Pre-Intermediate Reading Exercise

Personal Challenges

A. Marco

Last year, I decided to build a simple website for my sister's new cake business. I knew nothing about coding, so I had to learn everything from the beginning using online tutorials. There were many frustrating moments when things did not work and I could not figure out why. My main goal was to help my sister and create something useful for her. Seeing the finished, working website was an incredible feeling of achievement.

B. Jasmine

My friends and I decided to climb Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. I am not a very active person, so the training was the hardest part. I had to go to the gym and go on long walks every weekend for three months to get my fitness levels up. We did it to raise money for a local children's charity. Reaching the top was amazing, but the best part was knowing that our hard work was going to help other people.

C. David

I set myself the challenge of not buying any new clothes for a whole year. I did it because I was worried about the environment and the problems of 'fast fashion'. At first it was difficult, especially when my friends were buying new things. But it made me more creative with the clothes I already had. I realised I did not need new things to feel good about myself. It also helped me to put aside quite a bit of money.

D. Sofia

For my challenge, I learned how to cook ten classic French dishes in ten weeks. I am not a natural cook and I have had many kitchen disasters in the past! I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of learning a practical skill. My flatmates were my judges, and some of the early meals were not great. But the final dish, a beef bourguignon, was a huge success. The experience taught me that with patience, you can learn anything.