A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Tech in the Wild 3
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Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A brilliant app for birdwatchers
12-year-old George writes about a new piece of technology he uses.
Hi, I'm George and I am 12 years old. I have always loved nature, and I spend a lot of time sitting in my garden. Recently, I found a brilliant app on my smartphone. It listens to the birds singing in the trees and tells you exactly what kind of bird is making the sound. I wanted to write about it because I think other young people will love it too.
Before I got the app, I enjoyed watching the birds, but I didn't know their names. Now, I just hold up my phone, press a button, and wait. The app records the bird's song. Then, a picture of the bird and its name appears on the screen. It is really fast! I have already learned the names of ten different birds that visit my garden every day.
However, the app isn't perfect all the time. Sometimes the weather changes things. For example, if there is a lot of wind, it is hard for the phone's microphone to hear the bird clearly. When the wind is blowing loudly, the app often makes silly mistakes. Last week, a little bird was singing, but the app told me it was the sound of a car driving past! I thought that was funny, but it was a bit annoying.
So, how can you fix this problem? I discovered that you can buy a tiny microphone from the internet. You just plug it into the bottom of your phone. It doesn't cost a lot of money, but it makes a huge difference. With the microphone, the app can hear the birds perfectly, even on windy days. If you want to use this app, you should definitely get one!
14 Why did George decide to write this blog?
A He wants to describe the birds in his garden.
B He hopes other people his age will try the app.
C He needs help using a new program on his phone.
15 How did the app change things for George?
A He learned to take better photos of birds.
B He started spending more time outside in his garden.
C He discovered what different garden birds are called.
16 What problem does George sometimes have with the app?
A It gives the wrong answer in bad weather.
B It is difficult to hear the birds when cars drive past.
C It stops working completely when the wind blows hard.
17 What does George say about the small microphone?
A It is quite expensive to buy online.
B It takes a long time to attach it to a phone.
C It helps the app to work well on windy days.
18 What is the best title for this text?
A How to take amazing photos of nature
B The best mobile phone for recording music
C A clever way to learn about garden birds
Answer Key & Explanations
14 B - Explanation: In the first paragraph, George says, "I wanted to write about it because I think other young people will love it too." Option B paraphrases this exactly. Option A is a partial truth; he likes birds, but the blog's purpose is to share the app. Option C is wrong logic because he already knows how to use it perfectly.
15 C - Explanation: In the second paragraph, George explains that before the app, he didn't know the birds' names, but now he has "learned the names of ten different birds". Option C matches this meaning. Option A is wrong logic; the app shows him pictures, but he isn't taking photos. Option B is a partial truth trap; he uses the app in the garden, but the text says he already spent a lot of time there before getting the app.
16 A - Explanation: The third paragraph states that "if there is a lot of wind... the app often makes silly mistakes." Option A paraphrases "wind" as "bad weather" and "silly mistakes" as "wrong answer". Option B is wrong logic; the text mentions a car, but only because the app confused a bird with a car. Option C is wrong logic because the app doesn't stop working, it just guesses incorrectly.
17 C - Explanation: In the final paragraph, George says that "With the microphone, the app can hear the birds perfectly, even on windy days." This makes Option C the correct answer. Option A is wrong logic because he specifically states "It doesn't cost a lot of money". Option B is wrong logic because he says, "You just plug it into the bottom", implying it is quick and easy.
18 C - Explanation: This is a global question asking for the best title. The entire text is a review of an app that helps George identify and learn about the birds in his garden, making Option C the best fit. Option A is a partial truth trap; the app shows pictures, but it's not a photography guide. Option B is wrong logic; he talks about an accessory for his phone, not buying a new phone for music.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Swimming in my bedroom!
Fourteen-year-old Hannah writes about her first virtual reality experience.
Fourteen-year-old Hannah loves learning about the sea and the animals that live there. Last weekend, her older brother bought a fantastic new virtual reality (VR) headset. He asked Hannah if she wanted to use it to play a new ocean game. When she put the headset on, she was completely amazed by what she saw.
In the game, she was swimming in a beautiful coral reef. There were colourful fish everywhere, and she even saw two large whales slowly swimming past her. Hannah sat on a small chair in her bedroom while she played. She felt very relaxed because the water looked so warm and quiet. She tried to touch a sea turtle, but her hand just went through empty air.
Suddenly, the virtual water became darker. Hannah turned her head and saw a huge grey shark. It was swimming very fast right towards her! Even though Hannah knew she was just playing a video game, the shark looked very real and dangerous. Her heart started to beat very fast.
She felt really scared and wanted to escape. She tried to move away from the shark quickly, but she completely forgot she was just playing a game in her room. She moved too far and fell backwards off her small chair. Luckily, she didn't hit the hard floor. Instead, she landed safely on her soft bed.
Her brother heard a loud noise and came into the room to check if she was okay. When Hannah saw him, she just started laughing at herself. She realised how silly it was to be afraid of a computer game. After that, she sat back on her chair, put the headset on again, and continued exploring the deep ocean.
14 How did Hannah get to play the VR game?
A Her brother shared his new headset with her.
B She bought it to learn about the sea.
C She received it as a birthday present.
15 Why did Hannah feel so relaxed at first?
A The virtual ocean seemed very quiet.
