A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – History of Transport & Unusual Travel 1
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – History of Transport & Unusual Travel
Test 1
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The First Airplanes
In 1903, two brothers named Orville and Wilbur Wright changed the world. They built the (19)…………… airplane that could carry a person. Before this, people tried to travel in the air, but their machines always fell down.
The brothers used very simple materials to make their airplane. They built the wings from strong (20)…………… and covered them with thick cloth. The machine also had a heavy engine to help it move.
On a cold day in December, Orville finally took the plane into the (21)…………… . The journey only lasted for a very (22)…………… time—just 12 seconds! However, it was enough to show that humans could really travel this way.
After that day, the brothers continued to build better planes. Today, millions of people enjoy (23)…………… around the world on big modern airplanes. The Wright brothers helped to (24)…………… this amazing dream come true.
19 A next B first C last
20 A glass B stone C wood
21 A space B sky C weather
22 A slow B short C small
23 A flying B sailing C driving
24 A have B keep C make
Answer Key & Explanations
19 B (first): This tests the broader historical context of the text. The Wright brothers invented the airplane, meaning theirs was the "first". "Next" implies there was one before it, and "last" means no more were built after it.
20 C (wood): This tests semantic fit. "Wood" is a light, natural material used for building early transport. "Glass" easily breaks and "stone" is far too heavy for an airplane's wings.
21 B (sky): This tests phrase-level meaning. When an airplane leaves the ground, it goes up into the "sky". "Space" is too high (for rockets and astronauts), and "weather" describes rain or sunshine, not a physical place you can travel into.
22 B (short): This tests collocation. "A short time" is the correct natural expression for a brief duration (like 12 seconds). We do not say a "small time" (used for size) or a "slow time" (used for speed).
23 A (flying): This tests semantic fit. "Flying" is the correct verb for travelling in an airplane. "Sailing" is used for travelling on water in a boat, and "driving" is for steering a car on the road.
24 C (make): This tests a fixed collocation. "Make a dream come true" is a highly common A2-level phrase meaning to turn an idea into reality. In English, we do not say "have a dream come true" or "keep a dream come true" in this active context.
Test 2
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Old Steam Trains
Steam trains were the first trains in the world. They were a very important way to travel in the (19)…………… . To make these trains move, workers had to put black (20)…………… into a very hot fire. This fire boiled water to make steam, but it also made a lot of dark (21)…………… come out of the top of the train.
Today, modern trains travel very quickly, but old steam trains were quite (22)…………… . Because of this, it often took many hours to travel from one city to another. Steam trains were also very (23)…………… when they moved along the metal tracks, so it was difficult to talk to your friends. You do not see steam trains on normal journeys today, but you can still (24)…………… great photos of them at a transport museum.
19 A past B history C age
20 A coal B wood C metal
21 A smoke B cloud C weather
22 A slow B late C long
23 A noisy B angry C heavy
24 A take B make C do
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (past): 'In the past' is the correct phrase-level choice to talk about an earlier time in history. 'History' is the study of the past, and 'age' refers to how old someone is or a specific historical period (like the Stone Age), but they do not fit the set phrase 'in the...'.
20 A (coal): 'Coal' is the correct semantic fit for a black rock that you burn in a fire to create heat. 'Wood' can be burned, but it is not naturally black before burning, and 'metal' is a strong material used to build the train itself, not to burn in the fire.
21 A (smoke): 'Smoke' is the correct semantic fit for the dark air or gas that comes from a fire. A 'cloud' is made of white or grey water drops in the sky, and 'weather' refers to rain, wind, or sunshine, so neither comes directly from a train's fire.
22 A (slow): 'Slow' fits the broader context because it directly contrasts with the fact that "modern trains travel very quickly". 'Late' means not arriving on time, and 'long' describes a distance or an amount of time, not the physical speed of the train.
23 A (noisy): 'Noisy' fits the broader context perfectly because the text explains that "it was difficult to talk to your friends" due to the loud sound. 'Angry' describes a person's bad feelings, and 'heavy' describes how much something weighs, so neither explains why it was hard to have a conversation.
24 A (take): 'Take photos' is the correct English collocation for capturing images with a camera. In English, we do not 'make' or 'do' photos.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Hot Air Balloons
Riding in a hot air balloon is a wonderful way to travel. These colourful balloons do not have engines like aeroplanes. Instead, they use a large (19)…………… to make the air inside warm. This helps the balloon go up into the sky.
Passengers stand in a strong (20)…………… under the balloon. The journey is usually very quiet and (21)…………… , so you have plenty of time to enjoy the trip. You can spend your time (22)…………… down at the fields and rivers below.
Hot air balloons cannot travel in bad weather. The person who is (23)…………… the balloon must wait for a nice day with light winds. At the end of the trip, people always want to (24)…………… lots of photos to show their friends.
19 A light B sun C fire
20 A basket B bag C box
21 A late B slow C old
22 A watching B seeing C looking
23 A flying B driving C riding
24 A take B make C do
Answer Key & Explanations
19 C (fire): This is the correct semantic fit. A hot air balloon uses a real fire (or flame) to heat the air. A 'light' or the 'sun' cannot be placed inside or under a balloon to make it warm in this way.
20 A (basket): This is the correct specific noun for the container passengers stand in under a hot air balloon. While 'bag' and 'box' are also containers, they do not fit the established vocabulary for this type of transport.
21 B (slow): This fits the broader context of the paragraph. Because the journey takes a long time and gives you "plenty of time to enjoy the trip," the speed is 'slow'. 'Late' and 'old' do not make sense here.
22 C (looking): This fits the phrase-level grammar perfectly. The verb 'look' is the only option here that can be followed by the prepositions 'down at'. We do not say 'watching down at' or 'seeing down at'.
23 A (flying): This is the correct natural collocation for controlling an aircraft or balloon in the air. You 'drive' a car or bus, and you 'ride' a bicycle or a horse.
24 A (take): 'Take photos' is a standard English collocation. We never use the verbs 'make' or 'do' when talking about using a camera to capture an image.