1.

Self-introduction

Reading Passage

Amina is a 30-year-old language teacher from Morocco. She grew up in a small village near
the Atlas Mountains, but she moved to Casablanca to study at university and find better job
opportunities. She teaches Arabic and French to international students and loves meeting
people from different cultures.

In her free time, Amina enjoys hiking, doing yoga, and reading historical fiction novels. She
also visits art exhibitions and enjoys painting as a hobby. Amina speaks Arabic, French, and
English fluently, and she is learning Korean because she wants to travel to South Korea one
day.

Amina describes herself as curious, friendly, and open-minded. She loves learning new
things and having meaningful conversations with others. Her goal is to help her students
feel confident in expressing themselves in a new language, just like she continues to do.

Comprehension Questions
1. 1. Where did Amina grow up, and why did she move to Casablanca?
2. 2. What does Amina enjoy doing in her free time?
3. 3. How many languages does Amina speak, and which new country does she want to
visit?
4. 4. How does Amina describe her personality?
5. 5. What is Amina’s main goal in life and work?

Quiz
6. 1. Where is Amina originally from?
7. 2. Amina moved to Casablanca because she wanted to:
8. 3. Amina enjoys all the following except:
9. 4. True or False: Amina only speaks two languages.
10. 5. In one sentence, describe Amina’s personality using the passage.
2. Travel and Cultures

Reading Passage

Omar is a 35-year-old photographer from Jordan who has a deep passion for traveling and
discovering new cultures. Over the past ten years, he has visited more than 25 countries
across Europe, Asia, and South America. He started his journey right after university when
he bought a one-way ticket to Thailand with his savings and a backpack full of camera gear.

Every country he visits gives him a new story. In India, he spent a week living in a yoga
ashram, learning about meditation and traditional Indian food. In Brazil, he stayed with a
local family during the Carnival festival and captured colorful images of the parades. He
believes that to truly understand a place, you need to live like the locals do — eat their food,
speak their language, and follow their daily routines.

Omar always respects the traditions of the countries he visits. He tries to learn at least a few
phrases in the local language and follows cultural etiquette. This helped him build
friendships all around the world, and many of the people he met became like family to him.

Through his photography, Omar wants to show the beauty of cultural diversity and
encourage people to travel with an open heart and mind. He believes travel is not only
about taking photos but also about becoming a better, more understanding person.

Comprehension Questions
11. 1. How did Omar begin his journey as a traveler?
12. 2. What unique experiences did he have in India and Brazil?
13. 3. Why does Omar believe it’s important to live like the locals while traveling?
14. 4. How does he prepare for visiting a new country?
15. 5. What message does Omar want to share through his photography?

Quiz
16. 1. How many countries has Omar visited?
17. 2. What did Omar do in India?
18. 3. True or False: Omar always tries to learn a few phrases in the local language before
traveling.
19. 4. Omar believes that the best way to understand a culture is to:
20. 5. In one sentence, explain the purpose of Omar’s photography.
3. Work and Business

Reading Passage

Lina used to work as a bank accountant in Cairo for nearly seven years. She had a stable job,
a good salary, and a clear career path. However, deep down, she always dreamed of starting
her own business. She loved baking and often made cakes and pastries for family gatherings
and special occasions.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, Lina decided to take a big risk. She left her job at
the bank and started a small home-based bakery. At first, it was challenging. She had no
experience in business, marketing, or managing orders. But Lina was determined. She took
online courses in business management and digital marketing, and she started promoting
her bakery on social media.

Slowly, her client base grew. Her cakes became popular for their taste, design, and
creativity. Within a year, she moved from baking in her home kitchen to renting a small
bakery space. Today, Lina has a team of three employees and delivers custom cakes all over
Cairo.

Lina says she’s much happier now. Although she works longer hours, she feels proud of
building something on her own. She encourages others not to be afraid of starting over,
even if it means leaving a comfortable job.

Comprehension Questions
21. 1. What was Lina’s job before starting her own business, and why did she leave it?
22. 2. What challenges did Lina face when she began her bakery?
23. 3. How did she grow her business?
24. 4. What changes happened in her career after one year?
25. 5. How does Lina feel about her career change now?

Quiz
26. 1. What was Lina’s previous job?
27. 2. Why did Lina decide to leave her job?
28. 3. True or False: Lina had a lot of experience in business before starting her bakery.
29. 4. What helped Lina grow her bakery business?
30. 5. In one sentence, how does Lina feel about her decision to change careers?
4. Health and Fitness

Reading Passage

James is a 42-year-old office manager from London. For most of his adult life, he struggled
with his weight and energy levels. He used to eat a lot of fast food, rarely exercised, and
often felt tired during the day. His lifestyle started to affect his work performance and his
mood.

One day, after a routine medical checkup, his doctor warned him that he was at high risk of
developing diabetes and heart problems. That was a turning point. James decided to take
control of his health. He joined a local gym, started walking every morning, and changed his
eating habits completely.

Instead of sugary drinks and snacks, James now drinks water and prepares balanced meals
at home. He also began practicing yoga twice a week to improve his flexibility and reduce
stress. Within a year, he lost over 20 kilograms, and his energy returned. He says he sleeps
better, focuses more at work, and feels more confident in social situations.

James now encourages his colleagues to take care of their health too. He believes that small
changes in daily routines can make a huge difference over time.

Comprehension Questions
31. 1. What problems was James facing before he changed his lifestyle?
32. 2. What made him decide to take action?
33. 3. What steps did he take to improve his health?
34. 4. How did these changes affect his life?
35. 5. What does James now believe about small health habits?

Quiz
36. 1. What health warning did James receive from his doctor?
37. 2. Which of the following was NOT part of James’s health routine?
38. 3. True or False: James lost over 20 kilograms after changing his lifestyle.
39. 4. What is one benefit James noticed after improving his health?
40. 5. In one sentence, what does James now believe about small health habits?
5. News and Current Affairs

Reading Passage

Sara is a university student studying political science in Tunisia. She has always been
curious about what’s happening in the world. Every morning, she starts her day by reading
the news from different sources — both local and international. She believes that being
informed helps her understand global issues and how they affect people in her country.

One of the topics that interests Sara most is climate change. She recently wrote a research
paper about how rising temperatures are affecting agriculture in North Africa. To support
her argument, she used real data from news reports, scientific articles, and interviews with
farmers. Her paper won first prize in a student competition.

Sara also follows news about politics, technology, and health. She thinks young people
should not only consume news but also discuss it. She often starts conversations in her
classes and on social media about current events. For her, awareness is the first step to
making change.

Although news can sometimes feel overwhelming or negative, Sara says it’s better to know
what’s going on than to ignore it. She believes that informed citizens make better decisions
— and better societies.

Comprehension Questions
41. 1. Why does Sara make reading the news a daily habit?
42. 2. What topic did she research, and how did she support her ideas?
43. 3. What kinds of news is Sara interested in?
44. 4. How does she engage others with current events?
45. 5. What is her opinion about staying informed, even when the news is negative?

Quiz
46. 1. What is Sara studying at university?
47. 2. What topic did she write a research paper about?
48. 3. True or False: Sara thinks it’s better to avoid the news because it’s often negative.
49. 4. How does Sara engage others with current events?
50. 5. In one sentence, explain why Sara believes staying informed is important.