A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Holiday Helpers 5
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Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Boat Tour
Fourteen-year-old Mark writes about his summer weekend job.
Fourteen-year-old Mark loves nature and animals. This summer, he has a great weekend job in his town. He helps the captain of a small tourist boat on the river. The tourists like to look at the beautiful trees and water. Mark’s job is to find interesting birds and point them out to the visitors. He really enjoys earning some pocket money while spending time outside.
Last Saturday morning, the weather was bright and sunny, but it was also quite windy. There were a lot of visitors on the boat with their cameras. Mark was wearing his favourite blue baseball cap to keep the sun out of his eyes. His older brother gave it to him for his birthday, so it was very special to him.
During the trip, Mark saw a very large bird in a tall tree. He quickly lifted his arm to show the tourists. But suddenly, a strong wind blew across the boat. The wind took the cap straight off Mark's head and threw it far into the river! The hat started to float away. Mark felt very sad because he thought it was lost forever.
Luckily, the captain saw what happened. He quickly stopped the engine and went to the back of the boat. He used a long fishing net to reach into the water and carefully catch the wet hat. When the captain gave the hat back to Mark, all the tourists cheered loudly. Mark was very happy. He still loves his weekend job, but next time, he plans to leave his favourite hat safely at home!
14 What does Mark do on the tourist boat?
A He shows people the birds on the river.
B He takes photos of the tourists.
C He drives the boat for the captain.
15 Why was Mark's cap important to him?
A It kept his head warm in the wind.
B He bought it with his pocket money.
C It was a present from a family member.
16 What happened when Mark lifted his arm?
A He almost fell into the deep river.
B The wind blew his hat into the water.
C A large bird flew down to the boat.
17 How did the captain get the hat back?
A He used a net to pull it out of the river.
B He jumped into the water to get it.
C He asked the tourists to catch it for him.
18 What is Mark going to do in the future?
A stop working on the river at weekends
B ask the captain to buy him a new hat
C keep his special cap in his house
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In paragraph 1, the text states that "Mark’s job is to find interesting birds and point them out to the visitors." Showing people the birds is a simple paraphrase for pointing them out to the visitors. Option B is a wrong person trap; the text mentions the visitors had cameras, but Mark isn't taking photos of them. Option C uses wrong logic; he helps the captain, but he does not drive the boat.
15 C - Explanation: Paragraph 2 explains that "His older brother gave it to him for his birthday", which means it was a present from a family member. Option A is wrong logic; he wore it to keep the sun out of his eyes, not to keep his head warm. Option B is a partial truth trap; pocket money is mentioned in paragraph 1, but he didn't use it to buy the hat.
16 B - Explanation: In paragraph 3, the text says that "a strong wind blew... took the cap straight off Mark's head and threw it far into the river!" This matches the wind blowing his hat into the water. Option A is a wrong logic trap; the hat fell into the river, not Mark. Option C uses wrong logic; the bird was in a tall tree, it didn't fly down to the boat.
17 A - Explanation: Paragraph 4 explains that the captain "used a long fishing net to reach into the water and carefully catch the wet hat." Option B is wrong logic; he reached into the water with a net, but he didn't jump in. Option C is a wrong person trap; the tourists were there and cheered loudly, but the captain didn't ask them to catch the hat.
18 C - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Mark plans to "leave his favourite hat safely at home," which means he will keep his special cap in his house. Option A is wrong logic because the text says he "still loves his weekend job." Option B uses wrong logic; the hat was rescued and he is happy, so he doesn't need to ask the captain to buy a new one.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The ski shop mistake
15-year-old Nora writes about her weekend job in the mountains.
Hi, I’m Nora, and I’m 15 years old. During the winter holidays, I have a really fun weekend job. I work in a shop at a large ski resort in the mountains. Every morning, hundreds of excited tourists come into our shop. My job is to help them get ready for the snow. I have to find the right skis for them and carry their heavy winter boots from the back room.
The shop is always very busy, and sometimes people are in a big hurry to go outside. Last Saturday, a tall man came into the shop with his family. He wanted to go skiing immediately, so I quickly gave him some boots and skis. But I didn't check the numbers on the boots carefully. I just guessed his size and put them in a bag for him.
About an hour later, the tall man came back into the shop. He looked very unhappy. He told me that his feet hurt terribly because the boots I gave him were much too small. He couldn't ski at all because it hurt too much to stand up. I felt very bad because my mistake stopped him from enjoying his morning in the snow.
I knew I had to fix the problem fast. I quickly went to the back room and found a bigger pair of boots for him. I gave them to the man and said sorry many times. Luckily, the new boots were perfect. He went back outside and skied beautifully all afternoon without any problems. I felt much happier, and now I always check the numbers carefully before a customer leaves!
14 What does Nora do at the ski shop?
A She brings the winter boots to the customers.
B She teaches the excited tourists how to ski.
C She makes heavy skis for people to use.
15 Why did Nora make a mistake last Saturday?
A She gave the man the wrong bag for his things.
B She couldn't find the numbers on the man's boots.
C She was trying to do her job very quickly.
16 Why did the tall man stop skiing?
A He felt a lot of pain when he stood up.
B He didn't enjoy the cold snow in the morning.
C He was angry because Nora was unhappy.
17 How did Nora help the man?
A She changed his boots for a different size.
B She gave him his money back for the boots.
C She asked someone in the back room to fix his boots.
