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CBT Reading Comprehension Lab • Empower B1 Unit 3
10 Diagnostic Questions • CEFR B1 Calibrated • Narrative Tenses Focus
Score: 0 / 10 (0%)

Lost in the Wadi: A Desert Journey

ضائع في الوادي: رحلة في الصحراء
📖 442 Words • Est. Reading Time: 5–6 minutes • CEFR B1
💡 Tip: Hover over underlined words to see their definitions. Look for how the text uses Past Simple and Past Continuous together.

Paragraph 1Last October, three friends — Rayan, Saad, and their English teacher Ms. Harper — set off on a four-day camping expedition into the Al-Hijaz mountain range. They had planned every detail of their itinerary carefully: campsites, routes, emergency contacts, and food supplies. Their destination was a remote waterfall deep in a valley that Rayan had read about in an old guidebook. It was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and everything started perfectly. The sky was clear, the air was crisp, and the three explorers were full of energy as they loaded their backpacks and set off at dawn.

Paragraph 2On the second afternoon, while they were climbing a steep ridge, a thick cloud of dust appeared from nowhere. Suddenly, a powerful sandstorm swept through the valley. The wind was howling so fiercely that they couldn't see further than two metres in front of them. Rayan was holding the map, but the wind tore it from his hands before he could fold it away. Meanwhile, Saad was trying to secure the tent pegs to prevent the shelter from blowing away completely. By the time the storm had passed, they had lost their route markers and had no idea which direction led back to the main trail.

Paragraph 3For two difficult hours, they wandered cautiously through the silent landscape, searching for any recognisable landmark. Unfortunately, the unfamiliar terrain offered no obvious paths. To make matters worse, they discovered they were running low on water. Rayan remembered reading that water was usually found at the bottom of a valley, so they carefully headed for the lowest ground they could find. As they were descending, Saad noticed the sound of running water growing louder — and eventually, they discovered a shallow stream hidden beneath a canopy of desert palms.

Paragraph 4They made camp beside the stream and Ms. Harper used her emergency GPS beacon to send a signal to the park rangers. While they were waiting to be rescued, she kept everyone calm by teaching them basic navigation using the position of stars and the angle of shadows. Rayan and Saad later admitted that they had never felt so relieved as when they finally saw the lights of the rangers' vehicle approaching across the arid plain. The journey back to the trailhead took three hours, but it felt much shorter because they were all talking and laughing about the incident.

Paragraph 5Fortunately, all three returned home safely, with no serious injuries and a collection of unforgettable stories. The experience had been breathtaking, terrifying, and ultimately deeply satisfying. Back home, as Rayan was writing up his travel blog that evening, he smiled to himself. Despite everything that had gone wrong, the desert had been the most extraordinary classroom he had ever attended — one that had taught him more about teamwork, resilience, and navigation than any lesson ever could. He could not recommend the Al-Hijaz mountains enough, but next time, he decided, he would keep the map safely inside a waterproof bag.

Question 1 of 10 • Gist / Main Idea
1. What was the main purpose of the three friends' expedition?
Question 2 of 10 • Detail
2. What happened to the map during the sandstorm?
Question 3 of 10 • Detail / Past Continuous
3. While the sandstorm was raging, what was Saad doing?
Question 4 of 10 • Inference / Cause & Effect
4. Why did the group decide to head towards lower ground?
Question 5 of 10 • Detail
5. What did Ms. Harper teach the boys while they were waiting for rescue?
Question 6 of 10 • Vocabulary in Context
6. The word 'relieved' in paragraph 4 most closely means:
Question 7 of 10 • Inference / Tone
7. Which statement best describes how the friends felt when the storm ended?
Question 8 of 10 • Author's Attitude / Tone
8. What tone does the final paragraph convey about the whole experience?
Question 9 of 10 • Detail
9. According to the passage, what is the ONE thing Rayan said he would do differently next time?
Question 10 of 10 • Grammar Awareness (Meta-Linguistic)
10. Which narrative tense combination best describes what happens in paragraph 2?