B1 Reading: Life's Little Problems—Intermediate English Story with Phrasal Verbs
- Alex
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 hours ago
B1 Intermediate English Texts for Reading and Listening Practice
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Level B1 Intermediate English Reading Practice: Life's Little Problems (A Short Story with Phrasal Verbs)
I want to tell you a brief story about my mom.
One morning, I was asleep in my bed when suddenly, I heard a loud CRASH. I opened my eyes, sat up, and looked around my room. Everything seemed normal. Then, I heard my mom's voice coming from the kitchen downstairs.
"Oh, come on," I heard her say in an annoyed voice. "Are you serious?"
I got out of bed, opened my bedroom door, and said in a raised voice, "Mom, is everything okay?"
"I broke a glass. I took it out of the cabinet, but then it slipped and fell out of my hand. There's glass all over the kitchen floor. Can you bring me a broom and a dustpan? And make sure you put on some slippers before you come down."
"Sure," I said. I went to the closet in the hallway and took out the broom and dustpan. Then, I went down to the kitchen.
"Be careful," she said. "Here. Pass those over." She reached out her hand, and I gave her the broom and dustpan. She cleaned everything up in thirty seconds, then threw the broken glass out into the garbage. She washed her hands in the kitchen sink, smiled at me, and said, "So, what would you like for breakfast?"
I can still remember her optimistic expression at that moment. My mom taught me a simple lesson that day: Don't let small problems get you down. Deal with them and keep on going. Thanks, Mom.
Comprehension Questions
Where was the narrator of this story sleeping?
a) Downstairs.
b) Upstairs.
c) In the basement.
What is another way to say, "Oh, come on"?
a) No problem.
b) Of course.
c) You're joking.
If you take something out of a space, you __________ it from that space.
a) remove
b) leave
c) put
What is another way to say "Pass those over"?
a) Put them on.
b) Return them.
c) Give them to me.
What does it mean if something "gets you down"?
a) It makes you sick.
b) It makes you sad.
c) It makes you tired.
What is the meaning of "deal with" in the final paragraph?
a) Manage or handle.
b) Leave or go away from.
c) Hit or punch.
Answers
b
c
a
c
b
a
This intermediate English reading text is ideal for B1 learners who can hold short conversations about everyday topics and use basic vocabulary with common tenses. It has a mix of literal and idiomatic phrasal verbs. If you are a teacher, you can follow up this reading with conversation questions:
What time did you get out of bed this morning?
How often do you take out your phone during the day?
When was the last time you cleaned up your room?
Does anything get you down these days?
Are you good at dealing with small problems like this, or do you let them get you down?
Read the text and answer the comprehension questions. You can also listen to the audio to practice your listening and speaking skills.
Note: This text was written by Alex. It was not generated by AI.
