A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Household Helpers 4
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Household Helpers
Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Yara's slow walks
Fourteen-year-old Yara writes about her weekend job.
Fourteen-year-old Yara loves animals and really wanted a weekend job with pets. Last month, her neighbour, Mr Evans, asked her to help him. He has a very old dog named Buster. Mr Evans pays Yara a little pocket money to walk Buster every Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Yara was excited to start. Buster is a beautiful dog, but because he is so old, he walks incredibly slowly. He loves to stop and smell every tree on the street.
For the first few weeks, the weather was sunny and warm. Yara enjoyed being outside and didn't mind walking slowly. But last Saturday, things were very different. While Yara and Buster were walking in the park, the sky suddenly became dark. Soon, it started to rain heavily. Yara didn't have a coat, so she quickly got very wet and cold.
Yara wanted to go back to Mr Evans's house as fast as possible. She called Buster's name loudly. She hoped the dog would run home with her. But Buster just looked at her and refused to move faster. His old legs couldn't run in the rain. Yara felt a bit worried, but she knew she had to be patient with the old animal.
Yara took a small umbrella out of her bag. She opened it and carefully held it over Buster so he could stay dry. They walked all the way home very slowly together. When they arrived, Mr Evans saw what Yara did. He was so pleased that Yara looked after his dog perfectly. He gave her some extra cash to say thank you. Yara felt very proud, and she plans to buy a much bigger umbrella before their next walk!
14 What do we learn about Buster in the first paragraph?
A He does not like walking fast because of his age.
B He stops to eat things he finds under the trees.
C He belongs to someone in Yara's family.
15 What happened to Yara last Saturday?
A She got lost in the park because it was too dark.
B She felt tired after walking in the hot sun all afternoon.
C She became cold because the weather suddenly changed.
16 When it started to rain Buster
A wouldn't walk any quicker than before.
B felt too worried to listen to Yara.
C ran quickly to Mr Evans's house.
17 How did Yara solve the problem?
A She carried the dog all the way home.
B She protected the animal from the wet weather.
C She used her bag to keep Buster warm.
18 What is Yara going to do in the future?
A ask Mr Evans for more money
B stop walking the dog when it rains
C get something larger for the rain
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In paragraph 1, the text says "because he is so old, he walks incredibly slowly," which means he doesn't like walking fast because of his age. Option B is a partial truth trap; he stops at trees, but he likes to "smell" them, not eat things. Option C is a wrong person trap; he belongs to her neighbour, Mr Evans, not her family.
15 C - Explanation: Paragraph 2 explains that the sky became dark, it started to rain, and Yara "quickly got very wet and cold." This matches becoming cold because the weather suddenly changed. Option A uses wrong logic; the sky became dark, but she didn't get lost. Option B is a wrong time trap; the weather was sunny for the "first few weeks," but not last Saturday.
16 A - Explanation: In paragraph 3, the text states that Buster "refused to move faster." This means he wouldn't walk any quicker than before. Option B is a wrong person trap; Yara felt worried, not Buster. Option C is the opposite of the truth (wrong logic); Yara hoped he would run home, but he didn't.
17 B - Explanation: Paragraph 4 says Yara opened her umbrella and "carefully held it over Buster so he could stay dry." This is a paraphrase for protecting the animal from the wet weather. Option A uses wrong logic; they walked home slowly together, she didn't carry him. Option C is a partial truth trap; she took an umbrella out of her bag, but she didn't use the bag itself to keep him warm.
18 C - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Yara says "she plans to buy a much bigger umbrella before their next walk!" Getting something larger for the rain is a direct paraphrase of buying a much bigger umbrella. Option A is a partial truth trap; Mr Evans gave her extra cash, but she isn't planning to ask for more. Option B uses wrong logic; she is buying an umbrella to use on their next walk, so she isn't going to stop walking him.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The dessert disaster
15-year-old Zack writes about helping his mother in the kitchen.
Hi, my name is Zack and I’m 15 years old. Last Saturday, my mum had a very big dinner party at our house for all her friends. I really enjoy cooking, so she gave me a special job to do. I had to make the dessert for everyone. I decided to make a large chocolate cake with hot chocolate sauce. I felt very proud that she trusted me.
In the afternoon, I went into the kitchen to start working. I made the cake first and put it in the oven to bake. After that, I started making the sauce. I needed some dark chocolate, milk, and a big cup of sugar.
I found a glass jar of white powder in the kitchen cupboard. I put a lot of it into the bowl with the chocolate and mixed it together. But I made a terrible mistake because I wasn't paying attention. I actually used salt instead of sugar! I cooked the dark sauce on the cooker and it looked perfectly fine.
Just before the guests arrived, I decided to taste a little bit of the sauce. It was awful! I couldn't give it to my mum's friends. I quickly threw the salty sauce in the bin and washed the bowl. I had to work extremely fast to make some fresh, sweet sauce in just ten minutes.
After the main meal, I gave the dessert to the guests. They ate it all and said the chocolate sauce was delicious. My mum was very pleased with me. I am going to cook for her friends again next month, but I plan to try all the food before I put it in the bowl!
14 How did Zack feel about his job for the dinner party?
A pleased because his mother believed he could do it
B surprised that his mother invited so many friends
C worried because he had to cook a very large cake
15 What mistake did Zack make with the sauce?
A He forgot to add the dark chocolate to it.
B He put the wrong white powder into the bowl.
C He cooked it on the cooker for too much time.
16 How did Zack find out about the problem?
A He saw that the sauce looked very strange.
B His mother tried the sauce before the guests arrived.
C He put a small amount of the food in his mouth.
