English Reading Exercises for B1 – Modern life

Exercise 1

Not the best interview I’ve ever had!

Most people feel nervous when they go for a job interview, but some interviews are
worse than others. Fortunately, they don’t all end in disaster!

a
‘They wanted to test how fast I could type. My fingers were over the keyboard, ready to type.
The interviewer said ‘Right click to open the file’, but all I heard was ‘Write click’ so I typed
‘click’ on a window that was already open. I felt so embarrassed when I realised my mistake,
but we both laughed and I got the job. I’ve worked there for eight months now.’

Laura

b
‘I’ve never forgotten to switch my phone off in the cinema, but for some reason I forgot when I
went for my first job interview. My friend phoned me to wish me good luck – right in the
middle of the interview. Oops! I didn’t get the job.’

Andy

c
‘I’ve had lots of good interviews, but this one was a disaster. I had put on my CV that I could
speak ‘some French’. I learnt some French at school, but I’ve never really used it and my
listening skills are really bad. The three interviewers began the interview by speaking to me in
French, and I didn’t understand a word. No, I didn’t get the job, and yes, I’ve changed my
CV!’

Dan

d
‘I had a job interview with two people last week. One of them was leaning back on his chair
when suddenly it fell right back and it was soon clear that he couldn’t get up again. I didn’t
know if I should try to help or not and I was worried I was going to start laughing. Fortunately,
the other interviewer asked me to wait outside the room for a minute, and then the
interviewer carried on as if nothing had happened. Guess what? They’ve just offered me the
job!’

Ellie

A. Read Not the best interview I’ve ever had! Who got the job? Who didn’t get the job?

B. Read the stories again. Match a—d with headings 1—4.

1 Wrong word!
2 Better to tell the truth
3 The interviewer probably felt worse than me!
4 An unlucky call
Exercise 2

What’s your favourite app?

I’ve just installed the ThingsToDo app. It’s so easy to use – which is really important when
you’ve got lots of things to do and not much time! You just create a list and then add items to
it. Once a week it sends you a list of everything you’ve done. Juan
Have you heard about SkyWatch? It’s great. You just point your phone at the night sky and it
tells you what the stars are. You can also type in the name of a planet and the program tells
you where to look for it. Katya
I love Imagegram and I’ve been using it more and more recently. You can use different
effects to make photos look different, like old-fashioned photos, or with brighter colours. Then
you can store them online and share them with your friends. Paul
My favourite game at the moment is Balloon Pop. You select groups of coloured balloons and
pop them. I’ve been playing it on the bus every day, because I always want to get to the next
level – it’s very addictive! Enzo
ActivityTracker is a great app for running. You just press the start button when you begin your
workout and the app records your speed, distance and heart rate. After the workout, you can
then upload your information to social networking websites and compare with your friends.
I’ve never found an app as good as this before. Fay
I’ve just downloaded Tunespotter. If you hear a song you like but you don’t know what it is,
you can use this app. It identifies the name of the song and the singer. And if you like it, you
can buy the song really easily. I’ve had it for a week and I’ve been using it a lot. Martin
StopApp is a really useful app and I’ve been recommending it to all my friends. If too many
apps are open on your phone, your phone can be really slow. This app turns them off, which
can make your phone faster. Anna
I’ve been using Crazy Faces a lot recently. It’s very silly, but it’s fun. You just take photos of
your friends and then you can change their faces. You can make them look older or younger,
fatter or thinner, and you can add beards, moustaches and glasses. I’ve seen lots of photos
where people have put baby faces on adult bodies and they make me laugh every
time! Luke

A. Read What’s your favorite app? and answer the questions.

Which app …?

1 is good for music lovers

2 helps you learn about the stars
3 keeps you interested because you can keep improving
4 helps busy people organise themselves
5 helps you create and keep photos online
6 helps you make funny photos
7 is useful if you’ve got too many apps on your phone
8 records your fitness information
B. Read the article again and answer the questions.
1 What do you get from ThingsToDo at the end of each week?
2 How do you find a planet with SkyWatch?
3 What changes can you make to photos with Imagegram?
4 Why does Enzo play Balloon Pop every day?
5 What information does ActivityTracker give you when you run?
6 What information can Tunespotter tell you about a song?
7 How can StopApp make your phone work better?
8 What kinds of photos does Luke think are funniest on Crazy Faces?

Exercise 3

Hong Kong!!!

Hi Lin,

I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch for the past few days, but it’s been a very busy time.
On Monday I had a job interview with PayHK, the IT company in Hong Kong that I emailed.
Then the next day, I had to do a practical test. You won’t believe this, but they’ve just rung to
offer me the job!

