Read the passage carefully before attempting Exercise 1 (Multiple Choice) and Exercise 2 (Fill in the blanks dropdown) below.
Priya moved to Bristol from Edinburgh in September. She knew the city was great, but she didn’t know anyone there yet. Her first few weekends were lonely. One Saturday morning, she decided to try something different. She had seen a poster for a free beginner’s session at an indoor climbing wall near her flat, so she signed up.
When she arrived, the place was busier than she expected. A young man called Mateus was standing next to her at the registration desk. He was also new and looked just as nervous as she felt. They started talking while they waited, and Priya quickly discovered that Mateus had also just moved to Bristol — from Porto, in Portugal. During the session, they helped each other with the climbing techniques and laughed a lot when they fell off the wall. By the end of the morning, they had exchanged phone numbers.
After that, Priya and Mateus started meeting every Saturday at the climbing wall. They also found a small café nearby where they went for coffee after each session. Mateus introduced Priya to some of his colleagues, and she introduced him to a neighbour she had recently met. Their group of friends slowly got bigger. Priya still misses Edinburgh sometimes, but she feels much happier in Bristol now. She thinks the best way to meet people is to try something new — and not to be afraid of looking a little silly.
Exercise 1
Read the passage about making new friends carefully, then choose the correct answer for each question based on the text.
Example: Where did Maya meet her new friend?
Answer: She met her new friend at school.
Making New Friends
Have you ever arrived somewhere new and not known anyone? It can feel exciting but also a little scary. Read the passage below and think about these questions before you start: What makes it easy or difficult to talk to someone for the first time? And what do you think is the best way to make new friends?
Reading Passage: The Climbing Wall
Priya moved to Bristol from Edinburgh in September. She knew the city was great, but she didn't know anyone there yet. Her first few weekends were lonely. One Saturday morning, she decided to try something different. She had seen a poster for a free beginner's session at an indoor climbing wall near her flat, so she signed up.
When she arrived, the place was busier than she expected. A young man called Mateus was standing next to her at the registration desk. He was also new and looked just as nervous as she felt. They started talking while they waited, and Priya quickly discovered that Mateus had also just moved to Bristol — from Porto, in Portugal. During the session, they helped each other with the climbing techniques and laughed a lot when they fell off the wall. By the end of the morning, they had exchanged phone numbers.
After that, Priya and Mateus started meeting every Saturday at the climbing wall. They also found a small café nearby where they went for coffee after each session. Mateus introduced Priya to some of his colleagues, and she introduced him to a neighbour she had recently met. Their group of friends slowly got bigger. Priya still misses Edinburgh sometimes, but she feels much happier in Bristol now. She thinks the best way to meet people is to try something new — and not to be afraid of looking a little silly.
Key Vocabulary in Context
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| lonely | adjective | feeling sad because you are alone and have no friends nearby | She felt lonely in the new city because she didn't know anyone. |
| poster | noun | a large printed notice or advertisement on a wall | He saw a poster for a free yoga class at the sports centre. |
| session | noun | a period of time spent doing a particular activity | The beginner's swimming session lasts one hour. |
| registration desk | noun phrase | the place where you give your name and sign up for an activity or event | Please go to the registration desk when you arrive. |
| technique | noun | a particular way of doing something, especially a skill | The instructor showed them the correct climbing technique. |
| exchanged | verb (past simple) | gave something to each other at the same time | They exchanged phone numbers at the end of the class. |
| introduced | verb (past simple) | helped people meet each other for the first time by telling them each other's names | Mateus introduced Priya to his colleagues from work. |
| colleague | noun | a person you work with | She has lunch with her colleagues every day. |
Reading Strategies & Comprehension Tips
Skimming for the Main Idea
Before you read every word, skim the passage quickly — look at the title and the first sentence of each paragraph. This tells you the text is about a woman who moves to a new city and makes friends through a sports activity. Knowing this helps you follow the story more easily.
Scanning for Specific Information
Exam questions often ask about specific details, such as names, places, or times. To find them quickly, look for capital letters (Priya, Mateus, Bristol, Edinburgh, Porto) and numbers or time expressions (September, Saturday, first few weekends). Don't re-read the whole text — scan for the key word in the question first.
Understanding the Sequence of Events
This story follows a clear time order. Look for linking words like after that, also, by the end of, and recently. These words help you understand the order in which things happened and how Priya's situation changed from beginning to end.
Inferring Feelings and Opinions
The writer does not always say directly how a character feels. For example, the text says Priya's first weekends were lonely and that she decided to try something different. From this, you can infer that she was unhappy and wanted to change her situation, even though the text does not say "she was unhappy" directly.
Common Reading Pitfalls & Traps
Confusing Cities and Countries
The text mentions several places: Bristol and Edinburgh are cities in the UK, and Porto is a city in Portugal. Some questions may try to confuse you by mixing these up. Remember: Priya moved from Edinburgh to Bristol. Mateus is from Porto, Portugal — he did not move from Edinburgh.
Be Careful with "Also" and "Too"
The passage says Mateus "had also just moved to Bristol." This means both Priya and Mateus were new to Bristol. Do not confuse this with the idea that Mateus moved from Edinburgh — the text only says he moved from Porto.
Don't Confuse the Order of Events
Some readers think Priya met Mateus's colleagues before she started going to the climbing wall every Saturday. Read carefully — Priya and Mateus first met at the climbing wall, then started meeting every Saturday, and after that they introduced each other to more people. The order matters for comprehension questions.
Watch Out for Negatives
The text says Priya "still misses Edinburgh sometimes." This does not mean she is unhappy in Bristol — the next sentence says she feels much happier there now. Don't let the word misses trick you into thinking she wants to go back.
Quick Summary
This passage tells the story of Priya, a young woman who moves to a new city and feels lonely at first. She goes to a beginner's climbing session, meets Mateus, and they slowly build a group of friends together. The story shows that trying new activities is a great way to meet people. Now read the passage carefully and complete Exercise 1 (Multiple Choice) and Exercise 2 (Fill-in-the-gap dropdown) below.
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