What vocabulary does this B1 reading exercise teach?

It teaches career and job-search vocabulary in context — recruiter, vague, achievement, proofread, and generic — through the true-to-life story of a job seeker who fixed three common CV mistakes.

Is this reading suitable for B1 English learners?

Yes. The passage uses clear, everyday vocabulary and simple-to-compound sentences matched to the B1 level. It practises scanning for facts, inferring meaning, and identifying a writer's main conclusion — core B1 and IELTS reading skills.

What are the three CV mistakes described in this reading?

A CV that is too long, vague phrases like 'responsible for' instead of measurable results, and sending the exact same generic CV to every company — all common mistakes that this reading explains how to fix.

Why should a CV avoid vague phrases like "responsible for"?

Vague phrases don't prove what a candidate actually achieved. A specific, measurable result — with numbers and action verbs — shows a recruiter real evidence of a candidate's ability.

What does "generic" mean in this exercise?

Generic means not specific or personalised — like sending the exact same CV to every company instead of tailoring it to each job, which the passage identifies as a key mistake.

Which vocabulary does this B1 exercise cover?

It practises five career and job-search words in context — recruiter, vague, achievement, proofread, and generic — so learners meet the vocabulary inside new sentences, not just as an isolated list.

CV Tips That Actually Get You Interviews (B1 Reading)

Q: How long should a CV be, according to the text?

No more than two pages. The text explains that most recruiters spend under thirty seconds on a first read, so anything longer is unlikely to be read at all.

Read the passage and choose the best answer for each question.

CV Tips That Get You Interviews: B1 Reading — with Answers

Sara had sent out forty job applications without receiving a single interview. Then a recruiter friend read her CV for ten minutes and pointed out three simple mistakes. Within two weeks of fixing them, Sara had an interview booked.

The first mistake was length. Sara's CV ran to four pages. Most recruiters spend under thirty seconds on a first read, so anything beyond two pages is unlikely to be read at all. The second was vague wording: instead of writing "responsible for customer service," Sara's friend told her to describe a specific result, such as "resolved over 200 customer queries per month, improving satisfaction scores by 15%." Numbers and action verbs prove what a candidate actually achieved, not just what their job title was. The third mistake was a generic CV sent to every company. The friend suggested Sara reorder her skills section for each application. She put the most relevant experience for that specific job at the top.

Sara also removed her photo, age, and marital status, information that many employers no longer expect and that can even work against a candidate. She proofread the final version twice for spelling errors. Her new two-page, achievement-focused CV finally started getting noticed — proof that a CV's clarity matters far more than its length.

Why had Sara not received any interviews from her forty applications?

About this reading

This B1 English reading is a practical, real-world text: the story of a job seeker who fixed three common CV mistakes. It teaches useful career vocabulary while modelling the kind of problem-solution structure you'll meet often in B1 and IELTS reading.

As you read, track how each mistake is introduced, explained, and then solved — this problem-solution-result pattern is common in workplace and advice texts, and recognising it makes scanning for answers much faster.

Reading Comprehension Questions & Answers

All B1 reading questions for “CV Tips That Get You Interviews: B1 Reading — with Answers”, each with the correct answer and a short explanation. Read the passage above, try the interactive exercises, then check your answers here.

