A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Active Adventures 5
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Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A surprising day on the sea
15-year-old Mark writes about a special experience during his holiday.
My name is Mark and I am 15 years old. Last week, I was on a fantastic beach holiday in California with my family. The weather was beautiful every day, so I decided to rent a paddleboard. A paddleboard is like a large surfboard, but you stand on it and use a long stick to move across the sea. I really wanted to try it because people say it is a great way to exercise your stomach and back muscles.
On Tuesday morning, I went down to the beach early. The sea was very calm and the sun was shining brightly. I paid the man at the shop for my board and pushed it into the water. For the first thirty minutes, everything was completely fine. I stood up carefully and slowly paddled away from the beach. I felt very healthy and relaxed in the warm weather.
Then, I looked down at the dark water and saw something terrible. About five metres away from me, there was a large grey fin. It was moving quickly and coming straight towards my paddleboard! I immediately thought it was a dangerous shark. My heart started beating very fast, and I felt extremely frightened. I stopped moving and stood completely still, hoping the animal would just swim away.
Suddenly, the animal jumped high out of the water. I couldn't believe my eyes! It wasn't a hungry shark at all. It was a beautiful, grey dolphin. The dolphin was just being friendly and playful. It swam around my board for a few minutes, making funny noises, and then disappeared into the deep water. I felt quite silly for being so afraid!
After that amazing experience, I paddled safely back to the beach to tell my parents everything. Seeing a wild dolphin so close was definitely the best part of my whole holiday. Next summer, I am going to buy a special camera that works in the water. I want to take lots of photos of the sea animals when I go paddleboarding again.
14 Why did Mark want to try paddleboarding?
A He hoped to learn how to stand on a surfboard.
B His family asked him to do a fun holiday activity.
C He wanted to do something to make his body stronger.
15 What does Mark say about his first thirty minutes on the water?
A He was pleased because he was paddling so fast.
B He felt calm and good about what he was doing.
C He was tired after pushing his board from the beach.
16 What did Mark do when he saw the grey fin?
A He stayed in one place and didn't move.
B He paddled back to the beach quickly.
C He tried to frighten the animal away.
17 When Mark saw what the animal really was, he
A thought it was going to jump on his paddleboard.
B felt a bit stupid for being so scared earlier.
C got angry because it was making strange noises.
18 What is Mark planning to do next summer?
A go on another trip to California with his parents
B paddle into deeper water to find more dolphins
C get some new equipment for taking pictures
Answer Key & Explanations
14 C - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Mark says he wanted to try it because "it is a great way to exercise your stomach and back muscles." This matches Option C (make his body stronger). Option A is a wrong reference trap; the text says a paddleboard is like a surfboard, but he didn't want to learn to surf. Option B is a partial truth trap; he was on holiday with his family, but he decided to try the sport, not his family.
15 B - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Mark says that for the first thirty minutes, "I felt very healthy and relaxed in the warm weather." This matches Option B (calm and good). Option A is a wrong logic trap; the text specifically says he "slowly paddled," not fast. Option C is an invented detail; he pushed his board into the water, but the text says "everything was completely fine," not that he was tired.
16 A - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Mark explains that when he thought it was a shark, "I stopped moving and stood completely still". This matches Option A (stayed in one place). Option B is a wrong logic trap; he paddled back to the beach after the dolphin left, not when he saw the fin. Option C is a wrong logic trap; he hoped the animal would swim away, but he didn't try to frighten it.
17 B - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, Mark realizes the animal is a dolphin and says, "I felt quite silly for being so afraid!" This matches Option B (felt a bit stupid for being scared). Option A is an invented detail; the dolphin jumped out of the water, but Mark didn't think it would jump on his board. Option C is a wrong emotion trap; the dolphin made noises, but Mark was not angry about it.