17 What did Zack do to fix his mistake?
A He prepared some new sweet sauce very quickly.
B He made a completely different dessert for the guests.
C He spent ten minutes washing the bowls and the bin.
18 What is Zack planning to do next month?
A make a large chocolate cake for his own friends
B test the things he uses before he cooks with them
C ask the guests to bring their own sweet desserts
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The text says Zack felt "very proud that she trusted me" (pleased because his mother believed he could do it). Option B is a wrong reference trap: his mother did invite her friends, but Zack was not surprised by this. Option C is a partial truth trap: he did make a large cake, but he wasn't worried about it.
15 B - Explanation: The text explains that Zack found a glass jar of white powder and "actually used salt instead of sugar" (put the wrong white powder into the bowl). Option A is a partial truth trap: dark chocolate is something he needed, but he didn't forget it. Option C is a wrong logic trap: he cooked it on the cooker, but the text doesn't say he cooked it for too long.
16 C - Explanation: Zack says he "decided to taste a little bit of the sauce" (put a small amount of food in his mouth). Option A is a wrong logic trap: the text says the sauce "looked perfectly fine," not strange. Option B is a wrong reference trap: it was Zack who tasted the sauce, not his mother.
17 A - Explanation: The text states that Zack had to "work extremely fast to make some fresh, sweet sauce" (prepared some new sweet sauce very quickly). Option B is a wrong logic trap: he made a new sauce, not a completely different dessert (he still served the cake). Option C is a partial truth trap: he washed the bowl and threw the old sauce in the bin, but he didn't spend ten minutes washing the bin itself.
18 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Zack says that next time he cooks, "I plan to try all the food before I put it in the bowl" (test the things he uses before he cooks with them). Option A is a wrong reference trap: he is going to cook for his mum's friends again, not his own friends. Option C is a wrong logic trap: the guests ate his dessert and loved it, he isn't asking them to bring their own.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Pocket money for house jobs?
13-year-old Amy writes about teenagers, parents and housework.
Hi, I'm Amy, and I am 13 years old. In many families, parents ask their children to do jobs around the house, like washing the dishes or cleaning the floor. Some of my friends get pocket money when they do these things, but other friends don't get anything. I decided to write this blog to talk about an interesting question. Should parents pay teenagers to do house jobs?
Of course, I agree that it is very important for young people to help their family. We all live in the same house, so everyone must do some work. However, many teenagers can be quite lazy sometimes, and they just want to play video games or sleep. I think that if parents give them a small amount of money, teenagers feel much happier about doing the housework. The money makes them want to do a really good job!
But I don't think parents should pay for every little job. For example, keeping your own bedroom clean and making your bed in the morning is just a normal duty. You shouldn't get money for doing that. But if a teenager does an extra, difficult job, like washing the family car at the weekend or cleaning all the windows, then a small payment is a great idea.
Because of this, my advice for parents is simple. Do not give your children money for cleaning their own bedrooms. Instead, ask them to do harder jobs if they want to earn some extra cash. This teaches teenagers that they have to work hard if they want to buy nice things. It is a good way for young people to learn about the real world!
14 Why did Amy write this blog?
A to ask her parents for more pocket money
B to share her thoughts on paying children for housework
C to explain how to do different jobs around the house
15 Why does Amy think it is a good idea to pay teenagers?
A It makes them more willing to do the work well.
B It gives them extra time to sleep or play video games.
C It helps parents to finish all the housework faster.
16 What does Amy say about cleaning your own bedroom?
A Parents should always pay teenagers to do it.
B Teenagers should do it without getting any money.
C It is the most difficult job for a young person to do.
17 What is Amy's advice for parents?
A Give children money when they complete hard jobs.
B Stop giving teenagers any pocket money at all.
C Buy nice things for teenagers who clean their rooms.
18 What is Amy doing in this text?
A telling parents to do more jobs around the house
B giving her opinion on teenagers, chores and money
C asking teenagers to help their parents wash the car
Answer Key & Explanations
14 B - Explanation: In paragraph 1, Amy says, "I decided to write this blog to talk about an interesting question. Should parents pay teenagers to do house jobs?" (to share her thoughts on paying children for housework). A is a wrong logic trap; she is talking about pocket money generally, but she isn't asking her own parents for more money. C is a wrong logic trap; she talks about house jobs, but she doesn't explain how to do them.
15 A - Explanation: In paragraph 2, Amy says that with a small amount of money, teenagers "feel much happier about doing the housework" and the money "makes them want to do a really good job!" (more willing to do the work well). B is a wrong logic trap; she says lazy teenagers want to sleep or play games, but the money doesn't give them extra time to do it. C is not mentioned in the text.
16 B - Explanation: In paragraph 3, Amy states that cleaning your bedroom is "just a normal duty" and "You shouldn't get money for doing that" (should do it without getting any money). A is the opposite of the text. C is a wrong reference trap; washing the car or cleaning windows are the difficult jobs, not cleaning the bedroom.
17 A - Explanation: In paragraph 4, Amy advises parents to "ask them to do harder jobs if they want to earn some extra cash" (give money when they complete hard jobs). B is a partial truth trap; she says not to give money for cleaning bedrooms, but she doesn't say to stop giving pocket money completely. C is a wrong logic trap; the teenagers buy the nice things themselves using the cash they earn.
18 B - Explanation: Throughout the blog, Amy is discussing whether teenagers should get paid for doing house jobs, sharing what she agrees with, and giving her final advice to parents. A is a wrong logic trap; she is telling parents how to reward their children, not telling the parents to do the work themselves. C is a partial truth trap; washing the car is mentioned as an example of a hard job, but asking teenagers to do it is not the main purpose of the whole text.