A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Active Escapes 1
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Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Learning to ride the waves!
15-year-old Tom writes about his holiday in Australia.
My name is Tom, and I am 15 years old. Last month, my family and I travelled to Sydney, Australia, for a two-week holiday. We spent a lot of time on the beautiful beaches there. My parents just wanted to relax and read books on the sand, but I wanted to do something exciting. So, I decided to join a special surfing camp for teenagers.
On the first morning, I felt very confident. I watch a lot of surfing videos online, and it always looks so easy! Our instructor, Dave, showed us how to stand up on the sand first. I did it perfectly. But when we went into the water, everything changed. The waves were very strong, and the water was really cold.
I tried to catch a small wave, but I immediately fell off my board. I climbed back on and tried again, but I fell into the water another ten times! After two hours of trying, my arms and legs hurt a lot. I felt very sad and angry. I walked out of the water, sat on the beach, and told Dave I wanted to quit completely.
Dave smiled and told me not to stop. He explained that my surfboard was too small for a beginner. He gave me a much wider board and told me to try one last time. I waited for a small wave, pushed hard, and finally stood up! It felt amazing to ride all the way to the beach. Next summer, I am going to buy my own surfboard and practise every weekend!
14 Why did Tom decide to join the surfing camp?
A His parents asked him to learn a new water sport.
B He wanted to do an exciting activity on his holiday.
C He needed to find a way to relax on the beach.
15 Before he went into the water, Tom believed that
A surfing was going to be an easy thing to do.
B the instructor's videos were very helpful.
C it was too difficult to stand up on the sand.
16 Why did Tom want to quit the surfing camp?
A Dave told him to get out of the water.
B His body was in pain after falling so much.
C He felt sad because he had to wait two hours.
17 How did Dave help Tom to stand up?
A He got a different piece of equipment for Tom.
B He showed Tom how to push the board hard.
C He held the board for Tom on the last wave.
18 What is Tom planning to do in the future?
A return to Sydney next summer for another camp
B teach other beginners how to ride the waves
C get his own surfboard to use on the weekends
Answer Key & Explanations
14 B - Explanation: In paragraph 1, Tom says his parents wanted to relax, "but I wanted to do something exciting. So, I decided to join a special surfing camp." This matches wanting an exciting activity (Option B). Option A is a partial truth; his parents are mentioned, but they wanted to relax, they didn't ask him to learn a sport. Option C is wrong logic; his parents relaxed on the beach, while Tom wanted action.
15 A - Explanation: Paragraph 2 says Tom felt confident because he watched videos and "it always looks so easy!" This means he believed it would be easy (Option A). Option B is wrong reference; he watched videos online, but the text never says they were his instructor's videos. Option C is wrong logic; he says he stood up on the sand "perfectly", so it wasn't difficult.
16 B - Explanation: Paragraph 3 says Tom fell in the water ten times and "my arms and legs hurt a lot." Because of this, he wanted to quit. This matches his body being in pain (Option B). Option A is wrong logic; Tom walked out of the water himself, Dave didn't tell him to. Option C is a partial truth trap; two hours is mentioned, but he was trying for two hours, not waiting.
17 A - Explanation: In paragraph 4, Dave told Tom his board was too small, so "He gave me a much wider board". This means he got him a different piece of equipment (Option A). Option B is wrong logic; the text says Tom "pushed hard", but Dave didn't show him how to do this. Option C is wrong logic; there is no mention of Dave holding the board.
18 C - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Tom says, "Next summer, I am going to buy my own surfboard and practise every weekend!" This matches getting his own board to use on weekends (Option C). Option A is a partial truth; he mentions next summer, but he doesn't say he is returning to Sydney. Option B is wrong logic; Tom is a beginner himself, and doesn't mention teaching others.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A painful surprise in the sea
13-year-old Uma writes about an interesting day on her summer holiday.
Hi, my name is Uma and I am 13 years old. Last month, I went on a wonderful summer holiday to the south of Spain with my family. The weather was extremely hot every day, so we spent most of our time at the beach. I love being in the water, and the sea there was beautiful, clear and really warm. I thought it was the perfect place to swim.
One afternoon, my parents were reading their books on the sand, so I went into the water by myself. I was swimming and looking at the little fish for about twenty minutes. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain on my left arm. At first, I didn't know what it was. I thought maybe I hit my arm on a sharp rock under the water.
Then, I looked down and saw a small, clear jellyfish moving slowly away from me. I was a bit scared and started to cry because my arm really hurt. I quickly swam back to the beach and ran to my parents. They didn't know how to stop the pain, but my dad saw a beach lifeguard standing near us. We walked over to ask him for help.
The lifeguard was very friendly and told me not to worry. He cleaned my arm carefully and then put some special white cream on it. The cream felt very cold, but the pain stopped completely after just a few minutes. I didn't want to go back into the sea again that day, so I decided to play in the sand instead. My dad and I built a huge sandcastle, and I still had a fantastic afternoon!
14 Why did Uma and her family go to the beach so often?
A The days were very warm.
B They wanted to find the clearest water.
C Uma needed to learn how to swim.
15 What was Uma doing when her arm started to hurt?
A She was reading a book by herself.
B She was watching the sea life.
C She was trying to climb on a rock.
16 When Uma ran out of the sea, her parents
A knew exactly what kind of jellyfish it was.
B called for a lifeguard to come to them.
C couldn't help her with the pain in her arm.
