A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Young Inventors, Scientists & Helpers 7
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Young Inventors, Scientists & Helpers
Test 1
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teen Hospital Volunteer
Max Davis is a fourteen-year-old boy from Manchester, and he loves helping other people. He spends his (19)…………… volunteering at the local city hospital, while many other teenagers are just relaxing at home.
He visits the children's hospital because he enjoys taking (20)…………… of people who are sick. He does not give medicine. Instead, he spends his time talking to the young (21)…………… and reading them exciting stories.
Staying in a hospital can be frightening, but Max is always (22)…………… to make everyone feel safe and happy. He plays games with the children and always (23)…………… sure that they are having fun. Max is very good (24)…………… listening to them when they want to talk. One day, he hopes to become a real doctor.
19 A weekends B holidays C festivals
20 A part B care C place
21 A students B customers C patients
22 A smiling B laughing C crying
23 A does B gets C makes
24 A in B on C at
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (weekends): This is a semantic fit. The text describes a regular, routine habit during a teenager's normal time off (Saturday and Sunday). While 'holidays' are longer school breaks, 'weekends' fits the weekly routine of volunteering. 'Festivals' are special celebration events.
20 B (care): This tests a strong collocation. The correct fixed phrase for looking after someone is to 'take care of' them. We use 'take part' for joining an activity or competition, and 'take place' when talking about where an event happens.
21 C (patients): This requires understanding the broader context of the text. The setting is a hospital, and Max is helping people who are sick. The correct word for these people is 'patients'. 'Students' belong in a school setting, and 'customers' buy things in a shop.
22 A (smiling): This is a semantic fit. To make scared people feel "safe and happy", a gentle, friendly facial expression is needed. 'Smiling' fits this perfectly. 'Laughing' could be too noisy or inappropriate for a hospital setting, and 'crying' is the opposite of happy.
23 C (makes): This tests a standard A2 collocation. The correct fixed phrase is 'make sure', which means to check that something happens or is done correctly. The verbs 'do' and 'get' do not form this phrase.
24 C (at): This tests phrase-level meaning. When talking about a person's skill or ability, the correct preposition to use after the adjective 'good' is 'at' (e.g., good at reading, good at listening). We do not say 'good in' or 'good on' for personal skills.
Test 2
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Young Ocean Cleaner
Leo is a fourteen-year-old boy from Australia, and he loves living near the sea. Every weekend, he walks along his favourite local beach. However, he often feels sad because he sees a lot of plastic (19)…………… left on the sand by visitors.
Leo wants to protect the animals that live in the ocean. So, he always brings large black (20)…………… with him to put the plastic in. He spends two hours (21)…………… up empty bottles and sweet wrappers. Sometimes, the objects are floating in the (22)…………… , so he has to get his feet wet to reach them.
After he finishes, the beach looks completely clean. Next month, Leo is going to take (23)…………… in a big beach-cleaning event with fifty other teenagers. He knows it is hard work, (24)…………… he believes that anyone can help to save the planet.
19 A dirt B dust C rubbish
20 A bags B pockets C boxes
21 A making B getting C picking
22 A weather B water C air
23 A place B care C part
24 A so B but C because
Answer Key & Explanations
19 C (rubbish): 'Rubbish' is the correct word for waste material or things people throw away, like empty plastic bottles. 'Dirt' is wet earth or mud, and 'dust' is dry grey powder you find on old furniture.
20 A (bags): People use 'bags' (often black plastic ones) to collect and carry waste. 'Pockets' are parts of clothes and are much too small, and people do not usually bring large black 'boxes' to the beach.
21 C (picking): The correct phrasal verb for lifting something from the ground is 'picking up'. 'Getting up' means to stand or wake up, and 'making up' means to invent a story.
22 B (water): Objects like plastic bottles float in the 'water' of the sea. 'Weather' and 'air' do not make sense in this context, especially because the sentence mentions getting his feet wet.
23 C (part): The phrase 'take part in' means to participate or join an activity. 'Take place' means to happen, and 'take care' means to look after someone or something.
24 B (but): This conjunction is needed to show a clear contrast between cleaning being very hard work and his positive belief that he can save the planet. 'Because' gives a reason, and 'so' shows a result.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Young Public Speaker
Leo is a fifteen-year-old boy who loves talking to large groups of people. He goes to different schools and youth clubs to speak about important subjects, like protecting the environment.
Standing on a big stage in front of hundreds of people can be scary. You have to be very (19)…………… to look at the audience and speak clearly. Before a speech, Leo always takes a deep breath so he can stay (20)…………… . When he begins to speak, he uses his hands to help explain things, and he tries to (21)…………… his stories in an interesting way.
Many teenagers feel nervous about public speaking, (22)…………… Leo really enjoys it. He believes it is a great way to share important (23)…………… with the world. Next month, he is going to (24)…………… part in a national speaking competition in London. He hopes to win a prize.
19 A brave B safe C clear
20 A calm B quiet C soft
21 A tell B talk C speak
22 A but B so C because
23 A ideas B lists C exams
24 A take B play C have
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (brave): This word fits the semantic meaning of doing something even when it is scary. "Safe" means protected from danger, and "clear" means easy to see or understand, so neither describes a person's courage.
20 A (calm): This word fits the phrase-level meaning of staying relaxed and not panicking before a big event. "Quiet" means making no noise, and "soft" is used for things that are gentle to touch or hear, which do not fit how someone feels inside.
21 A (tell): "Tell a story" (or tell his stories) is a fixed English collocation. We do not use the verbs "talk" or "speak" directly with the word "story" in this way.
22 A (but): This conjunction is needed for the broader context to show a contrast: many teenagers feel nervous, but (on the other hand) Leo enjoys it. "Because" shows a reason, and "so" shows a result.
23 A (ideas): This word correctly fits the semantic meaning of sharing thoughts or beliefs with an audience. You do not share "lists" (things written down one after another) or "exams" (school tests) with the world in a public speech.
24 A (take): "Take part" is a fixed collocation that means to join in or participate in an event, like a competition. "Play part" and "have part" are not natural phrases in English.