Planning a Community Repair Day
About this practice test
Practice B1 English reading with a community-planning story that follows ten communication-and-ideas phrasal verbs through a repair-day proposal and shared decisions.
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.
Planning a Community Repair Day
At a Wednesday evening meeting at Riverside Community Center, Maya brought up an idea for a community repair day. Many residents had small household items that needed attention, such as loose chair legs, torn bags, and lamps with simple faults. Instead of throwing these things away, neighbors could bring them to the center and learn how to repair them. Maya pointed out an unused courtyard behind the center. It was close to the storage room and had enough light for repair tables. Before the group announced the event, they needed to find out whether the center manager could approve weekend use and lend them some folding tables. During the next hour, the residents talked over three possible plans. A short weekday event would be easy to organize, but many people would still be at work. A Saturday afternoon would allow more visitors, although the courtyard might be busy. In the end, they worked out a plan for Saturday morning, when the space was usually quiet. Leo figured out how to borrow extra tools from a local hardware shop, which agreed to help after hearing about the project. At first, only the most confident speakers offered suggestions. Then Omar, who usually listened quietly, spoke up. He suggested a sign-up sheet so the organizers could learn what visitors wanted to repair before the event. The group liked the idea because it would help them prepare the right tools and avoid long waits. Nadia wrote down the date, the main jobs, the borrowed tools, and the safety rules before everyone left. The next day, volunteers filled in an online form to reserve a place. While checking the form, Maya noticed that it had left out a question about which items people planned to bring. Without that information, the organizers would not know how many sewing kits, screwdrivers, or electrical testers to prepare. Maya added the question, and Nadia sent the updated form to the residents. On Saturday morning, twenty-six people came to the courtyard. Some repaired objects with help from experienced neighbors, while others watched and asked questions. The sign-up sheet meant that each table had the tools it needed, and the timetable gave visitors enough time to work without feeling rushed. At the end, one resident asked whether the group could hold another repair day in the autumn. The project showed the residents that a good idea becomes useful through communication. People needed to ask questions, discuss choices, record decisions, and check small details. The missing question on the form was easy to fix, but noticing it early helped the whole event run smoothly.
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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 a residents’ group turns a repair-day idea into a practical community event
- Why the hardware shop stopped lending tools to local people
- How Maya learned to repair every household item by herself
- Why the community center decided to close its courtyard
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- How a residents’ group turns a repair-day idea into a practical community event
The passage describes how Riverside residents turn Maya’s repair-day idea into a well-organized community event through discussion and preparation.
At a Wednesday evening meeting at Riverside Community Center, Maya brought up an idea for a community repair day.
The project showed the residents that a good idea becomes useful through communication.
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Question 2 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Why did Maya point out the unused courtyard?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- It was a suitable, well-lit place close to the storage room
- It was the only place where residents could buy tools
- It was already being used for a weekday market
- It was far from the center manager’s office
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- It was a suitable, well-lit place close to the storage room
The courtyard was near the storage room and had enough light and space for the repair tables.
Maya pointed out an unused courtyard behind the center. It was close to the storage room and had enough light for repair tables.
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Question 3 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What did the residents need to find out before announcing the event?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Whether the center manager approved the weekend use and could lend tables
- Whether the hardware shop would sell the center permanently
- Whether every resident could repair electrical equipment
- Whether the courtyard had enough space for a large concert
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Whether the center manager approved the weekend use and could lend tables
They needed to know whether the center manager would approve weekend use and lend them folding tables.
Before the group announced the event, they needed to find out whether the center manager could approve weekend use and lend them some folding tables.
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Question 4 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What does “brought up” mean in the first paragraph?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Started talking about a subject
- Carried a heavy object into the center
- Canceled a plan that had already started
- Moved the meeting to a higher floor
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Started talking about a subject
Brought up means started talking about a subject, which is what Maya did with the repair-day idea.
At a Wednesday evening meeting at Riverside Community Center, Maya brought up an idea for a community repair day.
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Question 5 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What plan did the residents work out?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- A Saturday-morning event supported by borrowed tools
- A short event held every weekday afternoon
- A private repair lesson for the center manager
- An evening concert in the busy courtyard
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- A Saturday-morning event supported by borrowed tools
They chose a quiet Saturday morning and arranged to borrow extra tools for the event.
In the end, they worked out a plan for Saturday morning, when the space was usually quiet. Leo figured out how to borrow extra tools from a local hardware shop, which agreed to help after hearing about the project.
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Question 6 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What can the reader infer from Omar speaking up?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Useful ideas can come from people who do not usually speak first
- Only confident speakers were allowed to plan the event
- Omar wanted to cancel the repair day
- The group had already prepared a sign-up sheet before Omar arrived
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Useful ideas can come from people who do not usually speak first
Omar’s suggestion shows that quieter members could still make useful contributions to the group’s plan.
Then Omar, who usually listened quietly, spoke up. He suggested a sign-up sheet so the organizers could learn what visitors wanted to repair before the event.
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Question 7 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
What did Nadia write down before the residents left?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- The date, jobs, borrowed tools, and safety rules
- The names of every customer at the hardware shop
- A list of residents who wanted to move away
- The center manager’s personal telephone messages
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- The date, jobs, borrowed tools, and safety rules
Nadia recorded the date, the main jobs, the borrowed tools, and the safety rules.
Nadia wrote down the date, the main jobs, the borrowed tools, and the safety rules before everyone left.
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Question 8 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Why was it important to notice that the online form had left out a question?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- It helped the organizers prepare the right tools for visitors
- It meant that the repair day had to move to another building
- It showed that the center manager had rejected the event
- It allowed volunteers to avoid filling in any form
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- It helped the organizers prepare the right tools for visitors
The missing question asked what visitors would bring, so answering it helped organizers prepare enough of the right tools.
Without that information, the organizers would not know how many sewing kits, screwdrivers, or electrical testers to prepare.
The missing question on the form was easy to fix, but noticing it early helped the whole event run smoothly.
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.