A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Budget Backpackers 2
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Budget Backpackers
Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A funny packing mistake
Sometimes making a mistake can be a fun experience!
Twelve-year-old Kevin was very excited. Last week, he went on a summer holiday with his family to a town near the sea. Usually, his mother packs his bags for him. But this time, Kevin wanted to show that he was growing up. He asked his parents if he could pack his own suitcase. His mother agreed, and Kevin felt very proud. He carefully put all his favourite clothes into his big blue bag.
After a long train journey, the family finally arrived at their lovely hotel. The weather was warm and sunny. Kevin opened his suitcase in his room to get ready for dinner. He took out his trousers and his favourite blue shirt. He packed six nice shirts for the week, which was great. But then, he noticed a big problem. He looked everywhere in the bag, but he couldn't find any socks! He packed zero socks for his trip.
Kevin felt a bit silly. He told his parents about his mistake. His mother didn't get angry; she just laughed. The next morning, Kevin and his dad walked to a busy outdoor market near their hotel. They wanted to find some new clothes for his feet. Soon, Kevin saw a small shop with lots of different socks.
Kevin didn't choose boring black or white ones. Instead, he bought three pairs of funny, brightly coloured socks with pictures of monkeys on them. When he wore them to the beach later that day, his whole family loved them. They thought the socks were very cool. Next summer, Kevin is going to pack his own bag again, but he will definitely write a list first!
14 Why did Kevin pack his own suitcase?
A He wanted to show that he was getting older.
B His mother asked him to do it this time.
C He couldn't find his mother to do it for him.
15 What problem did Kevin have at the hotel?
A He brought too many blue shirts with him.
B He didn't have anything to wear on his feet.
C He was unable to open his bag before dinner.
16 How did Kevin's mother feel about his mistake?
A She was a bit angry with him.
B She thought the situation was funny.
C She wanted to walk to the market with him.
17 What kind of socks did Kevin buy at the market?
A some plain black and white ones
B the ones that his father told him to get
C ones with bright pictures of animals on them
18 What is Kevin planning to do for his next holiday?
A write down what he needs before he packs
B let his mother pack his bag for the summer
C buy some more monkey socks for the beach
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because the text says Kevin "wanted to show that he was growing up" (getting older). Option B is wrong logic; Kevin asked his parents if he could do it, his mother didn't ask him. Option C is wrong logic; the text never says he couldn't find her, just that he wanted to do it himself.
15 B - Explanation: The correct answer is B because Kevin looked in his bag and "couldn't find any socks" (didn't have anything to wear on his feet). Option A is a partial truth trap; he brought a blue shirt and six shirts total, but he didn't complain that it was too many. Option C is wrong logic; he successfully "opened his suitcase in his room", he just didn't find socks inside.
16 B - Explanation: The correct answer is B because the text states that his mother "didn't get angry; she just laughed" (thought it was funny). Option A is wrong logic; the text explicitly says she didn't get angry. Option C is a wrong reference trap; Kevin and his dad walked to the market, not his mother.
17 C - Explanation: The correct answer is C because Kevin bought brightly coloured socks "with pictures of monkeys on them" (monkeys are animals). Option A is wrong logic; the text specifically says he "didn't choose boring black or white ones." Option B is a wrong reference trap; his father went with him, but the text says Kevin bought them, not that his dad chose them.
18 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because in the final sentence, Kevin says he will pack his bag again "but he will definitely write a list first!" (write down what he needs). Option B is wrong logic; the text says he "is going to pack his own bag again", not let his mother do it. Option C is a partial truth trap; he wore the monkey socks to the beach, but there is no mention of buying more next summer.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Shopping with a helpful app
Fifteen-year-old Lily writes a blog about using a money app on holiday.
My name is Lily and I am 15 years old. Last month, I went on a wonderful family holiday to Turkey. I love fashion, so my favourite part of the trip was visiting a big, busy market to look for cool, old jackets. While I was shopping, I used a new currency converter app on my mobile phone. I am writing this blog to tell other teenagers what I think about it.
In Turkey, they use a different kind of money, and it is difficult to do the maths in your head. When I wanted to buy a jacket, I used the app to see the price in my own money. This was very important. It helped me to ask the seller for a lower price because I knew exactly how much the jacket really cost. Because of the app, I paid very little money for some great clothes!
However, there was one problem with using it. The market was full of thousands of people, so the internet connection on my phone was very weak. Usually, the app needs the internet to get the newest money information. Because the internet was so bad, I had to stand and wait for a long time before the app worked.
Overall, I think a money app is a fantastic thing to have when you travel to another country. It stops you from spending too much money. But I have an important piece of advice. Before you leave your hotel in the morning, use the free Wi-Fi to download the daily information onto your phone. If you do this, the app will work perfectly at the market without the internet!
14 Why is Lily writing this blog?
A to share her review of a mobile phone app
B to describe her favourite clothing market in Turkey
C to explain how to start a fashion blog for teenagers
15 How did the app help Lily in the market?
A It did some difficult maths for her homework.
B It helped her to get her clothes for a cheaper price.
C It showed her where to find the best jackets.
16 What problem did Lily have with the app?
A It was very slow to use because of the weak internet.
B She couldn't see her phone because of all the people.
C The app stopped working because she had an old phone.
17 What advice does Lily give to other travellers?
A Ask the hotel staff for information about the market.
B Try to find some free Wi-Fi when you are shopping.
C Save the money information on your phone before you go out.
