A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Birds, Marine Life & Insects 2
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Test 1
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Talking Parrots
Parrots are beautiful birds that live in warm forests around the world. Many people (19)…………… them as pets because they have very (20)…………… feathers, usually red, green, or blue.
But parrots are most famous because they can learn to (21)…………… like humans. A parrot does not really know language, but it is excellent at listening. It can hear a new word and then (22)…………… it perfectly.
If you want your bird to learn human words, you must (23)…………… a lot of time talking to it every day. You should say the same word many times. However, parrots do not really understand what they are saying. For them, it is just a fun (24)…………… to make noise and communicate with their owners.
19 A keep B hold C carry
20 A colourful B clear C clean
21 A tell B talk C say
22 A answer B reply C copy
23 A spend B pass C make
24 A job B way C rule
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (keep): 'Keep' is a strong collocation used when talking about owning or housing animals (keep as a pet). 'Hold' and 'carry' are temporary physical actions you do with your hands.
20 A (colourful): 'Colourful' is the correct semantic fit to describe feathers that are bright red, green, or blue. 'Clear' describes something you can see through (like water or glass), and 'clean' just means not dirty.
21 B (talk): 'Talk' fits the phrase-level grammar and meaning of communicating like a human. 'Tell' requires an object (e.g., tell someone a story), and 'say' requires the specific words being spoken (e.g., say hello).
22 C (copy): 'Copy' is the correct semantic fit for hearing a sound and reproducing it exactly. 'Answer' and 'reply' mean to respond to a question, which a parrot is not doing here.
23 A (spend): 'Spend time' is a very common English collocation. While 'pass' and 'make' are verbs related to time in other contexts, 'spend' is the only correct choice here to describe doing an activity for a long period.
24 B (way): In this broader context, repeating words is just a fun 'way' (method or activity) for the parrot to make noise. It is not a 'job' (which means work), and 'rule' does not make sense when talking about having fun.
Test 2
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Amazing Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are amazing little birds that live in North and South America. They are famous because they are so (19)…………… in size. The bee hummingbird is only five centimetres long!
These birds love to visit gardens to look for food. They drink sweet juice from (20)…………… . To do this, they move their wings very quickly. A hummingbird can move its wings 80 times a second! Because they are so (21)……………, you usually only hear them, but you cannot see their wings.
Hummingbirds also have a special ability. They are the only birds that can fly backwards. If a hummingbird wants to (22)…………… away from a plant, it does not turn around. It just flies back. They can even (23)…………… in one place in the air. This flying ability is one (24)…………… why people love watching these beautiful birds.
19 A small B short C low
20 A flowers B trees C leaves
21 A fast B soon C early
22 A move B leave C travel
23 A stay B wait C keep
24 A reason B idea C answer
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (small): 'Small' is the correct adjective to describe the overall physical volume and size of the bird. We use 'short' for height or length, and 'low' for position, which do not fit the phrase 'in size' for an animal here.
20 A (flowers): 'Flowers' fits the broader context of the paragraph. Hummingbirds visit gardens to drink the sweet juice (nectar) found inside flowers. 'Trees' and 'leaves' do not usually hold sweet juice for birds to drink.
21 A (fast): 'Fast' describes the high speed of the bird's wings moving 80 times a second. 'Soon' and 'early' are adverbs of time, not speed, so they do not make sense in this sentence.
22 A (move): 'Move' pairs correctly with the preposition 'away' to describe changing position. We do not say 'leave away', and 'travel' is used for long journeys, not flying a few centimetres from a plant.
23 A (stay): 'Stay' fits perfectly to describe remaining in one place without moving forward or backward. 'Wait' implies passing time rather than physical position, and 'keep' cannot be used by itself in this way without an object or adjective.
24 A (reason): 'Reason' pairs with the word 'why' to explain a fact or situation (one reason why). This is a fixed English collocation. We do not say 'one idea why' or 'one answer why'.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Eagles and Their High Homes
Eagles are large, powerful birds that live in many parts of the world. They are famous for building their homes, called nests, in very high places. You can often find eagle nests at the top of tall (19)…………… or on the sides of high mountains.
Building a nest so high up is a very good (20)…………… for these birds. First, it keeps their babies safe. Other animals cannot climb up the mountain to (21)…………… the small birds. Second, eagles have amazing eyes. From high up, they can look down and easily (22)…………… small animals running on the ground.
Eagles use strong sticks and leaves to build their nests. They do not build a new nest every year. Instead, they go (23)…………… to the same nest and add more sticks to it. Because of this, some eagle nests can grow to be very heavy. It takes a lot of hard (24)…………… to make such a big home!
19 A trees B forests C woods
20 A idea B way C plan
21 A hold B catch C take
22 A watch B look C see
23 A out B down C back
24 A job B work C business
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (trees): We use "trees" because you can build a nest at the top of an individual tall tree. "Forests" and "woods" refer to large areas of land covered with many trees, so we do not say "at the top of tall forests".
20 A (idea): "A good idea" is a very common fixed collocation used to say that a decision or action is smart. "Plan" refers to a detailed step-by-step arrangement, and "way" means a method, which does not fit the structure "is a good... for these birds".
21 B (catch): "Catch" is the correct verb when an animal gets another animal. "Hold" means to keep something in your hands or claws, and "take" means to move something from one place to another, but neither implies the act of hunting.
22 C (see): "See" means to notice something with your eyes, like spotting food from the sky. "Look" would require the preposition "at" (look at small animals), and "watch" means to carefully observe something happening over a longer period of time.
23 C (back): The phrasal verb "go back" means to return. We know they return because the text says they go to "the same nest". "Go out" means to leave a place, and "go down" means to descend, which contradict the context.
24 B (work): "Work" is an uncountable noun used here to describe the physical effort of building (hard work). "Job" is a countable noun, so it would need an article (a hard job). "Business" refers to a company or selling things.