The work sounds really interesting – they want me to work on developing apps that can be
used for making mobile payments. And what’s really exciting is that they also want me to
think of ideas for new products. The job offer is very generous. Apart from giving me a good
salary, they’re also going to pay me a bonus if I do well. And they’ll pay for my flights and
help me with accommodation when I arrive.

But the best thing is that I’m going to live in Hong Kong! Besides the food, I’m also looking
forward to learning Cantonese. Everyone at PayHK speaks English, but I’d like to be able to
talk to local staff in their first language. I’ve always wanted to learn a second language well,
and I’m sure I’ll be able to do it when I’m living there.

We must get together before I leave, so you can tell me all about Hong Kong. Would you like
to meet up for dinner some time in the next week? Let me know a day that suits you.

Tania

A. Read Tania’s email to Lin about Hong Kong and answer the questions.

1 Has Tania got good or bad news?

2 When does she hope to see Lin?

B. Read the email again and answer the questions.

1 What did Tania do the day after the interview?

2 What kind of apps will she create in her new job?
3 Will she only work on the company’s current products?
4 Is the new job well paid?
5 What else would she like to do in Hong Kong?

Exercise 4

COMPUTER CAMP

ABOUT

The first Computer Camp at the Central Scotland University (CSU) was in 2004. Since then,
we have given more than 4,000 students a wonderful opportunity to improve their knowledge
of computers and computer languages. The camp is for any student aged between 14 and 18
who wants to learn and have lots of fun at the same time.

STUDENT STORIES

Dan Austin from Glasgow, 15

This is my first time, so I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve been having a really amazing time
though and I really want to come back again. It’s completely different from school and that’s
something I really like about the camp.

I’ve always got the highest marks in everything at my high school, and especially in maths. It
was my maths teacher who told me about the camp. She persuaded my dad that it could help
me get a career in computers. I suppose that must be true and I’m pretty sure that’s why my
dad let me come here, but for me I just enjoy it.

This week, I’ve been working on a program that can control the lights in a building. It’s been
really cool and I love working with kids who are just like me.

Kristen Berg from Aberdeen, 18

I’ve been coming to the CSU Computer Camp since I was 13 so this is my fifth time here.
There’s no doubt about it – this is one of the coolest things you can do in the summer
holidays.

A lot of people back in Aberdeen are really surprised that I know so much about computers.
They don’t expect me to know anything about them because I’m a girl with long blonde hair
and I love music, dancing and going out with friends. Every camp has been great and I’ve
learned so much here. In fact, I’m starting a degree in Computer Science this October in
Edinburgh.

A. Read the text and tick (✓) the correct answers.

1 Where might you see a text like this?

a in a book of short stories
b in a university textbook
c on a university website

2 What is the main purpose of this text?

 a to explain how to program a robot dog
b to give people facts about the camp
c to persuade students to come to the camp

3 What is the main purpose of the student stories?

a to show that students can have fun while they learn
b to show that the camp can help your future career
c to show that the camp leaders are helpful

4 When did Dan and Kristen write their student stories?

a before the camp
b during the camp
c after the camp

B. Read the text again and tick (✓) the correct answers.

Neither Dan
Who … Dan Kristen
nor Kristen
1 has been to the camp before? ✓
2 says the camp is not the same as their normal education?
3 felt unhappy at the beginning of the camp?
4 is going to university soon?
5 says they have improved their problem-solving skills?
6 surprises people in their hometown with their knowledge
of computers?
7 was told about the camp at their school?
8 prefers camp because they do not enjoy their normal
school?
9 has a busy social life in their hometown?
10 mentions something they have been making at the
camp?

C. Write a ‘student story’ for a course you are taking. Include the following:

• how you felt about the course before you began

• how you feel about the course now
• what kind of things you have been doing (or did) on the course
• why you think other people might enjoy the course
Answers

Exercise 1

A
Ellie and Laura got the job, but Andy and Dan didn’t.

B
1a 2c 3d 4b

Exercise 2

A
1 Tunespotter 2 SkyWatch 3 Balloon Pop 4 ThingsToDo
5 Imagegram 6 Crazy Faces 7 StopApp 8 ActivityTracker
B
1 A list of everything you’ve done.
2 Type in the name of the planet.
3 You can make them look old-fashioned, or use brighter colours.
4 He wants to get to the next lever – it’s very additive.
5 Your speed, distance and heart rate.
6 The name of the song and the singer.
7 It turns off other apps and can make the phone faster.
8 The photos of baby faces on adult bodies.

Exercise 3

A
1 good news 2 some time in the next week
B
1 She did a practical test.
2 apps that can be used for making mobile payment
3 No, she’ll work on new products too.
4 Yes, it has ‘a good salary’.
5 learn Cantonese

Exercise 4

A
1c 2c 3a 4b
B
2 Dan 3 Neither 4 Kristen 5 Neither 6 Kristen
7 Dan 8 Neither 9 Kristen 10 Dan