Helping Hands – B1 Reading | EnglishRefresher

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B1 🤝 Social English 📖 Reading

Helping Hands

A story about asking for and offering help — and the friendships that grow from it.

⏱️ 10–15 min

📝 5 questions

📚 8 vocabulary items

🎯 Polite requests

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Vocabulary Preview

Learn these 8 key words and phrases before you read

move in phrasal v.

To start living in a new place.

She moved in to her new apartment on Saturday.

give (someone) a hand idiom

To help someone with a task.

Could you give me a hand with these boxes?

carry (sth) up/down phrasal v.

To lift and move something up or down stairs or a slope.

We had to carry the sofa up three flights of stairs.

appreciate verb

To feel or show gratitude for something.

I really appreciate your help today.

let me grab (someone) informal

To go and get someone quickly to help or join you.

Let me grab my brother — he can help us move the table.

set up phrasal v.

To arrange, install, or prepare something so it is ready to use.

Can you help me set up the Wi-Fi router?

no worries informal

Used to say that something is not a problem; don't worry about it.

"Sorry I'm late!" — "No worries, we just started."

by the way discourse marker

Used to introduce a new topic or add extra information.

By the way, did you hear about the new café on Main Street?

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Reading Passage

Read carefully — hover over highlighted words to see their meaning

Helping Hands ~280 words · B1 level

Lena had just moved in to a new apartment. She was excited, but she had a big problem — her sofa was too heavy to carry up the stairs alone. She looked around the building and saw her neighbor, Tom, unlocking his door.

Lena "Excuse me, would you mind giving me a hand with my sofa?"

Tom "Of course! Let me grab my friend Jake. It'll be easier with three people."

A few minutes later, the three of them worked together to carry the sofa upstairs.

Lena "Thanks so much! I really appreciate it."

Jake "No problem at all. If you ever need anything, just let us know."

The next day, Lena wanted to thank them. She baked some cookies and knocked on Tom's door.

Lena "Hey, I just wanted to say thanks again for your help yesterday. Would you like some cookies?"

Tom "That's really kind of you! By the way, do you need any help setting up your Wi-Fi? I had trouble with mine at first."

Lena "Oh, actually, yes! I can't seem to connect my laptop."

Tom "No worries, I'll show you how to fix it."

By the end of the day, Lena had a working internet connection and two new friends.

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Comprehension Questions

Choose the best answer for each question

Question 1 of 5

What problem does Lena have at the beginning of the story?

A She cannot find her new apartment.

B Her sofa is too heavy to carry upstairs alone.

C Her Wi-Fi is not working.

D She does not know any of her neighbors.

Question 2 of 5

How does Tom help Lena with the sofa?

A He carries it alone while Lena watches.

B He calls a moving company for her.

C He gets his friend Jake so they can carry it together.

D He asks the building manager for help.

Question 3 of 5

What does Lena do to thank her neighbors the next day?

A She bakes cookies and brings them to Tom's door.

B She invites them to a restaurant for dinner.

C She writes them a thank-you card.

D She helps them carry their furniture.

Question 4 of 5

What offer does Tom make when Lena visits him?

A He offers to lend her his laptop.

B He offers to cook dinner for her.

C He offers to introduce her to more neighbors.

D He offers to help her set up her Wi-Fi.

Question 5 of 5

How does Lena benefit from asking for help?

A She gets a discount on her apartment rent.

B She gets working internet and makes two new friends.

C She learns how to carry heavy furniture safely.

D She finds a job through her new neighbors.

Score: – / 5

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Discussion Task

Practice using real-world English phrases

🤔 Think about a time when you asked for or offered help.
Write a short paragraph (4–5 sentences) about what happened. Use at least two of the phrases below in your writing.

Click a phrase to insert it ↓

Could you help me with…? Would you like me to…? I'd be happy to… I appreciate it, but… Would you mind…? No worries at all!

0 words

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Grammar Focus

Key structures for making polite requests and offers

Making Polite Requests

In the story, Lena uses polite language to ask for help. In English, we use modal verbs to make requests sound more polite and less direct.

Would you mind + verb-ing …?
Could you + base verb …?
Would you + base verb …?
Can you + base verb …? (more informal)

Phrase	Example	Formality
Would you mind…?	"Would you mind giving me a hand?"	Formal / Polite
Could you…?	"Could you carry this upstairs?"	Neutral / Polite
Would you…?	"Would you like some cookies?"	Polite / Friendly
Can you…?	"Can you help me with this?"	Informal

💡 Tip: "Would you mind…?" is followed by a verb ending in -ing, not the base form. ✅ "Would you mind helping?" ❌ "Would you mind help?"

Making Offers

Tom and Jake use natural English phrases to offer help. These structures are essential for everyday social English.

Would you like + noun / to + verb …?
Shall I + base verb …?
I'll + base verb … (confident offer)
Let me + base verb … (informal offer)

Phrase	Example from Story	Use
Let me + verb	"Let me grab my friend Jake."	Informal, immediate offer
I'll + verb	"I'll show you how to fix it."	Confident, direct offer
Would you like…?	"Would you like some cookies?"	Polite offer of something
If you need…	"If you ever need anything, just let us know."	Open, standing offer

💡 Tip: "Would you like some cookies?" is an offer. "Would you like to have some cookies?" is also correct — both are natural.

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each sentence with the correct word or phrase. Press Check when you're done.

✏️ Exercise — Polite Requests & Offers

1. "Excuse me, helping me with my bags?"

2. "No worries, carry them upstairs for you."

3. "By the way, some tea while you wait?"

4. "I really your help today — thank you so much."

5. "Let me the Wi-Fi for you — it only takes a minute."

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Answer Key

Model answers for comprehension questions

🔑 Comprehension — Model Answers

Try the questions yourself before checking here!