18 What is Nora planning to do in the future?
A learn how to ski beautifully without any problems
B make sure she looks at the boot sizes properly
C ask the customers to leave the shop more quickly
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The text states that Nora's job is to "carry their heavy winter boots from the back room" (bring the winter boots). Option B is a wrong reference trap: tourists are excited to ski, but Nora just gives them equipment, she doesn't teach them. Option C is a wrong logic trap: she finds the right skis for people, but she doesn't make them.
15 C - Explanation: The text explains that the man wanted to go immediately, so Nora "quickly gave him some boots" and "didn't check the numbers" (was trying to do her job very quickly). Option A is a partial truth trap: she put the boots in a bag for him, but the bag wasn't the mistake. Option B is a wrong logic trap: she "didn't check" the numbers, she didn't fail to find them.
16 A - Explanation: The text says the man's feet hurt terribly and he couldn't ski because "it hurt too much to stand up" (felt a lot of pain). Option B is a partial truth trap: Nora's mistake stopped him from enjoying his morning, but not because of the snow. Option C is a wrong reference trap: he was unhappy, and Nora felt bad, but he stopped skiing because his boots were too small.
17 A - Explanation: Nora says she "found a bigger pair of boots for him" and "gave them to the man" (changed his boots for a different size). Option B is a wrong logic trap: she said sorry many times, but the text never mentions giving money back. Option C is a wrong reference trap: she went to the back room to get new boots; she didn't ask someone to fix the old ones.
18 B - Explanation: In the final sentence, Nora says, "now I always check the numbers carefully before a customer leaves!" (look at the boot sizes properly). Option A is a wrong reference trap: the customer skied beautifully without problems, not Nora. Option C is a wrong logic trap: she mentions checking numbers before a customer leaves, but she isn't asking them to leave quickly (hurrying is what caused the mistake).
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Summer jobs or summer holidays?
16-year-old Oscar writes about what teenagers should do in the holidays.
Hi, I'm Oscar, and I'm 16 years old. Every year, teenagers have a long summer holiday away from school. Many of my classmates use this free time to travel to new places or relax. However, some teenagers decide to find a summer job instead. I decided to write this blog to talk about which choice is actually better for young people.
There are lots of great things about choosing to work during the summer. When you get a job in a cafe or a local shop, you can earn your own pocket money. It feels really fantastic to have your own cash to buy the things you want. Also, you learn important new skills and show your parents that you can be a very responsible person.
However, working in the holidays can also be quite difficult. Last month, I worked in a restaurant every day while my best friends went on a trip to the sea. When I looked at my phone, I saw all their beautiful photos of the beach. I felt a bit sad because I really wanted to be there, swimming and having fun with them.
So, should teenagers work or travel? I think you can actually do both! My advice for other young people is very simple. You should get a job and work hard for the whole month of July. Then, you can use the money you earned to pay for a fantastic holiday in August. That way, you will get some useful work experience, and you won't miss any of the summer fun!
14 Why did Oscar write this blog?
A to share his thoughts about what teenagers should do in the summer
B to tell his classmates about a great place to visit
C to explain how to find a summer job in a local shop
15 What does Oscar say is a good thing about working?
A You can meet people who work in local cafes.
B You can get your own money to spend.
C You can buy nice presents for your parents.
16 How did Oscar feel when he looked at his phone last month?
A angry because his friends didn't take any photos of the sea
B tired because he worked at the beach all day long
C unhappy because he wasn't on holiday with his friends
17 What is Oscar's advice for other teenagers?
A Ask your parents to pay for a fantastic summer trip.
B Spend the first part of the summer earning money.
C Travel with your friends in July and work in August.
18 What is Oscar doing in this text?
A explaining how to find a cheap holiday in August
B giving his opinion about working and travelling in the summer
C asking his friends to travel with him next year
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In paragraph 1, Oscar says, "I decided to write this blog to talk about which choice is actually better for young people" (share his thoughts about what teenagers should do). B is a wrong logic trap; he mentions his classmates travelling, but he isn't writing to tell them where to visit. C is a wrong logic trap; he talks about working, but he doesn't explain how to find a job.
15 B - Explanation: In paragraph 2, Oscar says you can "earn your own pocket money" and it feels fantastic to "have your own cash to buy the things you want" (get your own money to spend). A is a wrong reference trap; you can get a job in a cafe, but the text doesn't talk about meeting the people who work there. C is a partial truth trap; he mentions buying things and mentions parents, but you show your parents you are responsible, you don't buy them presents.
16 C - Explanation: In paragraph 3, Oscar explains that seeing photos of his friends at the beach made him feel "a bit sad because I really wanted to be there... with them" (unhappy because he wasn't on holiday). A is the opposite of the truth; his friends did take beautiful photos. B is a wrong reference trap; Oscar worked in a restaurant, his friends were the ones at the beach.
17 B - Explanation: In paragraph 4, Oscar's advice is to "get a job and work hard for the whole month of July" before having a holiday in August (spend the first part of the summer earning money). A is a wrong logic trap; he tells teenagers to use "the money you earned", not to ask their parents to pay. C is a wrong reference trap; it reverses the timeline, as Oscar says to work in July and travel in August.
18 B - Explanation: Throughout the blog, Oscar discusses the good parts of working (money, skills) and the bad parts (missing out on trips), and compares it to travelling before giving his final advice. A is a wrong logic trap; he mentions paying for a holiday in August, but he doesn't explain how to find a cheap one. C is a wrong reference trap; he talks about his friends travelling, but he doesn't ask them to go with him next year.