Reading - Signs & Notices
B1
Cambridge English B1 Exam
Look at the text of each sign. What does it suggest? Select the option that best captures the meaning of the sign.
Library Rules: Permission & Prohibition
Sign 1
Silence, please. Phones must be on silent mode, and calls aren’t permitted inside the reading room.
What does this sign suggest?
Phones must be on silent mode, so calls are permitted inside the reading room.
You should only make short calls in the reading room if you speak quietly.
You have to keep your phone quiet and you cannot make calls in the reading room.
Sign 2
Library computers: You may use them for 30 minutes. After that, you must book a time slot.
What does this notice say?
You should avoid using the computers unless you have already booked online.
You may use them for 30 minutes only if you book a time slot first.
You can use a computer for half an hour, but you need to reserve it if you want longer.
Sign 3
Food and hot drinks are not allowed near the shelves. Water bottles are permitted at study tables only.
What does the text say?
You must keep snacks and hot drinks away from the book area, but you can drink water only at the study desks.
Food and hot drinks are not allowed near the shelves, so water bottles are permitted near the shelves too.
You should only eat in the library café, but hot drinks are allowed at study tables.
Sign 4
Borrowing desk closes at 6 p.m. Returns can be made through the outdoor box at any time.
What does this notice suggest?
You can bring books back whenever you want using the outside return box, even after the desk is shut.
Borrowing desk closes at 6 p.m., so returns can only be made at 6 p.m.
You should return all books before 6 p.m. because the library closes at that time.
Sign 5
Children under 14 must be with an adult in the library after 5 p.m. No exceptions.
What does this sign suggest?
Children under 14 must be with an adult after 5 p.m., so adults cannot enter after 5 p.m.
After 5 p.m., anyone younger than 14 has to stay with an adult inside the library.
Children under 14 should come earlier than 5 p.m. because the library is too busy later.
About Reading Signs & Notices — Cambridge English B1
This Cambridge English B1 Reading Signs & Notices exercise shows short public messages — signs, labels, emails and notes. For each one, choose the option that best explains its meaning.
It tests your understanding of everyday English and the real purpose behind short, functional messages you meet in daily life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Reading Signs & Notices?
You read a short message such as a sign, label or note and choose the option that best explains what it means or wants you to do.
What does it test?
Understanding the purpose and meaning of short, real-world English messages.
Any tips for Signs & Notices?
Ask yourself who wrote the message and why — the correct option matches its real purpose, not just individual words in it.
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What to do
This part of the reading test consists of five images with messages. Each image has 3 possible answer options. What does the notice say?
Read the notices and messages first. Don’t look at the choices until you understand the texts.
Compare each option with the text before choosing your answer. Remember that the wrong, answers might seem to be correct at first, so it is important to read the chosen option again to check that the meanings match.
Strategy
- Read the text and decide what situation it could appear in.
- Look at the images, the design often suggests the correct answer.
- Read the three options.
- Compare each option with the text before choosing an answer.
- Read the chosen option again to be sure it is a right answer.