A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – History & Origins of Food 7
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – History & Origins of Food
Test 1
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The History of Sugar
Sugar is a very common food today, but it has an interesting history. A long time ago, people did not have the white sugar we use now. If they wanted something (19)…………… , they usually ate honey or fresh fruit.
Then, people in Asia found a special tall plant. They learned how to get the liquid from inside it. To do this, they had to (20)…………… the tall plants with big knives. After that, they boiled the sweet (21)…………… over a fire until it became solid sugar.
For many years, it was very hard to get this new food. It was extremely (22)…………… , so only rich people could buy it. Later, people started growing the plants in other countries. Today, farmers grow them all over the (23)…………… , and people everywhere can (24)…………… eating sugar every day.
19 A sweet B salty C hot
20 A break B cut C drop
21 A soup B milk C juice
22 A heavy B late C expensive
23 A world B ground C space
24 A want B enjoy C decide
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (sweet): "Sweet" is the correct semantic fit for the flavour of "honey or fresh fruit". "Salty" and "hot" are incorrect adjectives to describe the taste of these specific foods.
20 B (cut): "Cut" correctly collocates with using "big knives" to separate or divide a plant. "Break" and "drop" do not describe the specific action of using a knife.
21 C (juice): "Juice" fits the broader context of the text because it refers back to the "liquid from inside" the plant mentioned in the previous sentence. "Soup" and "milk" do not come directly from the inside of a plant.
22 C (expensive): "Expensive" is the correct phrase-level fit because it logically connects to the result: "so only rich people could buy it". "Heavy" and "late" do not explain why something costs a lot of money.
23 A (world): "World" forms the fixed English phrase "all over the world", meaning in every country. "Ground" and "space" do not form this natural collocation.
24 B (enjoy): "Enjoy" forms the correct grammatical collocation "enjoy + v-ing" (enjoy eating). "Want" and "decide" are incorrect because they must be followed by "to" (want to eat / decide to eat).
Test 2
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The History of Apples
Apples are one of the most popular fruits in the world today. But their story began thousands of years ago. The first apples grew high up in the (19)…………… of Central Asia. People found these early apple trees in the (20)…………… forests. These first apples were very small, and they did not taste like the fruit we eat now.
Travellers tried these apples and took the seeds with them to different countries. Soon, people started (21)…………… apple trees in their own gardens. Over many years, farmers learned how to make apples bigger and really (22)…………… to eat.
Today, there are thousands of different types of apples. In the autumn, many families enjoy going to farms and (23)…………… fresh apples straight from the trees. It is a fun activity, and you can even (24)…………… a delicious apple cake when you get home!
19 A mountains B beaches C rivers
20 A wild B brave C free
21 A growing B building C making
22 A sweet B kind C clean
23 A catching B picking C holding
24 A make B do C build
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (mountains): The phrase "high up in the..." tells us the text is describing tall geographical features, which are "mountains". "Beaches" and "rivers" are on the ground and are not described as high up.
20 A (wild): We use the word "wild" to describe plants, animals, or forests that live and grow in natural conditions, away from people. "Brave" and "free" are used to describe people or animals, not forests.
21 A (growing): When we put plants or trees in a garden and help them get bigger, the correct verb is "growing". We "build" things like houses, and we "make" things like food or machines.
22 A (sweet): "Sweet" describes the nice, sugary taste of fruit and food. "Kind" is an adjective used to describe nice people, and "clean" just means not dirty, which does not describe how a fruit tastes.
23 B (picking): The correct action for taking flowers or fruit from a plant or tree is "picking". You "catch" things that are moving (like a ball), and "holding" just means keeping something in your hands.
24 A (make): The correct collocation for preparing food is to "make" a cake or a meal. We do not use the verb "do" for cooking, and we "build" structures like walls, not food.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The History of Strawberries
Strawberries are one of the most popular fruits in the world. Many people love eating these bright (19)…………… berries during the warm summer months. Long ago, farmers did not grow strawberries in their (20)…………… . Instead, people searched for small (21)…………… plants growing in forests and fields. These early strawberries were much smaller than the ones we buy today, but they had a sweet taste.
In the eighteenth century, plant experts in Europe decided to (22)…………… different kinds of strawberries together. They brought two special plants from America and planted them in the same place to (23)…………… a bigger fruit. This new strawberry quickly became famous across Europe. Today, you can easily (24)…………… fresh strawberries in almost every supermarket!
19 A red B dark C clean
20 A parks B gardens C markets
21 A wild B free C open
22 A add B put C mix
23 A do B make C build
24 A look B watch C find
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (red): "Red" fits the semantic context as the specific, natural color used to describe ripe strawberries. "Dark" and "clean" do not describe the typical bright appearance of this fruit.
20 B (gardens): "Gardens" is the correct semantic fit for places near homes where people and farmers grow fruit and plants. "Parks" are public spaces for recreation, and "markets" are places where food is sold rather than grown.
21 A (wild): "Wild" is the correct phrase-level adjective used to describe plants or animals that grow naturally in forests without human care. "Free" refers to price, and "open" describes spaces, not uncultivated plants.
22 C (mix): "Mix" is the correct verb because it naturally collocates with the adverb "together" when combining two things (mix ... together). "Add" would require the preposition to (add to), and "put" would require in or on.
23 B (make): "Make" is the correct collocation when creating or producing a new type of food or fruit. You cannot "do" a fruit, and "build" is used for structures like houses or bridges.
24 C (find): "Find" fits the broader context of locating items that are available to buy in a store. "Look" would require a preposition like at or for, and "watch" means to look at something moving for a period of time.