Download this free B2–C1 English worksheet PDF for adult learners and English teachers. This lesson is based on a recent Guardian piece about practical competence, domestic responsibilities and whether young people are being properly prepared for independent adult life.
Students practise reading comprehension, useful vocabulary, phrase matching and speaking skills through a real-world education and lifestyle topic about academic achievement, household competence, personal finance, cooking, resilience, autonomy and responsibility. The worksheet is suitable for private English lessons, online classes, advanced conversation practice and homework before a discussion lesson.
The article argues that some families prioritise academic credentials, sport, music and organised activities, leaving children little opportunity to take on routine domestic responsibilities. Students read that young adults may reach university unable to shop for food, cook from scratch, wash bedding or clean a bathroom.
This worksheet encourages learners to discuss what independence actually requires. Students consider whether protective parenting can unintentionally make young people less capable, whether schools should teach more practical education, and whether everyday competence deserves as much attention as academic achievement.
The article also explores the role of modern convenience. Students read that teenagers can fall back on food delivery, digital banking and parental help, while practical knowledge can disappear when adults do not have time to hand down everyday skills. The lesson asks whether independence means doing everything yourself or knowing when to seek help.
The PDF includes a B2–C1 reading article, True / False questions, Phrase Match, Synonym Match, a task where students use new language, discussion questions and a full answer key. It helps learners discuss autonomy, resilience, domestic competence, transferable skills, social class, personal responsibility and how everyday abilities are developed through repetition and experience.
Level: B2–C1
Date: 16 September 2026
Focus: reading, vocabulary, life skills, independence, domestic competence and speaking
This free worksheet includes:
- a B2–C1 reading text about practical life skills and independence
- True / False comprehension questions
- Phrase Match practice with useful expressions
- Synonym Match vocabulary practice
- a sentence-writing task using new language
- discussion questions for Student A and Student B
- full answer key
The worksheet includes useful phrases such as take on, head off to, stand on their own two feet, fall back on, pick up, hand down, keep on top of, figure out, make do with and take care of. It also practises vocabulary such as credentials, prioritise, domestic, mundane, undermine, proficiency, autonomy, confined, transferable and resilience.
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