17 What does Uma say about the lifeguard's special cream?
A It took a long time to work.
B It made her arm feel cold.
C It changed the colour of her arm to white.
18 What did Uma do for the rest of the afternoon?
A She made something on the beach with her father.
B She went back into the sea to look for the jellyfish.
C She helped the friendly lifeguard clean the sand.
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Uma says "The weather was extremely hot every day, so we spent most of our time at the beach." This matches option A (very warm). Option B is wrong logic; the water was clear, but this is not why they went every day. Option C is wrong logic; she already knows how to swim and thinks it's a perfect place to do it.
15 B - Explanation: In the second paragraph, the text says Uma was "looking at the little fish" when she felt the pain, which matches watching the sea life (B). Option A is a wrong reference trap; her parents were reading books, not Uma. Option C is a wrong logic trap; she thought she hit a rock, but she wasn't trying to climb one.
16 C - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Uma says her parents "didn't know how to stop the pain", matching C. Option A is a wrong logic trap; she saw the jellyfish, but her parents didn't know what to do. Option B is a partial truth trap; her dad saw a lifeguard, but they "walked over to ask him for help" instead of calling him to come to them.
17 B - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, Uma says, "The cream felt very cold," which matches B. Option A is a wrong logic trap; the text says the pain stopped "after just a few minutes," not a long time. Option C is a wrong reference trap; the cream itself was white, it didn't turn her arm white.
18 A - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Uma says she decided to play in the sand and "My dad and I built a huge sandcastle," matching A (made something with her father). Option B is wrong logic because she explicitly says, "I didn't want to go back into the sea again". Option C is a wrong reference trap; the lifeguard cleaned her arm, she didn't clean the sand.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A weekend away to relax
Fifteen-year-old Victor writes about his trip to a teen yoga retreat.
Hi, I'm Victor and I'm 15. Last weekend, I went to a special health camp for teenagers. It was a yoga retreat in the beautiful, quiet countryside. My parents thought it was a good idea because I often feel worried about my school exams. I wanted to see if the camp could help me relax.
The best part of the trip was the yoga classes. We woke up early every morning and did stretching exercises in a large room with big windows. At first, it was quite difficult to move my body in new ways. But after a little time, I felt amazing. The teacher was very kind and showed us how to breathe slowly. It was incredibly relaxing, and I forgot all about my school work.
However, there was one big problem for me during the weekend. At the camp, everyone has to follow a strict vegetarian diet. The meals were made of fresh vegetables, fruit, and rice. The food tasted quite nice, but they didn't give us very much on our plates. By the evening, I was always very hungry. I usually eat a lot of meat and big dinners at home, so my stomach felt completely empty before bed.
So, what do I think about the teen yoga retreat? I really recommend it if you are feeling stressed and need to rest your mind. The countryside is lovely, and the exercises are great for your body. But if you decide to go, you should definitely put some extra healthy snacks in your bag. You will probably need them when it gets dark!
14 Why did Victor go to the yoga retreat?
A He needed a quiet place to study for his exams.
B He wanted a way to feel less worried about school.
C His parents wanted him to visit the countryside.
15 How did Victor feel about the yoga classes?
A They were too difficult for him to do.
B They made him think about his school work.
C They made him feel very calm after a while.
16 What was Victor's problem with the food?
A He didn't like the taste of vegetarian meals.
B He had to cook the fresh vegetables himself.
C He did not get enough to eat for dinner.
17 What advice does Victor give to teenagers who want to go?
A Take something else to eat with you.
B Go for a walk in the dark evening.
C Make sure to rest before you travel.
18 What is the best title for this blog post?
A How to make healthy vegetarian food
B A relaxing weekend with one small problem
C The best ways to study for school exams
Answer Key & Explanations
14 B - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Victor says he feels "worried about my school exams" and wanted to see if the camp could "help me relax." Option B correctly paraphrases this. Option A is a wrong logic trap; he went to relax from exams, not to study for them. Option C is a partial truth; his parents thought it was a good idea, but the text doesn't say they just wanted him to visit the countryside.
15 C - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Victor says that after a little time he "felt amazing" and that the yoga was "incredibly relaxing." This matches Option C (feeling calm after a while). Option A is a partial truth trap; the exercises were difficult "at first," but not too difficult to do overall. Option C is the opposite of the text, as Victor says he "forgot all about" his school work.
16 C - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Victor explains that "they didn't give us very much on our plates" and "By the evening, I was always very hungry." Option C accurately paraphrases this as not getting enough to eat. Option A is a wrong fact; he explicitly says, "The food tasted quite nice." Option B is a wrong reference trap; the text mentions fresh vegetables, but it doesn't say Victor had to cook them.
17 A - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, Victor advises his readers to "put some extra healthy snacks in your bag." Option A correctly paraphrases taking something else to eat. Option B is a wrong reference trap; he mentions needing the snacks "when it gets dark," but does not tell readers to go for a walk in the dark. Option C is wrong logic; he says the camp helps you "rest your mind," but doesn't tell you to rest before traveling.
18 B - Explanation: As an informative review blog, the best title reflects the entire text. Victor writes about his overall relaxing experience at the camp (the yoga) but also highlights his hunger in the evening (the small problem). Option B covers both main points perfectly. Option A is a minor detail trap; he ate vegetarian food, but the text is not about how to make it. Option C uses words from the text ("study", "exams") but misrepresents the topic completely.