18 What is the best title for this blog?
A The cheapest markets to visit on your next holiday
B A useful travel app, but get ready before you shop
C How to use your phone to find the best clothes
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Lily states, "I used a new currency converter app on my mobile phone. I am writing this blog to tell other teenagers what I think about it." This matches option A (sharing her review). Option B is a partial truth trap; she mentions visiting a market, but reviewing the app is the main reason for writing. Option C is a wrong reference trap; she loves fashion and writes a blog, but she isn't teaching people how to start one.
15 B - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Lily explains that the app "helped me to ask the seller for a lower price... I paid very little money for some great clothes!" This means she got her clothes for a cheaper price (Option B). Option A is a wrong logic trap; the text mentions doing "maths in your head," but she wasn't doing school homework. Option C is wrong logic; she used the app for money, not as a map to find jackets.
16 A - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Lily says the internet connection was "very weak" and because of this, she "had to stand and wait for a long time before the app worked." This makes option A correct. Option B is a partial truth trap; the market was full of people, but they caused the weak internet, they didn't block her from seeing her phone. Option C is a wrong logic trap; she used a phone, but the text never says it was an old phone.
17 C - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Lily advises: "Before you leave your hotel in the morning, use the free Wi-Fi to download the daily information onto your phone." This perfectly matches saving the information before you go out (Option C). Option A uses the word "hotel" but creates a wrong meaning (asking staff for information). Option B is wrong logic; she tells people to use Wi-Fi at the hotel before they leave, not while they are shopping at the market.
18 B - Explanation: This is a global question for an opinion/review text. The blog discusses how helpful a money app is for travelling (useful travel app) but concludes with the advice to download information before leaving the hotel (get ready before you shop). Option B covers the whole text. Option A is a partial truth trap; she bought cheap clothes at a market, but the text is about an app, not a list of cheap markets. Option C is wrong logic; the app is for money, not for finding clothes.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Working hard for the snow
Fourteen-year-old Mark writes about how he went on a school holiday.
Hi, I'm Mark, and I'm 14 years old. Next month, my school is taking us on a winter ski trip. I really wanted to go with my classmates, but the tickets were quite expensive. I needed to earn some money to pay for it. So, I decided to help my neighbours. Every weekend, I walked their dogs for them. I felt very happy because I love animals and I was earning money for my trip.
At first, the job was a lot of fun. I woke up early on Saturday and Sunday mornings and collected three dogs from my street. We usually walked to a large park near my house. It was great to be outside, and the neighbours were very pleased with my work. After a few weeks, I had almost enough money for the ski trip.
However, in November, something bad happened. The weather got very cold and wet, and I caught a terrible cold. I felt really sick and I had to stay in bed for a whole week. This meant I couldn't walk the dogs that weekend. I felt incredibly worried because I needed just a little more money to pay for my winter trip, but now I couldn't finish my job.
The next weekend, when I felt better, I went to say sorry to my neighbours. But they smiled and gave me the money anyway! They said I was a fantastic worker and they wanted to help me go on my trip. I was so surprised and happy. The school ski trip was amazing, and I skied every day. Next winter, I am going to save my money to buy my own skis!
14 Why did Mark walk his neighbours' dogs?
A to get enough money for a school holiday
B to spend more time with his own animals
C to help his classmates buy expensive tickets
15 What did Mark do every weekend?
A He walked his neighbours to a large park.
B He took some animals out early in the morning.
C He paid his neighbours for doing a great job.
16 Why was Mark worried in November?
A The weather was too cold for the dogs.
B He didn't want to stay in bed for a week.
C He thought he couldn't get the money he needed.
17 What happened when Mark visited his neighbours again?
A They asked him to return the money.
B They paid him because he usually worked very well.
C They told him they wanted to go on a trip.
18 What is Mark planning to do next winter?
A keep his money so he can get some new ski equipment
B go on another amazing ski holiday with his neighbours
C work hard to pay for his school sports classes
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because Mark says, "I needed to earn some money to pay for it" (the winter ski trip/school holiday). Option B is wrong logic; he loves animals, but the dogs belong to his neighbours, and he didn't do it to spend time with his own pets. Option C is a partial truth mixed with a wrong reference; he wanted to go with his classmates, but he didn't buy tickets for them.
15 B - Explanation: The correct answer is B because Mark says he "woke up early on Saturday and Sunday mornings and collected three dogs" (took animals out). Option A is a wrong reference; he walked the dogs to the park, he didn't walk his neighbours. Option C is wrong logic; his neighbours were pleased with his work and they paid him, he didn't pay them.
16 C - Explanation: The correct answer is C because Mark says he was incredibly worried "because I needed just a little more money to pay for my winter trip, but now I couldn't finish my job." Option A is a partial truth; the weather was cold, but this is not why he was worried (he was worried about the money). Option B is wrong logic; he had to stay in bed, but his worry was about missing his target, not the bed itself.
17 B - Explanation: The correct answer is B because his neighbours "gave me the money anyway!" and said it was because he was a "fantastic worker" (worked very well). Option A is the opposite of the truth; they gave him the money, they didn't ask him to return it. Option C is a wrong reference; they wanted to help him go on his trip, they didn't want to go on a trip themselves.
18 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because in the final sentence, Mark states, "Next winter, I am going to save my money to buy my own skis!" (keep his money for ski equipment). Option B is a wrong reference; he went on the ski trip with his school, not his neighbours. Option C is wrong logic; he is saving money for skis, not to pay for school classes.