A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Helping Hands at School 5
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Helping Hands at School
Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Helping friends to talk
Fourteen-year-old Mia writes about a special job she does at her school.
Fourteen-year-old Mia wanted to make her school a better place. Last term, she did a short course to become a 'peer mediator'. This means she helps students when they are angry with each other. When classmates have an argument, they go to a special quiet room with Mia. There, she helps them talk about their problems calmly and find a good answer together.
Usually, Mia works with younger students that she doesn't know. But last week, she had a difficult problem. Two of her best friends, Lily and Chloe, had a terrible fight. They were very angry and stopped speaking to each other completely. Their teacher asked Mia to have a meeting with them in the quiet room.
Mia felt very nervous before the girls arrived. It is usually easy for her to listen to strangers, but it is really hard when you know the people well. During the meeting, she didn't want to choose one friend and make the other girl feel sad. She knew she had to remember her training and just do her job.
When the meeting started, Mia didn't take sides. She just asked her friends careful questions and made sure they listened to each other respectfully. Slowly, Lily and Chloe started to understand the problem. They finally said sorry and smiled again.
Now, the three girls are great friends again and spend time together every day. Mia feels very proud that she saved their friendship. Because the meeting was a success, she is planning to write an article for the school magazine next month to tell other pupils about her important work.
14 What does Mia do as a 'peer mediator'?
A She teaches angry students how to be quiet.
B She helps students who are having an argument.
C She helps her teachers to give a short course.
15 What happened last week?
A Mia had a bad argument with her two best friends.
B A teacher asked Mia to speak to Lily and Chloe.
C Mia worked with some younger students she didn't know.
16 Why was the meeting difficult for Mia?
A She didn't want to make one of her friends unhappy.
B She forgot the things she learned on her short course.
C She usually doesn't like speaking to strangers.
17 How did Mia help Lily and Chloe during the meeting?
A She decided which of the two girls was right.
B She told the girls to smile and say sorry immediately.
C She got the girls to listen to what the other person was saying.
18 What is Mia planning to do next month?
A spend more time with her friends after school
B start a special club to help pupils in her school
C write something for other students to read
Answer Key & Explanations
14 B - Explanation: In the first paragraph, the text says "she helps students when they are angry with each other" and when they "have an argument". Option B perfectly paraphrases this. Option A uses wrong logic; they go to a quiet room, but she doesn't teach them to be quiet. Option C is a wrong reference; she did a short course, she doesn't help teachers give one.
15 B - Explanation: In the second paragraph, the text states, "Their teacher asked Mia to have a meeting with them". Option B matches this fact. Option A is a partial truth; there was a terrible fight, but it was between Lily and Chloe, not with Mia. Option C is a wrong reference; working with younger students she doesn't know is what she "usually" does, not what happened last week.
16 A - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Mia was nervous because "she didn't want to choose one friend and make the other girl feel sad." Option A correctly paraphrases "sad" as "unhappy". Option B is wrong logic; the text says she "had to remember her training", not that she forgot it. Option C uses wrong logic; the text says it is actually "easy for her to listen to strangers", not difficult.
17 C - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, the text explains that Mia "made sure they listened to each other". Option C correctly paraphrases this action. Option A is wrong logic; the text specifically says Mia "didn't take sides", which means she didn't decide who was right. Option B is wrong logic; the girls said sorry and smiled "slowly" and "finally" on their own, Mia didn't order them to do it immediately.
18 C - Explanation: In the final paragraph, the text states she is planning to "write an article for the school magazine next month to tell other pupils". Option C is correct because an article in a magazine is something for others to read. Option A is a wrong reference; she already spends time with them every day now, it is not her special plan for next month. Option B is a wrong reference; she wants to write an article, not start a club.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A mountain of books
13-year-old Noah writes about collecting things for charity.
My name is Noah and I am 13 years old. Last month, I wanted to do something special for a children's hospital in my town. I really love reading, and I know that books can make people feel happy. So, I asked the students at my school to bring in old books that they had already read. My plan was to give all these books to the sick children.
I put a large box in the school hall for the books. I thought that maybe I would get twenty or thirty of them. However, when I checked the box the next day, I was completely surprised. The students brought 200 books in just one day! Everyone wanted to help the hospital. I felt very pleased, but then I had a big problem.
At the end of the school day, I had to take all the books to my mother's car. She was waiting for me outside. I put the books into three big boxes. But 200 books are very heavy! I tried to lift the first box, but I couldn't move it. I was alone in the hall and I didn't know what to do.
Suddenly, some older boys from the school sports team walked into the hall. They saw me and asked what was wrong. When I explained my problem, they laughed and said it was easy for them. They picked up the heavy boxes and carried them outside to my mother's car.
When we arrived at the hospital, the nurses and the children were so excited to get the books. I am very glad that I did this project. Next year, I am going to organize another book collection, but I will definitely ask some strong friends to help me carry everything!
14 Why did Noah ask the students for their old books?
A to share his favourite stories with his classmates
B to give them to some sick children in his town
C to help his school buy some new reading books
15 What happened when Noah checked the box in the hall?
A He was surprised because there were so many books in it.
B He was pleased because twenty or thirty people brought a book.
C He was sad because he had to wait a whole day to fill it.
16 What was Noah's problem at the end of the day?
A He couldn't find his mother's car outside the school.
B He didn't have enough boxes for all the books.
C The things he needed to move were much too heavy.
17 How did the older boys help Noah?
A They put all the heavy books into three large boxes.
