A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Classroom Caretakers 2
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Classroom Caretakers
Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A very dirty dog
Fourteen-year-old Harry writes about his weekend job.
My name is Harry, and I am fourteen years old. Recently, I wanted to buy a new skateboard, but I didn't have enough pocket money. I decided to start a weekend business. I told my neighbours I could wash their dirty dogs in my garden. Soon, lots of people asked me to help.
Last Saturday, the weather was warm. My first customer was a huge sheepdog called Barnaby. He was very friendly, but his long hair was full of thick mud from the forest. I put him in a large plastic bath on the grass and turned on the water. Barnaby enjoyed the cold bath, and I was ready to use the soap.
However, I suddenly had a big problem. I picked up my bottle of special dog shampoo, but it was completely empty! I forgot to buy more after my last job. Barnaby was already wet, and I couldn't use normal human soap because it is bad for a dog's skin. I felt a bit worried.
I quickly asked my older sister to watch Barnaby for a few minutes. I ran down the street to the local pet shop as fast as I could. I used some of my own money to buy a large bottle of shampoo, and then ran straight back home.
I finally finished washing Barnaby, and he looked beautiful. When his owner collected him, she was so pleased that she gave me some extra money. I was very tired, but I earned enough to buy my skateboard. Next weekend, I am going to check all my shampoo bottles before my first customer arrives!
14 Why did Harry start his business?
A to get enough money for a skateboard
B to help out his busy neighbours
C to spend his weekends in the garden
15 What does Harry say about his first customer on Saturday?
A The dog didn't like being in the cold water.
B The dog was very dirty from a walk in the woods.
C The dog's owner helped put him in the plastic bath.
16 What was Harry's problem?
A He didn't have any dog shampoo left.
B He left his bottle of soap at his last job.
C He made the dog's skin sick with human soap.
17 How did Harry solve the problem?
A His older sister went to the shop for him.
B He used his own money to buy more shampoo.
C He asked the pet shop to give him a free bottle.
18 What is Harry planning to do next weekend?
A buy a new skateboard with his extra money
B make sure he has enough shampoo before he starts
C ask the dog owners to pay him extra money
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Harry says he "wanted to buy a new skateboard, but I didn't have enough pocket money. I decided to start a weekend business." This matches Option A. Option B is a partial truth trap; he told his neighbours he could help, but his reason was to earn money, not just to do them a favour. Option C is wrong logic; he washed dogs in the garden, but spending time there was not his main reason.
15 B - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Harry says the dog's hair "was full of thick mud from the forest." This matches Option B (dirty from a walk in the woods). Option A is the exact opposite of the text; it says Barnaby "enjoyed the cold bath". Option C is a wrong reference trap; Harry says "I put him in a large plastic bath", the owner didn't help him do it.
16 A - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Harry states his bottle of dog shampoo "was completely empty!" This matches Option A. Option B is a partial truth trap; the text says he forgot to buy more after his last job, not that he left it there. Option C uses wrong logic; he explains that human soap is bad for a dog's skin, which is exactly why he couldn't use it, so he didn't make the dog sick.
17 B - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, Harry explains that "I used some of my own money to buy a large bottle of shampoo." This matches Option B. Option A is a wrong reference trap; his older sister helped by watching the dog, but Harry ran to the shop himself. Option C uses wrong logic; he went to the pet shop, but he bought the shampoo with his own money, he didn't get it for free.
18 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Harry states his future plan: "Next weekend, I am going to check all my shampoo bottles before my first customer arrives!" This matches Option B (making sure he has enough). Option A is a timeline trap; he earned enough to buy the skateboard this weekend, so that is not his plan for next weekend. Option C is a wrong reference trap; the owner gave him extra money today, but he isn't planning to ask for more next time.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Planting our school tree
Fifteen-year-old Iris writes about an outdoor project with her club.
I'm Iris, and I'm 15 years old. I love the environment, so I lead an eco-club at my school. Last week, we decided to do a very special nature project. We wanted to plant a young oak tree right in the middle of our school yard. We hoped it would grow big and give us a nice, cool place to sit in the summer.
On Wednesday afternoon, the club members met in the yard. We brought some heavy shovels with us, and we were ready to work hard. I chose a place in the middle of the grass and pushed my shovel into the dirt. At first, the ground was very soft and making the hole was an easy job.
However, a few minutes later, I heard a loud noise. My shovel hit something very hard under the ground. We used our hands to move the dirt, and we found a huge rock! We all tried to pull it out, but it was much too heavy to move. Because the rock was there, the hole wasn't deep enough for our new tree. I felt a bit worried about our project.
We couldn't break the rock, so we had to find a different answer. We looked around and found a quiet place near the school fence. The dirt there was much softer, and we didn't find any rocks at all. We easily dug a new hole and put the young tree inside.
When we finished, we gave the new tree lots of water. It looked fantastic next to the fence. The experience taught us that things don't always go as planned, but we can always find a way. Next month, our club is going to plant some beautiful flowers around the tree!
14 Why did the club want to plant a tree in the yard?
A to start an exciting new environment club at school
B to cover a large space in the middle of the grass
C to have somewhere out of the sun in the summer
15 What happened when they started working on the hole?
A They found that it was quite simple to do.
B They broke a heavy shovel in the soft ground.
C They argued about the best place to dig.
16 Why was Iris worried about the project?
A Her shovel made a terrible noise when it hit the ground.
B The space they made was too small for the tree.
C The members of her club refused to pull out the rock.
