A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – School Events & Competitions 2
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – School Events & Competitions
Test 1
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The School Book Fair
Many schools have a special book fair once a year. It is an exciting day for the students. When the fair opens, there are usually (19)…………… of books on large tables in the school hall. There is something for everyone. Children can find books about space, animals, and exciting (20)…………… about famous travellers.
Students love the fair because the books are often very (21)…………… , so they do not cost a lot. Children can get two or three books for the same price as one in a shop. They often bring their pocket (22)…………… from home to pay for them.
Teachers think the book fair is a great idea. It is nice to see students (23)…………… their own books. After the fair finishes, the classrooms are usually quiet because everyone is busy (24)…………… the first page of their new book!
19 A thousands B amounts C parts
20 A stories B projects C notes
21 A cheap B low C light
22 A money B cash C gold
23 A buying B paying C shopping
24 A reading B looking C seeing
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (thousands): This tests broader context. 'Thousands of' is used to describe a very large number of countable things, like books. 'Amounts' is only used for uncountable nouns (like water or time), and 'parts' means pieces of a whole object, not complete books.
20 A (stories): This fits the semantic meaning of the text. Books contain written 'stories'. 'Projects' are pieces of school work that students make, and 'notes' are very short messages, which does not fit the description of an exciting book.
21 A (cheap): This fits the phrase-level meaning of the context clue "do not cost a lot". When something costs very little, it is 'cheap'. We use 'low' for the price itself (a low price), not the book. 'Light' refers to how much something weighs, not its cost.
22 A (money): 'Pocket money' is a fixed, everyday English collocation for the small amount of money parents give to children. Even though 'cash' and 'gold' are forms of payment, we do not say 'pocket cash' or 'pocket gold'.
23 A (buying): This is a grammatical collocation and verb pattern. 'Buying' takes a direct object (buying books). The distractors do not fit grammatically: you must add 'for' to use the other verbs (paying for books / shopping for books).
24 A (reading): This is a semantic fit for interacting with a book. 'Reading' means looking at and understanding words. If you use 'looking', you must add the preposition 'at' (looking at the page). 'Seeing' just means noticing with your eyes, not reading the text.
Test 2
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Student Art Exhibition
Every year, the school has a special art exhibition for its students. It is a wonderful day to show the hard work they do in their art classes. Before the event begins, students bring in their new (19)…………… and teachers help to put them on the classroom (20)…………… .
When the doors open, many visitors arrive. You can see teenagers standing in groups and (21)…………… at the different pictures. Some pictures show animals or nature, and others show people. Everyone usually agrees that the students' artwork is very (22)…………… .
The exhibition is a fantastic event for families, too. It is a great moment for (23)…………… to see what their children can do. Many people bring cameras because they want to (24)…………… photos of the amazing art. It is always a very happy day for the school.
19 A paintings B songs C stories
20 A walls B floors C desks
21 A looking B watching C seeing
22 A beautiful B delicious C polite
23 A parents B teachers C classmates
24 A take B make C do
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (paintings): 'Paintings' correctly fits the broader context of visual items made in 'art classes' for an 'exhibition'. 'Songs' are for music, and 'stories' are for reading or writing.
20 A (walls): 'Walls' is the correct semantic fit for the vertical surfaces in a room where pictures are displayed for people to view. You do not hang art on 'floors' or 'desks' for an exhibition.
21 A (looking): 'Looking' is the correct verb to collocate with the preposition 'at' when focusing your eyes on a static picture. The verbs 'watching' and 'seeing' are grammatically incorrect with 'at' in this way.
22 A (beautiful): 'Beautiful' is the correct adjective to describe art that looks very nice. 'Delicious' is used to describe food that tastes good, and 'polite' describes a person's good behaviour.
23 A (parents): 'Parents' perfectly fits the phrase-level meaning, linking back to the word 'families' in the previous sentence and forward to 'their children' in this one. 'Teachers' and 'classmates' do not share this family connection.
24 A (take): 'Take photos' is a very common fixed collocation in English for using a camera to capture images. We do not use 'make' or 'do' with photos.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Charity Bake Sale
Many schools organize special events to collect cash for good causes. One of the most popular activities is a charity bake sale. Students and teachers spend time at home making lots of delicious (19)…………… and biscuits. They bring them to school the next day.
At break time, they put all the (20)…………… food on large tables in the playground. Other pupils come to the tables and spend time (21)…………… their favourite snacks. They use their pocket (22)…………… to get the things they want.
The teachers keep the cash in a small box. At the end of the day, they give it all to a charity. It is a brilliant way of (23)…………… other people in the world. Everyone loves having a bake sale because they can eat tasty snacks and (24)…………… a lot of fun at the same time.
19 A cakes B meals C plates
20 A sweet B healthy C hot
21 A buying B paying C selling
22 A money B coin C price
23 A helping B caring C saving
24 A have B make C do
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (cakes): This fits the semantic meaning of the sentence. Students make baked goods like "cakes" and biscuits for a bake sale. They do not bake full "meals," and "plates" are objects you put food on, not the food itself.
20 A (sweet): This fits the semantic meaning based on the previous sentence. Cakes and biscuits are "sweet" foods. They are not usually "healthy," and they are not served "hot" at a school playground table.
21 A (buying): This fits the phrase-level grammar and meaning. Pupils select and get snacks by "buying" them. The verb "paying" requires the preposition "for" (paying for snacks), and "selling" is what the teachers and bakers are doing, not the other pupils.
22 A (money): This forms the standard A2 collocation "pocket money," which is the cash children bring to school. We do not say "pocket coin" or "pocket price."
23 A (helping): This fits the broader context of the text. Giving cash to a charity is a way of "helping" people. The verb "caring" would need the preposition "for" (caring for other people).
24 A (have): This forms the very common A2 collocation "have fun." In English, we do not use the verbs "make" or "do" with fun in this context.
