English Reading Exercises for B1 – Family fortunes

1. Complete the table.

2. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the nouns and adjectives in exercise 1.

1   My diary is ………………………… – I don’t let anyone else read it.

2   Mark is always complaining that his parents don’t give him enough ………………………… . He wants to do what he likes when he likes.

3   Kathy hates waiting for people. She’s so …………………………!

4   ………………………… can be a difficult stage in life.

5   You never believe what I say! Why are you so …………………………?

6   Strong ………………………… such as love and anger are sometimes difficult to deal with.

3. Read the text. Choose the best summary.

1   The Kardashians agreed to make a TV show, but they think it’s had a bad effect on the family.

2   The Kardashians’ show was successful, but the family are now too busy to make more shows.

3   The Kardashians’ show has many viewers, but it doesn’t appeal to everybody.

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

The Kardashians are currently one of the USA’s most well-known families. They are often in the news, and Americans follow their lives in the papers and celebrity magazines. 1……….. The Kardashians are reality TV starts, with their own family show called Keeping up with the Kardashians.

It all started in 2007 when the family was asked by an American channel to make a TV series about their lives. The show focused on mother Kris and her four children. 2……….. Their father was lawyer Robert Kardashian, who died a few years earlier. The show became a success in its first season, mainly because of the three sisters and their extrovert personalities.

Since then, there have been eight more seasons and the show is still running. 3……….. Two of the sisters got married on the show. Kim got married twice! And two of the sisters are now parents. Furthermore, the three sisters have used their fame to establish careers in the fashion industry. They have opened clothes shops and launched several clothing collections and perfumes. Kim has even launched a successful mobile phone game called Kim Kardashian: Hollywood.

Although the show has many fans, it also has many critics. 4……….. They are irritated by the sisters’ desire for fame and fortune, and think the show is meaningless. The Kardashians are only ‘famous for being famous’, but they don’t mind because it has made them rich.

4. Read the Reading Strategy. Then match sentences A-F with gaps 1-4 in the text. There are two extra sentences.

A   She has three girls – Kourtney, Kim and Khloé – and one son, Rob.

B   Throughout the series, many family events have been shown.

C   But who are they and why are they famous?

D   Other reality TV shows are about singing, dancing, or cooking.

E   A lot of Americans disapprove of the family’s behaviour on TV and in the press.

F   Kim married rap star Kanye West and has a daughter called North.