A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Travel with Purpose 5
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Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
How to be a good tourist
Travelling to other countries is great, but we must be polite!
Fifteen-year-old Xena loves travelling with her parents and exploring new places. She also writes a popular travel blog for other teenagers. In her newest blog post, she writes about how to be a good tourist. She strongly believes that it is very important to respect local people and their customs when you visit a foreign country. Tourists shouldn't just think about taking photos of famous buildings.
Xena says that all visitors should try to learn a few simple words in the local language. You do not need to speak it perfectly, but it is always polite to know how to say "hello," "please," and "thank you." When Xena went on holiday to Italy last summer, she always tried to speak Italian in the small shops. The local shop assistants smiled and were very kind to her because she tried her best.
However, Xena writes that some local rules can be quite difficult to understand. For example, giving extra money to waiters in cafes or restaurants, which is called tipping, is completely different everywhere. In some countries, waiters are very happy when you leave a tip on the table after a meal. But in other places, people might actually feel angry if you try to give them extra money. This can be very confusing for visitors!
To solve these problems, Xena has some great advice for anyone who is planning a trip. She thinks that all tourists should read a guidebook about a country's culture before they get on the airplane. If you learn how people live before you travel, you will have a much better holiday, and you will make lots of great new friends!
14 What does Xena think tourists should do?
A respect the way local people live
B take more photos of famous buildings
C write a popular travel blog about their trip
15 What does Xena say about using the local language?
A You have to speak it perfectly in the shops.
B It is a good idea to know some polite words.
C Shop assistants usually prefer to speak English.
16 Why can giving extra money to waiters be a confusing topic?
A Meals in cafes and restaurants are often very expensive.
B Waiters always get angry when visitors leave a tip.
C The rules about doing this change depending on the country.
17 What is Xena's advice for people planning a holiday?
A They should buy a guidebook at the airport.
B They should learn about a place before they go.
C They should travel with some new friends.
18 What is Xena doing in this blog post?
A explaining how to get cheap airplane tickets
B describing her favourite holiday in Italy
C telling people how to behave well on holiday
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because Xena believes it is important to "respect local people and their customs" (the way they live). Option B is wrong logic; the text says tourists "shouldn't just think about taking photos". Option C is wrong reference; Xena writes a travel blog, but she isn't telling tourists to do this.
15 B - Explanation: The correct answer is B because Xena says visitors should learn "simple words" and it is polite to know how to say things like "hello," "please," and "thank you." Option A is wrong logic; the text explicitly states "You do not need to speak it perfectly". Option C is not in the text; Xena spoke Italian to the assistants, not English.
16 C - Explanation: The correct answer is C because the text states that tipping is "completely different everywhere" (rules change depending on the country). Option A is not in the text; food prices are not mentioned. Option B is a partial truth trap; in some places people might feel angry, but waiters do not always get angry (in some countries, they are very happy).
17 B - Explanation: The correct answer is B because Xena advises tourists to read a guidebook "before they get on the airplane" and "learn how people live before you travel." Option A is a partial truth; she talks about guidebooks and airplanes, but she doesn't say to buy one at the airport. Option C is wrong logic; the text says you will make new friends on your trip, not travel with them.
18 C - Explanation: The correct answer is C because the whole text is an opinion piece giving advice on "how to be a good tourist" (behaving well). Option A is wrong because airplane tickets are never mentioned. Option B is a partial truth; she mentions her holiday in Italy as an example of speaking the language, but it is not the main purpose of the blog post.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A special meal in Spain
Sixteen-year-old Yara writes about a trip with her school.
Hi, I’m Yara, and I’m 16 years old. Last month, I went on an amazing school trip to Spain with my classmates. We didn't stay in a big hotel on this trip. Instead, we slept in the homes of local people so we could practise speaking Spanish every day. I stayed with a very friendly host family in a quiet town, and they had a daughter who was exactly my age.
On my first weekend there, the host mother decided to make a special lunch for everybody. We all sat down at the large dining table, and she brought out some big bowls of soup. But I was very surprised because the soup was completely cold, and it was full of tomatoes! In my country, we only ever eat hot soup, so I felt a bit worried about eating it.
When I put my spoon in and tried the cold soup, I really didn't like the taste at all. It was very different from the warm winter food that my parents make at home. However, my host family was so kind to me, and I didn't want to make them sad or angry. So, I just smiled, kept quiet, and slowly ate everything in my bowl.
I am so glad that I chose to be polite! A few minutes after we finished the soup, the host mother smiled and brought out a wonderful dessert. It was a huge chocolate cake, and she baked it especially for me because I was their guest. It tasted absolutely delicious! I am definitely going to ask her for the recipe so I can bake this amazing cake for my own family in the future!
14 Why did Yara and her classmates stay in people's homes?
A They wanted to get better at their language skills.
B They wanted to meet a girl who was the same age.
C They wanted to travel to a quiet town with their parents.
15 Why was Yara surprised when she saw the soup?
A It was served in very small bowls.
B It was full of hot vegetables.
C It was not served warm.
16 What did Yara do when she tasted the soup?
A She finished it because she wanted to be nice to the family.
B She told the family about the winter food in her country.
C She asked the host mother to make her something different.
