general

The Big Decision

A B1 English reading comprehension worksheet about a musician's dreams, featuring practice with the first and second conditional.

Title

The Big Decision

Seo_intro

A B1 English reading comprehension worksheet about a musician's dreams, featuring practice with the first and second conditional.

Reading Text

Leo is a young musician who lives in a small town. He works at a local café, but he dreams of becoming famous. He often thinks about his future and the choices he has to make. "If I save enough money this year, I will buy a new guitar," he tells his friend Maya. "And if I buy a new guitar, I will record my own songs." Maya always tries to encourage him. "If you practice every day, you will definitely improve. But what if you moved to a big city?" Leo sighs. "If I moved to London, I would have a great opportunity. If I lived there, I could play in famous clubs. However, it is very expensive. If I lost my job at the café, I wouldn't have any money to pay for rent." "If I were you, I would take the risk," Maya says. "If you don't try, you will never know." Leo knows she is right, but he is still nervous. He imagines a different life. "If I became a famous rock star, I would travel the world. I would buy a big house for my parents if I had a million dollars." For now, Leo decides to take small steps. "If I finish my shift early tonight, I will write a new song," he promises himself. He knows that his dreams will only come true if he works hard. Leo starts looking online for apartments in London, just in case. "If I find a cheap room, I will pack my bags immediately," he thinks. But finding a cheap room in London is like finding a needle in a haystack. He sees an advertisement for a band looking for a singer. "If I sent them my demo tape, they might invite me for an audition," he begins to realize. "If I were brave enough, I would do it today." He goes back to making coffee at the café. The espresso machine is broken again. "If the manager doesn't fix this machine soon, we will lose all our customers," Leo begins to mutter. A customer hears him and laughs. It turns out the customer is a music producer. "If you make me a good cup of tea instead, I will listen to your music," the producer says with a smile. Leo can't believe his luck. "If this is a dream, I wouldn't want to wake up," he whispers.

Activities

Vocabulary

Items:

Label: encourage
Answer: def_1
Label: opportunity
Answer: def_2
Label: immediately
Answer: def_3
Label: audition
Answer: def_4
Label: realize
Answer: def_5
Label: mutter
Answer: def_6

Definitions:

Text: to give someone hope, courage, or confidence to do something
Text: a chance to do something or a good situation for success
Text: right away, without any delay
Text: a short performance to show the skills of an actor or musician
Text: to understand or become completely aware of a fact or situation
Text: to speak quietly in a low voice, usually when complaining or frustrated

Fill In The Blanks:

Before: A good teacher will always
After: their students to try their best.
Answer: encourage
Before: Moving to a new country is a great
After: to learn a new language.
Answer: opportunity
Before: When the fire alarm rings, you must leave the building
After: .
Answer: immediately
Before: She was very nervous before her dance
After: for the school play.
Answer: audition
Before: It took him a few minutes to
After: that he had left his keys at home.
Answer: realize
Before: Please speak clearly and do not
After: when you are talking to the customers.
Answer: mutter

Comprehension

Questions:

Text: Leo currently lives and works as a musician in London.
Answer: false
Text: Leo believes that buying a new guitar depends on saving enough money.
Answer: true
Text: Maya thinks it is a bad idea for Leo to leave his small town.
Answer: false
Text: Leo is afraid that if he moves to London, he might not be able to pay his rent.
Answer: true
Text: The music producer offers to fix the espresso machine if Leo plays him a song.
Answer: false

Scrambled:

Text: enough / save / I / money, / will / buy / I / a / guitar. / If
Answer: If I save enough money, I will buy a guitar.
Text: moved / to / London, / would / more / have / I / opportunities. / If / I
Answer: If I moved to London, I would have more opportunities.
Text: you / If / practice / will / improve. / every / day, / you
Answer: If you practice every day, you will improve.
Text: were / you, / I / risk. / the / take / would / I / If
Answer: If I were you, I would take the risk.
Text: the / I / world. / became / famous, / I / travel / would / If
Answer: If I became famous, I would travel the world.

Written Expression

Questions:

Text:
Write 2-3 sentences about what you will do if you have free time this weekend. (Use the first conditional)
Text:
Write 2-3 sentences about what you would do if you could instantly speak any language perfectly. (Use the second conditional)

Examples:

Example 1: If I have free time this weekend, I will go to the park with my friends. If it rains, I will stay home and read a book.

Example 2: If I could speak any language perfectly, I would travel to Japan. If I went there, I would talk to the locals and learn about their culture.

Critical Thinking

Instructions:

Why do you think Leo is hesitant to move to London even though he strongly wants to be a famous musician?
Do you agree with Maya's advice that 'if you don't try, you will never know'? Why or why not? Share a time when you took a risk.