A Day of Small Routines
About this practice test
Practice B1 English reading with a day-in-the-life story that follows ten daily-routine phrasal verbs through morning plans, a bus journey, and a new library job.
What you’ll practice
Finding detail
Locate specific information and evidence.
Interpreting ideas
Connect main points and inferences.
Evaluating arguments
Assess claims, evidence, and limitations.
What to expect:
8 questions with explanations to review after submission.
Study the questions and tasks
Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- B1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Single choice
How to approach this practice
Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.
A Day of Small Routines
On Monday morning, Nadia decided to change the way she started her day. She was beginning a new job at the Greenford Community Library, and she wanted to arrive calm instead of rushing through the front door. Her plan was small: prepare her clothes at night, leave home ten minutes early, and keep the first hour simple. At 6:15, her alarm rang. Nadia woke up but stayed under the blanket for another minute. When the second alarm rang, she got up, opened the curtains, and made her bed. The sky was gray, so she checked the weather before choosing a light raincoat. She then spent five minutes stretching. When her back felt stiff, she lay down on the mat and breathed slowly before continuing. After her shower, Nadia sat down at the kitchen table with a bowl of porridge and a cup of tea. She normally looked at her phone during breakfast, but that morning she left it in the hall. Without the usual messages, she noticed that she was eating more slowly. Before leaving, she tidied up her bedroom by folding the blanket and putting her books on a shelf. She also cleaned up the kitchen, washing the bowl and wiping the table. These jobs took only a few minutes, but the apartment felt ready for the evening. At 7:20, Nadia went out and walked toward the bus stop. The bus was due in eight minutes, and she told herself, “Hurry up, but do not panic.” Halfway there, she touched her coat pocket and realized that her identity card was still on the table. She came back home, picked it up, and went out again. Because she had planned extra time, she reached the stop just as the bus arrived. The bus was crowded. A passenger near the door was carrying two heavy bags, so Nadia stood up and offered her seat. The passenger thanked her, and Nadia held the rail for the rest of the journey. At the library, her manager showed her the returns desk and explained the morning tasks. Nadia wrote a short list before she began. During her lunch break, she sat down with two colleagues and learned that both of them also preferred simple routines. By Friday, Nadia understood that a good routine was not about filling every minute. It was about making useful choices before small problems became stressful. She still forgot things sometimes, and she did not always leave the apartment on time. However, preparing the night before, tidying up after breakfast, and leaving room for a delay made her new working week easier. Her mornings were not perfect, but they felt possible.
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Question 1 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What is the passage mainly about?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- How Nadia creates a manageable morning routine for her new job
- Why Greenford Community Library changed its opening hours
- How Nadia learns to drive to work by the end of the week
- Why the city bus service is often late in the morning
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- How Nadia creates a manageable morning routine for her new job
The passage follows Nadia as she builds a manageable routine for starting a new job and learns why small preparations help.
On Monday morning, Nadia decided to change the way she started her day.
Her mornings were not perfect, but they felt possible.
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Question 2 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
After the second alarm rang, what did Nadia do first?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- She checked her identity card and returned home
- She got up, opened the curtains, and made her bed
- She sat down with her colleagues at the library
- She went out and waited at the bus stop
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- She got up, opened the curtains, and made her bed
The passage says that Nadia got up, opened the curtains, and made her bed immediately after the second alarm.
When the second alarm rang, she got up, opened the curtains, and made her bed.
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Question 3 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
In the third paragraph, what does “These jobs” refer to?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Checking the weather and choosing a raincoat
- Reading messages on her phone during breakfast
- Tidying the bedroom and cleaning the kitchen
- Preparing the library returns desk for the morning
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Tidying the bedroom and cleaning the kitchen
These jobs refers to tidying the bedroom and cleaning the kitchen before Nadia left home.
She also cleaned up the kitchen, washing the bowl and wiping the table. These jobs took only a few minutes, but the apartment felt ready for the evening.
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Question 4 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Why did Nadia come back home on her way to the bus stop?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- She had forgotten her identity card
- She wanted to change into a warmer coat
- She received a message from her library manager
- She decided to eat breakfast with her colleagues
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- She had forgotten her identity card
She remembered that her identity card was still on the table at home.
Halfway there, she touched her coat pocket and realized that her identity card was still on the table.
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Question 5 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Which meaning best matches “Hurry up” as Nadia uses it?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Move more quickly while staying calm
- Return home immediately and stay there
- Sit down and wait for someone else
- Start the new job earlier the next day
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Move more quickly while staying calm
In this context, hurry up means to move more quickly while still remaining calm because the bus will arrive soon.
The bus was due in eight minutes, and she told herself, “Hurry up, but do not panic.”
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Question 6 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What can the reader infer about Nadia’s decision to leave home ten minutes early?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- It gave her room to deal with a small problem without missing the bus
- It meant that the bus driver waited for her every morning
- It allowed her to avoid working at the library
- It made her decide to stop using public transport
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- It gave her room to deal with a small problem without missing the bus
The extra time allowed Nadia to return for her identity card and still reach the bus stop before the bus left.
Because she had planned extra time, she reached the stop just as the bus arrived.
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Question 7 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Why did Nadia stand up on the bus?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- To offer her seat to a passenger carrying heavy bags
- To get off the bus before it reached the library
- To look for her identity card on the floor
- To make room for her manager to sit down
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- To offer her seat to a passenger carrying heavy bags
She stood up to offer her seat to a passenger who was carrying two heavy bags.
A passenger near the door was carrying two heavy bags, so Nadia stood up and offered her seat.
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Question 8 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What does Nadia learn by Friday?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- A routine can help even when it is flexible and imperfect
- A successful worker must follow every plan without mistakes
- Simple routines are only useful for people who take the bus
- Working at a library requires avoiding contact with colleagues
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- A routine can help even when it is flexible and imperfect
Nadia learns that a useful routine leaves room for mistakes and delays instead of requiring every minute to be perfect.
By Friday, Nadia understood that a good routine was not about filling every minute.
She still forgot things sometimes, and she did not always leave the apartment on time.
What to review next
Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.
Before you practise: a worked example
Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.
The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?
The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.
This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.