18 C - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Mark states his future plan: "Next summer, I am going to buy a special camera that works in the water." This matches Option C (get new equipment for pictures). Option A is a partial truth trap; he might go on holiday, but the text doesn't say he is definitely going back to California. Option B is an invented detail; the dolphin swam into deep water, but Mark doesn't say he plans to paddle there.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A cold climb in Iceland
14-year-old Nora writes about her experience of hiking up a volcano.
Hi, I'm Nora and I'm fourteen years old. Last month, I went on an amazing holiday to Iceland with my family. We love being active, so we decided to go for a long walk up the side of a sleeping volcano. It was a very big physical challenge! Today on my blog, I want to tell you about the trip and share some useful advice if you want to do the same thing.
We started walking early in the morning. The path up the volcano was very steep, which means it went straight up. Walking on the rocks was difficult, but it was excellent exercise. After two hours, my legs felt very tired, but I was happy because I was getting much stronger. The sun was shining beautifully at the bottom of the mountain, so I only wore a thin summer jacket.
However, things changed completely when we finally reached the top of the volcano. There was no sun up there, and the weather was terrible. A freezing cold wind started to blow. Because my jacket was so thin, the cold air hurt my arms and body. It was incredibly painful! I couldn't stay at the top to look at the view for very long because I was freezing.
Because of this, I have an important tip for anyone who wants to climb a volcano. You must always pack a thick wool sweater in your backpack! Even if the weather looks warm and sunny when you start walking, the temperature changes very quickly. If you bring warm clothes, you can stay at the top and really enjoy the fantastic views!
14 Why did Nora's family choose to walk up the volcano?
A They wanted to learn more about sleeping volcanoes.
B They enjoy doing things that keep them fit.
C They needed to practice walking on difficult rocks.
15 How did Nora feel during the walk up the mountain?
A pleased because the exercise was good for her body
B surprised because the path went straight up
C hot because she was wearing her summer clothes
16 When Nora arrived at the top of the volcano,
A the wind blew her thin jacket away.
B the sun was too bright to see the view.
C she experienced a lot of physical pain.
17 What does Nora advise other walkers to do?
A start their journey only when it is sunny
B stay at the top of the volcano for a long time
C carry a warm piece of clothing in their bag
18 What is the main purpose of Nora's blog post?
A to explain why hiking is a safe sport for teenagers
B to tell readers about a difficult trip and give a suggestion
C to describe the terrible weather she had on her holiday
Answer Key & Explanations
14 B - Explanation: In paragraph 1, Nora says her family "love being active, so we decided to go for a long walk". Option B correctly paraphrases enjoying physical activity to stay fit. Option A is a wrong logic trap; the volcano is sleeping, but they didn't go there to study or learn about it. Option C is a wrong logic trap; walking on rocks was difficult, but practicing wasn't their reason for going.
15 A - Explanation: In paragraph 2, Nora says her legs were tired, "but I was happy because I was getting much stronger." Option A accurately matches this feeling of being pleased about the exercise. Option B is a wrong logic trap; the path went straight up, but she doesn't say she was surprised by this. Option C is a wrong reference trap; she wore summer clothes, but she never says she felt hot.
16 C - Explanation: In paragraph 3, Nora explains that because her jacket was thin, the cold air "hurt my arms and body. It was incredibly painful!" Option C correctly paraphrases this physical pain. Option A is a wrong logic trap; the wind blew and her jacket was thin, but the wind didn't blow her jacket away. Option B is a wrong logic trap; she wanted to see the view, but there was "no sun up there", not bright sun.
17 C - Explanation: In paragraph 4, Nora tells walkers, "You must always pack a thick wool sweater in your backpack!" Option C accurately paraphrases carrying warm clothes. Option A is a wrong logic trap; she says it might look sunny when you start, but you still need warm clothes, she doesn't say to wait for the sun. Option B is a partial truth trap; if you bring warm clothes you can stay a long time, but her actual advice is to pack a sweater.
