A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – History of Transport & Unusual Travel 3
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.
Horse and Cart Travel
Before we had cars and buses, travelling around the country was very different. Many years ago, people used a horse and a cart to make long journeys. These strong (19)…………… were very important because they pulled heavy wooden carts filled with people and things.
It was hard work, so the horses could only travel at a very (20)…………… speed. In the past, the (21)…………… were not like they are today. They were usually made of dirt, which turned into thick mud when it rained.
Because of this, it often (22)…………… a long time to visit another town. Passengers had to spend hours (23)…………… on hard wooden seats inside the cold cart. Today, we can drive anywhere quickly, but learning about this old type of transport is an interesting way to understand our (24)…………… .
19 A animals B pets C birds
20 A late B slow C short
21 A bridges B floors C roads
22 A took B made C did
23 A standing B waiting C sitting
24 A story B history C lesson
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (animals): This tests semantic fit. Horses are large, working "animals". They are not kept inside the house as "pets", and they are definitely not "birds".
20 B (slow): This tests collocation. "Slow speed" is the correct natural pairing to describe moving without much speed. "Late" refers to arriving after the correct time, and "short" describes distance or height, not speed.
21 C (roads): This tests semantic fit. "Roads" are the routes that people and carts travel on outside. "Floors" are found inside a building, and "bridges" are specifically for crossing water, which doesn't fit the general description of turning into mud everywhere.
22 A (took): This tests collocation. "Take a long time" (past tense: took) is the standard A2-level phrase for a duration of time. In English, we do not say a journey "made" or "did" a long time.
23 C (sitting): This tests phrase-level meaning. Because the passengers are on "hard wooden seats", the correct physical action is "sitting". You do not travel by "standing" on a seat, and "waiting" does not describe the action of riding on the seat during the journey.
24 B (history): This relies on the broader context of the paragraph. The text describes how people lived and travelled "many years ago", which means we are learning about "history". A "story" is usually a fictional book or personal tale, and a "lesson" is a specific class at school.
Test 2
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Dog Sleds
Dog sledding is an amazing way to travel in the winter. In countries where the weather is very (19)……………, people often use this special transport. A dog sled is a light wooden cart that travels easily over snow and (20)…………… .
To move the sled, you need a team of strong dogs. The dogs stand at the front and spend hours (21)…………… the heavy sled behind them. They have very thick fur, so they do not mind the freezing weather. In fact, they really enjoy (22)…………… together as a team.
The driver stands at the back of the sled. Drivers have to (23)…………… very warm clothes because the winter wind is freezing. Today, people do not just use sleds for work. Many tourists also take dog sled trips because it is a fun (24)…………… to explore the snowy mountains.
19 A cold B dark C late
20 A ice B water C glass
21 A pulling B pushing C carrying
22 A running B driving C riding
23 A wear B dress C hold
24 A way B time C work
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (cold): 'Cold' is the correct semantic fit to describe the winter weather necessary for dog sledding. 'Dark' and 'late' describe time or light, not the specific physical weather condition needed for snow.
20 A (ice): 'Ice' fits the phrase-level context of frozen surfaces that a sled travels over (snow and ice). 'Water' is liquid, which a sled would sink into, and 'glass' is a material used for windows, not the ground outside.
21 A (pulling): 'Pulling' is the correct verb collocation for how animals move a cart behind them. They do not 'push' it from behind, and they do not 'carry' it on their backs.
22 A (running): 'Running' fits the semantic context of dogs moving fast on their own feet. People 'drive' a car or 'ride' in the sled, but the dogs themselves do the running.
23 A (wear): 'Wear' is the correct verb collocation for putting clothes on your body (wear clothes). You 'dress' yourself (not 'dress clothes'), and 'holding' clothes in your hands will not keep you warm.
24 A (way): 'Way' fits the broader context of the sentence to describe a fun method or activity ('a fun way to explore'). 'Time' and 'work' do not fit the grammatical or meaning structure of this phrase.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Riding a Camel in the Desert
Riding a camel in the desert is an amazing experience for anyone on holiday. Deserts are very (19)…………… places with very little water. Because of this, it is difficult for most animals to live there. However, camels have large, flat feet that help them walk easily on the soft, yellow (20)…………… .
When you want to ride a camel, you have to wait for the animal to rest on the ground. You must do this because camels are very (21)…………… animals! When you are finally (22)…………… safely on its back, the camel stands up.
Riding a camel is different from riding a horse. The journey is usually quite (23)…………… , which gives you plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful views. The sun is very strong, so you must (24)…………… sure you wear a hat to protect your head.
19 A hot B heavy C loud
20 A grass B sand C rock
21 A high B long C tall
22 A sitting B standing C holding
23 A slow B late C old
24 A do B make C get
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (hot): This is the correct semantic fit for a desert, which is known for high temperatures and little water. 'Heavy' describes weight, and 'loud' describes noise, so they do not make sense here.
20 B (sand): This is the correct semantic fit for the soft, yellow ground found in a desert. 'Grass' needs water to grow, and 'rock' is hard and grey, not soft and yellow.
21 C (tall): This fits the broader context of why the camel must rest on the ground before you get on. We use 'tall' to describe the vertical height of people and animals. 'High' is for mountains or walls, and 'long' is for horizontal distance.
22 A (sitting): This fits the phrase-level context of riding an animal. You 'sit' on its back. 'Standing' would be dangerous and incorrect for riding, and you 'hold' with your hands, not your whole body.
23 A (slow): This is the correct semantic fit to describe the speed of the journey, giving you "plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful views." 'Late' refers to arriving after the correct time, and 'old' describes age.
24 B (make): 'Make sure' is a very common fixed English collocation meaning to check that you do something correctly or safely. We do not use the verbs 'do' or 'get' in this phrase.