17 Why did the host mother bake the chocolate cake?
A because it was Yara's birthday
B because Yara ate all her cold soup
C because they had a visitor staying with them
18 What is Yara planning to do in the future?
A invite the Spanish family to her home
B write a book about recipes from Spain
C make a chocolate cake for her parents
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because the text says they slept in people's homes "so we could practise speaking Spanish every day" (improve language skills). Option B is a partial truth; Yara's host family had a daughter her age, but this is not the reason the school chose to stay in homes. Option C is a wrong reference; she travelled with her classmates, not her parents.
15 C - Explanation: The correct answer is C because Yara was surprised that "the soup was completely cold" since in her country they "only ever eat hot soup." Option A is the opposite of the truth because the text says the bowls were "big." Option B is wrong logic; the soup had tomatoes (vegetables), but it was cold, not hot.
16 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because Yara didn't want to make the family sad or angry (wanted to be nice), so she "slowly ate everything in my bowl." Option B is wrong logic; she thought about the winter food in her country, but she "kept quiet" and didn't tell the family about it. Option C is wrong logic and is not mentioned in the text.
17 C - Explanation: The correct answer is C because the text states the host mother baked the cake "especially for me because I was their guest" (a visitor). Option A is wrong logic as a birthday is never mentioned. Option B is a partial truth mixed with wrong logic; she brought the cake out after Yara finished the soup, but she didn't bake it because Yara ate the soup.
18 C - Explanation: The correct answer is C because in the final sentence Yara says, "I am definitely going to ask her for the recipe so I can bake this amazing cake for my own family in the future!" Option A is wrong logic and is not mentioned in the text. Option B is a partial truth; she wants to ask for one recipe, but she isn't planning to write a book about them.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Surfing and saving the sea!
Fourteen-year-old Zack writes a blog about a different kind of summer holiday.
My name is Zack and I am 14 years old. Last summer, I went on a special holiday. I spent two weeks at a summer camp next to the sea. It was not a normal holiday. Every morning, we learned how to surf, and every afternoon, we worked hard to clean the beach. I decided to write this blog to tell other teenagers about my trip.
The camp was a fantastic experience. The surfing lessons were very fun, and I made some great new friends. But the best part was the afternoon work. We walked along the beach and picked up plastic bottles and old food packets. It felt really good to protect the ocean and help the sea animals. I was very proud of our hard work.
However, there was one big problem with the camp. The leaders gave us plastic bags to put the rubbish in. But these bags were very thin and cheap. When we put heavy things inside, the bags often broke open. Because of this, the dirty rubbish fell back onto the clean sand. It was very annoying to pick everything up twice!
Overall, I think this beach camp is a brilliant place for a holiday. You can learn a new sport and do something important for the environment. I definitely want to go back next year. But I have one piece of advice if you go. You should bring your own strong bags from home. Then, you won't drop any plastic on the beach, and your work will be much easier!
14 What was different about Zack's summer holiday?
A He did some work every afternoon.
B He spent all day learning to surf.
C He travelled to the sea with his family.
15 What did Zack enjoy most about the camp?
A doing something good for the environment
B making new friends during the surfing lessons
C watching the sea animals on the beach
16 What problem did Zack have with the camp's bags?
A The leaders didn't give the teenagers enough of them.
B They were too small to put lots of plastic bottles inside.
C They were not strong enough to hold heavy rubbish.
17 What is Zack's advice for future visitors?
A Buy a cheap bag to carry your sports equipment.
B Take some good bags with you on the trip.
C Be careful not to leave your own things on the sand.
18 What is the best title for this blog?
A A fun holiday that helps the planet
B The best way to learn how to surf
C How to clean your local beach
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Zack explains that his holiday was "not a normal holiday" because "every afternoon, we worked hard to clean the beach." This matches option A. Option B is a partial truth trap; he learned to surf, but only in the morning, not "all day." Option C is a wrong reference trap; he travelled to the sea, but the text does not mention his family.
15 A - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Zack says, "But the best part was the afternoon work... It felt really good to protect the ocean." This matches option A. Option B is a partial truth trap; he did make new friends during surfing, but he specifically says the afternoon work was the "best part." Option C is a wrong logic trap; he helped sea animals by cleaning the ocean, but the text doesn't say he watched them on the beach.
16 C - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Zack explains that the bags were "thin and cheap" and "when we put heavy things inside, the bags often broke open." This means they were not strong enough, making C the correct answer. Option A is a wrong logic trap; the leaders gave them bags, but the problem was the quality, not the amount. Option B is also wrong logic; the bags broke because they were thin, not because they were too small.
17 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Zack gives his advice: "You should bring your own strong bags from home." This matches option B. Option A is a wrong logic trap; he says to bring strong bags for the rubbish, not cheap bags for sports equipment. Option C is a wrong reference trap; he warns people not to drop the plastic rubbish on the sand, not their own personal things.
18 A - Explanation: This is a global question testing the main idea. The blog is about a camp where teenagers have fun learning a sport (surfing) and also do volunteer work (cleaning the beach) to protect the environment. Option A perfectly summarizes this. Option B is a partial truth; surfing is mentioned, but it ignores the volunteering half of the text. Option C is wrong logic; the blog reviews a holiday camp, it does not teach people how to clean a local beach.