Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Urban Ecology & Rewilding
Reading 1
You are going to read a magazine article about a person learning to identify edible plants in the city.
For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
Finding a Feast in the Concrete Jungle
When my friend Sarah first suggested we attend an urban foraging workshop, I was thoroughly unconvinced. The idea of wandering around our smog-filled city looking for things to eat sounded not only unappealing but dangerous. I had always assumed that anything growing in a public park must be contaminated by exhaust fumes. While I loved the concept of eating locally, I preferred my greens to come from a reputable farmer’s market rather than a patch of weeds next to a busy intersection. However, Sarah insisted that if I gave it a chance, I would be amazed by what I could find, so I reluctantly agreed to tag along.
The following Saturday, we met our guide, an energetic botanist named Leo, at the entrance to the city’s largest park. He enthusiastically explained that urban foraging was experiencing a major revival and assured us that, provided we followed a few basic safety rules, the food we gathered would be perfectly safe. He pointed out that we should avoid picking plants directly next to roadsides or areas sprayed with pesticides. As we set off, Leo began identifying a dizzying array of edible flora, from wild garlic to elderberries, which I had previously dismissed as mere weeds. It was eye-opening to realise how blind I had been to the natural abundance surrounding me.
Despite my growing fascination, the actual physical process of gathering the plants proved to be a significant mental hurdle. As I crouched under a large oak tree to snip some chickweed, I felt incredibly self-conscious. Several joggers and dog walkers cast curious glances in our direction, and I was convinced they must have thought we were completely eccentric. At one point, a woman pushing a pram stopped and stared openly at us. I felt a burning flush of embarrassment and was tempted to drop my harvest and walk away. Overcoming this required a deliberate shift in mindset; I had to remind myself that we were reviving a traditional skill, not committing a crime.
As the afternoon wore on, my initial discomfort gradually faded, replaced by a genuine thrill of discovery. I found myself scanning the undergrowth with renewed focus, successfully spotting patches of wood sorrel and dandelion leaves. If I hadn’t taken the time to slow down and look closely, I would never have noticed the intricate ecosystems thriving in the shadows of the concrete jungle. The city, which I had always viewed as a sterile environment, suddenly felt like a massive, open-air pantry. I started to wonder how many other urban dwellers were completely unaware of the nutritional treasures hiding in plain sight.
When I returned to my flat, my kitchen counter was covered with an impressive assortment of wild herbs and berries. Following Leo’s recipes, the ingredients were carefully washed and prepared. I tossed the vibrant green leaves together, adding a simple dressing of olive oil and lemon juice, before tentatively taking my first bite. I was absolutely astounded. The salad possessed a complex, peppery flavour that was vastly superior to anything I had ever bought in a plastic bag at the supermarket. The berries, which we used for a quick dessert, were bursting with a sharp, tangy sweetness.
Looking back on the experience, I realise that urban foraging provided me with much more than just a free meal. It fundamentally altered my relationship with the city I call home. I no longer view the parks and green spaces merely as places to walk through, but as vital habitats that sustain us in unexpected ways. While I won’t be giving up the grocery store entirely, the profound joy of eating a hyper-local salad, gathered by my own hands, is something I look forward to repeating. It is a comforting reminder that nature always finds a way to provide.
1 Why was the writer initially reluctant to go urban foraging?
(A) She believed it was illegal to take plants from public parks.
(B) She thought the plants in the city would be polluted.
(C) She preferred to grow her own vegetables at home.
(D) She disliked the taste of wild weeds and herbs.
2 How did the writer react to Leo’s tour in the second paragraph?
(A) She was anxious about accidentally picking poisonous flora.
(B) She was confused by the botanical names of the plants.
(C) She was impressed by how quickly the plants grew back.
(D) She was surprised by the variety of plants she had previously ignored.
3 What does the word ‘this’ refer to in paragraph 3?
(A) the physical effort of crouching under the trees
(B) the feeling of being judged by other people
(C) the action of dropping the harvested plants
(D) the difficulty of identifying chickweed
4 What does the writer imply about the city in the fourth paragraph?
(A) It offers valuable food sources to those who pay attention.
(B) It is a difficult place for delicate plant ecosystems to survive.
(C) It needs more green spaces for people to relax in.
(D) It has become cleaner and less sterile over the years.
5 What did the writer discover when she ate the salad?
(A) It required a lot of dressing to hide the bitter taste.
(B) It took much longer to prepare than she had expected.
(C) It tasted much better than typical shop-bought greens.
(D) It was surprisingly similar to the food from the farmer’s market.
6 What is the writer’s main conclusion about her foraging experience?
(A) It provided a permanent replacement for her regular grocery shopping.
(B) It proved that foraging in the city is an easy skill to master.
(C) It highlighted the urgent need to protect urban green spaces.
(D) It changed how she perceives the urban environment around her.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B: The text states that she assumed “anything growing in a public park must be contaminated by exhaust fumes.” Option B is a direct paraphrase of this idea. Option A is unstated in the first paragraph. Option C is a false match; she preferred her greens to come from a “farmer’s market,” not her own home. Option D is a partial truth trap; she calls them “weeds” dismissively, but she hasn’t tasted them yet.
2 D: The writer mentions that Leo identified “a dizzying array of edible flora… which I had previously dismissed as mere weeds” and calls it “eye-opening.” Option D perfectly captures this reaction. Option A is incorrect because although Leo mentions safety rules, the writer does not express anxiety about poisonous plants. Options C and B are completely unstated in the text.
3 B: In the text, the sentences preceding “this” describe the writer feeling “incredibly self-conscious” and experiencing a “burning flush of embarrassment” because people were staring at her. Therefore, “Overcoming this” refers to overcoming that feeling of judgment and embarrassment. Options A, C, and D reference other physical actions that occurred in the paragraph, but they are not what the pronoun targets.
4 A: The writer implies the city is full of food by describing it as a “massive, open-air pantry” and referencing the “nutritional treasures hiding in plain sight.” Option A correctly reflects this inference. Option B contradicts the text, which says ecosystems are “thriving”. Option C is unstated; she doesn’t call for more green spaces. Option D is a false match; the city didn’t physically become cleaner, her perception of it as a “sterile environment” just changed.
5 C: The writer notes that the salad was “vastly superior to anything I had ever bought in a plastic bag at the supermarket.” This matches Option C. Option A contradicts the text, as she only used a “simple dressing.” Option B is unstated. Option D relies on a false connection to the farmer’s market mentioned in paragraph 1, not paragraph 5.
6 D: The text concludes by stating that the experience “fundamentally altered my relationship with the city I call home” and that she no longer views parks merely as places to walk through. Option D correctly identifies this perspective shift. Option A is incorrect because she explicitly says she “won’t be giving up the grocery store entirely.” Options B and C are plausible ideas generally, but they are not the main message of the writer’s final reflection.