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Reading Worksheet

One Day of Invisibility

B1 Second Conditional: Imaginative Scenarios Imagination and Ethics 25 minutes
Before You Read

Discuss these questions with a partner before you read.

  • If you could have any superpower for one day, what would you choose?
  • Do you think people behave differently when no one is watching them? Give an example.
  • Is it ever acceptable to listen to a private conversation? When?
  • What does it mean to have 'good values'?
Key Vocabulary
Word Definition Example
invisible (adj.) impossible to see; not visible to others The ink was invisible until you held the paper under a special light.
colleague (n.) a person you work with, especially in a professional setting She had lunch with her colleagues every Friday.
ethics (n.) the study of what is morally right and wrong; a set of moral principles The company's ethics were questionable — they seemed more interested in profit than in people.
observe (v.) to watch something or someone carefully, often without being noticed The scientist sat quietly at the back of the room to observe the children's behaviour.
moral (adj.) relating to questions of right and wrong behaviour; based on personal principles She faced a moral dilemma: she had found the money, but she knew it belonged to someone else.
values (n.) the beliefs and principles that guide a person's behaviour and decisions He was raised with strong values — he believed honesty and kindness mattered more than money.
Reading Text
Blog Post ~285 words

One Day of Invisibility

A popular blog recently asked its readers: "If you were invisible for a day, what would you do?" Five people wrote in. Their answers were surprising — and not everyone would use invisibility for good reasons.

Mia, a teacher, would use the day to learn the truth. "If I were invisible, I would sit in on the meetings I'm never invited to," she says. "I would finally find out what my colleagues really think about my lessons. I think the truth would be useful, even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear."

James, a journalist, would follow a politician for a day. "If I were invisible, I would see things that the public never gets to see," he explains. "I would observe private conversations, and I would report honestly on what I found."

Layla, 16, has simpler plans. "I would go to every concert and film premiere for free," she says. "I wouldn't do anything wrong — I would just watch. If I were invisible, no one would stop me."

Andre, a philosopher, asks a harder question. "If you were invisible, would you behave the same way? If nobody could see you, what would that tell us about your real values?" He argues that real moral character is shown when no one is watching.

Priya, a nurse, would use the day very differently. "If I were invisible, I would walk around the city without anyone stopping me to talk," she says. "I would rest completely. After years of caring for others, one quiet day would feel like a gift."

The blog ends with Andre's question for its readers: "If you had this power, who would you really be?"

Notice the Grammar

Read Mia's response. She says 'If I were invisible, I would sit in on the meetings...' Why does she use 'were' instead of 'was'? Find two more examples in the article where someone uses 'if I were'. Is invisibility a real or imaginary situation? How does the grammar show this?

1 Reading for Gist

Answer these questions in a few words.

  1. What question did the blog ask its readers?
  2. How many people responded, and what does the blog say about their answers?
  3. What philosophical question does the blog end with?
2 Reading for Detail

Write short answers to these questions.

  1. What specific information does Mia want to find out from the meetings she would attend?
  2. What would James do with what he observed?
  3. Why does Layla say she 'wouldn't do anything wrong'?
  4. Why would Priya choose to use her invisible day differently from the others?  a) She would use it to spy on her patients. b) She would use it to rest and have a quiet day alone. c) She would use it to travel to another city. 
  5. What does Andre suggest about people's behaviour when no one is watching?
3 True, False, or Not Given

Write T (True), F (False), or NG (Not Given).

  1. Mia is a journalist.
  2. James says he would report honestly on what he observed.
  3. Layla has visited concerts before without paying.
  4. Andre raises a question about what invisibility would reveal about a person's character.
  5. Priya would use her invisible day to travel abroad.
4 Vocabulary in Context

Answer these questions about words from the article.

  1. Andre asks what invisibility would tell us about a person's 'real values'. What does this suggest?  a) That people's values are always the same, whether or not they are being watched. b) That people may behave differently in public from how they behave when alone. c) That values are not important in everyday life. 
  2. James says he would 'observe private conversations'. Why is the word 'observe' more appropriate here than 'listen to'?
  3. Find a word in the article that means 'relating to questions of right and wrong'. 
  4. The article says Mia thinks 'the truth would be useful, even if it wasn't what she wanted to hear'. What does this tell you about Mia's character? Use your own words.
5 Grammar in Context

Complete these activities about the second conditional.