17 How did the club solve their problem?
A by using their tools to break the huge rock
B by moving some softer dirt to the middle of the yard
C by finding a different area to put the tree
18 What is the club going to do next month?
A give the young tree lots of water to help it grow
B put some pretty plants in the ground near the tree
C show the rest of the school how to plant trees
Answer Key & Explanations
14 C - Explanation: The text says the club hoped the tree would "grow big and give us a nice, cool place to sit in the summer," which matches option C (somewhere out of the sun). Option A is a wrong logic trap; Iris already leads the club, they aren't planting the tree to start it. Option B is a partial truth trap; they wanted to plant it in the middle of the grass, but not just to cover a large space.
15 A - Explanation: The text states that when they started digging, "the ground was very soft and making the hole was an easy job," which means it was quite simple to do (A). Option B is a partial truth trap; they had a heavy shovel and the ground was soft, but they did not break the shovel. Option C is wrong logic; Iris chose the place, but there is no mention of an argument.
16 B - Explanation: Iris was worried because "the hole wasn't deep enough for our new tree," which means the space they made was too small (B). Option A is a partial truth trap; her shovel did make a loud noise, but she was worried about the hole being too shallow, not the noise. Option C is wrong logic; the text says "We all tried to pull it out," so the members did not refuse to help.
17 C - Explanation: The club solved the problem when they "looked around and found a quiet place near the school fence," where they successfully planted the tree (C). Option A is a wrong logic trap; the text explicitly says "We couldn't break the rock." Option B is a partial truth trap; they found softer dirt near the fence, but they didn't move it to the middle of the yard.
18 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Iris says, "Next month, our club is going to plant some beautiful flowers around the tree!" This matches option B (put some pretty plants in the ground). Option A is a partial truth trap; they did give the tree lots of water, but they already did this when they finished, not next month. Option C is wrong logic; they learned a lesson, but they aren't planning to show the rest of the school how to plant trees.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Learning About Pets
Fourteen-year-old Jack writes about a new subject he wants to study at school.
Hi, I’m Jack and I am 14 years old. Many teenagers love animals and have a pet dog or cat at home. However, I think that a lot of young people do not know how to look after their animals correctly. Because of this, I strongly believe that all schools must give students special lessons on pet care. It is a very important subject.
At the moment, students learn about science and maths, but they don't learn how to keep a pet healthy. For example, many teenagers do not know what foods are dangerous for dogs. They often share their favourite chocolate or sweet grapes with their pet. These foods taste great for humans, but they can make a dog very sick. We need to learn these facts at school.
Some of my friends think that teachers should bring real animals into the classroom for these new lessons. I agree that playing with a rabbit is fun, but I think it is a bad idea. If you put a small animal in a room with 30 excited teenagers, it will feel very frightened. Also, live animals can make a terrible dirty mess on the classroom floor!
I have a much better plan for our teachers. Instead of bringing real pets into the classroom, schools should invite a local vet to visit the students. Vets are special animal doctors, so they can talk to the class and show them interesting pictures on a screen. This is the safest way to learn how to be a great pet owner in the future.
14 What does Jack think schools should do?
A teach students how to look after animals
B let students bring their dogs to class
C give students more time with their pets at home
15 Why does Jack talk about chocolate and grapes?
A to explain that some human food is bad for dogs
B to show which sweet snacks dogs love to eat most
C to describe his favourite healthy food to eat at school
16 What is the problem with having real animals in the classroom?
A The teenagers might feel frightened of them.
B The animals could make the room very dirty.
C The teachers do not know how to hold small pets.
17 Jack says the best way to learn about pets is to
A take the students to visit a local animal hospital.
B listen to a special animal doctor speak to the class.
C watch an interesting film about becoming a vet.
18 What is Jack doing in this blog post?
A complaining about his boring science and maths lessons
B explaining why pet care is an important school subject
C describing a fun weekend working with a local vet
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Jack says, "I strongly believe that all schools must give students special lessons on pet care." Option A correctly paraphrases this idea. Option B is a wrong logic trap; he does not want students to bring their pets to class. Option C is a partial truth trap; he mentions pets at home, but he wants schools to teach pet care, not give students more free time.
15 A - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Jack uses chocolate and grapes as examples of "foods that are dangerous for dogs" because they can "make a dog very sick." Option A matches this fact. Option B is a wrong logic trap; the text says the food tastes great for humans, not that dogs love it most. Option C is a wrong logic trap; these foods are sweet, but he is not talking about healthy school snacks.
16 B - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Jack explains that "live animals can make a terrible dirty mess on the classroom floor!" Option B correctly identifies this problem. Option A is a wrong reference trap; the text says the animal will feel frightened, not the teenagers. Option C is a wrong reference trap; the text doesn't say anything about teachers not knowing how to hold the pets.
17 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Jack advises that "schools should invite a local vet" to "talk to the class", and explains that vets are "special animal doctors". Option B perfectly paraphrases this. Option A is a wrong logic trap; the doctor visits the school, the students do not visit the hospital. Option C is a partial truth trap; they look at pictures on a screen, but they are not watching a film about becoming a vet.
18 B - Explanation: This is a global question testing the overall purpose of the text. Jack's main point is that teenagers don't know enough about animals, so schools need to start teaching pet care safely. Option B summarizes the whole blog post. Option A is a partial truth trap; he mentions science and maths, but does not complain that they are boring. Option C is a wrong reference trap; he suggests inviting a vet, but he doesn't work with one himself.