B She was resting on her soft bed.
C She managed to catch a sea turtle.
16 How did Hannah feel when the shark appeared?
A She was frightened because it looked so real.
B She wanted to touch it like the sea turtle.
C She wasn't scared because she knew it was a game.
17 What happened because Hannah was afraid?
A She fell off her seat onto her bed.
B She took off the VR headset to hide.
C She ran out of her bedroom to escape.
18 What did Hannah decide to do at the end of the story?
A keep exploring the virtual ocean
B let her brother play the game
C play a different computer game
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The text says that "her older brother bought a fantastic new... headset" and "asked Hannah if she wanted to use it". Option B is wrong logic because her brother bought it, not her. Option C is a partial truth trap; the text mentions she is fourteen, but doesn't say the headset was a birthday present.
15 A - Explanation: The text says "She felt very relaxed because the water looked so warm and quiet." Option B is a partial truth; she lands on her soft bed later in the story, but at this point, she is sitting on a chair. Option C is wrong logic because she tried to touch the turtle but her hand went through empty air.
16 A - Explanation: The text states that "the shark looked very real and dangerous" and "Her heart started to beat very fast." Option B is a partial truth trap; she wanted to touch the sea turtle earlier, but definitely not the shark. Option C is wrong logic; even though she knew it was a game, she was still very scared.
17 A - Explanation: The text explains she "tried to move away from the shark" and "fell backwards off her small chair" onto her soft bed. Option B is wrong logic; she didn't take the headset off to hide, she just fell. Option C is wrong because she forgot she was in her room and didn't run out of it.
18 A - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Hannah "sat back on her chair, put the headset on again, and continued exploring the deep ocean." Option B is a partial truth; her brother came into the room, but she didn't give him the game to play. Option C is wrong because she went back to the same game, not a different one.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My digital pet
Ian, 15, writes about a computer science project he did for school.
My name is Ian, and I am 15 years old. Last month, my computer science teacher asked the class to make a simple computer program for a school project. I love animals and I am very interested in technology, so I decided to create a virtual pet cat. I wanted my digital pet to sleep on the screen, eat fish, and make happy sounds when I clicked on it.
For the first two weeks, I worked on the project every evening after school. Writing the code was quite difficult, and I had to type a lot of instructions into my laptop. Sometimes I had to ask my older brother for help when the program didn't work. Finally, my little digital cat looked beautiful on the screen, and I was ready to test it.
However, when I clicked on my virtual cat to feed it, something very strange happened. The cat opened its mouth, but instead of making a quiet cat noise, it barked loudly like a big dog! I was really surprised. I felt a bit worried because I had to give the project to my teacher the next morning, and I didn't want him to think I was a bad programmer.
I carefully read my code again and found the mistake. I quickly changed a few words, and my cat finally made the right sound. But then I had a funny idea. I added a small red button to the screen. If you click it, the cat barks again!
When I showed my game to my teacher, Mr. Davis, he pressed the red button. He laughed a lot and gave me top marks. Now, I feel really pleased with my project, and I plan to build a virtual zoo game next term!
14 Why did Ian choose to make a virtual pet for his project?
A His teacher told the class to create an animal.
B He is interested in both animals and computers.
C He wanted a real cat to sleep near his laptop.
15 What does Ian say about making his computer program?
A It was quite a hard job to do.
B He finished the project in a few evenings.
C His brother did most of the writing for him.
16 How did Ian feel when his digital cat made a dog noise?
A angry because he thought he was a bad programmer
B surprised because his brother changed his code
C worried because he had to show the project to his teacher soon
17 What did Ian do after he found the mistake in his code?
A He decided to leave the wrong word in his program.
B He made a special button so the cat could bark again.
C He changed the colour of his digital cat to red.
18 What is Ian planning to do next term?
A get a better mark in his computer science class
B make a new computer program with lots of animals
C teach his classmates how to write computer programs
Answer Key & Explanations
14 B - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Ian says, 'I love animals and I am very interested in technology, so I decided to create a virtual pet'. Option B paraphrases this perfectly. Option A is a partial truth; his teacher asked for a computer program, not specifically an animal. Option C is wrong logic; he wanted his digital pet to sleep on the screen, not a real cat.
15 A - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Ian says, 'Writing the code was quite difficult'. Option A correctly paraphrases this. Option B is wrong logic because he worked on it 'every evening' for 'two weeks', not just a few evenings. Option C is a partial truth; his brother helped him sometimes, but Ian did the writing.
16 C - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Ian says he felt 'a bit worried because I had to give the project to my teacher the next morning'. Option C matches this. Option A is a partial truth; he didn't want his teacher to think he was a bad programmer, but he wasn't angry about it. Option B is wrong logic; his brother didn't change the code, Ian just made a mistake.
17 B - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, Ian explains that after fixing the cat's sound, he 'added a small red button to the screen. If you click it, the cat barks again!'. Option B matches this fact. Option A is wrong logic; he 'changed a few words' to fix it. Option C is a partial truth; he added a red button, but he didn't paint the whole cat red.
18 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Ian states his future plan: 'I plan to build a virtual zoo game next term!' A zoo has lots of animals, making Option B correct. Option A is wrong logic because he already received 'top marks', so he doesn't need to try for a better one. Option C is not mentioned in the text.