B They took the boxes out to his mother's car for him.
C They walked with him to the local children's hospital.
18 What is Noah planning to do next year?
A read some exciting books with his strong friends
B ask some people to help him move the collected books
C ask the hospital nurses to help him carry the boxes
Answer Key & Explanations
14 B - Explanation: In Paragraph 1, Noah explains his plan was "to give all these books to the sick children" at the hospital in his town. Option B is a simple paraphrase of this. Option A is a wrong logic trap; he wanted to collect books from the students, not share his own stories with them. Option C is a wrong reference trap; the books are for the hospital, not to help the school buy anything.
15 A - Explanation: In Paragraph 2, Noah states that he was "completely surprised" because the students "brought 200 books". Option A perfectly matches this meaning. Option B is a partial truth trap; "twenty or thirty" was the number of books he thought he would get, not the number of people who brought them. Option C is wrong logic; the box filled up in "just one day", which made him happy, not sad.
16 C - Explanation: In Paragraph 3, Noah explains his problem: "200 books are very heavy" and he "couldn't move" the box. Option C captures this issue accurately. Option A is a partial truth trap; his mother's car was outside, but he knew where it was (she was waiting for him). Option B is wrong logic; he says "I put the books into three big boxes," so he did have enough boxes.
17 B - Explanation: In Paragraph 4, the older boys "picked up the heavy boxes and carried them outside to my mother's car." Option B correctly describes this action. Option A is a wrong reference trap; Noah put the books into the boxes by himself in Paragraph 3, the boys just carried them. Option C is a partial truth trap; they helped him at the school, but the text doesn't say they went to the hospital with him.
18 B - Explanation: This question tests the final paragraph. Noah states his future plan: "Next year... I will definitely ask some strong friends to help me carry everything!" Option B matches this detail perfectly. Option A is a wrong logic trap; he mentions books and friends, but he wants them to help him carry things, not read with him. Option C is a wrong reference trap; the nurses were at the hospital, but he plans to ask his friends for help, not the nurses.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Winter Project
How Olivia and her classmates helped local families.
Fifteen-year-old Olivia enjoys helping others. Last month, her teacher asked her class to do a special winter project. They decided to make care boxes for families in their town who didn't have enough money. The students asked everyone in the school to bring useful things. Soon, they had lots of dry food like pasta and biscuits. They also collected warm winter clothes, especially thick socks.
On Saturday morning, all the students met in the large school hall to pack the boxes. Everyone felt very excited to help. They put the huge pile of food and clothes on the tables. The teachers brought twenty empty cardboard boxes from the school kitchen. Olivia and her best friend started putting the pasta, biscuits, and socks inside them very carefully.
However, after just two hours, the class had a big problem. The students brought so much amazing food that they quickly filled all the twenty boxes. Halfway through the morning, there were exactly zero empty boxes left, but there was still a lot of food sitting on the tables. The teacher felt worried because the school didn't have any more boxes to use, and they didn't have money to buy new ones.
Olivia suddenly had a clever idea. She ran to the large supermarket on the next street. She found the manager, explained their school winter project, and asked if the shop had any old boxes. The manager was very kind. He immediately gave Olivia lots of empty cardboard boxes for free. Olivia carried them all back to the school hall. Because of her quick trip, the class finished the important job, and Olivia felt incredibly pleased with their hard work.
14 What was the aim of the winter project?
A to provide some food and clothes for local families
B to give some money to people in their town
C to cook warm meals for the rest of the school
15 Where did the first cardboard boxes come from?
A a room inside the school
B the large school hall
C Olivia's best friend
16 What problem did the class have?
A They needed more things to put the food in.
B They didn't have enough food to fill the boxes.
C The teachers forgot to bring the twenty boxes.
17 How did the supermarket manager help Olivia?
A He let her take some boxes without paying.
B He helped her carry the boxes back to the school.
C He gave her some extra food for the school project.
18 How did Olivia feel at the end of the morning?
A very happy that they completed the project
B tired after her quick trip to the supermarket
C surprised that the class worked so hard
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The text states the class wanted to help families by collecting "dry food like pasta" and "warm winter clothes", which matches providing food and clothes for local families. Option B is wrong logic; the text says the families "didn't have enough money", but the students didn't give them money. Option C uses wrong reference; they collected "dry food", they didn't cook warm meals for the school.
15 A - Explanation: The text says the teachers brought the boxes "from the school kitchen", which matches a room inside the school. Option B uses wrong logic; the students met in the school hall to pack the boxes, but the boxes didn't come from there. Option C is wrong reference; Olivia's best friend helped put the food inside, she didn't bring the boxes.
16 A - Explanation: The text explains that they quickly filled all twenty boxes and "there were exactly zero empty boxes left", which means they needed more things to put the food in. Option B is wrong logic; they had "so much amazing food", they didn't have too little. Option C is a partial truth; the teachers brought twenty boxes, but they didn't forget them.
17 A - Explanation: The text says the manager "immediately gave Olivia lots of empty cardboard boxes for free", which matches letting her take them without paying. Option B uses wrong reference; the text says Olivia carried them all back, not the manager. Option C is wrong logic; he gave her empty boxes, he didn't give her extra food.
18 A - Explanation: The final paragraph says that because they "finished the important job", Olivia felt "incredibly pleased with their hard work", which matches feeling very happy that they completed the project. Option B is a partial truth; she made a "quick trip", but the text never says she felt tired. Option C uses wrong logic; she was pleased with the hard work, she wasn't surprised by it.