Exercise 1: Reading Comprehension

1. Why had Sara not received any interviews from her forty applications?
- A. She was applying for jobs she was not qualified for
- B. Her CV had several common mistakes that a friend later identified ✓
- C. She never followed up with employers by phone
- D. She only applied to very competitive companies
Answer: Her CV had several common mistakes that a friend later identified
Correct. The text says a recruiter friend "read her CV for ten minutes and pointed out three simple mistakes." Qualifications, phone follow-ups, and company competitiveness are never mentioned.
2. According to the text, roughly how long do recruiters spend on a first read of a CV?
- A. Under thirty seconds ✓
- B. About ten minutes
- C. About thirty minutes
- D. A full hour
Answer: Under thirty seconds
Correct. The text states "most recruiters spend under thirty seconds on a first read." Ten minutes was how long the friend spent reviewing Sara's CV, not a typical recruiter's read time.
3. Why did Sara's friend dislike the phrase "responsible for customer service"?
- A. It was grammatically incorrect
- B. It was too vague and did not show a specific, measurable result ✓
- C. It was too long for a CV
- D. It used an inappropriate tone
Answer: It was too vague and did not show a specific, measurable result
Correct. The text explains the friend wanted "a specific result" instead, with "numbers and action verbs" to prove real achievement. Grammar and tone are never mentioned as issues.
4. What example of a stronger sentence does the text give?
- A. "I worked in customer service for two years"
- B. "Resolved over 200 customer queries per month, improving satisfaction scores by 15%" ✓
- C. "Responsible for many customer service duties"
- D. "Excellent communication and teamwork skills"
Answer: "Resolved over 200 customer queries per month, improving satisfaction scores by 15%"
Correct. This exact sentence is quoted in paragraph 2 as the improved, measurable version. The other options are all examples of the vague style the text criticises.
5. What was Sara's third mistake, according to the text?
- A. Sending the exact same generic CV to every company ✓
- B. Including too many references
- C. Writing her CV in the wrong language
- D. Applying to too many companies at once
Answer: Sending the exact same generic CV to every company
Correct. The text names this directly and explains the fix: reordering the skills section "for each application." References and language are never mentioned.
6. What personal information did Sara remove from her CV?
- A. Her email address and phone number
- B. Her photo, age, and marital status ✓
- C. Her previous job titles
- D. Her educational qualifications
Answer: Her photo, age, and marital status
Correct. The text states she "removed her photo, age, and marital status." Contact details, job titles, and qualifications are never described as removed.
7. What is the writer's main conclusion about what makes a CV effective?
- A. A CV's length matters more than anything else
- B. A CV's clarity and specific achievements matter far more than its length ✓
- C. A CV should always include a professional photo
- D. Recruiters mainly judge candidates by their references
Answer: A CV's clarity and specific achievements matter far more than its length
Correct. The final sentence states this directly: "proof that a CV's clarity matters far more than its length." The text explicitly says photos are often removed, contradicting the photo option — this question tests the overall conclusion, not one fact.

Exercise 2: Vocabulary in Context

1. A _____ is a person whose job is to find and hire new employees for a company.
- A. recruiter ✓
- B. achievement
- C. generic
- D. vague
Answer: recruiter
A recruiter is the professional who reviews CVs and hires candidates — the same person who reviewed Sara's CV in the passage.
2. Try to avoid _____ statements in an interview — give specific examples instead.
- A. vague ✓
- B. recruiter
- C. proofread
- D. achievement
Answer: vague
Vague means unclear or not specific — exactly the problem with Sara's phrase "responsible for customer service."
3. Winning the regional sales award was her proudest professional _____.
- A. achievement ✓
- B. generic
- C. vague
- D. proofread
Answer: achievement

CV Tips That Get You Interviews: B1 Reading — with Answers

Why had Sara not received any interviews from her forty applications?

Keep practising

A Town That Lives in One Building (B1 Reading)

City Rooftop Gardens

How LED Lights Can Save Sea Turtles' Lives (B1 Reading)

Stranded in Space for 9 Months: B1 English Reading

About this reading

More B1 English Practice

The Ig Nobel Prizes: Science That Makes You Laugh, Then Think (B1 Reading)

Unusual and Wonderful Jobs: The People Who Do What You Won't (B1 Reading)

Reading Comprehension Questions & Answers

Exercise 1: Reading Comprehension

Exercise 2: Vocabulary in Context

Comparatives and Superlatives: Extreme World Records – Grammar B1

Gerunds vs Infinitives: The Path to Success – B1 Grammar Exercises

Listening: The History of Saudi Arabia – B1 English Listening Comprehension

Modals of Obligation and Prohibition: Rules at Work – Grammar B1