out a long, slow sigh.
6 What is the main point the writer makes in the final paragraph?
(A) Sharing similar musical tastes is the fastest way to become best friends.
(B) Setting clear boundaries allowed for the beginning of a positive relationship.
(C) It will take a long time to forgive the father for his lack of awareness.
(D) The defensive hostility remained despite the apology and shared dessert.
Answer Key
1 A: The text explicitly states that the writer’s “loyalty to my biological mother was fierce and absolute,” which is the core reason for their resentment. Option B is a False Match; the restaurant is mentioned, but not as the cause of dread. Option C is the Opposite; they had a predictable routine before this. Option D is a Partial Truth; the father was likely disappointed, but this did not cause the writer’s dread.
2 B: The writer says her behaviour “instantly set my teeth on edge” and describes her “misguided attempts at being maternal,” showing clear irritation at her motherly actions. Option A is a False Match; she was elegant, but the writer was not impressed by the greeting. Option C is an Over-inference; the writer shrank back out of awkwardness/annoyance, not intimidation. Option D is a Partial Truth; photos are mentioned, but the writer expresses no surprise.
3 : The pronoun “it” refers back to the “perfectly innocent gesture” of Elena taking it upon herself to “serve me portions of garlic bread and pasta”. Options A, B, and D refer to other events occurring in the same paragraph, but not the specific action the writer “deeply resented” in that sentence.
4 D: The writer infers that “she must have been just as terrified of the situation as I was, though she hid her nerves behind a mask of excessive friendliness.” Option A is a False Match; the writer assumed she would ask about their mother, but she did not actually do so. Option C is the Opposite; the silence was described as “heavy and suffocating.” Option B is not stated or implied anywhere in the text.
5 A: The nod comes immediately after Elena “admitted that she was trying much too hard”. The writer is “startled by her sudden candour” (honesty) and gives the nod. Options B and C occur after the writer nods, so they cannot be the cause. Option D happens just prior, but it is the verbal admission of her overcompensating, not the sigh itself, that prompts the writer’s response.
6 B: The final paragraph illustrates how Elena’s honest words (“popping a tightly inflated balloon”) and boundary-setting allowed the “icy awkwardness” to melt away, making room for “a tentative, respectful acceptance.” Option A is an exaggeration; they bonded over music, but the text specifically notes “We weren’t suddenly best friends.” Option C is unstated; the father is mentioned, but forgiving him is not the focus. Option D is the Opposite; the hostility felt “entirely unnecessary” and went away.