18 B - Explanation: This is a global question testing the overall purpose of the text. In the blog, Nora describes her physical challenge (the difficult trip) and ends with an important tip about packing a sweater (a suggestion). Option B perfectly summarises this. Option A is wrong logic; the text shows that the hike can be painful and freezing, not necessarily safe. Option C is a partial truth trap; she had terrible weather at the top, but describing the weather is not the main reason she wrote the whole blog.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A long run in Madrid
Oscar, 16, writes about a funny mistake he made on holiday.
Hi, I’m Oscar, and I’m 16 years old. I love sports, and my favourite hobby is running. Last month, I went on a summer holiday to Madrid in Spain with my parents. I wanted to stay healthy during the trip, so I decided to enter a local five-kilometre race. I felt very excited because I usually only run in the park near my house.
On the morning of the race, I woke up early and put on my favourite sports clothes. The weather was perfect—not too hot and very sunny. There were hundreds of other runners waiting at the start. When the race began, I ran very fast. I was near the front of the group, and I felt sure I could finish it quickly. The route went through the city centre, and there were many interesting things to see.
After about three kilometres, I saw a really beautiful old building on my right. I was looking at its amazing windows, so I didn't see a big red sign that told the runners to turn left. I just kept running straight down the street. A few minutes later, I looked around and saw that I was completely alone. There were no other people running, and I didn't know where I was. I was completely lost!
I stopped running and felt a bit worried. Luckily, a friendly police officer saw me. I asked him for help, and he pointed down a small street to show me the right way to the end of the race. When I finally finished, I was the last person to cross the line! However, I was just happy that I didn't get lost forever. Next year, I am going to try the race again, but I will look carefully for the signs!
14 Why did Oscar enter the race in Madrid?
A to keep fit while he was on his trip
B to practise for a sports competition at school
C to run in a famous park with his parents
15 How did Oscar feel at the beginning of the race?
A He was worried because there were hundreds of runners.
B He believed that he could complete the run in a good time.
C He was annoyed because the summer weather was too hot.
16 Why did Oscar get lost?
A He stopped running to take photos of a building.
B He followed some other runners down the wrong street.
C He didn't look at a sign showing him where to go.
17 Who helped Oscar find the end of the race?
A a runner who was behind him
B someone who worked for the police
C a friendly person watching the race
18 What does Oscar plan to do in the future?
A run the same race again and pay more attention
B try to win the race and be the first person to finish
C ask a police officer to run the race with him
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Oscar says, "I wanted to stay healthy during the trip, so I decided to enter a local five-kilometre race" (to keep fit while he was on his trip). B is a wrong logic trap; he entered a race, but the text doesn't mention a school competition. C is a wrong reference trap; he went to Madrid with his parents and usually runs in his local park, but he didn't run in a park with his parents.
15 B - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Oscar says he ran fast and "felt sure I could finish it quickly" (complete the run in a good time). A is a wrong logic trap; there were hundreds of runners, but he wasn't worried. C is a partial truth trap; the text mentions the summer weather, but explicitly says it was "not too hot".
16 C - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Oscar explains that he was looking at a building, "so I didn't see a big red sign that told the runners to turn left" (didn't look at a sign). A is a partial truth trap; he looked at a beautiful building, but he didn't stop to take photos. B is a wrong logic trap; he kept running straight and was completely alone, so he didn't follow anyone.
17 B - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, Oscar says that a "friendly police officer saw me. I asked him for help, and he pointed down a small street" (someone who worked for the police). A is a wrong logic trap; Oscar was the last person to finish, so there were no runners behind him. C is a partial truth trap; the person was friendly, but he was a police officer, not just someone watching the race.
18 A - Explanation: This question focuses on the final paragraph's details about the future. Oscar says, "Next year, I am going to try the race again, but I will look carefully for the signs!" (run again and pay more attention). B is a wrong logic trap; he wants to try again so he doesn't get lost, but he doesn't say he plans to win. C is a wrong reference trap; a police officer helped him, but Oscar won't ask him to run the race with him.