The B1 cycling reading task is one of those exam activities that’s not just fun to do but also pretty enjoyable to teach. Students read five short descriptions of different people and pair them with texts that all share the same theme. Even though it looks easy, this exercise actually demands a lot of attention to detail and the ability to spot distractions.
If you’ve been following my journey from the start, you know I’m all about using free official resources to help my students ace the Cambridge exams. If you’re into this approach, be sure to check out my earlier post about Cambridge PET – Reading Part 1!
At the end of this post, you can grab the worksheet with the lesson plan and all the suggested answers. This class focused on Reading Part 2, which you can find in either the B1 Preliminary for Schools Handbook or the Sample Papers for B1 Preliminary for Schools.
Warmer: Sharing cycling preferences
Since Reading Part 2 covers the profiles of five different people, it might be a cool idea for students to write up short descriptions about themselves. Before getting into that, pair them up and have them fill out a questionnaire about their cycling experiences and what they like. Then, gather their answers and give some general feedback on their speaking.
Writing: Your Cycling Profile
To make it easier for your students to understand what you expect from them, try completing the task yourself and sharing a brief written description of your profile. I based my answer on the examples found in Reading Part 2. Take a look at your text to ensure students can see how it connects to the questionnaire. While students work on their descriptions, keep an eye on their progress and help out with any spelling or grammar mistakes as needed.
I’m an experienced cyclist. I enjoy riding a bicycle in the city, but I’d like to find out more about road safety. I want to learn how to deal with difficult situations in traffic. I work during the week, so I can only attend the course once a week at the weekend.
Reading Introduction: Matching Profiles to Cycling Courses
Once everyone has their short descriptions ready, you can have them swap their info with their partners. Point them towards the eight cycling courses listed in exercise 3. They should quickly read through all the descriptions and pick the one that fits what they’re looking for best. For instance, the top choice for the example is D – Pedal Power. Make sure to highlight the parts that match your description and explain why it’s a perfect fit, like this.
- is an experienced cyclist → able cyclists
- in the city → towns and cities
- road safety → difficult situations in heavy traffic
- once a week at the weekend → Saturdays
Take some time to read through all the texts and choose the ones that work best for each student. Then, the students can share the courses they think suit their needs and explain why they chose them. If this is their first time tackling PET Reading Part 2, it might be helpful to mention what the task is and how to go about it. Making it personal could definitely make this exam task more interesting and help keep everyone focused during the explanation.
Guided Example: Understanding Profiles and Matching Courses
In the exam, students encounter profiles of random individuals they might not find engaging. Take a look at Nancy’s profile. As a group, discuss what kind of person she is and what she envisions for her cycling course. If the task feels a bit challenging, consider reviewing each course one by one and narrowing down the options as necessary. For more advanced groups, give them around 3-4 minutes to identify the ideal course for her. Be sure to highlight all the pieces of information that align with her description.
- cycles quite well → designed for able cyclists
- wants to learn how to cycle safely in traffic → focuses on dealing with difficult situations and heavy traffic
- is available at weekends → takes place on Saturdays
Have students look closely at Nancy’s profile and identify the key information they need to consider when choosing a course. Encourage them to underline the relevant details in both Nancy’s description and the course descriptions.
Reading Part 2 Strategy: Identifying the Best Match
Once students have discussed their answers, move on to the Reading Part 2: Step by Step strategy box. Go through the process together, showing students how to identify key information, eliminate unsuitable options, compare the remaining courses and check that the key information matches.
Exam Task: Matching the Other Cyclists
Students work on the rest of the exam individually. It’s important that everyone underlines the keywords and matches them with the phrases that best fit each description. Once they’ve done that, pair them up to compare and discuss their answers. Finally, wrap up the activity by confirming their answers and asking them to justify their choices with examples from the text.
Role-Play: Become a Cycling Course Advisor
To finish the lesson, students work in groups of four and take on different roles. Each student receives a role-playing card with information about a cyclist’s age, ability, interests, needs and availability. They introduce their character to the group without showing their card, while the other students ask questions and listen for key details. The group then discusses the available courses and agrees on the most suitable option for each person, explaining their choices.
Finish it up by sharing some easy tips to nail this task for the best results. For instance, you could underline the important words or double-check your answers to make sure they line up with the descriptions.
Just click on the presentation up top to use the B1 cycling reading task in class, or grab the files below to download them.
What courses do you attend? What do you think about cycling courses?