  1. Find five second conditional sentences from the article. Write them.
    a)  b)  c)  d)  e) 
  2. Andre asks: 'If nobody could see you, what would that tell us about your real values?' What is the philosophical point he is making?
  3. The blog uses second conditional (not first conditional) for these scenarios. Why?  a) Because the writers have already decided what they will do. b) Because becoming invisible is an imaginary, impossible situation. c) Because they are describing past events. 
  4. Rewrite as second conditional. (a) 'Mia is visible, so she can't sit in on private meetings.' → 'If Mia _____ invisible, she _____ (sit) in on private meetings.' (b) 'James can't follow the politician because he is visible.' → 'If James _____ invisible, he _____ (follow) the politician.' Write complete sentences.
  5. Write three second conditional sentences: What would you do if you were invisible for a day? Include one thing you would NOT do.
Personal Response — Discuss with a partner

Discuss with a partner. Share one idea with the class.

  1. Do you agree with Andre that our behaviour when no one is watching reveals our true values? Give an example.
  2. Which of the five people in the article do you think would use their invisible day most ethically? Why?
  3. If you were invisible for a day, would you tell anyone what you had done? Why or why not?

Answer Key

One Day of Invisibility — B1 — Second Conditional: Imaginative Scenarios

Exercise 1 — Reading for Gist

  1. What would you do if you were invisible for a day?
  2. Five people responded. Their answers were surprising, and not everyone would use invisibility for good reasons.
  3. 'If you had this power, who would you really be?'

Exercise 2 — Reading for Detail

  1. What her colleagues really think about her lessons.
  2. He would report honestly on what he found.
  3. Because she would just watch — go to concerts and premieres without paying or participating, but not harm anyone.
  4. b)
  5. He suggests that real moral character is revealed when there are no social consequences — it shows a person's true values.

Exercise 3 — True, False, or Not Given

  1. F — Mia is a teacher. James is the journalist.
  2. T — James says: 'I would report honestly on what I found.'
  3. NG — The article does not say whether Layla has done this before — it is a hypothetical.
  4. T — Andre asks: 'If nobody could see you, what would that tell us about your real values?'
  5. F — Priya says she would walk around the city and rest completely — not travel abroad.

Exercise 4 — Vocabulary in Context

  1. b)
  2. 'Observe' suggests watching and taking in everything carefully and silently, like a researcher or journalist. It implies James would be assessing and analysing, not just casually listening.
  3. moral
  4. It shows that Mia is honest and self-aware. She values the truth over comfort, even if it means hearing criticism. She is more interested in improving herself than in simply feeling good.

Exercise 5 — Grammar in Context

  1. Any five sentences with 'if + past simple, would + infinitive'. For example: 'If I were invisible, I would sit in on the meetings I'm never invited to.' / 'If I were invisible, I would see things that the public never gets to see.' / 'If I were invisible, no one would stop me.' / 'If you were invisible, would you behave the same way?' / 'If nobody could see you, what would that tell us about your real values?' / 'If I were invisible, I would walk around the city without anyone stopping me.' / 'If you had this power, who would you really be?'
  2. He is suggesting that if there were no social consequences — no one watching or judging — people's true character would be revealed. The second conditional here explores a hypothetical that exposes what people really value, independent of what others think of them.
  3. b)
  4. (a) If Mia were invisible, she would sit in on private meetings. (b) If James were invisible, he would follow the politician.
  5. Answers will vary. Answers will vary. Check: If I were... I would/wouldn't... Note: 'If I were' is the more formal and grammatically tradit

Notice the Grammar — suggested answers

Accept any five correct examples from the article that use the target grammar. Students should be able to explain why the grammar is used in each case.

Personal Response

Answers will vary. This section is for spoken discussion or short written response. There are no single correct answers.